The Right Honourable Lord Viscount Stafford (1612-80). Blessed William Howard

Irish Jesuit Province

The Right Honourable Lord Viscount Stafford (1612-80). Blessed William HowardAuthor(s): Charles O'ConorSource: The Irish Monthly, Vol. 58, No. 685 (Jul., 1930), pp. 360-365Published by: Irish Jesuit ProvinceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20518781 .

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THE IRISH MONTHLY

NOTES.

MS. H. 3, 19, p. 50. MS. readings departed from are given below. Author's name is not given, but v. 29 would point to his being a Franciscan.

1 a. The MS. is faded; the fiist letter in it seems to be remnant of m, the others are suggested by last word of poem. c. 5An gAotcAtb; lege ocAom ? 2 6. a CAip*oeAp. 3 c. ac. 4 a. iua 5c. cp. 6. *o? n? a cpi,

" two or

rather three," "

full three," a common device for metrical purposes. 5 a. Ap 6a.bAO"?Ail. 7 ?. Ap a bp.c. c. c. 8 c. 'y not in MS. 9 a. 5e -?etsm. 6. cu^Am. d. ip. 11 ?. Meaning of lompA uncertain; cf. Tadhg Dall ix 5. 12 a. mbeACA.

13 b. An "OAm ptiAippro, c. An. 14 ^. "?otxAp; -ooccAp, a variant of -oocxtip ?

15 cd. cumav?: ptr?Aip. 17 a. iaca. b. Ap. 18 d. Or "

had cost them little" ? 19 a. ceme. 20 a. nip a. 21 b. pAnnA, meaning uncertain;

" ua cpi pttiAtg

etc." "

the three divisions of men "

is common phrase; also "

t?a cpi cionn

tAicte," "

the three gifts "

(Christ's body, soul, and divinity). 22 a. ctnpro. 23 a. ctipAp. c. x>pAsbAil. 24 a. cimcit?. 25 c. ip piA. 26 b. ingm. 27 b. ctiAt- (dotted); use of cttip seems strange, d. Ay eot. 29 c. m?ime. d. ni ip. 30 c. niA (wavy line over m). 31 a. wile no. b. au eApbAv?. d. canua. Trans, of stanza uncertain, 33 a. -ceup treated as dissyllable. 35 a. ptnpipg?l.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD VISCOUNT STAFFORD (1612-80).

BLESSED WILLIAM HOWARD.

THE PEACE of Nymwegen in 1678 had brought once again days of comparative security to the harassed territories of the Netherlands. No

where was this glad respite more welcome than at the little Convent of Engllsh Dominican Nuns, founded first at Viloorde in 1669, and then in 1674 removed to Het Spellekenshius in Brussels. Troubles of another kind were already bearing heavily on the exiles within its walls. Things were not, and for some time past had not been, going well in E3ngland. The scare of the Titus Oates plot seemed to have unhinged men's minds there, and each report brought new tidings of the dangers and sufferings of the Catholics at home.

One day, early in January, 1681, the Community were gathered in the refectory to hear the latest report that had been sent from overseas. It was to tell them of the manner in which England had celebrated the closing of the year, and of the fate of the latest victims of the plot. Something of what was to come they could easily guess,



LORD VISCOUNT STAFFORP (1612-80) 361

for they had already heard how one of the five Lords committed some two years previously to the Tower had been condemned to die on December 29th of the old year.

With a dreadful shrinking Sister Delphine opened the paper in her hand and prepared to read. She was pale and her hand trembled, but her voice was clear and evena. Bit by bit, sentence by sentence, she uinfolded the details of a martyr's death, and as she read she seemed to communicate something of her own intense emotiorn to those who were gathered about her. An unusual tension seemed to prevail; the silent figures of the, other nuns were rapt and motionless. The penetrating cold of mid-winter chilled the air, and the grey skies outside cast a gloomy pall over the world around.

