Stories of Martyr Priests by Mfs Author:Mary Seymour General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1876 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: FATHEB EDMUND CAMPION, S. J. was one among the suffering Catholics in the dark days of cruel persecution whom we read of as the " man whom Elizabeth feared;" feared because of his truth and holiness, his fortitude and unwavering defence of right, not because of anything repulsive or formidable in his character, for he was sweet and very lovable. This was Edmund Campion, a priest of the Society of Jesus, who forsook all that the world deems great, to be despised and hated as his Master had been before him, to die too like that Master, a painful, shameful death. His father was a bookseller and a citizen of London, where Edmund was also born, either the eldest or second of four children. When the boy grew to nine or ten years of age his parents talked of putting him as apprentice with some merchant, but one of the members of a guild or company in the City had noticed the wit and talent of the little lad, and, believing he had great aptitude for study, induced the guild to undertake the expense of his further education. So Edmund was sent to one of the London grammar-schools as a beginning, and afterwards to Christ Church Hospital, where he soon got before his companions and bore away prizes without difficulty. When in 1558 Queen Mary came into the city in state, attended by a gorgeous procession of lords and ambassadors, duchesses, countesses, and maids-of-honour, Edmund Campion was selected to address her, as being the most suitable representative of the scholars of London. The Queen, wehear, was delighted with him, and the people cheered him heartily, feeling great pride in their young champion....« less