Subj : July 9th - Bl. Adrian Fortescue To : All From : rich Date : Thu Jul 08 2021 10:22:22 From: rich July 9th - Bl. Adrian Fortescue d. 1539 Sir Adrian Fortescue Born in 1476, of an old Devonshire family, and was a cousin, on his mother's side, of Anne Boleyn He himself married, first, Anne Stonor of Stonor, by whom he had two daughters, and twelve years after her death, Anne Rede of Boarstall, who bore him three sons. His early and middle life was that of a gentleman of his time.=C2 He was a justice of the peace for the county of Oxford and a knight of the Bath, he attended at the royal court, fought in France in 1513 and again in 1523; was in Queen Catherine's train when she went to Calais during the "Field of the Cloth of Gold ", and attended upon Anne Boleyn at her coronation.=C2 He was always a religious man and, subsequent to becoming a knight of devotion of the Sovereign and Sacred Order of St. John of Jerusalem (the "Knights of Malta "), he was enrolled as a tertiary of the Dominicans at Oxford. With respect to the king's religious proceedings Sir Adrian seems to have behaved with circumspection and prudence, but on August 29, 1534, he was, for a reason that does not appear, arrested and confined in the Marshalsea prison; but he was released sometime probably in the spring of 1535, the year that saw the martyrdom of More and Fisher and the Carthusians. What these foreboded Sir Adrian must perfectly well have understood, but he was not again arrested till February 1539, when he was sent to the Tower.=C2 Parliament met in April, and Fortescue, without trial, was attainted (accused, condemned) for that he "not only most traitorously reftised (omitted) his duty of allegiance, which he ought to bear to your Highness, but also hath committed divers and sundry detestable and abominable treasons, and put sedition in your realm ". The nature of these treasons is not stated, but that they had reference to his religious duty to the Holy See is sufficiently indicated by the names of those attainted with him: Cardinal Pole, Thomas Goldwell and Friar William Pew, among others. Bl. Adrian was beheaded with the Ven. Thomas Dingley at Tower Hill on July 8 or 9 following. Ever since his death there was a cultus of him among the Knights of Malta, and this was the basis of his beatification in 1895.=C2 His feast is kept in the archdiocese of Birmingham. On the morrow is observed the anniversary of another martyred knight of St. John, Bl. David Gonson. He was condemned by attainder for denying the royal supremacy over the Church, and was executed. Fr John m, LEM., vol. i, pp. 453-461.=C2 Bodley's Library at Oxford possesses a manuscript of Piers Plowman transcribed by Bl. Adrian's hand. Saint Quote: I find myself so bound to the divine will that neither death nor life is important: I want to live as He wishes and I want to serve Him as He likes, and nothing more. -- Saint Rose Venerini Bible Quote: =C2 Come, blessed of My Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.=C2 (Matt. 25:34) <><><><> Who is worthy to face the Lord? Lord, who will live in your tent? Who will dwell on your holy mountain? Whoever comes there without stain, acts rightly, speaks truth in his heart. Whoever does not speak deceitfully, -- or do harm to his neighbour, -- or slander him. Whoever despises the evil-doer, but he reveres those who fear the Lord. Whoever swears and keeps his word, come what may -- lends his money =C2 without usury -- takes no bribe to condemn the innocent. Whoever lives like this will stand firm for ever. Psalm (15) DRB --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .