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MARTYRS DYING IN PRISION

 

FATHER EDWARD MICO, alias HERVEY AND BAINES - The author of the Brevis Relatio commences his notice of this Father by giving a concise account of the origin and progress of the Oates' Plot.  He justly terms it a judicial and public persecution against Catholics, but especially against the Society of Jesus, in which not Father Hervey alone, but several of his brothers in religion, with multitudes of the more fervent

 

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Catholics and divers religious, were cruelly made victims to its fury, sonic in their lives, others in their fortunes. 11 The origin of which indeed, and the pretexts adduced for the slaughter of so many most innocent men, are so portentous, incredible, and even grotesque, that had they not been published abroad by written documents, I could never have expected to gain credit with my readers in asserting them.  For how could any sensible person be persuaded that men in other respects wise, prudent, and endowed with every gift for forming t sound and legal judgment of matters (such as for the most part are all the English judges and members of Parliament), could have been brought to believe as true the charges alleged against the Jesuits, and find in them sufficient cause for capital punishment, being all the time so manifestly false and fictitious, as by their very absurdity to preclude even the appearance of truth ?

 

Father Edward Mico, alias Hervey and Baines, was a native of Essex, born in the year 1630, Of Catholic parents of great respectability.  At an early age he was sent to the English College at St. Omer, where, during his humanity studies he was imbued with the principles of piety, and on account of his singular sweetness and innocence of manners, was loved and venerated by all.  On the 27th of October, 1647, be entered the English College in Rome, under the name of Edward Baines, at the age of nineteen, and was received as a convictor among the Pope's scholars.  He took the College oath on the 21st of May, 1648, and received the first minor orders on the 21st of June of that year, and left the College for Watten on the 28th of March, 1650, and was there admitted to the Society (Diary of the College). On entering the College, he made the following brief statement: -

 

“1647.  My name is Edward Mico.  I am nearly nineteen years of age.  My parents are Catholic and of the upper class of society.  I have one sister, but no brother.  I studied my humanities at St. Omer's College, and was always a Catholic."

 

He was most exact in the observance of all the rules and discipline of the College, more like a novice of the Society, which he was commonly styled.  He was remarkable for a most tender devotion to the Blessed Mother of God, whose honour he ever most zealously strove to increase among his fellow-students.  He had a special hatred of every kind of disunion and contention, so that when any matter of dispute

 

 

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or difference of opinion arose, he would always prefer to yield to others rather than strive for the victory. After spending two years in philosophy in this rare innocency of manners, he petitioned the Father General for leave to enter the Society, which he readily obtained, and, breaking off his course of philosophy, he left the English College on the 28th of March, 1650, and was admitted to the novitiate of the English Province at Watten on the 15th of June following, in the twenty-first year of his age. Having completed his two years' probation, and been admitted to his first vows, he was sent to the English theologate at Liege, where he resumed and completed his course of philosophy, and also studied his theology.  Having made his tertianship, or third year's probation, he was employed as a master for some years at St. Omer's College, and then sent to work in the English vineyard.  Here he diligently laboured for some years, being inflamed with an ardent zeal for the salvation of souls.  He was solemnly professed on the 2nd of February, 1666.  We have no exact information regarding his success on the mission, how many he brought from heresy to the bosom of the Church, and how many waverers he strengthened.  He was not inferior to the rest of his fellow-labourers; but so severe (adds the author) is the violence of the persecution at this time, that no means of communicating with those in England who had daily intercourse with Father Mico, are permitted us.  His zeal on the mission, his singular prudence and meekness, and his talents for business, obtained for him the office of Socius to three Provincials of the English Province in succession-Fathers George Gray, Richard Strange, and Thomas Whitbread.  This office he fulfilled for eight years with great satisfaction to his Superiors.  In the narrative of Father Peter Hamerton (a portion of which is inserted in page 20 Of the general history of the Plot) we have seen that the Father had scarcely returned with the Provincial, Fattier Whitbread, to England, from the usual visitation of the English (Colleges in Belgium, than he was confined to his bed with a severe attack of fever, his life being more than once despaired of by the physicians; that Oates, accompanied by a body of soldiers, rushed into his room in the middle of the night, and would have dragged him from his bed, ill as be was, had not the Spanish Ambassador (whom he served as chaplain) by his authority and threats restrained their violence.  Nevertheless, Father Mico suffered much from their brutal violence; his

 

 

 

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body was bruised by blows from the butt end of their muskets, his room plundered, and a guard of soldiers placed at the door day and night.  Father Hamerton says: " My employment for a month or five weeks was to visit our Fathers who lay hid in several places.  The correspondence between Mr. Whitbread and others passed through my hands.  I visited each one every day, and albeit Mr. Whitbread and Mr. Mico had a guard of twelve soldiers upon them, I did not omit my ordinary visits; sometimes dressed like a gentleman, at other times in the habit of an apothecary's apprentice, with a glass in my hand and an apron before me, in which garb I entered with much freedom into their rooms.  Although the sentry stood at the door, I often heard their confessions, and spoke as comfortably to them as occasion would permit, and this I did till they were remanded to Newgate."

