142 A HISTORY OF LONGRIDGE. [Chap. 6. 



Accordingly lie resigned his mastership and left England for Douay 

 College, where he repeated his philosophj' and studied theology for 

 some years. 



His ardent desire was for the East Indian missions, and with this 

 view he left Douay for Rome, where he obtained admission to the 

 Society of Jesus at St. Andrew's as a preparatory step, on April 8, 

 1579 In the sixth month of his noviceship he was attacked with a 

 consuming and lingering illness, and he was sent by his superiors to 

 Lyons to try if a change of air would restore him to health. But the 

 sickness increasing, he appeared unfit for the Society, and therefore he 

 was dismissed the novitiate. 



Mr. Cottam, as soon as he was able, returned to Douay CoUege, 

 which in the meantime had been translated to Rheims, and there he 

 was ordained priest, in 1580, and forthwith was sent to the English 

 mission. He arrived at Dover in June of that year, and was 

 immediately arrested. To avoid expense, the Mayor of Dover 

 requested a merchant, named Havard, travelling to London, to carry 

 him a prisoner to Lord Cobham. Havard, who in reality was Dr. 

 Ely, Professor of Canon and Civil Law in the University of Douay, did 

 not, of course, intend to deliver him up, but Mr. Cottam's scruples and 

 other circumstances resulted in his surrendering himself to Lord 

 Cobham's deputy. He was carried to the court at Nonsuch, or Oak- 

 lands, and, after five days' conference with various Protestant 

 ministers who laboured in vain to convert him, he was committed to 

 the Marshalsea for religion, and not on the more ordinary charge of 

 treason. 



In the Marshalsea he was brutally tortured, and then removed, 

 December 25, 1580, to the Tower to be racked and undergo the 

 torture of the " Scavenger's Daughter," &c. This was not done under 

 the usual pretence of extracting secret treason, but purely on account 

 of refusal to conform and confess his private sins to his tormentors, as 

 he boldly aflirmed to their faces at his arraignment. 



After a long confinement he was arraigned at Westminster Hall, 

 November 14, 1581, with Fr. Campion and others, and was condemned 

 to death for his piiostly character. His execution was deferred for 