Of the la-test martyr 'in England the reader told how, after a most iniquitous trial, culminating in unjust con demnation on December 7th, he had spent his time in praising the goodness of God and welcoming His Holy

Will until the fatal day, December 29th, had come; how, when then summoned forth to die, he had passed with perfect tranquillity through the hostile throng which skirted the way, and had won, by his very composure, the respect and compassion of many who had come to scoff and sneer.

Arrived at the sa-ffold the narrative went on, the prisoner saw his executioner precede him and place In readiness the coffin which was so soon to receive his life less body. With perfect equanimity he addressed the crowd of curious spectators. His discourse was brief, but manly courteous, and full of Christian resignation and courage. When he had finished he knelt publicly in prayer, united his sufferings with those of his Lord, commended his soul to God, and, rising up, put aside his coat and laid his head on the block. The executioner raked his axe, hesitated, measured his swing, raised it, and did the same a second time, and then quickly, as if he feared his nerve might fa:il, raised it for the third time and struck.

Further details followed. The faithful standing by kad done all honour to the corpse, and with cloths and



362TTHE IRISH MONTHLY

handkerchiefs they had reverently gathered up the arops of his blood. But such details were lost on the hearers, overcome with emotion at the dread story, and sympathy

with the reader of it. For Sister Delphine was Mary Howard, daughter of the martyr, William Howard, Lord Viscount Stafford. It had been a terrible ordeal for this loving daughter, ,but she had asked leave to read out the fatal news, though the Reverend Mother

would willingly have spared her the pain it entailed a pain so poignant that it caused her young hair to turn white, though she was only twenty-two years old.

William Howard, Viscount Stafford, was born sixth son of Thomas, Earl of Arundel, on St. Andrew's Day, 1612. His lifetime was therefore cast in changeful times. In England reigned the second Stuart, Charles,

whose quarrel with the Long Parliaiment led hi-m first to sacrifice Th. Wentworth, Earl of Stafford, and ulti

mately brought about his own downfall and execution. For a brief space the Puritans were supreme, but in 1660 the old order was restored in the person of -Charles I:.

Great things too-during these years-were taking place outside of England. In 1618 the magistrates were thrown out of the windows of the Town Hall in Prague, and from such small beginnings the Thirty Years' War arose, which soon embroiled all Europe in its vortex. Great Generals-Gustavus, of Sweden; Tilly, Wallen stein, and, later, Tuirenne and Conde-rose and fell.

Great statesmen-Richelieu Mazarin, and Cromwell played their parts on the stage of politics and passed away. Great Saints-Margaret Mary, Vincent de Paul, John Endes Francis Regis-prayed and worked in secret. From 1660 on, the Grand Monarch ruled the destinies of France, and Europe trembled under his greedy eye.

As a Catholic, as an Englishman, and as a Loyalist,

these events exercised an influence on the life of Viscount Stafford. He was not a great soldier; he was not a great politician; he was not especially prominent in any way; there is little kn'own about his life, and that



LORD VISCOUNT STAFFORD (1612-80) 363

little is not of any extraordinary interest. Sometimes he found himself in trouble-at one time for his faith, at another for his politics; he was forced on several occasions to IeavY England and seek security abroad. For the rest, he was a most conventional type of the English gentleman of his time. He wore his " flaxen coloured perruque," dressed well, and cut a good figure, with his richly-worked satin waistcoats. He had his fads and fancies, too, little weaknesses and passions, just as the rest of us.

In early life he was married to Mary Stafford, who proved a most devoted wife, and became in the course of years the mother of a family of eight, three boys an(d five girls. Viscount Stafford himself was a good hus band and a loving father, and, like another well-known

martyr, BI. Th. More, was Aowhere so much at home as in his own family circle. His relatives thought him' somewhat gruff and hot-headed, and he was several times involved in long and expensive lawsuits with them. However, with advancing years more amicable relations grew up between him and his quondam opponents. - From the time of the Restoration onwards he led an

unobtrusive life, on the Stafford estates, which, confis cated during the Commonwealth, were restored to him once more by Charles IL. And, though unable to do very much, he always did whatever little he could for the Catholic cause. From 1660 till the time of the Oates plot, though penal statutes were still in force, the Catholics were not for the most part molested, and Stafford was able to enjoy, with certain limitations, the advantages of his position. He was a generous host, a good friend, a pleasant guest-even though on one occasion, while dining with Lord Arlington at Goring House, he caused consternation by rising from the table in disguist, "' because roses were stuck about the fruit

whien the desert came upon the table," and he had a deep-seated antipathy to that flower-emblem and all of England though it was.

