THE COPY OF A DOUBLE LETTER SENT BY AN ENGLISH Gentleman from beyond the seas, to his friend in London, containing the true advises of the cause, and manner of the death, of one Richard Atkins, executed by FIRE in Rome, the second of August 1581.   


THE COPY OF A DOUBLE LETTER SENT BY AN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN from beyond the seas, to his friend in London, containing the true advises of the cause, and manner of the death, of one Richard Atkins, executed by FIRE in Rome, the second of August 1581.  
GOOD SIR, I thank you heartily for the two printed papers of master Euerard Hanses execution, both which, though penned by his adversaries, & in some points not agreeing together, yet give sufficient testimony and knowledge to the indifferent reader of the true causes, matter, and manner, of his death, neither the simplicity of the former reporter, nor the subtlety of the second, much darkening the light and truth thereof in any wiseman's sense, though they both, and specially the latter, as all such as had to do with the party, either in judgement or other wise, unjustly seek, after their manner, by crafty question and collection, and by racking his speeches against equity and his own interpretation, to enforce the case to statute and treason, rather than to matter of faith & religion, for which only, and not for any other disloyalty to his prince, the world well wotteth, the innocent man suffered. Therefore I marvel not that the faithful there among you should with so great diligence and devotion as you writ, gather up such pieces of his body, or garments, as they could without danger come by, for that was the manner of the first and best Christians towards the Martyrs of their time, which caused their adversaries, to throw their bones, and ashes into the sea, or other wise to desace them, Euseb. hist. li. 4 ca 14. Sozom. li. 5. cap. 7. For my part, I thank you unfeignedly for his tooth which came safely to my hands about ten days after the said books and your friend arrived. Much they make of the matter in these parts I assure you, not English only, but strangers most of all, being so enamoured of the thing, that I shall have enough a do to keep it for your sake as you desire me: some, at the sight thereof, that were lately his familiares & equals, with godly emulation in a sort envying his incomparable preferment before them, and wondering at his so speedy felicity, many bewailing our countries calamity that so often maketh Martyrs, other glorifying god, that by his grace it breedeth men fit to be Martyrs, one in Religious mirth saying, that they which had destroyed the old memories would now make us new: myself most admiring in the matter gods inscrutable choice in the gifts of his graces to one rather than another, promoting almost in a moment this poor, plain, humble man, knowing nothing but Christ and the duties of his priesthood, to that dignity, which divers greater Clerks of the same faith there among you after all their disputes and some years travail, can not yet attain unto. Into these cogitations your new relic induceth us now and then, of the leaping of his heart you talk of, whether it were natural or miraculous: no great matter, for we need no miracles to try Martyrs. I promise you I pray not for him, following the known rule of S. Augustine hat we should not pray for such, but rather sesire them to pray for me. tract. 9 in joan. But now to requite your courtesy even in the same kind (though in the men and the matter there be great difference) I send you the copy of a letter lately written hither from Rome, containing the true causes, circumstances, and manner of the execution, of a certain frantic or 〈◊〉 possessed person, done in that City within two or three days, of Master Hanses suffering in London by which you shall plainly be 〈◊〉 into what desperate miseries and fantasies, 〈◊〉 may fall, that hath forsaken the Catho●●● Church: & therefore is forsaken of Christ's spirit and protection, and given up to the devils drift and all deception of error, and eftsoon see the great difference betwixt the constant patience of true Confessors, and the perverse obstinacy of heretics in all ages by Satan's subornation falsely imitating the same. To omit therefore other words of common courtesy in the beginning of my friends letter, the sooner to come to the narration, thus it is written by one that I know will not for all the world wittingly report of the man an untruth, and was present at the whole action, and if need be, can justify every word by the records and publincke acts of the Courts in which the matter passed.  
