Campion, Edmund, Saint, 1540-1581; Christian martyrs -- Great Britain -- Biography; Jesuits -- England
The imaginations of Campion’s comrades at Prague were touched to the
quick by the prospect opening before their happy brother. One of these
bore witness to the fragrance of his own thoughts by painting a garland
of roses and lilies on the wall of Campion’s little room, just at
the bed’s head. A white-haired Silesian, Father James Gall, wrote in
scroll fashion, by night, over the outer door of that same little room:
“P[ater] Edmundus Campianus, Martyr.” For such a romantic irregularity
the old saint was reprimanded. He replied quite simply: “But I had to
do it!” Poor Campion, who was shy, had seen both these things, before
Campanus, the sympathetic Rector, gave him his marching orders to start
at once for Rome. “The Fathers do verily seem to suspect something
about me; I hope their suspicions may come true!” he said. “God’s will
be done, not mine.” And then, adds that first English biographer who
so well knew him and so much loved him: “Being scarce able to hold
tears for joy and tenderness of heart, he went to his chamber, and
there upon his knees to God satisfied his appetite of weeping and
thanksgiving, and offered himself to His divine disposition without any
exception or restraint: whether it were to rack, cross-quartering, or
any other torment or death whatsoever.”
VII
A LONG MARCH: ROME, GENEVA, RHEIMS: 1580
FROM Prague to Munich, and from Munich to Innsbrück, Campion had the
distinguished and very friendly company of Ferdinand, brother of the
reigning Duke of Bavaria. Afterwards he went on alone on foot, as he
was always glad to do, as far as Padua. Here he took horse for Rome,
which he reached just before Palm Sunday, April 5, 1580, coming “in
grave priest’s garb,” we are told, “with long hair, after the fashion
of Germany.” He was informed by the Father-General that he was to start
for England nine or ten days after Easter. Campion begged “neither
to be Superior of the expedition nor to have anything to do with
the preparations,” and that during the fortnight he might be free
from all except necessary cares, in order to make a more devotional
entrance upon the life ahead of him. “And the like did, for their part,
and had done, all the Lent before, those other priests also of the
English Seminary,” says Parsons, speaking of many seculars afterwards
martyred, “that were appointed by their Superiors to go with us in this
mission.... All these together used such notable and extraordinary
diligence for preparing themselves well in the sight of God ... as was
matter of edification to all Rome.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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