5atft.c7 ^armf'f ^fraco. 135 



quantity of dry Straw had been thrown wfth Garnet's head and 

 quarters from the scafTold into the basket ; but whether this ear 

 came into my hand from the scaffold or from the basket, I cannot 

 venture to affirm : this only I can truly say, that a Straw of this 

 kind was thrown towards me before it had touched the ground. 

 This Straw I afterwards delivered to Mrs. N., a matron of singular 

 Catholic piety, who inclosed it in a bottle, which being rather 

 shorter than the Straw, it became slightly bent. A few days after- 

 wards, Mrs. N. showed the Straw in the bottle to a certain noble 

 person, her intimate acquaintance, who, looking at it attentively, 

 at length said, ' I can see nothing in it but a man's face.' At this, 

 Mrs. N. and I, being astonished at the unexpected exclamation, 

 again and again examined the ear of Straw, and distinctly per- 

 ceived in it a human countenance, which others, also coming in as 

 casual spectators, or expressly called by us as witnesses, also 

 beheld at that time. This is, as God knoweth, the true history of 

 Father Garnet's Straw." 



In process of time, the fame of the prodigy encouraged those 

 who had an interest in upholding it to add considerably to the' 

 miracle as it was at first promulgated. Wilkinson and the first 

 observers of the marvel merely represented that the appearance of 

 a face was shown on so diminutive a scale, upon the husk or 

 sheath of a single grain, as scarcely to be visible unless specifically 

 pointed out. Fig. I in the accompanying plate accurately depicfls 

 the miracle as it was at first displayed. 



But a much more imposing image was afterwards discovered. 

 Two faces appeared upon the middle part of the Straw, both 

 surrounded with rays of glory ; the head of the principal figure, 

 which represented Garnet, was encircled with a martyr's crown, 

 and the face of a cherub appeared in the midst of his beard. In 

 this improved state of the miracle, the story was circulated in 

 England, and excited the most profound and universal attention ; 

 and thus depicted, the miraculous Straw became generally known 

 throughout the Christian world. Fig. 2 in the sketch exactly 

 represents the prodigy in its improved state : it is taken from the 

 frontispiece to the ' Apology of Eudaemon-Joannes.' 



So great was the scandal occasioned by this story of Father 

 Garnet's miraculous Straw, that Archbishop Bancroft was commis- 

 sioned by the Privy Council to institute an inquiry, and, if possible, 

 to detect and punish the perpetration of what he considered a gross 

 imposture; but although a great many persons were examined, no 

 distinct evidence of imposition could be obtained. It was proved, 

 however, that the face might have been limned on the Straw by 

 Wilkinson, or under his direction, during the interval which oc- 

 curred between the time of Garnet's death and the discovery of the 

 miraculous head. At all events, the inquiry had the desired effect 

 of staying public curiosity in England ; and upon this the Privy 

 Council took no further proceedings against any of the parties. 