BUT now Sir (saith he) for news I can 
A Copy of the letter from Rome.  not forbear to impart unto you the pitiful story of the impious fact lately committed here by a Contreiman of ours and the condign punishment that he suffered for the same, and other his damnable purposes and opinions, the which I will tell you more partieularly, for that the report thereof may come unto you as it commonly happeth by same & far carriage much altered and corrupted, the matter being even here in the City diversly of diucts men told, either of ignorance or ill meaning, and the rigour of the justice towards the fellow counted of some also of our Country that come hither of bone voyages very extreme, 〈◊〉 dare say the like propositions of infidelit 〈◊〉 England, where heresies be otherwise much privileged, should yet at this day be ●●nished by fire, of late years certain dutchmen being burned in London for far less matters and no Englishman in all this Pope's time, not his predecessors ever touched for the protestant vulgar errors only, though great number both of Gentlemen, Merchants and Mariners have been in the inquisition for the same: where they all found as themselves will confess, passing extraordinary courtesy and so small rigour, that a good fellow of our nation not many months sithence, lacking means to live, accused himself of heresy, and put himself so into the inquisition, that there at lest for a season he might have his finding, till God sent better fortune. Where, if the reports be true that cometh out of England hither, the imprisoned for the Catholic faith there, are often in great danger of starving, through the fear the protestants put their charitable relievers in, for their alms bestowed upon them: but to the matter.  
ABOUT two months since, there came to this City, one Richard Atkins borne or dwelling lately in a town named Rosse, four miles from Chepstow, one that perchance you have heard of before, for he had been whipped openly and either thrust into Bridewell or Bedlam in London for certain lewd speeches against the Queen, and had suffered death as is thought, had he not been deemed a mad man. He was of no great years, of a mean stature, an alborne buss he, and readiss he beard, by occupation a nailer, or a nailesmithe, wherewith his hands were as hard and dried as might be, altogether unlettered, saving, that he could write his own name, which it seemed he learned very lately, he did it so slowly and so rudely, and read a little English, specially of the book which he was acquainted withal. which was a little new testament turned out of Beza his latin, into our tongue. For his religion he said that till he was nineteen years old he was a Catholic or papist, for he used the terms indifferently, after that nineteen years a protestant, after the English use, and now at last three years, of this further faith: some points whereof you shall hear anon. The mad fellow made himself as a prophet, and partly for show thereof, put himself into strange and figurative attire. Next his body he had a ragged woollen garment, than a doublet and breeches of hard burned rude leather, above that a leuse weed of a calves skin like to a Cassock, or rather like a scapuler of the religious, reaching no farther than his midback behind, and his navel before, having the figure of a pair of gallows sowed fast upon the same in red cloth both on the back and the breast, aswell for signification that he sought to be persecuted for the gospel, as for prophecy, that he should die upon the gallows for his faith. Above all this furniture he had a side beggars cloak of very course stuff as a man should see. So that for this apparel only he was much gazed at in every corner. And in that sort he went not long after his arrival, into S. Peter's Church, where among all the people there assembled he did rave and rage's with low exclamations they could not tell against what or whom, and all in English, none understanding him, but every one pitying him and conceiving him to be distracted of his wit, some conjecturing him to be an Englisheman, mads speedy relation thereof to the Cardinal. of S. Sixtus who is the protector of our nation that by his order the miserable man might be provided for (as in this City thereiss the spediest relief, for all sorts, that is in the world.) Immediately the Cardinal commanded he should be brought to the English College, and so he was the same forenoon, having at the same time besides his other maladies of mind, a very fervent fevet. Where they cherished him with meat and other things plentifully, some of the elder sort also questioning with him of his meaning and the causes of his coming to Rome. To whom he uttered for answer many blasphemies against God, and furiously railed against the Pope and the Sacraments and other holy things of our Christianity, professing that he came to that place purposely that he might be killed for Christ, and that he would from thence into Turkey if he could not attain the same in Rome. All which the students attributed to fury and frenzy, and therefore made no matter of his execrable words, but made much of the miser till the next day towards evening, at which time order was given that he should be removed for the better curing of