letter, "that the papal project would be attended "with consequences quite contrary to those which "the pope expected, and render the condition of "the catholics more miserable than ever, by making "them take up arms in opposition to the laws of "the kingdom, and to the lawful succession of the "reigning monarch."

Such was the project, which, in the following reign, subjected the pope and the catholics to so much censure. The fact was, that though a family estate was never transmitted from father to son with greater ease than the crown of England passed, on the death of Elizabeth, from the house of Tudor to the house of Stuart, a different scene had been generally apprehended. It had been expected that many competitors to the throne would arise; and particularly it had been supposed, that the party, which had been principally instrumental in bringing Mary to the scaffold, would not quietly permit her son to ascend the throne. Those, it was thought, looked towards Arabella; and, being a catholic, her claims, it was imagined, would naturally be favoured by that party. These, as we have already observed, constituted, at the time of which we are speaking, the most numerous portion of the subjects of the realm. They considered themselves, therefore, entitled to a vote at the election, and the pope, seconding their views, claimed all their votes and interest for Arabella.

It appears that there were two briefs only ;-one directed to the archpriest and clergy; the other to the nobility and gentry of England. On the

trial of father Garnett, which we shall afterwards have occasion to mention, sir Edward Coke represented them, as enjoining the catholics, "not to "admit any person, how near soever, upon the line "to the throne, after the queen's death, unless "such person would not only tolerate the catholic

religion, but promote it to the utmost of his 66 power; and engage himself by oath, according "to the custom of his ancestors, for that purpose. That these were the contents of the briefs, father Garnett did not deny. He admitted that they were transmitted to him, but he alleged in his defence that he kept them secret, showed them to very few, and soon after the accession of James, committed them to the flames*. He also alleged, that both the pope, and the superiors of his order, earnestly recommended to the catholics to bear their sufferings with patience, and to abstain from violence of every kind. This is confirmed by the letters both of father Garnett and of father Persons, produced by father Andreas Eudæmon, in his defence of Garnett: some of which we shall afterwards notice.

* The writer has not discovered them in any bullarium.

CHAP. XXXIX.

PROTESTATION OF ALLEGIANCE, PRESENTED TO THE QUEEN BY THIRTEEN SECULAR PRIESTS.

1602.

IN 1602, while this unwise and criminal activity, for by these terms we must again describe it,-was displaying itself on the continent, thirteen priests presented to the council of her majesty a solemn protestation of allegiance, expressed in terms extremely well calculated to remove the prejudices entertained by the sovereign and the public against the general body of the catholics. We shall first mention the circumstance which led to this measure; then, insert the protestation.

On the 5th November 1601, the queen issued a singular proclamation*. She notices in it, the dissentions between the secular and the regular clergy, and the combination, as she terms it, of some of the former with the latter; she then intimates, that the seculars, who preserved their integrity, were, in her consideration, less blameable than the regulars, or those who combined with them: she then orders all to depart the realm, within a time expressed, "except such as, before a mem"ber of the privy council, a bishop, or the presi"dent of Wales, should acknowledge allegiance "and duty to her;-with whom she should then "take such further order as should be thought most "fit and convenient."

• Printed in Rymer's Fœdera.

Availing themselves of this proclamation, some of the leading clergy came forward with the following admirable protestation of allegiance, dated the 31st of the following January.

"Whereas it hath pleased our dread sovereign lady to take some notice of the faith and loyalty "of us, her natural born subjects, secular priests, (as it appeareth in the late proclamation,) and "of her princelike clemency, to give a sufficient "earnest of some merciful favour towards us,

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(being all subject by the laws of the realm unto “death, by our return into the country after our taking the order of priesthood, since the first year of her majesty's reign),-and only to de"mand of us a true profession of our allegiance, thereby to be assured of our fidelity to her ma'jesty's person, crown, estate, and dignity :-We, "whose names are underwritten, in most humble wise, prostrate at her majesty's feet, do acknowledge ourselves infinitely bound unto her majesty therefore, and are most willing to give such assurance and satisfaction in this point, as any "catholic priests can or ought to give unto their sovereign.

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"First, therefore, we acknowledge and confess "the queen's majesty to have as full authority, power, and sovereignty over us, and all the subjects of the realm, as any her highness's pre"decessors ever had and further, we protest that we are most willing and ready to obey her in "all cases and respects, as far forth as ever chris"tian priests within this realm, or in any other

:

"christian country, were bound by the law of God "and christian religion to obey their temporal "prince; as to pay tribute, and all other regal "duties unto her highness; and to obey her laws "and magistrates in all civil causes, to pray to "God for her prosperous and peaceful reign, in "this life, according to his blessed will; and that "she may hereafter attain everlasting bliss in the "life to come.

"And this our acknowledgment we think to be "grounded upon the word of God, that no authority, no cause or pretence, can or ought, upon any occasion, to be a sufficient warrant more "unto us, than to any protestant, to disobey her "majesty in any civil or temporal matters.

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Secondly, whereas, for these many years past, divers conspiracies against her majesty's person and estate, and sundry forcible attempts "for invading and conquering her dominions, have "been made, under we know not what pretences, "and intendments of restoring catholic religion by "the sword, (a course most strange in the world, " and undertaken peculiarly and solely against her "majesty, and her kingdoms, among other king

doms departed from the religion and obedience "of the see apostolic no less than she),-by rea"son of which violent enterprizes, her majesty, "otherwise of singular clemency towards her sub

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jects, hath been greatly moved to ordain and "execute severe laws against catholics, (which by "reason of their union with the see apostolic in "faith and religion were easily supposed to favour