 

Father Mico, when sufficiently recovered to enable him to be moved, was taken to Newgate Prison.  His constitution, however, was broken, and he did not long survive the inhuman treatment, from the effects of which, rather than from the fever, as the medical men deposed, he calmlv rendered up his happy soul into the hands of his Creator, with sentiments of the most tender piety, on the 3rd of December, 1678, Act 48; in religion twenty-six; professed twelve.  Bishop Challoner, in his Memoirs of Missionary Priests, quotes from a MS. in his hand: He was found dead on his knees, oppressed with the weight of his irons." The hatred of his persecutors did not stop here: they would not allow his body to be interred until the surgeon had made a pos mortem examination to ascertain whether he had not committed suicide by poison!

 

Dr. Oliver, in his Collectanea S.J., says that, with the permission of Father Nathaniel Southwell, Father Mico translated into English his Latin MS.  Meditations, to which he made considerable additions.  This octavo volume was published in London under the title of Meditatioits for Every Day in the Year, 1669, and has passed through several subsequent editions.

 

(Note: This Book is held in the Rare Book Section of the National Library of Australia, in Canberra.  I have had the privilege of holding and reading it, in its entirety.  Vince)

 

In the Stonyhurst Collection of MSS., Anglia, vol. v. n. 82, there is an original letter from this confessor of the faith, dated London, September 10th, 1675, addressed:

These for my honoured friend,

Mr. Christopher Grene,

Rome.'

 

He writes as Socius to Father Strange the ProvinciaJ, acknowledging his letter of the 27th of July, which Father Provincial had

 

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received just upon his departure from London for hi, circuit into the country, and had not leisure then to return him an answer, nor is he able to make any resolution concerning his removal at least as to the execution, till next spring…. In the meantime he desires you will use the same diligence as if you were to continue in the office.  And thus much he ordered me to signify unto you in his name.  Sir, I am very glad of this occasion to salute my old friend and schoolfellow, and to subscribe myself.

Your humble servant to my power,

 

EDWARD MICO, (IliaS BAINFS.33

 

 

Footnote 33

 

33 Father Giles Mico, probably uncle to the subject of our prcsent notice, was born in Somersetshire in 1595- he entered the English College Rome as an alumnus, in the namc of Giles Hcrvey, aged twenty-one, on October 13th, 1616, and took the College oaths May 3rd 1617, and was ordained priest March 25th, 1620.  He left Rome for Liege October 12th, in the same year, and was there admitted to the Society.  On entering the English College he made the following statement: " My name is Walter Mico.  I am twenty-one years of age, and was born at Taunton in Somersetshire, where I was brought up by my parents until I was nineteen years of age.  My parents are of the middle class, but not without education; they are Protestants.  I have two brothers: the one Catholic, the other Lutheran; five sisters, all heretics ; one uncle, a very learned Protestant and famous preacher ; one relative, formerly a merchant but now, I understand, a Franciscan.  I studied at Taunton, and for the last two years at St. Omer's.  I was a Lutheran until my twentieth year, when, on the 3rd of May, 1614, moved by the persuasions of my brother, and after a discussion with the Rev. Father Scott concerning faith, and one respecting religious, held in the Gatchouse Prison, Westminster, I was convert  to the faith by the same Father. After living there for a little time, I left England for St.Omer's College.''  He signs himself Giles Hervey.  The Jesuit Father may have been Thomas Laithwaite, alias Scott. See his biography, Records, vol.  iv. " St. Stanislaus' Residence. "    Father Giles Mico, as appears by the Minister's book of the English College in Rome, returned to the Eternal        City, September 16th, 1623, having been appointed Penitentiary at  St. Peter's, which office he filled for many years,      as likewise that of Minister in the English College, of the library of which he may be styled the founder (Oliver). On the death of Father William Risden, October 27th, 1644, Father Mico undertook the office of agent in Rome for the English Province. Father Edward Knott, the Provincial, wrote him the following note: "Rev. Father in Christ,- Pax Christi,- I have yours of the 12th of October, and beseech sweet Jesus to reward the pains you are taking for our Province since Father Risden's death, especially your health being such as you mention; though withal I shall be willing to hope that stirring may help to remove your troublesome guest, I mean that catarrh which hath troubled you so long.  In the meantime your merit is increased by the difficulties you find to travel even on horseback; and a martydom may be had, though one be far from Tyburn.  God be blessed for so plentiful a vintage, and make us very thankful for that plenty, and for our sufferings and wants in these times.  Bonum Dominum habemus, to Whose holy grace, dear father, I commit you, and bbeg part in your Holy Sacifices, - EDWARD KNOTT. Ghent, 8th October, 1644.”  Father Giles Mico died in Rome, October 22nd, 1647.