+ Venerable THOMAS PALASOR, Priest, 1600

POISON DETECTED

Biography

A YORKSHIRE man by birth, he was apprehended as a priest in the house of Mr. John Norton in that county, with his host and Mr. John Talbot, and all three were confined in Durham gaol. There at dinner some broth was set before Mr. Palasor, and, on his preparing to taste it, the bone of mutton in the dish ran blood in the form of crosses, and of O's in the broth. He therefore abstained from taking it. The maid, noticing this, carried the broth back to her mistress, who spiced it over and sent it by the same maid to Mr. Talbot and Mr. Norton, when the same phenomenon was repeated. The maid, by name Mary Day, seeing this, came to Palasor, confessed that the broth had been poisoned by the malice of her mistress, the gaoler's wife, and on her knees begged his forgiveness, and asked him to make her one of his faith. She was instructed and reconciled, and became servant to a Catholic gentlewoman, Eleanor Forcer, who bore testimony to the above occurrence. Palasor was condemned to death for returning to England as a priest, contrary to the statute, and Mr. Norton and Mr. Talbot received the same sentence for harbouring and assisting him, and all three together were executed at Durham.

"They shall take up serpents, and, if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them."—MARK xvi. 18.

+ Saint JOHN RIGBY, Layman, 1600

FETTERS UNLOOSED

Biography

At the next assizes he again refused to go to church, and the judge ordered his feet to be put in irons. A strong pair of shackles, which the confessor kissed and blessed with the sign of the cross, were then riveted on his legs. The next day as he stood at the Sessions house the irons fell off his legs on to the ground, at which he smiled and begged the keeper to rivet them on faster. The keeper did so with all care, but again they fell. Then he called again to the keeper to make them secure : " For I esteem them," he said, "jewels too precious to be lost." But the keeper's man, being much amazed, refused to put them on again, so another was ordered to do so. Then Mr. Rigby, remembering that a Catholic maid called Mercy had that morning told him that in the night she saw in her dream his irons fall off his legs, said to his keeper, " Now the maid's dream is found to be true." He added he hoped it was a token that the bands of his mortality would shortly be loosed, and so it proved. He won his crown, June 21, 1600, St. Thomas' Waterings, London. "

Chaucer's pilgrims at this place

"Thou hast broken my bonds : I will sacrifice to Thee a sacrifice of praise."—Ps. cxv. 16.

A CRY FOR RELIEF in 1600, Part the Second

by Squire William Blundell

6.

In time to come, as heretofore,
Most certainlye shee shall prevayle
'Gainst all the force and sleightie wyles,
Whearwith hellgates may her assayle;
Whoe shoote against this brazen valle
With their fond boultes themselves will gaule.

7.

Themselves to gaule they vil be sure
Whoe stryve to ruinate thy howse,
And to withdrawe thy children deare
From saufte lappe of thy dearest spouse,
Thy children whom, with streames of bloode,
Thou bought, sweet Lorde, upon the Roode.

8.

Upon the Rood thou bought our soules
With pryce more worthe then all thou bought,
Yett doth the fëëde [fiend] our foes so biynde
Both soules and pryce they sett at nought;
They reaken not anoughe their ill
Except with theirs our soules they spill.

9.

Our soules to spille they think full soone,
Or els our bodies to inthralle ;
Or, at the-least, to wantful state,
Through hard pursuits, to bring us all;
Come quicklie, therefore, Lord Jesus,
And judge this cause twixt them and us.

10.

Geeve judgment, Lord, twixt them and _us,
The ballance yett let pittie houlde
Let mercie,measure their offence, , _ i
And grace reduce them to thy foul de,-
That wee, all children of thy spouse,
May live as brethren in thy house.

A CRY FOR RELIEF in 1600

by William Blundell of Crosby Hall

I.

We Catholicks tormented sore
With heresies fowl railinge tonge,
With prisons, tortures, loss of geodes,
Of lande, yea lyves, even thieves amonge
Do crave with harte surcharged with grieffe
Of thee, sweet Jesu, some relieffe.

2.

We crave relieffe in this distresse,
We seeke some ease of this annoye,
Yett are wee well content with all,
So thee in end wee may enjoye ;
Ourselves to thee wee do resygne,
Relieve us, Lord, our cause is thyne.

3.

Our cause is thyne, and thyne are wee,
Who from thy trueth refuse to slyde
Our faithe thy trueth, true faith the cause
For which these garboyles wee abyde,
True faith, I say, as plaine appears
To all whoe shutt not eyes and ears.

4.

To all whoe shutt not eyes and ears
'Gainst fathers, scriptures, Church and thee,
Whoe built thy Church as Doctors all
With scriptures playnlie doe agree,
Not soone to falle upon the sande,
But on a Rocke stille sure to stande.

5.

Still sure to stande, yea, on a hille,
For all her friends and foes to see,
Her friends to foster and defend,
Her foes to vanquish gloriousíie,
From age to age this hath shee done,
Thus shall shee do in time to come.

Squire William BLUNDELL, 1600

PAST AND PRESENT (2)

THE time hath been men would live chaste, And so could maid that vows had past; The time is now that gift has gone, New gospellers such gifts have none.

Sweet Jesu, with thy mother mild, Sweet Virgin mother, with thy child ; Angels and Saints of each degree Redress our country's misery.

The time hath been that Saints could see, Could hear and help our misery ; The time is now that fiends alone Have leave to range—saints must be gone.

The time hath been fear made us quake To sin, lest God should us forsake ; The time is now the vilest knave Is sure (he'll say) God will him save.

The time hath been to fast and pray, And do alms deeds was thought the way ; The time is now, men say indeed, Such stuff with God hath little meed.

The time hath been, within this land, One's word as good as was his bond ; The time is now, all men may see, New faiths have killed old honesty.

Squire William BLUNDELL, 1600

PAST AND PRESENT (i)

THE time hath been we had one faith, And strode aright one ancient path ; The time is now that each man may See new Religions coin'd each day.

Sweet Jesu, with thy mother mild. Sweet Virgin mother, with thy child, Angels and Saints of each degree, Redress our country's misery.

The time hath been priests did accord In exposition of God's word; The time is now, like shipman's hose, It's turn'd by each fond preacher's glose.

The time hath been that sheep obeyed Their pastors, doing as they said ; The time is now that sheep will preach, And th' ancient pastors seem to teach.

The time hath been the prelate's door Was seldom shut against the poor; The time is now, so wives go fine, They take not thought the beggar kine.

The time hath been men did believe God's sacraments his grace did give ; The time is now men say they are Uncertain signs and tokens bare.

Crosby Hall, Lancashire, home of William Blundell