He was a keen sportsman, too; indeed this was turned



364 THE IRISt{ MONPILA

to his undoing at his trial. It happened like this. The Viscount had set out for London from Tixall, the country seat of Lord Aston, on the 2nd -September.

After about a fortnight he returned by the same route, and was again the guest of Lord Aston, at the time of a great foot-race which took place at Etching Hill, close by, on September 21st.

"In the morning, while he was dressing, with his valet a-nd page in attendance, Dugdale (Lord AstonJ-s steward) came to -him in great distress begging he

would plead for him with Lord A-ston, who had refused him leave to go to the races. Stafford questioned about the likely winners, and laid down twenty pounds in stakes for the honour of Stafford. Loath as he was to interfere between master and man, he obtained leave from his host for the steward to spend the day at Etching Hill."

When, two years later, Viscount Stafford was being tried at Westminster, and DugdaIe had been sworn as at

witness against him, the incident was recalled under another guise. "' My Lord Stafford,'" Dugdale began, "; was sometimes at Stafford and sometimes at Tixall. I will not be positive to a, day, but I think about the

middle of September he sent for me to his lodging, I think by his page or him that waited upon him in his chamber. He was arising and dressing.- He sent his men out, and with many fair speeches offered me ?500 to kill the King. I wrote to Mr. Evers, for I was some thing in admiration at the size of the sum and doubted

my Lord's ability to make good the payment. . . Stafford, while he naturally did not deny having :been

at Tixall about the time of the race, protested in de fence: II I was in my bed, and my serant (with me 12 or 14 years) told me Stephen Dugdale dared not ask to go to the races, because my Lord Aston was angry with him for meddling in races. Would I get leave for him? I was not over-willing. I knew Lord Aston would not refuse me but he might perhaps take it ill to be asked. .But I sent for Dugatale and asked him some foolish

questions-who would win, ete, II promised to ask



LORD VISCOUNT STAFFORD (1612-80) 365

leave for him to go, and I asked Lord Aston for him to

go with my servant to show him the way. Dugdale stayed in the room while I dressed. We were not one

moment alone together." Lord Stafford's page and servant corroborated these

statements, but it was all to no effect. When against such evidence the perjured word of Dugdale prevalled, Lord Stafford might well foresee, as no doubt he did, that no human effort could save him from the malice of

his enemies. And yet some hope-tborn, perhaps, of his intense conviction of his own innocence-seems to have

lingered in his heart to the last. When the trial was finished, the Lord High Steward, having announced that the Lords brought in a verdict of "I Guilty," turned to Stafford anad asked him: " What can you say for

yourself why judgment of death should not be given upon you according to the law?" Stafford replied: " My Iord, I have very little to say. I confess I am

surprised at it, for I did not expect it. But God's will

be done and your Loridships'." These few pages give a glimpse of the life of a man

whom the Church has recently thought fit to beatify, and

whose biography has been lately published.* The reader who wishs for a fuller detail of the subject will find it

in this interesting work, which contains also several fine

full-page illustrations showing Viscount Stafford and other members of the Howard family. If the earlier

part of the book, treating of the inter-relations of

Howards and Howards, is not perhaps as lucid as one

would wish, the author may at least legitimately claim

our indulgence, since real titles, courtesy tltles, suc

cession in the male and female lines, all conspire to

complicate her task.

CHARLES O'CoNou, S.J.

*Svr William Howard, Fiscowt Stafford, by S N D. Sands and Co. 8/6.



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The Right Honourable Lord Viscount Stafford (1612-80). Blessed William Howard