his ague to the Hospital of S. Spirit, as he was, where he was kept well for certain days, till his fever was passed. But being from thence dismissed and fully recovered of his disease, he walked the streets and haunted public places of resort continually crying out in his own language against the Catholic religion, the Pope, and he City, affirming to Englishmen that he sometimes met with all, & others that understood our language, that he would tarry so long in Rome till he had learned so much Italian, as to charge the Pope publicly with his sins, ash said he had boldly reprehended the Queen of England also for her ill life, with such and such, whom the seditious slanderer named. The which things both against God and his Ministers in earth being at sundry times heard of divers, and the wise fearing the event of the matter, and that it would be slanderoous to the nation, if remedy were not had, came unto the College and namely to Master william Good, the confessor of the house, a very grave godly father, praying him and the Rector of the College, to consider for the honour of the Country what way might best be taken with him, because the Italians began already to mutter and murmur that he was not kept in order, or punished: saying that the desperate villain might be suborned or easily induced by wicked men of the new sect, to do some outrage or attempt some what against his holiness person. The said fathers therefore thought best he should be put into the Hospital of the patzí which is for the cure and keeping of mad me and fools, but after the rulers of that house (who have great experience in such cases,) had by good trial discerned him not to be distracted, they refused plainly to take charge of him. Whereupon pregnant suspicion more and more grew in all men's minds, that all that fury of the fellow, was but the frenzy of heresy, driven by Satan into that extraordinary servor of speech and behaviour, to procure, his destruction, & so the case was referred at length to the holy inquisition, which would not for all this take knowledge of the matter, but still deemed it a distraction in the party, notwithstanding the officers thereof were forewarned that some notorious scandal might very well ensue thereof, if the man were not one way or other looked to, & restrained betimes: this was the xviij. of july. They feared it not for all that, and the fellow went abroad and played his parts as before, till sunday following, being the twenty-three. of the same month, which day in the forenoon he came into S. Peter's Church again, and there approached near unto a priest that was at Mass, a great number of gentlemen and other of all sorts assisting, and when the time of consecration was come and after the elevation of the former kind, the devil moved the wretch's heart, and gave him courage, to enter suddenly before them all within the rales or closure that the Altar was compassed with, and to seize upon the holy Chalice and to hurl it among the people, which he did to the great horror of all the assistants, so barbarous and sacrilegious a crime not lightly read nor heard of, but to be done in the chief Church of Rome, among them that are so perfect Catholics, and zealous of God's honour, it was truly deemed in manner inexpiable, though, otherwise then the damnable beast intended, the Chalice was not then consecrated, because he took it immediately after the elevation of the former part, before the second sacerd words were said over it, not being so well acquainted with that divine action, as to discern the times thereof. This desperate fact thus done, the priest standing in great fear amazed, & much muttering through the whole Church, the common people would have torn the man of perdition in pieces, if certain gentlemen of the wiser sort had not stayed them, who gave counsel and took upon them rather to deliver him out of hand to the Inquisition: and thither was he brought the same hour, the house of the office and the commissaries lodging not far of. Thither also was the foresaid Confessor of the English College with one other, called to be interpreters to both parts in the examination of the Heretic: where, as well for his said notorious Sacrilege committed, as for divers damnable speeches and opinions, which he avouched and in which he persisted even before the sacred office, they proceeded against him according to the holy Canons & had been strait committed to the secular power and executed (the people instantly urging that the City might be delivered of that monster and expiated of so impious an act by the death of the malefactor) had not the good Cardinal of S. Severin of his charitable compassion humbly asked of his holiness and obtained some days of delay for the poor Caitiff, that all means possible might be assayed for his repentance and salvation. He was convicted of a number of heretical articles over and above all the heresies of the new English Church: as, that the Pope was a devil: that there was no Sacraments: that there ought to be no authority or superiority of one man over an other, among the faithful: that a Christian man should not swear at all, neither in judgement nor otherwise: that there should be no holy days at all: that none should bear or use