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The Cadiz Letters of William Johnson, vere Purnell S. J. (1597–1642)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2015

Martin Murphy
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Extract

William Johnson, S. J., the writer of the two letters printed below, has hitherto escaped notice by English historians, including Foley, because he was a member of the Andalusian province of the Society of Jesus and spent all his religious life in Spain. He is not to be confused with an earlier William Johnson, also a Jesuit, who died at Malaga in 1614. Some details of the life of William Johnson II can be gleaned from the catalogues of the Andalusian province, from his official obituary, and from other archive sources. The historian of the Andalusian province, Juan de Santibañez, included Johnson in his series of brief biographies of its most distinguished sons, Varones ilustres de la Provincia de Andalucía de la Compañía de Jesús written not long after Johnson’s death in 1642. The work was never published but survives in manuscript.

Type
Articles
Information
British Catholic History , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , May 1992 , pp. 1 - 10
Copyright
Copyright © Catholic Record Society 1973

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References

Notes

1 See Anstruther, G., The Seminary Priests, 1, p. 192.Google Scholar

2 The work is divided into ‘centuries’ (groups of a hundred). The entry on William Johnson is in Centuria 3a, ff. 105–105v (MS in the Jesuit archive at Granada). For the carta de edificación, or obituary letter, written after Johnson’s death by the Rector of Cadiz, see Baet. 26, ff. 90–92.

3 SP 16/4/65 (3ff). William Purnell’s hand corresponds with that of William Johnson in Letter II, above.

3a Harleian Society 72, pp. 23–4, 119. According to Santibañez, William brought his brothers to Spain, one of them later returning to England as a priest. These must be Thomas and John (b. 1603).

4 ‘Controversiarum libri in Anglorum Catholicorum domos distributi pluteis affigendi quo haeretici conveniunt non modicum attulere Christianae fidei incrementum’ (Baet.19/2).

5 Bod. MS Eng. misc. e 226, f. 14.

5a See n. 16 below.

6 Owen, Felltham, Resolves, Divine, Morali, Politicall, 8th edition, 1661, pp. 79–82 Google Scholar (Johnson’s letter), 82–100 (Felltham’s reply). There is a contemporary MS copy of the correspondence in the Bodleian Library (Rawlinson D 737). On Felltham, see the entry in DNB.

7 PRO SP 16/537/98. An abbreviated version of the letter was printed in Calendar of State Papers Domestic, Charlesi, Addenda 1625–1649, 1897, pp. 576–77.

On John Wilson and his press, see Anstruther, G., Seminary Priests 2, p. 358 Google Scholar; Chadwick, H., From St. Omers to Stonyhurst, 1962, pp. 140–45.Google Scholar

8 A refeence later to ‘Douleys cathecisme’ suggests that these were copies of A briefe instruction by way of dialogue concerning the principal poyntes of Christian religion… by the reverende George Doulye, priest. The real author was William Warford, S. J., who used it for his own ministry among English-speaking mariners and prisoners at Cadiz and Seville nearly forty years earlier. D. M. Rogers has demonstrated that the first edition (.AR 877) was printed not at Louvain in 1604, as given on the title page, but at Seville. It was reprinted at S. Omers in 1616, in 8vo (no copy extant) and in 1637 in 12mo. As will be seen from the following note, Johnson is referring to the 1637 edition (A&B 879), of which only one copy survives, in the BL.

9 John Floyd, Imposture of Puritan’s piety, recorded by N. Southwell, S. J., as having been printed at St. Omers in 1639 (Bibliotheca Scriptorum S. J., Rome 1675,p. 450), though no copy survives. Southwell describes it as 12mo, so the edition of ‘Douley’ that Wilson would have had to use to bind up with it would have been that of 1637 (12mo), not that of 1616 (8vo). There is an obvious discrepancy here, since Johnson, writing in 1638, appears to have been using for some time a book not published (if Southwell is right) until 1639.

10 John Floyd, S. J., the author of the Imposture.

11 ‘To judge the lion by his claw’ (a Greek proverb).

12 [John Percy alias Fisher], The answere unto the nine points of controversy, proposed by our late soveraygne…unto M. Fisher of the Society of Jesus [St. Omer] 1625 (A&R 605).

13 Laurence Anderton, The triple cord, or a treatise proving the truth of the Roman religion, by sacred scriptures [St. Omer] 1634 (A&R 25). It was in 4to and therefore less suitable for use by laymen.

14 Richard Bristow, A briefe treatise of diverse plaine and sure wayes to finde out the truthe in this…time of heresie: conteyning sundry worthy motives unto the Catholike faith (AR 146–7, 149).

15 John Clare, The converted Jew, or certain dialogues between Michaeas a learned Jew and others touching divers points of religion, n.p., 1630 (A&R 239).

16 Edmund Lechmere, A disputation of the Church, wherein the old religion is maintained. Doway: widdow of Mark Wyon, 1632 (A&R 444). This was the second edition of a work first published at Doway in 1629 (A&R 443).

17 sc. in boards.

18 Jorge de Cárdenas,4th Duke of Maqueda (d. 1644), commander of the Atlantic Fleet.

19 John Prideaux (1578–1650), Rector of Exeter College, Oxford (1612), Regius Professor of Divinity (1615), Bishop of Worcester (1641).

20 Prideaux came from Ivybridge, Devon. His cousin may have been one of the many South Devonians who traded with the Andalusian ports. A Thomas Prideaux, of Totnes, was one of the merchants chartered to trade with Spain in 1605. See Pauline, Croft, The Spanish Company, London Record Society, 9, 1973, p. 99.Google Scholar

21 Demaundes to be proponed of Catholiques to the heretikes. By Richard Bristow…Taken partely out of his late Englishe boke of motives to the Catholike faith. Antwerp: John Fowler, 1576 (A&R 148).

22 A&R 147.

23 There is no record of Bristow’s work having been republished at this time. William Fulke’s reply: A Retentive, to stay good Christians, in true faith and religion, against the motives of R. Bristow, etc, was published in 1580, Bristow’s answer is contained in his Reply to Fulke in defense of M. D. Aliens scroll of articles, and booke of purgatorie. Louvain: John Lion, 1580 (A&R 151). For the complications of this dispute, see Peter, Milward, Religious Controversies of the Elizabethan Age, 1977, pp. 39 Google Scholar et seq.

24 Octavo.

25 Diego de Baeza, S. J. (1582–1647), the author of Commentarla Moralia in Evangelicam Historiam (Sommervogel 2/1177–9); Juan Antonio Velázquez, S. J. (1585–1669), the author of a commentary on Philippians (Sommervogel 8/542–6); Paul Sherlock, S. J. (1595–1646), the Irish author of Anteloquia in Salomonis Canticum Canticorum (Sommervogel 2/1177–9; ARCR 1077–85); Francisco de Mendoza, S. J. (1587–1626), well-known for his commentary on Kings (Sommervogel 5/899–903); Antonio de Guevara (1481–1545), the author of Epistulae Familiares (see Allison, A. F., English Translations from Spanish and Portuguese to 1700 (1974), pp. 84–90)Google Scholar; Diego Niseno (?–1656), a Basilian, author of a popular series of Asuntos predicables (Palau 191790–836).

26 Not identified.

27 Jean Puget de la Serre, The sweete thoughts of death and eternity [St. Omer] 1632. The translator was Henry Hawkins (A&R 441). See T. H. Clancy in RH 19 (1989), pp. 431–2.

28 Jean Pierre Camus, A Draught of Eternitie…Translated into English by Miles Car [vere Pinkney] preist of the English colledge of Doway. Doway: widowe of Marke Wyon,1632 (A&R 195).

29 The considerations of Drexelius upon Eternitie. Translated by Ralph Winterton. London: Nicholas Alsop, 1632. This was a non-Catholic translation, reprinted in 1636 and 1639 (see STC 7235–7). There was no translation of Drexelius on Hell until 1668 (Clancy 325). Johnson is referring to two separate works.

30 Nicolas Caussin, The holy court in three tomes. Translated into English by Sr T[homas] H[awkins]. Rouen: John Cousturier, 1634 (A&R 29).

