Catalogue description Papers concerning the Archpriest controversy, and in particular the appeal by the secular priests to the Pope in 1602.

Most of the papers have been badly damaged by damp (ff. 1-87). They are as follows:

'Declaratio Thome Bluetti sacerdotis Angli exhibita ... dominis Burgesio et Arrigonio, S.R.E. Cardinalibus', March 1602 N.S. T. G. Law, Historical sketch of conflicts between Jesuits and seculars, 1889, app. K (ff. 1-7v).

Letter from John Cecil, R.C. priest, to Charles Paget, R.C. layman, 17 March 1602 N.S. (f. 9).

Letter to an unnamed dignitary about the appeal to the Pope, [1602] (Latin copy) (f. 10).

Second memorandum by the Appellants, 25 March [1602] (Latin copy) (f. 11).

'Controuersia de inobedientia et schismate quae cum summo scandalo et animarum detrimento superioribus his annis agitata fuit inter Catholicos in Anglia' (ff. 12-15).

Letter from John Mush, R.C. priest, to ----, 27 May 1598 (Latin) (f. 16).

Letter to Henri IV, King of France, n.d. (Latin copy) (f. 20).

Letter from Thomas Bluet, R.C. priest, to Richard Bancroft, Bishop of London, and (1604) Archbishop of Canterbury, 17 March [1602] N.S. (f. 21).

Letter to [Charles] Paget, 18 March 1602 N.S. (f. 23).

'Vera brevisque declaratio status et conditionis catholicorum in Anglia ab anno domini 1587 usque ad hodiernum diem'. T. G. Law, Archpriest controversy, Camden Society, 1898, ii, 117-18 (f. 24).

Petitiones sacerdotum Anglorum, 6 March [1602] N.S. T. G. Law, op. cit., ii, 103 (f. 25).

Paper concerning the Archpriest controversy endorsed 'Information donnée au pape par Personis [Robert Parsons] contre les prestres', [1602] (Latin). T. G. Law, op. cit., ii, 103-7 (ff. 26-7).

Profession of Gilbert Gerard as a Jesuit, 2 July 1602 (f. 29).

Letter from Thomas Wright to [Robert] Woodruff, [John] Bolton, [John] Green and other priests imprisoned at Framlingham, 19 February 1602/3 (copy) (f. 30).

Letter from Thomas Wright [to Henry Garnet, S.J.], 19 January 1603/4 (f. 33), with reply from Garnet, 31 January [1603/4] (f. 33v).

Letter from the Appellants to the Pope, February 1602 N.S. (Latin copy) (f. 35).

Letter from John Cecil to the Bishop of London, 31 December 1601 (f. 40).

Letter from John Colleton, R.C. priest, [to George Blackwell, Archpriest], 28 December 1601 (copy) (f. 41).

Letter from Thomas Bluet to the Bishop of London, 3 January [1602] N.S. (f. 42).

Letter to Henri IV, King of France, n.d. (Latin copy) (f. 44).

Letter from Thomas Bluet to the Bishop of London, 4 January 1602 N.S. (f. 45).

Letter from Thomas Bluet to the Bishop of London, 7 January 1602 N.S. (f. 47).

Letter from A[nthony] H[ebburn], R.C. priest, [to George Blackwell], 20 January 1601/2, enclosing (f. 50) a copy of the papal brief (f. 49).

Letter from James Taylor, Christopher Thewles, Edmund Calverley, Robert Benson, Jonas Meredith, Adam Green, Robert Thules, R.C. priests, to John Colleton, William Watson, Anthony Hebburn, Thomas Clarke, 4 February 1601/2 (copy) (f. 51).

Letter from Francis Barnaby, R.C. priest, to Christopher Bagshaw, 15 February 1602/3 (f. 54).

Letter from James Taylor to [Thomas] Clarke, [John] Smithson, [William] Watson and others unnamed, February [1601/2] (copy) (f. 56).

Declaration by James Taylor, Christopher Thewles, Edmund Calverley, Adam Green to 'our loving friends', 2 February [1601/2] (copy) (f. 57).

Letter from John Colleton [to George Blackwell], 8 February 1602/3 (Latin copy) (f. 58).

Letter from Thomas Bluet, Christopher Bagshaw, Christopher Thewles, Robert Benson, Anthony Champney, Edmund Calverley, James Taylor, Robert Thules [to George Blackwell], 19 January 1601/2 (Latin copy) (f. 59).

Letter from George Blackwell to the English secular priests, 1 February 1601/2 (Latin copy) (f. 60).

A list of records (f. 61).

Letter from George Blackwell to Anthony Hebburn, 24 January [1601/2] (f. 63).

Letter from George Blackwell to Anthony Hebburn, January 1601/2 (f. 64).

Passport from Octavius Mirtus, Bishop of Tricarico, Papal Nuncio in Flanders, for Christopher Bagshaw and others, 10 December 1601 (f. 66).

'De incommodis subordinationis Archipresbiteri in Anglia', 17 April n.y. (ff. 68-70v).

'Grauamina quaedam per R. D. Georgium Blackwellum Archipresbiterum in Anglia sacerdotibus non nullis illata', 17 April n.y. (ff. 72-3).

Letter from William Tresham, R.C. layman and brother of Sir Thomas Tresham, to the Bishop of London, 4 April 1602 (f. 74).

Minute of a letter from George Blackwell to Cardinals Borghese and Arrigoni, 3 May 1602 (f. 76).

Letter to the English secular priests, 15 April 1602 (Latin copy) (f. 77).

