Consents to act as Mediator.

27

We had heard before of the sayd letter and rules sent to Fa. Garnet: but (as we then told M. Dolman) we could neuer come to the sight of them: and therefore we desired him to be a meanes, that we might haue the perusing of them. Whereunto he did very willingly yeeld; as thinking our motion therein very reasonable: and thereupon going to maister Southworth, he so preuayled with him, as that he the sayd maister Dolman brought them vnto vs: which when we had read, we were much perplexed, finding our credits to be greatly touched by them. Howbeit, maister Doctor Bagshaw, in a very mild and charitable sort, did then desire maister Dolman, that by his mediation he might haue conference with Fa. Weston: promising, that he would be a meanes, that this controuersie should be ended to his honor & credit, and to a further increase of amity and charity, then euer there had bin for a long time amongst vs. Maister Dolman being a glad man to heare so much from him, dealt with Fa. Weston accordingly: whome he found so stiffe, as he could by no meanes perswade him to admit of that godly offer: notwithstanding it was made vnto him thrice; and so oft pressed by him the

Scripture, vir dolorum, he called himself Dole-man, in respect of the grief and sorrow he bore in his heart for the affliction and calamity of his country. Afterwards it fell out that there was a priest in England called Dolman, who being drawn by these men to favour their faction, as it seemeth, was persuaded also to complain that he was made to be the author of the book which no man yet, we think, that knoweth him and hath read the book will easily believe or accuse him of, his talent being known to be far inferior to such a labour, and consequently the complaint is both fond and ridiculous.' If we may judge of Dolman's literary abilities from a letter of his preserved in the Douay Diaries (pp. 149, 150), it is true enough that he could hardly have written the book in question. That it was written by Parsons himself has been proved once for all by Tierney (iii. p. 34). The authorship is, in fact, shown to have been 'distinctly and unequivocally acknowledged' by the jesuit. It is however curious to observe the different turn to this interpretation of Doleman given by Parsons at a later date, Oct. 18, 1603, in a letter to James I., when it was the writer's object to persuade the king that the principal catholics had all along supported the Scottish succession. They merely suggested a Spanish Succession in the book (says Parsons) in case James was not inclined to become a catholic, as a 'last spur of irritation that way;' and the name was chosen to insinuate the grief and sorrow they felt in being forced to come to this last means,' etc. (Ibid., p. lxxiii; cf. More, p. 161.)

sayd Dolman. Whereby maister Dolman gathered, that Fa. Weston had receiued some commaundement from maister Garnet, to take vpon him his sayd Agency: and for the better contenting of Doctor Bagshaw and his friends (being somewhat moued, that maister Weston had so oft refused conference) told them so much: adding, that he thought maister Weston his sayd refusall to be thereupon grounded: it being vnlawful for him to reiect, or call into question that, which his Prouinciall had imposed vpon him. But afterwards he the sayd maister Dolman imparting to maister Weston what he had sayd to Doctor Bagshaw and his friends, maister Weston flatly denyed that he had receyued from maister Garnet any such approbation or commaundement, either by letter, or otherwise. With which his aunswere, maister Dolman acquainting vs, we did the more maruaile why he disdayned the sayd offer of conference. Howbeit, seeing their courses, we sayd that we would not impeach any order, which they theselues thought meete to liue vnder: only we desired to liue in commons together with them, that the world might not take notice of any such schisme amongst vs: but this was reiected. Whereupon maister Dolman demaunded of Fa. Weston whether they meant to keepe any more strict or large dyet by themselues, then the rest? who answered, that they did not. Why then (quoth he) haue you taken another Brewer? Maister Weston aunswered: it was, for that he brewed better Beere then ye other. Vpon occasion of these speeches betwixt them, maister Dolman told him, that by reason of the choyse of the sayd new Bruer, the Townesmen began to talke at large of their great breach in the Castle: and further sayd, that some scandale was already growne, by appointing the said Chappell for their Buttery. To which last point maister Weston replying, aunswered: that he thought (as the case stood now in England) they might vse things heere as they found them: which words of his gaue maister Dolman occasion to shew the contrary, both out of S. Thomas and out of Nauarre, in his Commentaries De spoliis.

It were too long to set downe what then passed amongst vs, at this time of maister Dolmans being with vs : but he perceiued such

A Jesuitical Trick.

29

opposition to his godly motions, as that he desired to haue some ioyned with him: and that he might then depart, and returne with his Colleague, named by them one Doctor Bauin1 a fortnight after Easter. Hereunto we all willingly yeelded: and so after sixe dayes trauayle amongst vs, he bade vs farewell. But consider now a Iesuiticall trick that hapned. As maister Dolman was going to horseback, maister Southworth met him in the Porters lodge, and told him with great vehemencie of spirit, that Fa. Weston had greatly abused both him the sayd maister Dolman, and the whole company: in that he had receiued a fortnight before a letter from Fa. Garnet in approbation of their choyse to haue him for their Agent: 3 and had kept the same in his hands so long, without making his company acquainted with it: which he tearmed to be double dealing,

1 John Bavin, or rather Bavant, of the diocese of Chester, was, according to Dodd (vol. ii. p. 59), one of the first fellows, and first professor of Greek in St. John's College, Oxford. He was there tutor to Edmund Campion and Dr. Gregory Martin. An interesting letter of Campion from Bohemia, showing the affection which he entertained for his old master, then at Rome, is printed by Simpson (Campion, p. 86; cf. Douay Diaries, p. 315). Bavant was made doctor of divinity at Rome, spent some time at Rheims with Allen, and returned to England in June 1581. He was subsequently, in 1598, appointed by Cardinal Cajetan one of the assistants to the Archpriest.

