The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-14

| t'Vhet hiot INT
temper OF the times to create a fervoi
OF commentator on the one side ant
OF hostility on the other. The piec,
was prosaically entitled AN Epitapt
| OF the Life and Death Of the most ia.
nous Clerk and vlrtuous Priest. Ed.
mund Campion, a Reverend Father of
the meek society of the blessed name
OF Jesus" One Vallenger lost his ears
for printing It; suspicion of walpole's
authorship waxed strong and hot, the
lawyer poet-theologer left Gray's inn
for his home In Norfolk and that for
France; /, ddico at Relms, then at tho
English college In Rome; was admitted
to minor orders, and in 1884 became a
Jesuit probationer. He was ordained
priest in 1858. at Paris
Rome's first challenge to England
the accommodation OF Elizabeth. has
been met by retaliatory legislation
aimed at the priesthood: the second
the Jesuit invasion, called into being
what Continental historians have called
the English persecution" measures OF
| repression that imposed upon the Cath
ole gentry enforced choice between re-
ligious conformity and material ruin.
The penalties for recusancy were lib
eral: successful "Romish" proselyting
was punishable as high treason:
to say mass was worth 1000 marks and
years imprisonment. and to hear II
cost half the money and the same in
time: non-attendance at Protestant
service was punished with fine.
When Henry Walpole crossed the
Channel he left 1ve brothers in England
exposed to these conditions. Richard
soon followed his brother to the CONT
nent, became an exceptionally able and
learned priest. and in 1898 was admitted
to the society. lie died at Valladolid
In 1907 after an active career in the
politics OF religion: Speeding, the biog-
rapher OF Bacon, calls Father Richard
an "exquisitely villainous Jesuit" Geof-
frey Walpole seems to have been color
less enough in character or lucky
enough to keep out of trouble
whether he was more phlegmatlc or
less romantic, more stable or less ear
nest he was the only one of
the six sons who never suffered for his
religious opinions" Christopher and
Michael fell under the potent spell of
Long John" Gerard's eloquent preach
ing and persuasive personality; and the
other brother. Thomas, stood by the
rest from fraternal loyalty rather than
religious sympathy: These Walpoles
chung together with q stubborn pride
OF family that disdained to purchase
advance ent by bowling In the house
OF Rimmon. As for the po-
lemical questions in dispute, lie would
leave them to others to wrangle about
but his brothers cause should be his
cause. and with them he would stand
or fall"
Thus represented In terms OF the
individual. the character OF this un.
happy time in English history Is pretty
wildly evoked
Round the hearth at Anmer fye young
men. the eldest OF them six and twenty
years OF age. might be seen sittisg mood
lily In that winter Of 1889. with no future
before them and no career open. living
under a ban. At any moment some ennis
sary from the Government might knock
rudely at the door, some pursulvant might
come to call them to account and press
the oath upon them, some Spy might re-
port that they no longer put in an appear
ance at that parish church which was
almost contiguous to their hall; every mes
sage from the outer world was fun OF
threatening. there was no field for their
ambition. no outlet for their enthusiasm
no scope for the exercise OF such powers as
they wero conscious OF possessing. or
course they became fanatics: of course they
became more and more possessed by one
Idea; Of course the sense OF wrong and in
Justice mastered their reason aud judy
ment; the rites OF a religion which was
prescribed seemcS to them to be the only
things that were worth living for. and be-
came in their eyes all the deurer ana more
precious because every time that they took
part in them they were running a tremen-
dous risk and Drawing the terrors OF the
prosecuting laws.
Their cousins. Edward and Callbut
Walpole. were seized az tenants for life
or in fee simple of lands and tcnemcnts
in nearly score of parishes OF Norfolk
and Suffolk, and lords of ten manors.
several thousand acres; and at needed
only n little exercise OF ordinary pru-
dence and little worldly wisdom to
assure to the Walpoles position
among the wealthest families in the.
east of England; only very
little contumacy and a very little dis
play of religious fanatcism to bring
upon them the full force of the Govern
ment, which would not spare where
there was so much to fall n prey to
the spoiler." Edward Walpole became
Jesuit and was outlawed, his estates
forfeit to the Crown; but his brother
was able to recover enough. after pay
ment OF a heavy fine. to give the great
Sir Robert later on his start as the
son of wealthy Norfolk squire. In
such a position We're the gentlemen
of Norfolk. in contrast to the sour Puri-
tans of Yorkshire, into whose clutches
1t was the fate Of Father Henry Wal
pole to fall
In 1856 the Jesuits sent mission.
"castrensls." TO the Netherlands, and
two years later Walpole Joined It. lie
was captured and imprisoned In Flush
ing, and in January of 1890 wac ram
somed by his English relatives and by
his friends in Brussels. Then followed
a couple of years Of happy. peaceful
occupation with the society's affairs
but increasingly the good mans
thoughts seem to have durned to his
native-land. and in 1893 he returned to
II, resolved to emulate the missionary
labors of Gerard, whose great doing Of
good was much in his mind. Bitterness
against Rome and Spain was intense
and nearly universal In England yet
these men deceived themselves into be-
lief that sympathzers and supporters
awaited them at home: n remarkable
manifestation Of the Twill to believe"
although the object of belief was on the
face OF 1t impossible, non existent. They
We G,rpopnIaI h,ye