Historic%20Yorkshire

128
CATHOLIC PERSECUTION.
on his wayhewas pesteredby the Rev.Mr.Bunnyand the
Rev. Mr. Pace, who beset him with arguments against
Popery,and at last with reproaches. Mr. Hart replied,
with asmile, " Be so kind as to leave me in peace for the
short whileIhave to live." He raised his eyes, and
repeated the Psalm, " To theeIlift up mine eyes, 0 thou
that dwellestin the heavens." A rope was placed round
his neck, and he was instantly thrown from the ladder on
which he stood, andwas, while yetalive,cut downand his
body rippedopen, and his heart torn out of his body. He
was then dismembered.
We will next speak of the case of John Amias, a
native of this county. He was trained at Douay, and
was ordained priest in 1581. In the year he was made a
priest he was despatched to England as a mission
preacher,in company with another priest named Edward
Sykes. At a later period, namely, in 1588, they were
joinedby Robert Dalby,from the same college. Amias
andDalby were taken at York, and condemned to death
for being Roman Catholic priests. On the 16th March,
1589, they were executed. Dr. Champney has left an
account of the painful spectacle. Inhis MS. history he
sayS: — ;"Iwas myself an eye-witness of the glorious
combat of these holy men, being at the time a young
manin the twentiethyear of my age They
were drawn about a mile out of the city to the place of
execution, where being arrived and taken off the hurdle,
theyprostrated themselvesupon their faces to the ground,
and then employed some time inprayer,till Mr. Amias,
being called upon by the Sheriff, rose up, and with a
serene countenance walked to the gallows and kissed it;
then,kissing the ladder, went up. The hangman, after
fitting the rope to his neck, bade him descend a step or
two, affirming that thus he would suffer the less. He
then turned to the people and declared that 'the cause
of his death was not treason but religion;' but here he
was interrupted and not suffered to go on. Therefore,
composinghimself for death, with eyes and hands lifted