remaining rights. When they were withheld or contested, if the catholic complained, or resisted, or resorted to law, he was often reminded that he might be proceeded against for recusancy.

15. We shall conclude this account of the sufferings of the English catholics under the penal codes of Elizabeth and James, by an authentic account, taken from Dodd's Church History *, of the sufferings of one catholic family under them; it affords a striking view of the general calamity of the catholic body during these reigns.

"Francis Tregian, son of Thomas Tregian of "Volvedon or Golden, in Cornwall, by the eldest "sister of sir John Arundel, was master of a very "plentiful fortune, remarkable for hospitality,

strictly religious, and a zealous maintainer of the "faith of his ancestors. In the year 1577, the "laws against recusants, which, for some time be"fore, were vigorously put in execution in several "parts of England, were also encouraged in Corn"wall, through the malice of some exasperated "neighbours; who, one way or other, were of"fended at Mr. Tregian, and laid hold of the "opportunity to bring him under distress. Ac"cordingly, they informed against him, and a war"rant was issued out to seize him; he being then only twenty-eight years of age. Wherefore,

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"June 8th, 1577, the sheriff of the county, with

eight or nine justices of the peace, and above a "hundred attendants, well armed, entered his "house, took away by force, Mr. Tregian, with his * Dodd, vol. ii. p. 168.

chaplain, Cuthbert Mayne, bachelor of divinity, "and several of his domestics. They were first "hurried away to Truro, a market town at five "miles distance; where the bishop of Exeter had "a seat, and resided at that time. It appearing "upon examination, that Mr. Tregian was a recu-` "sant, he was obliged by the judges to give a "bond of 2,000 for his appearance the next "assizes. Some time before the assizes, his pro"secutors, not being prepared for a trial, contrived: "matters so, that an order came down, to have "him brought before the queen's privy council: "wherefore, being carried up to London, he was kept under confinement, till the council was "disposed to call him before them. At his exa"mination he was charged with recusancy, with "entertaining persons of a suspected character in "his family, and countenancing superstitious prac"tices. He frankly owned the charge of recu66 sancy; but at the same time assured the council, "that he did not absent himself from the protestant "church out of any evil affection to the queen, or 66 government, but entirely from a principle of "conscience. At the breaking-up of the sitting, "sir Francis Walsingham told him, he was not to "be discharged as yet, for other informations were "expected against him, out of the country. How"ever, he was civilly treated; especially by the "earl of Essex, who invited him to dinner, and gave him such advice, as he thought friendly, and "seasonable; which was, to appear once at church; "with an assurance, that all further prosecution

"should be stopped; Mr. Mayne and his domestics "should be released; and no doubt, but he would "be very much in the queen's favour. Mr. Tregian was prepared against such attacks, and remained

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firm to his principles. Meantime, his family "was in the utmost distraction, and his chaplain, "Mr. Mayne, condemned to die, and publicly "executed at Launceston, November 29th, 1577By this time, the council was furnished with "other allegations against him, viz. besides re66 cusancy, that he had been present at mass; "received agnus deis, and a jubilee from the "bishop of Rome; abetted, and entertained those, "that had asserted the pope's supremacy. Upon "this he was committed close prisoner to the Mar"shalsea; where he was confined ten months, "not, being permitted to keep any correspondence "with his family during that time; which was a great detriment to his domestic concerns, as it appeared from one particular instance. Mr. Tregian had dealings with one Mr. Brandore, a goldsmith, in London; to whom, upon balancing "accounts, he was found indebted 70l. Now this goldsmith, understanding that Mr. Tregian lay "under a very dangerous prosecution, and appre

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hending the loss of his money, went down to "Golden, and made a seizure of his goods to the "value of 500l. and what with charges and other "incidental expenses, Mrs. Tregian was obliged to pay down 2001. to the creditor, before the goods "could be replevied. All this happened without "Mr. Tregian's being acquainted with the affair.

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"It was thought his trial would come on at the king's-bench bar; which his counsel pressed "hard for. But the witnesses against him being "at a great distance, and his enemies apprehending, "lest his friends in London, (some whereof were "men in power), might frustrate their designs, they procured to have him sent down into Cornwall, "not doubting to carry their point there. This project taking effect, one Walkow, his professed enemy, was to be his guard and conductor; and, "as he was a person void both of good manners "and humanity, Mr. Tregian was treated by "him accordingly. For, to omit other hardships, "the horse he provided for his journey, including "saddle and bridle, was scarce worth ten shillings. "After some time, the trial came on; and Mr. Tregian made his appearance at Launceston "assizes. The queen's counsel endeavoured to

charge him with the several indictments, upon "which Mr. Mayne had been condemned, and "executed. In order to this, they produced one

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Twig, a musician, or rather a strolling fiddler, "whom Mr. Tregian had entertained in his family, "in the Christmas time, for the diversion of his "tenants, and neighbours. This Twig deposed, "that he had sometimes seen Mr. Tregian go into "Mr. Mayne's chamber, and remain there about

an hour which he conjectured to be the time, "while Mr. Mayne was saying mass: that, during "the Christmas, an. 1575, he was Mr. Mayne's "bedfellow; who owned himself to be a priest; ❝and that he had brought a number of agnus

"deis from Rome. Other evidence were produced; "but not so material. Then Mr. Tregian was

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permitted to make his exceptions; which were "considerable, had the court been disposed to "attend to them. In the first place, he made it appear, that Twig was not acquainted with "Mr. Mayne's chamber, from several questions proposed to him concerning the situation. But "the queen's council replied, that such circum"stances were not material. Then he proposed "to the bench, whether Mr. Mayne, who was "known to be a cautious and prudent man, could “be so indiscreet, as to own himself to be a priest "to a stranger, and vagabond? or that a common "fiddler should be made bedfellow to one of Mr. "Mayne's character?-Again, he alleged, that "Twig had perjured himself, as to the circum❝stances both of time and place; he had sworn ❝to Christmas, an. 1575, whereas Mr. Mayne "was then at Douay; and did not come over into

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England, till Easter; and had never been at "Rome in his whole life. These particulars, he "could prove by forty witnesses. But as they were not ready in court, the judges said, it was

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a frivolous thing to mention them; and that the "trial could not be put off. So the jury were left "to consider matters, as they stood. While they "went out upon the case, some pains were taken, "to persuade Mr. Tregian to conform so far, as to appear at church; with a promise, that the rest "of the prosecution should be dropped; which he "refusing, as formerly he had done, the jury re