weapon: that his head being covered, he would not nor ought not put of his cap to any man, because, honour was due to God alone: that a man should not pray but in secret, not kneeling but prostrate or groveling: that none could be saved but such as suffered persecution: that both the people of the Este under the Turk, and the Catholics in England, not with standing their errors, might be saved, because they suffer persecution: that 〈◊〉 persecution was a proof sufficient of the true Church & of the elect. For all which fond absurdities, and other his fantasies, he alleged scriptures continually as the Caluinists do, and applied them with like grace: that is, as just as Germans lips, yet not lacking vulgar sleights, shifts, evasions, and winding of words, to avoid the Scriptures and reasons wherewith he was pressed by the learned of the nation, that earnestly dealt with him for conversion from such pernicious illusions of the devil. Marry within two sentences, and ●rtē with one breath, he would contradict him 〈◊〉 affirm, and deny, and start from one hole, to an other, for all the world, like the protestāns 
Fulk.  ●oft horse in England, that will pass you such answers without a bait to any Catholic book that cometh in his way. When we asked him, how he knew that book which he bore about with him to be gods word, or to be truly translated, or to have that meaning, for which he so often and so confidently alleged it, seeing he was not learned to examine the translation or sense thereof, but should yield to the learned in such matters, and give over his own fantastical singularities. The more learned (quoth he) the more damnation that you live not accordingly, but are of ill life as the protestants, and puritans be: & that this book is god's word & well translated I am warranted by the spirit. When we opposed to his particular spirit the general spirit promised to the Catholic Church, he answered, that himself was the church: and often, that he knew no man to be of his faith but himself, that the Church could not be seen, nor known to any, saving to God alone, being the hid company of the elect only. And some times, that he was not assured whether himself was of the Church or no: other while, that the Church was in heaven only, ever since Christ's Ascension, specially, sith the kings of the earth be came Christians, and endued it with rich●●● for which they should be damned every 〈◊〉 as all other rich men should likewise 〈◊〉 That the sword was put into their hands by God, as unto wicked persons, that so wickedness, according to the scripture, might ha●● the over hand (which sentence even so translated he often used) and the elect be persocuted by them, and by that persecution be saved: yet notwithstanding, suddenly he would turn his talk and allege out of the old testament, that princes should use their sword against malefactors: and contrary, straight out of the new, that no man should strike with the sword. When we cited S. Paul against him. he answered by the authority of S. Peter, that in Paul's writings many things were hard which the ignorant abused: cite him Peter, I am (quoth he) Christ's disciple, not peter's. Being demanded of the number and force of the Sacraments: some time he affirmed there was none, no count to be made of baptism or the supper, Christ's passion only to be a Sacrament: otherwhiles, he said all the works of the Just were Sacraments: and that it was a small matter what faith a man were of, so that he lived well: and that every Just man was a priest, and might minister all Sacraments, pray, and do what else he list to salvation: that himself sometimes as a sinner could not pray, at Other times, that he could pray, fast, and tame his fles he. He affirmed that most part of the world (specially the learned) should be damned, for that they did not reproach and charge openly, he kings with their faults, as he had done the Queen of England: and that he was ordained of God to do it, as john Baptist and the prophets were, and that he would speak to the three tyrants specially, the Turk, the Pope, & he Queen, whom he lightly named together: where unto, when some replied, that he should shortly see, it was not the spirit of true prophesy, but the suggestion of the enemy that drove him to these follies, for that he was not to be hanged as by the figure of the gallows on his coat, and by his words he prophetically professed, but should be burned for an Heretic, to which he said nothing, neither was any whit moved by the reasons, prayers, persuasions, or tears of the godly priests and fathers that dealt with him continually for seven days together, during his imprisonment in the inquisition, nor showed all that while any sign of distraction otherwise then by that frenzy, which is incident to heresy, and pitiful execation and obduration of heart, whereat, not only for the compassion of the wretches damnable misery, but also for the dishonour of our country, we all exceedingly sorrowed, seeing the strangers measure the common condition of our state in England, by the brutish calamity of this one savage man, of whose opinions just (say they) though all there be not, because heretics never agree, yet being all a like out of the Church of God, they are neither