Ten Reasons Proposed to His Adversaries for Disputation in the Name | Page 5

acceptance, until Campion proposed
"Heresy in Despair." "Whereat," adds Persons, "all that were present
could not choose but laugh, and wonder to see him fall upon that
argument at such a time when heresy seemed most of all to triumph." In
truth, with England invincible at sea and on land, and the absolute sway
of Elizabeth, Cecil, and Walsingham over both Church and State, what
more hopeful position for Protestantism could have been imagined?
Campion's meaning, of course, was that Protestantism was in despair of
holding the position of the ancient Church; of ruling in the hearts of a
free people; of co-existing with Christian liberty. It was unworthy,
therefore, of the acceptance of minds that aspired to mental freedom, as
did the youth of the Universities. This subject for an address was
welcomed with acclamation, and Campion promised to undertake it,
suggesting on his side that Persons should arrange ways and means for
printing the tract when finished, and any other which might seem
needed.
This agreed to, all separated once more, and Campion rode northwards
on a tour which he took in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and Lancashire, and
which was not over for six months. Meantime Father Persons had set
up his "magic press" near London, and issued from it five volumes of
small size indeed, but of remarkable vigour and merit. As soon as any
notable attack was made on the Catholics, an answer was brought out
in a wonderfully short time, and these answers were pithy, vigorous,
and pointed, in no ordinary degree. When one remembers how much
co-operation is needed to bring out even the slightest volume, one is
truly astonished at the feat of bringing out so many and such good ones,
while the hourly fear of capture, torture, and death hung over the heads
of all. When threatened with danger in one place the press was bodily
transported to another.

However, our business at present is not with Persons, but with
Campion. His book was finished and sent up to Persons in March, 1581,
with a title altered to suit the controversy which had already begun. It
was now _Decem Rationes: quibus fretus, certamen adversariis obtulit
in causa Fidei, Edmundus Campianus &c._ "Ten Reasons, for the
confidence with which Edmund Campion offered his adversaries to
dispute on behalf of the Faith, set before the famous men of our
Universities." Persons was charmed, as he had expected to be, with its
literary grace. It was in Latin, as had been agreed, and Campion's Latin
prose, (though critics of our time find it somewhat silvery and Livian),
suited the tastes of that day to perfection. The only thing which made
Persons at all thoughtful was the number of references. Campion
declared that he was sure he had verified them, as he entered them in
his notebook, but Persons, with greater caution, declared that they must
be verified anew.
The difficulty of this for men living under the ban, and cut off from
access to large libraries, was of course great, but through the help of
others, especially through Mr. Thomas Fitzherbert of Swynnerton, the
task was happily accomplished. Campion came up from the north to
Stonor, on the Oxfordshire border where the secret press then was; and
there, amid a thousand fears, alarms and dangers, the book was printed.
5. THE PRINTING.
Of the actual preparations for printing the Ten Reasons, Persons gives
this account in his memoirs[3]: Persons was of opinion that Campion
should come up to London immediately after Easter [March 26th] to
examine the passages quoted, and to assist the print. Meanwhile
Persons began to prepare new means of printing, making use of friends
and in particular of a certain priest called William Morris, a learned and
resourceful man, who afterwards died in Rome.[4] This was necessary,
as the first press near London, where the first two books had been
printed, had been taken down. Eventually and with very great difficulty
he found, after much trying, a house belonging to a widow, by name
Lady Stonor, in which she was not living at that time. It was situated in
the middle of a wood, twenty miles from London.
To this house were taken all things necessary, that is, type, press, paper,
&c., though not without many risks. Mr. Stephen Brinkley, a gentleman
of high attainments both in literature and in virtue, superintended the

printing. Father Campion then coming to London, with his book
already revised, went at once to the house in the wood, where the book
was printed and eventually published. Persons too went down to stay
with him for some days to take counsel on their affairs.
* * * * *
Stonor Park, to which Campion and Persons had betaken themselves,[5]
is still in the possession of the old Catholic family of