2 The 'jesuitical tricks' were not all upon one side. Hall, in his report quoted above, referring to the contention among the priests 'last Michaelmas,' says that a 'Mr. Laiton seemed to bear great sway amongst them, and I thought favoured Edmundes's authority, as Mr. Caverley—understanding that Laiton was in town and purposed to have come to the castle-came to me, being then porter there, and asked me to signifie to Mr. Barloe, a priest of the house, a special friend of Laiton and Caverley's adversary, that my master had received a warrant from Council for apprehending Laiton, whereby he might not come to the castle. They wanted to bar him the place, because he caused the controversy among them. I gave the message to Mr. Barloe, though knowing it at the time to be false, and Laiton did not come to the castle at the time, but he has been there since. I do not know whether he is a priest or not.'

3 Parsons says (Apologie, f. 66) that Garnet yielded to the requests of the eighteen with these limitations: 'First, that he [Weston] should not be called their Superior, but their Agent. Secondly, that he should have no voice in determining anything, especially for the reprehension or punishment of any man that should offend against the rules of that congregation, but that all should be done by the voices of the major part without him. Thirdly, that he should not take any place or precedence at the table or elsewhere in respect of this office.'

as indeed it was in them both. But maister Southworth pretending his great discontentment in that respect, perswaded maister Dolman to returne back to maister Weston, and then hearing the sayd letter read, and perceiuing that it was ambiguously written, so as the time did not serue him to enter into any discourse of it (hauing a great iourney that night) he departed, without making any of vs acquainted with the sayd letter: much meruailing (as since he hath confessed) to finde so grosse a falshood in maister Weston.

In the meane time that we were in expectation of maister Dolmans returne with his Colleague, it was a world to heare the people, that before had honored and admired vs, so long as we kept vnity and integrity, how they changed their opinions of vs, especially of the Iesuites, tearming them in all ordinary assemblies, prowde, ambitious, and vindictiue persons, perturbers of states, countries, and commonwealths. What would these men do (say they) if they had all in their hands that being in a Gaole, dare take vpon them to rayse vp such tumults and garboyles? Certaine good men relating these things to maister Weston, desired him humbly vpon their knees, to consider what scandale he gaue to the world, and how God and his truth were much blasphemed by this dissention: but he, with great contempt and irrision aunswered, that he waighed not any mans iudgement: let them alone (sayth he) caeci sunt & duces cæcorum: if it be a scandall, it is scandalum per accidens, which I care not for: this matter is gone further then may be controlled by man: you shall see it with hands and seales confirmed, ere it be long. With this fathers obstinacy many were discontented: and maister Bluet did thereupon thinke it conuenient to write to maister Perpoint,1 and to desire him (hauing bin a prisoner before at Wisbich) to

1 Gervaise Pierrepoint, and his brother Henry Pierrepoint, of Holme Pierrepoint and Thoresby, Nottinghamshire, ancestor of the earls of Kingston, were among the first members of the secret Association of wealthy catholic laymen organised by George Gilbert in 1580 to guide and assist the missionaries. While Gilbert accompanied Parsons on his first journeys in that year, Pierrepoint performed the same dangerous service for Campion (Simpson, pp. 157, 187). He

A Priest falls out of his Wits.

31

moue maister Weston by his letter to some better quietnes. But the sayd maister Perpoint being now altogether Iesuited (which maister Bluet knew not of) shewed his letter to Fa. Garnet, who taking it in euill part, writ himselfe thereof to Fa. Weston, aduising him, that seeing maister Bluet had begun to write abroad of the affayres in that place, they should not now spare either him or any of the rest, to requite them with the like. So as thereupon maister Weston stirred vp a young Priest very well learned, to write a bitter, rayling, and an vnghostly letter to a Gentleman in London (a lay brother of that society) against Doctor Bagshaw and maister Bluet: to the intent that the sayd lay brother (being well esteemed amongst all the chiefest Catholicks) should blaze and spread the same abroad, to their exceeding discredits. But Doctor Farbeck being about that time in London, and knew very well the affayres then at Wisbich: vpon the sight of this letter by a Noble man, dealt very roundly with the sayd lay Iesuite, for the indignity and vnchristian dealing offered to those two persons secretly behinde their backs, where they could not defend their innocencie. He did at that time after a sort, satisfye the Gentleman so farre forth, as the spirit of that generation will be qualified in such a matter: and besides so informed the Noble man of such things as he knew, as that he was pleased with some disdaine to teare the letter in pieces. But the poore Priest that was vrged against his conscience to write it, being admonished thereof, fell out of his wits, and threatned to kill those that set him on worke: whereby they were driuen to intreate their keeper to shut him vp in a close chamber, where he remayned a tweluemoneth, and confessing willingly, that for

was more than once confined in the Tower, and was a fellow-prisoner with Weston at Wisbeach some time before the death of Metham. In April 1600 he got into trouble again for being found in possession of the letter written by Parsons to the earl of Angus (Cal. S. P., Dom. Eliz., CCLXXIV., Nos. 110-116).

1 'Dr. Farbeck is a doctor of physic, and commonly lies in term time at his chamber in the New Rents in Holborn; he is thought to be a recusant, and about once in two or three months visits the priests, but chiefly Dr. Bagshaw. (Examination of Hall, the porter, March 31, 1596; Cal. S. P., Dom. Eliz., CCLVI.) He was buried at Wisbeach, Nov. 14, 1598.