less sure of damnation, nor less subject to fantasy, nor more led by reason and religion, than this forlorn fellow. Yea some of the vulgar, did talk brood against the college and nation, not letting to say, that such fellows might be bolstered or covered by them, & that they marveled his holiness would sustain so many of that country in the City: but others more discrete, that we were to be pitied rather then reprehended, that had to wrestle in our country with such intractable spirits, as this, who brought to Rome as they said, a pattern of our domestical miseries, not well conceived of before. But now the Magistrate of the inquisition after sufficient respite and trial of the prisoners disposition, the 29. of july called for certain English men of special known conscience and credit, and put them to a book oath, what they thought of this man's state of mind, and, whether they had any hope of his repentance either of the execrable Sacrilege committed in the Church, or of his damnable opinions: whereunto when they had answered according to their conscience, than the man was brought forth, and his said fact and heretical assertions were publicly red, and to him in English interpreted, where, by an interpreter likewise, he was demanded whether he would repent & recant: he answered, that he would seal them with his death: whereupon he was delivered immediately to the secular officer, who was then purposely present also, & he caused his sergeants to seize upon his body, as they did, & strait put upon him a black cassock with flames of fire painted upon it: and carried him so from the house of the inquisition through the high street, innmmerable people following him to Corta Savella, which is a prison hard by the College, which they did, that such as were of the nation might more conveniently deal with him, the remnant of his little time remaining for his repentance, he remained there till wednesday following the godly Confessor and others of the nation, and strangers also, not ceasing night nor day to pray and do all duties towards him, but what could man do with him, whom God had for his horrible facts and incredulity forsaken? The day of his execution therefore came, being the second of August. And the malefactor was set upon an ass, his body being naked to the girdle steed, so carried towards the place where he did the sacrilege: bourning torchs often thrust to his back and breast all the way as he went: whereathe showed much more impatience and pucillanimitie, than was agreeable to his former desperate pretended stoutness and spirit, roaring and crying out, kill me at a stroke: whereunto the foresaid good father on the one hand, and an other that went of the other side him, ceased not to call upon him, O Richard! for our saviours sake that bought the with his blood, have pity upon thyself, remember God his judgements into which thou shalt by and by enter, and from which to recover the to God, these torments are used towards the, which yet are no more comparable to hell fire, than the sparkles of thy smythie forge are to this, thou now and anon shalt feel in thy body: repent for JESUS sake, repent in this last moment of hope and life. And sometimes he cried the Lord have mercy upon me: then the father, O man, there is no mercy out of the Church, return to Christ's spouse and family, from whence thou art fallen, and there thou shalt find grace in this thy extremity, have desire only to be united to the Catholic Church and to confess thyself of thy offences to Christ's Ministers, and thou shalt yet be saved, and become of an example of God his justice, a pattern of his mercy, and a saved soul in heaven. But the forsaken creature would not hear nor by any means, lift up his eyes towards a great crucifix which the devout fraternity, by order, for the comfort of such men, carrieth before the condemned. At leinth they came to S. Peter's street, where he was to be burned. and first they cut of his right hand, with which he did the impious fact, then tied him to a stake and put fire about him, the zealous priest continually crying upon him to call yet for mercy: but he feeling the torment to be long and vehement by reason the fire was slow, would have strangled himself in the chain wherewith he was leusely tied about the stake, at the sight whereof the good Father cried, Atkins, Atkins, take heed for the passion of our Saviour, prevent not gods judgement by violence and murder of thyself, thou hast yet time enough to call for grace & pardon for thy offences, ask with thy heart only and our merciful Lord will give it the, and if thou so do, cease that violent wresting of thy throat with the chain, and give us a sign with thy hand that thou repentest, whereat suddenly he quieted himself in the chain, and lift up, not only his hand, but his stump arm also, above his head, and so settled himself to quietness till he was dead. All we that stood near and saw him make that evident sign at the Confessors motion, conceived great hope of his salvation, pro hoc tamen non dico ut roget quis, though I doubt not but at the day of our Lord, we shall see many such examples of his mercy to men as near the door of damnation as this seemed to be, for his life and death most desperate.  