31 Johnson’s obituary letter (see n.2) says that he had two younger brothers join him in Spain, one of whom became a priest and returned to England. There is a record of minor orders conferred at Seville on a John Johnson, in 1642 (Seville ordination registers).

32 A diurnal was a service book containing the day hours except matins. The Officina Plantiniana did export service books to Spain but may have had no outlet in Cadiz, which was predominantly a secular town.

33 [John Percy], True relations of sundry conferences had betweene certaine Protestant docteurs and a Jesuite called M. Fisher. 3 parts [St. Omer] 1626, 1623, 1625 (A&R 610).

34 Henry Taylor, Canon of Ghent and chaplain to the Cardinal Infante Ferdinand, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands. Francis Taylor, his cousin, was later to serve as a court chaplain at Vienna until his death in 1665. See Loomie, A. J., ‘Canon Henry Taylor, Spanish Habsburg Diplomat’, RH 17 (1985), pp. 223–37 Google Scholar (family tree on pp. 234–5).

35 Patrick, Anderson, The ground of the catholike and Roman religion in the word of God. [St. Omer] 1623 (A&R 20)Google Scholar.

36 Matthew Kellison, The touch-stone of the reformed ghospell. Wherin sundry chiefe heads and tenets of the Protestants doctrine…are brief ly refuted…The fourth edition, augmented, n.p., 1634 (A&R 425).

37 A carrier to a king, or doctour Carrier (chaplayne to k. James of happy memory) his motives of renoncing the Protestant religion: imbracing the Cath. Roman [St. Omer] 1632 (A&R 210).

38 B.C., Puritanisme the mother, sinne the daughter. Or a treatise, wherein is demonstrated…that the fayth and religion of the puritans doth forcibly induce its professours to the perpetrating of sinne [St. Omer] 1633 (A&R 185).

The work included ‘A Funeral Discourse (by way of Appendix) Touching the late different Deathes of two most remarkable Protestant Devines: the one, Doctour Pryce, Deane of Hereford, who dyed Catholike. The other, Doctour Buts, Vice-Chancellor of Cambridg, who hanged himself’. According to the DNB, the author was confusing Daniel Price, Dean of Hereford (d. 1631) with Theodore Price, Prebendary of Westminster (d.1631). Henry Butts, the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University, took his own life in 1632.

39 A search made into matters of religion, by Francis Walsingham, deacon of the Protestants church, before his change to the Catholicke. [St. Omer] 1609, second edition 1615 (A&R 875–6).

40 A pair of spectacles for Sir Humphrey Linde to see his way withal. Or an answeare to his book called, Via tuta… by I.R. [?Rouen] 1631. (A&R 327). The fact that some of the books that Wilson was being asked to send were not printed at the College press, or even by the town printers at St. Omer, serves to illustrate, as Professor Birrell has suggested to me, that Wilson had many outside business connections. For a sidelight on relations between Wilson and the book trade at Rouen at this period, see RH 20 (October 1990), pp. 180–81.

41 or the warrs of Protestancy, being a treatise wherein are Iayd open the wonderfull, and almost incredible dissentions of the Protestants among themselves. [St. Omer] 1637 (A&R 184)

42 Richard, Smith, The prudentialI balance of religion, wherein the Catholike and Protestant religion are weighed together. [St. Omer: François Bellet] 1609 (A&R 777)Google Scholar. It is piquant to find a Jesuit ordering a book by the Bishop of Chalcedon. Smith had been a Professor at St. Gregory’s, Seville, between 1598 and 1602. Johnson also orders the second part: A conference of the Catholike and Protestant doctrine with the expresse words of Holie Scripture. Which is the second parte of the prudentiall balance of religion. Doway: widowe of Marke Wyon, 1631 (A&R 774)

43 Robert, Persons, The warn-word to Sir Francis Hastinges wast-word [Antwerp: Arnout Conincx] 1602 (A&R 642)Google Scholar.

44 sc. cerecloth. Professor Birrell observes: ‘The received bibliographical wisdom is that books were always transported unbound, in sheets. Johnson’s request to have them all bound up in parchment shows that this was not always the case’.