A Short NARRATIVE Of the Discovery of a College of Jesuits, At a Place called the COME, In the County of HEREFORD: Which was sent up unto the Right Honourable, The LORDS Assembled in PARLIAMENT, at the End of the last Sessions, by the Right Reverend Father in God HERBERT, Lord Bishop of Hereford, according to an Order sent unto him by the said Lords, to make diligent Search, and return an Account thereof. To which is added A true Relation of the Knavery of Father LEWIS, The Pretended Bishop of Landaffe; Now a Prisoner in Monmouth Gaol.  
London, Printed by T. N. for Charles Harper, at the Flower-de-luce against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet. 1679.   

A short Narrative of the Discovery of a College of jesuits, at a place called The Come, in the County of Hereford. Together with an Account of the Knavery of Father Lewis, the pretended Bishop of Landaffe, etc.  
IN the Parish of Llanro●hall in the County of Hereford, there are two Houses, called, The Upper and Lower Comes, or Middle and Lower Comes, with a walled Court before each of them, having Lands belonging to them worth about Threescore pounds per Annum, 
S●e the Examination. of Mr. Bo●thby. Lord of the 〈◊〉.  (they pay Taxes at Eight and fifty pounds per Annum.)  
This Estate did formerly belong to Edward Lord Marquis of Worcester, who by his Lease dated Novemb. 10. in the Twelfth year of King Charles the I. did Let it for Fourscore and nineteen years to one William Morton, who dying, left it to one Robert Hutton living in St. Giles' in the Fields, London, styled Merchant; which Hutton hath by his Lease dated the second day of February 1677. and sealed and delivered in the presence of William Ireland, john Fenwick, I. Groves, set the Lower Come to one William Williams, for One and twenty years, at Forty pounds per Annum: And he hath likewise m the a Letter of Attorney to one Peter Pullen a Servant, intrusting him with the management of the Profits of both the Comes, which is dated the 27th day of April 1678. and the Witnesses to it are W. Ireland, Io. Fenwick, and William Cornelius.  
One of these Houses is a fair gentile House, wherein there are six lodging Chambers; each one a convenient Study to it, with a Standish left in them, besides several other lodging Rooms.  
The other House is also a good Country House, with several Chambers, and Studies to some of them, all in very good repair: But the Furniture now removed, we cannot yet find whither.  
The remaining Dwellers in the House, who were but Under-Servants, will not confess: They are apparently Perjured; For they flatly denied, upon Oath, several things, which were made out by others, and then they confessed them.  
There are One and twenty Chimneys in both Houses, and a great many Doors to go in and out at; and likewise many private Passages from one Room to the other.  
These Houses are seated at the bottom of a thick woody and rocky Hill, with several hollow places in the Rocks, wherein Men may conceal themselves; and there is a very private Passage from one of the Houses, into this Wood  
In one of these Houses there was a Study found, the Door thereof very hardly to be discovered, being placed behind a Bed, and plastered over like the Wall adjoining, in which was found great store of Divinity Books, and others, in Folio and Quarto, and many other lesser Books, several Horse-loads, (but they are not yet brought to me, it being Christmas holidays, but they remain in a safe hand) many whereof are written by the principal learned Jesuits.  
And there were found two Paper Books in Folio, in the Front of one written, 
Ordinationes variae pro Collegio Sancti Xaverii.  (Xaverius was the Co-founder with Ignatius of the Jesuits Order, and his Picture was there set up.)  
Ordinationes, doth not here signify Ordination, as we commonly understand it; but Orders and Rules sent from the Generals of the Jesuits Carassa and Paulus Oliva, to the Jesuits here inhabiting; as also Instructions from the Provincials of the Jesuits living in London, unto those here.  
The other Paper Book contains the great Benefactors, being Queens, Princes, Nobles, and several others of this and divers other Nations, who have contributed towards the Foundation of jesuit Colleges, or the Maintenance of them; and likewise the number of Masses appointed to be said for their Souls.  
There was also found a Latin Book in Folio, declaring, That there is in London a College dedicated to St Ignatius, with Revenues belonging to it, for the jesuit Novices in the time of Probation.  
One in Wales (which I suppose are these two Houses) dedicated to St Xaverius.  
A third is (the Book saith) in Staffordshire, or Lancashire, dedicated to St Aloysius, another prime jesuit: which Colleges, when England shall be reduced to the Obedience of the Pope, shall never be altered, as this Book directs. This printed Book, and the other two Paper Books in Folio, I have.  