THE sight of this thing maketh me now less marvel at the Circumcellians, Anabaptists, and other heretics devilish obstinacy, and desire of their own deaths, whereof S. Bernard writing of the like heretics in his time, hath godly words which (though I be to long) I will set down for some ease of my mind, that hath been somewhat toiled in this poor man's lamentable case these days past. These heretics (saith he) can not be vanquished by reason, because 
In Cantic. ser. 66.  they understand not, nor are corrigible by authority, which they accept not, nor by any persuasion; for that they be subverted, they make choice of death rather than conversion, and many wonder to see them go to death not only patiently, but also as it seamed iocantly, but such marveled that marked not what great power the Devil hath, not only of the bodies, but of the hearts of them, that he hath by God his permission once possessed. Is it not a greater matter, that one should kill himself, then offer himself, to be killed by an other? but that we have seen the Devil drive divers to have hanged or drowned themselves. To be short, judas hanged himself by the devils instigation no question whereat I marvel not so much, as that, he could driu him to deny his Master: therefore the constancy of Martyrs is nothing like the pertinacity of heretics, piety in the former: obduration of heart in these, causing the contempt of death. So saith he, meaning, that the enemy once having won so much of a man, as to make him forsake Christ and his holy Church, it shallbe then no mastery for him to drive him to desperation and desire of death: of which kind, that forsake the Catholic Church & hate God's priest. S. Cyprian saith Though they give themselves to be burned with 
De unit. Eccles.  flames of fire, or to be devoured of beasts, all that shall not be the crown of faith, but a just punishment for their faithlessness, nor a glorious end of religious fortitude, but the iss hue of damnable desperation: such may suffer death, but such crowned can never be, he can not be a Martyr, that is not in holy Church, be can not come to heaven, that forsaketh her (the Church) which shall reign in beaven. But my good dear friend I fear now Iwaxe tedious to you in so long a lamentable tale, but love hath no measure, & needful it is that you should know the whole truth of the matter: this my letter I give vou leave to impart at your pleasure, as I often communicate yours.  
AND now being ready to close up, fresh advises are come by this last post of Paris, of the betraying and apprehension of Master Campion and others through the filthy treason of one Eliot, who they say after certain other 
Eliot.  infamous treacheries towards his best Masters and friends, played judas part herein egregioussy. Quid vultis mihi dare & ego tradam vobis eum, God grant we hear not shortly that he hang himself after his wages be paid. judas we shall not lack so long as Christ hath any disciples, and that the protestants are forced to use such infamous fellows it is their policy and necessity, because they can not find honest men for that service, of Master Campions discrete usage all the way that he was carried upword, his joyful toleration of the contumelies done him by the papers pinned to his hat, which one day shallbe the garlant of his glory, of his humble behaviour before some of the chiefest, and his sweet moderation in all his actions, we were here all edified: and the fathers of his order, rejoice in God thereat exceedingly, esteeming it a glorious ornament to their society that he being but a puny among them, for age and learning under thousands, should so mightily by his life, doctrine, and demeanour, confounded the adversaries of the truth, not doubting but his imprisonment and farther suffering as God shall appoint, will be much more glorious to Christ and his Church, the his service at liberty could ever have been. But of the sequel of these things, as of his racking & other durance, whereof there is already likewise an uncertain rumour, I trust you will advertise us from time to time, and so I pray you heartily do. Christ lesus be with you my good loving friend,  
At Rome this 8. of September 1581. By your own wholly, whose hand and heart you know.   

THESE news lo Rome yieldeth at this present, if I had from thence or any other place better, with good will and good cheap (for recompense of yours) should you have them, relics would I send you also to be answerable in all points to your courtesies, but such martyrs as these, leave no grateful memories behind them, as yours there do, but, as the Cimes, bit when they are alive, and stink when they are dead. But if you communicate the case to M. Fox, perhaps he can make something of it, as he hath done of the martyr in Portugal, and of other as stinking stuff as this, commend me to him I pray you as unacquainted. Of your disputes in the tower welooke daily to hear from you, of the first altercation we have a copy, and at Master B. childish Grecum est non potest legi, many laughed heartily in their sleeves I dare say: and he blushed I trow, if he be not very black, when he heard him read Basile rowndly. Farewell my most loving faithful friend  
from hence this 20. of Octobre 1581. Your own all wellassured, whose hand you know, as I do yours, that neither of us need hereafter to subscribe our names.