Letter from Anthony Champney, R.C. priest, to the English secular priests, 15 April 1602 (f. 78).

Letter from John Cecil, Thomas Bluet, John Mush, Anthony Champney to the English secular priests, 15 April [1602] (Latin copy) (f. 80).

'Catalogus paradoxorum et propositionum temerariarum quae in primo scripto illustrissimis Cardinalibus Burghesio atque Arigonio exhibito latius ostenduntur'. Endorsed, 'Exhibita a P. Personis contra sacerdotes appellantes'. T. G. Law, op. cit., ii, 147-51 (ff. 82-83v).

Letter from Pierre Simon, Bishop of Ypres, to Henri Van Cuyck, Bishop of Roermond, 28 March 1602 (Latin copy) (f. 84).

Part of a brief chronology of the world to 1574 by Robert Bellarmine. See also ff. 149-156v (ff. 88-91, 96-103v).

'Certen notes or remembrances for corporations against whom there are divers bills exhibited in the Parliament howse for confirmation of leasses under the colour and bare title of the misnaming of corporations', including notes about a disputed lease of property at Binsey, Oxon., belonging to Christ Church, [1588]. An award was made by Archbishop Whitgift and Lord Burghley in the dispute about Binsey on 24 March 1587/8 [Christ Church archives. MS. Estates 61, f. 87] (f. 104r& suphyp;v).

'An order for yor prophecye at Bedford' by Thomas Cooper, Bishop of Lincoln, [1574], consisting of orders for the holding of Puritan prophesyings (ff. 106-7).

Regulations for the holding of Puritan prophesyings submitted by the clergy of Hertfordshire to Thomas Cooper, Bishop of Lincoln, and confirmed by him in his own hand, with a list of moderators appointed by him, 26 October 1574 (ff. 108-109v).

A memorandum on Puritan prophesyings by Thomas Yale, Vicar-General to Archbishop Grindal, c. 1576 (Latin) (f. 111r& suphyp;v).

Letter [from Thomas Cooper, Bishop of Lincoln, to Queen Elizabeth I, 1576], about prophesyings in his diocese (Latin copy). Endorsed apparently in Cooper's hand, 'The Copie of my letter to hir Maiestie' (f. 112).

Extract from a note by Theodore Beza on the First Epistle to the Corinthians (f. 114r& suphyp;v).

'The Inconueniences of the Bill against Pluralities', [1601] (ff. 115-17).

Summary of a speech by Lord Burghley in Parliament endorsed by Archbishop Whitgift 'The some of the Lord Treasorer's speach in parlament against pluralities', 1588 (ff. 119-120v).

Reasons against the Bill to abolish pluralities submitted to the Queen, 1601 (ff. 121-2).

'Reasons for permitting pluralities of Benefices', [1601] (ff. 123-4).

Notes by Archbishop Grindal perhaps made for a treatise in defence of prophesyings. The remainder of the notes are MS. 2014, ff. 72-80. See also MS. 2872, ff. 10-11v (ff. 126-144v).

'A shorte replye to a smale treatise of late entituled: A briefe aunswer to a pamphlete latelie sett furthe in printe, by a proctor of the popish apparayll', c. 1566 (ff. 145-6).

'Chronologia reverendi patris P. Roberti Bellarmini Societatis Jesu ... scriptum et consummatum Romae Anno domini 1586 mense Maii 13 0', consisting of a brief chronology of the world to 1574. See also ff. 88-91, 96-103v (ff. 148-156v).

An account of the foundation of religious houses in the south and west of England written in the middle 16th cent., with a few additional notes in another hand (Latin) (ff. 157-168v).

Manuscript of Sir Edwin Sandys, Relation of the state of religion, dated 9 April 1599 and dedicated to Archbishop Whitgift, by whom there are some marginal annotations. The work was first published in 1605 under the title Europae speculum (ff. 169-203v).

'Discourse written and sent to Mr. George Blackwell from certane of or brethren very reverend catholique priests concerninge his scandalouse proceedings in charginge both them and others with schisme and in the further executinge of his Archprelacye', 21 May 1601. The discourse was written by the priests imprisoned at Framlingham (ff. 205-242v).

Letter from Cardinal Reginald Pole to Archbishop Cranmer on the doctrine of the Eucharist, n.d. (Latin copy). The letter was printed in 1584 and a French translation is given in Epist. Reg. Poli, 1757, v, 238-74 (f. 245).

'Considerationes quaedam exhibitae Sanctissimo de ineunda aliqua ratione ut moderatius in Anglia cum Catholicis a persecutore agatur.' Endorsed, 'Considerations ab eodem Doctore Parsee [Parsons] exhibitae Cardinali Aldobrand[in]o pro Catholicis' (ff. 259-260v).

'Quantum rebus Catholicorum in Anglia expediat ut publico aliquo pontificis instrumento a rebus politicis tractandis inhibeantur ecclesiastici omnes in regno et extra regnum praecipue qui collegiis praesunt' (f. 261).

Letter from the English secular priests to ----, c. 1602 (Latin copy) (f. 262).

Orations made at the Convocation of 1553 by Edmund Bonner, Bishop of London (f. 263r& suphyp;v); William Pye, Dean of Chichester (f. 264r& suphyp;v); John Wymmesley, Archdeacon of London (f. 265r& suphyp;v); [John Harpsfield, Chaplain to Bishop Bonner] (ff. 269-275v; Hugh Weston, Dean of Westminster (ff.277-283v) (Latin). Weston's oration is printed in Strype, Ecclesiastical memorials, ed. 1822, iii, pt. ii, app. VIII.