1581. The 18. of July, Euerard Haunce [Hanse] a seminary priest, was in the Sessions hall in the olde Baily arraigned, where he affirmed that himselfe was subiect to the Pope in ecclesiasticall causes, and that the Pope hath now the same authoritie here in England that hee had an hundred yeeres past, with other trayterous speeches, for the which hee was condemned to bee drawne, hanged, bowelled, and quartered, and was executed accordingly on the last of July (Stow, p. 694).
1581. On the 20. of November, Edm. Champion [Campion] Jesuit, Ralfe Sherwine, Lucas Kerbie, Edward Rishton, Thomas Coteham, Henrie Orton, Robert Iohnson, and Iames Bosgraue, were brought to the high bar at Westminster, where they were seuerally, and all together indicted vpon high treason, for that contrary both to loue and dutie, they forsooke their natiue countrey, to liue beyond the seas vnder the Popes obedience, as at Rome, Rheimes, and diuerse other places, where (the pope hauing with other princes practised the death and depriuation of our most gracious princesse and vtter subuersion of her state and kingdome, to aduance his most abhominable religion) these menne hauing vowed their alleagiance to the pope, to obey him in all causes whatsoeuer, being there, gaue their consent, to ayd him in this most trayterous determination. And for this intent and purpose they were sent ouer to seduce the harts of her maiesties louing subiects, and to conspire and practise her graces death, as much as in them lay, against a great daie, set & appoynted, when the generall hauocke should be made, those onely reserued that ioyned with them. This laid to their charge, they boldly denied, but by a iurie they were approoued guiltie, and had iudgement to bee hanged, bowelled, and quartered (Stow, p. 694).
The account of the executions of some of these will follow. According to Camden, Elizabeth did not at all believe them guilty of plotting the destruction of the country; they were tried and executed to take away the fear which had possessed many men’s minds that religion would be altered if she married a foreign prince.
1581. The first of December, Edmond Champion [Campion] Jesuit, Ralfe Sherwine, and Alexander Brian seminary priests, were drawne from the tower of London to Tyborne, & there hanged, bowelled and quartered (Stow, p. 694).
In writing of the illegal use of torture by Elizabeth’s Government, under Elizabeth’s sanction, reference was made to a pamphlet, ascribed to Lord Burghley, “A Declaration of the favourable Dealing,” &c., issued in 1583. Here are two passages from the “Declaration” relating to Campion and Brian (here called Briant): “That very Campion, I say … was never so racked, but that he was presently able to walke, and to write.”
“A horrible matter is also made of the starving of one Alexander Briant; how he should eat clay out of the walles, gathered water to drinke from the droppings of houses, with such other false ostentations of immanitie; where the trueth is this: that whatsoever Briant suffered, in want of foode, he suffered the same wilfully, and of extreme impudent obstinacie, against the minde and liking of those that dealt with him.” His gaolers wished to have a specimen of his handwriting, and as he refused to write, “then was it commaunded to his keeper to give unto him such meate, drinke, and other convenient necessaries, as he woulde write for; and to forbeare to give him anything for which he woulde not write. But Briant, being thereof advertised, and oft moved to write persisting so in his curst heart, by almost two dayes and two nightes, made choise rather to lacke foode, then to write for the sustenance, which he might readely have had for writing, and which he had, indede, readely and plentifully, so soone as he wrote.” Thus the Government, or the Government’s apologist. This was the best case to be made out.
1582. On the 28. day of May, Thomas Ford, Iohn Shert, & Robert Iohnson, priests, hauing bin before indicted, arraigned, and condemned for high treason intended, as yee haue heard of Champion and other, were drawne from the Tower to Tiborne, and there hanged, bowelled, and quartered. And on the 30. Luke Kirby, William Filby, Thomas Cottam, and Laurence Richardson, were for the like treason in the same place likewise executed (Stow, p. 694).
1584. January 11. On the 10. of January at a sessions holden in the Justice hall in the Old baily of London, for goale deliuery of Newgate, Willi. Carter of the Cittie of London, was there indicted, arraigned and condemned of high treason, for printing a seditious and trayterous booke in English, entituled, A treatise of schisme: and was for the same (according to sentence pronounced against him) on the next morrowe drawne from Newgate to Tyborne, and there hanged, bowelled, and quartered. And forthwith against slanderous reports spread abroad in seditious bookes, letters, and libels, therby to inflame our countrey-men, & her maiesties subiectes, a booke was published, entituled, A declaration of the fauourable dealing of her maiesties commissioners, &c. (Stow, p. 698).[178]
1584. February 12. The 7. of February, were arraygned at Westminster Iohn Fen [James Fenn], George Haddocke [Haydock], Iohn Munden, Iohn Nutter, and Thomas Hemerford, all fiue found guiltie of high treason, in being made priestes beyond the seas, and by the Popes authoritie, since a statute made in Anno primo of her maiesties raygne, and hadde iudgement to be hanged, bowelled, & quartered: which were all executed at Tyborne on the 12. of February (Stow, p. 698).
1584. The 21. of May, Francis Throckmorton Esquire was arraygned in the Guild hall of the cittie of London, where being found guiltie of high Treason, hee was condemned, & had iudgement to be drawne, hanged, bowelled, & quartered. The 10. of July next following, the same Francis Throckmorton was conveyed by water from the Tower of London, to the Blacke fryers stayres, and from thence by land to the sessions hall in the Olde baily without Newgate, where hee was deliuered to the sheriffes of London, laid on a hurdle, drawne to Tyborne, & there executed according to his iudgement. A discouery of whose treasons, practised and attempted against the Queenes maiestie and the realme, were in the moneth of June published and printed in a booke intituled, A true and perfect Declaration of the treasons practised and attempted by Francis Throckmorton, &c.[179] (Stow, p. 628).