There are about Fifteen or Sixteen several printed Books, containing the Decrees of the several Congregations of that Society at Rome, that contain only the Rules of the Society of jesus.  
There are several Books lately written and printed against the Protestant Religion, and many small Popish Catechisms printed and tied up in a bundle; and some Welsh Popish Books lately printed, and some Popish Manuscripts fairly and lately written.  
Likewise there is a Picture of Ignatius Loiola, the Founder of the Society, and the most remarkable Actions and pretended Miracles of his Life, not only written in printed Books, but in Pictures in several sheets, which Pictures refer to Ribadeneira's Book of Loiola's Life.  
There is a loose Paper dated the First day of March 1652. (it seems this was then founded a College) in which directions were given, that an Account of the Revenue and Disbursments should be sent yearly to the College in Rome: It is there also mentioned, that the same year there were baptised 34; reconciled to the Church of Rome 155 (a great number;) of those that were fallen from the Church and regained 15, and other matters.  
One Letter seems written by the Provincial to them of this House, wherein Complaint is made, That there was not Care enough taken to send Young Men to Rome, to be there bred up in the English College; and for which, he saith, the Pope was much displeased, and threatened to take away their College there, and fill it up with Scholars of some other Nation and Order.  
In one of these Houses lived a mean Servant, called Peter Pullen, (a Papist) yet entrusted 
〈◊〉 Peter Pullen' s Examination.  with the management of these Houses and Estates for Eight years past, as he confesseth; and was entrusted to receive a Rent of 30 l. per Annum, from an Estate called Amberley in the Parish of Monmouth, and another Rent of 18 l. per Annum, from an Estate called Langunuill in the Parish of Dixton in the County of Monmouth, and to manage them also: part whereof defrayed the Expenses of the College, as appears in part by an Account Book, where there are many Leaves cut o●t, (I suppose they had timely Notice given them, before the Order was sent me by the House of Lords, and did thereupon do this, and remove what they could before hand) and part paid in money to such jesuit Priests as were appointed to receive it: but for these Eight years that he hath been Servant there, he never hath made any Account unto, nor held any Correspondence with the said Hutton, who carrieth the name of this Estate.  
This Pullen names seven several jesuit Priests, viz. Prichard, Archer, Harris, Lewis, Price, Humfreys, and Draicot, who were used to resort thither, and say Mass there: but the Altar, with all the Ornaments thereof, was taken down, and conveyed away, only the Altar Stone remaining with five Crosses cut in it one at each corner, and one in the middle.  
Two Vestments, with some other small matters, were found in two Boxes hid in the Wood above-specified (it seems the other things were but newly removed; and they had begun also to remove the Library, for they had carried out and hid in a Pigs-Cot adjoining, about two Horse-loads of Books.)  
There were found many Bottles of Oil, a Box of White Wafers stamped, several Popish Pictures and Crucifixes, some Relics, a little Saints Bell, and an Incense Pot.  
It doth appear by several Examinations, that on Sundays and Holidays many Papists did resort to these Comes, and the greater part of Mr. Milburn' s Family near unto them, but I do not find that ever he himself frequented it.   

A Relation of the Knavery of Father LEWIS, the pretended Bishop of LANDAFFE.  
Amongst other things which fell out in the Examination of the Jesuits College at Come in Herefordshire, there is fully proved by several Witnesses, this true Story following; which being matter of Fact, cannot be denied.  
THere is, amongst the Foxes of this Kennel, one Lewis, one of the established number of Jesuits of the College; who is reported to be the Titular Bishop of Landaffe, and who is now Prisoner in Monmouth.  
There was a poor Woman, to whom this Lewis was a Confessor; her Father was a vicious Liver, and died about half a year ago  
This poor Woman having been taught the Doctrine of Purgatory, and being (it seems) of a very tender nature, and reflecting upon the condition of her Father's Soul, which she apprehended, by their doctrine, was in great torment in Purgatory: S●e thereupon fell into a great grief and sorrow; and, with tears in her eyes, addressed herself to this Father. Lewis, and told him, She was informed, that he could use means to fetch her Father's Soul immediately out of Purgatory into Heaven; and that she would give him all she had in the world to have it done with speed, though she did not leave herself one penny to live on  
To this, Father Lewis, after a long pause, told her, thus: Daughter, I am glad to see so much grace in you, as to believe the Holy Doctrine of Purgatory, so firmly as to be so truly sensible of the Torture of your Father's Soul therein: True it is, I can (with the assistance of our most Holy Father the Pope) bring your Father's Soul out of Purgatory into Heaven; but it will cost a great deal of money: For I must send over to Rome, to have power herein, and several Masses must be celebrated both in Rome, and all other Colleges of jesuits, and other Offices performed to do the work; which, Father Lewis said, would cost a great deal of money.  
