always trusty, loyal, and so obedient unto him that none of them will ever be disobliged from their loyalty to his sacred majesty; the other is a special favour for my brother, Mr. W. Price, whom your honour sufficiently knoweth to be a most loyal subject and a very able man. My desire for him is that your honour would vouchsafe to procure for him, under his majesty's hand and signet, the protection of his person, and of that small means which he hath to maintain himself, with which hitherunto he hath also in a manner maintained me. These two petitions being granted, if I live I shall endeavour truly to deserve them; if God calls me in His mercy, I shall then be mindful of them, and pray for his majesty and for your honour's eternal felicity."

Having provided for the welfare of his own and for the peace of the clergy, his work was done. There were others left to carry on in his own spirit the work he had begun. Rome had sent Panzani, and just a little while before his death, an English envoy, Captain Arthur Brett, had been sent to Rome. This last had instructions from the king to put the matter of the oath in its proper light; to let the pope know the pitiful state catholics were in on account of the prohibition; to procure exemplary punishment of Courtney; to show the impossibility of accepting a bishop; and lastly, to ask for the recall of the jesuits, lest the law should have to 1 C.S.P., p. 360.

take its course in their regard. Brett was further ordered by the king to take for his adviser D. Wilford, "a moderate man, and of good affection towards our service, and one whom you may trust."1

Death came to the monk very soon after. Abbat Caverel died on the first of December (1635), and on the twenty-seventh of the same month D. Leander followed his father and friend. He was buried in the grounds of Somerset House, in a small cemetery which had been consecrated only four days previously for the use of the queen's household. He was the first of them that slept there.

While alive he had only defended his character to his superiors for the sake of the credit of the work he was engaged upon. But now, when death was before him, and knowing that enmity would follow him to the grave, he took all precautions to secure the good name which belonged to his order as well as to himself. Panzani says:

"Father Leander being in great danger, in order to secure his good fame, made the profession of faith in the presence of many witnesses, and declared his wish to hold, even in detail, whatsoever opinion concerning the oath shall be determined by the church."

1 C.S.P., pp. 354–357.

2 Among the Clarendon State Papers is one (by some unknown hand, but endorsed by Windebank) to this effect: "That his majesty is informed that here, and at Rome also, it is reported that Father Leander, but ten days before his death, in the presence of Signor Gregorio and another man, friend to Father Leander, did retract what he had taught

And he asked me to send to your eminence a long letter, in the shape of an Apologia, which he has written and signed in the presence of three witnesses. And since the jesuits have spread about that the recent agreement (between the clergy and regulars) was directed against them, he asked me to send and bring him any jesuit, so that in my presence he might justify himself, to the intent that after death, which is not far off, his good name may not be slandered." 1

Writing again on January 2, Panzani says that many protestants called to see Leander before he died, among them a bishop, who particularly wanted to have an interview with the dying monk. But his brethren who were with him, in view of the interpretation that might be put upon the visit, would not approve of it. And as soon as it was known that D. Leander was dead, the provincial of the jesuits came to Panzani, with signs of all possible concern, and asked if it was true that good Father Leander had justified his opinion concerning the oath. Glad of the opportunity of removing all pretext of ignorance, Panzani tells his correspondent: "I told him all that had taken place, not only about the oath, but also about the declaration or held concerning the oath, that the king desiring to know the truth thereof, would have Mr. Secretary Windebank to send for them both, and to require of them a declaration of the truth on this point under their hands; of this point only, I say, simply and plainly, without glosses or circumlocutions" (vol. i. p. 711).

2

1 Panzani's Correspondence, December 26, 1635.

2 Ibid., January 2, 1636.

he made of not having in any way worked against the jesuits, nor entered upon the agreement with any sinister view. "1

Thus lived and died D. Leander Jones, whose days were spent in seeking peace. His name will ever be illustrious in the annals of the English benedictines as one of their greatest men-one who was a lover of his brethren and of his country.

1 Panzani's Correspondence, ibid.

VOL. II.

L

CHAPTER XV

CHRONICLES OF THE CONGREGATION.

II

BEFORE carrying on the history of the monasteries, it will be well to treat of such affairs as affected them in common and in as far as concerned their congregational aspect. The real life, however, is to be found in the records of each monastery, and in the unhappily very scanty records of the missioners, and not in the results of periodical meetings.

The second general chapter (the first after the Union) met at Douai on July 2, 1621. It had a difficult work to do; for this was the first time that the prelates of the congregation were the appointment of chapter. At the meeting held in Paris, things had been left pretty well as they were found. But one noticeable change had been made; D. Maihew was not included in the number of priors, evidently as an impossible man. It must be remembered in his favour that he had never had the advantages of a real novitiate. The only one of the old English congregation who was a properly trained monk was D. Augustine Baker. D. Maihew had spent his life on the mission, where he was a most zealous missioner. But his religious life had begun at a time of general conflict, in which much