The poor Woman answered, She did not care what it cost her; so dear, so precious was her Father's Soul to her, that she would give all she had to have it done.  
And then she asked him, How much it would cost to have it done?  
Who, after a pause, and reckoning upon his fingers-ends, told her, It would cost One Hundred pound to have it well done.  
With that the Woman cried bitterly, and said, She was not worth half so much money in the world.  
Then Father Lewis told her, He would do it for Fourscore pounds.  
The Woman replied, She was not worth half Fourscore.  
Then Father Lewis asked her, What she was worth in the whole world?  
To which she answered very honestly and truly, That she was worth but Thirty five pound.  
Then Father Lewis told her, Because she was poor, that he would take but Thirty pound: And thereupon they agreed.  
But when Father Lewis understood after from the Woman, that she had no ready money, he began to storm, and to be in a great passion; yet at last he was contented to take her own Bond for the Thirty pound: but took the Bond in a Friend's name, and caused the Woman to give a Warrant to an Attorney to confess Judgement upon the Bond, which was done accordingly; and the money was to be paid within six Weeks, within which time Father Lewis undertook peremptorily to have the Man's Soul out of Purgatory into Heaven, and so they parted, and the Woman hereby much comforted.  
Afterwards, as soon as ever the six Weeks were over, and the money became due, Father Lewis sent to the poor Woman, to come to him again, and as soon as ever she came, he produced unto her a Book with gilded Leaves, and red Letters; and after he had tumbled the Leaves of the Book backward and forward, he clapped the Book to his car, and then said thus, looking into the Book,  
Here it is, I am sure now your business is done; this I tell you to your comfort that your Father's Soul is as surely in Heaven at this very time, as I am here in this Chair.  
And then after a little time that the Woman had expressed her joy at these good tidings, Father Lewis asked her, Whether she had brought him his money, the Thirty pound she was engaged for?  
She answered, She had not brought him all, because her money was out in other men's hands, and could not get it in so soon; but she had brought him Ten pound, and humbly entreated him to receive that at present, and he should have the residue as soon as possibly she could get it in.  
But at this Father Lewis was startled, that she had not brought the whole Sum, and fell into a violent fury with the poor Woman, reviled her, gave her many harsh and bitter Words, threatened the poor Woman to send Bailiffs to take her in Execution upon her Judgement, and cast her Body into Prison; and not only so, but threatened to Excommunicate her also, for the breach of her faith, in not paying the Thirty pound, according to her Engagement.  
But, upon second thoughts, Father Lewis took the Ten pound, and he came to this farther agreement with her, which was, that she should pay Five pound more forthwith, and the other Fifteen pound within a quarter of a year after; and if she failed, then to render her Body to Prison, and suffer Excommunication.  
After this, the poor Woman made hard shift to pay Father Lewis the Five pound, but before the other Fifteen was due, a man of the Protestant Religion, solicited the poor Woman for Marriage. The poor Woman ingenuously and conscientiously confessed unto him, That she was worth nothing, but was in debt to her Ghostly Father Lewis Fifteen pound: And acquainted him how, and for what she came to be so indebted. This man, notwithstanding, marries her, and afterwards, by degrees, drew her from the Roman Church, to the Church of England; and then brought her before a Justice of Peace, to whom she discovered all this upon Oath.  
And this Woman knowing where her holy Confessor Lewis used to hide himself, under Ground, under a clay Floor, cunningly contrived in a poor despicable Cottage; and being now exasperated at the Holy Cheat and desirous, as is most just, to catch his person, as he would have catched hers; and endeavouring to have satisfaction from him for the money he (with so much uncharitableness) cheated her of, did conduct a Justice of Peace to the place, where they found and unkenneled the Fox, and from thence the Justice of Peace sent Father Lewis to Monmouth Gaol, where he now continues.  
FINIS.