A true narrative of that grand Jesuite Father Andrews who lived at Hardwick in Monmouthshire. How he fled into a large wood to escape justice. How he came to an untimely end, and the manner of his burial. In a letter to a friend in London.

A True NARRATIVE Of that Grand JESUITE Father Andrews, &c.

SIR,

I Have here given you a Short but Perfect Account of one Father Andrews a Jesuit, sometimes Inhabiting at a place called Hard∣wick in Monmouth-shire, and sometimes at his Brothers, Thomas Andrews's House in the Parish of Skenfreth, about eight Miles distant from Hardwick in the same County. Upon the Discovery of the late Plot, Warrants being issued out by several Justices of the Peace, for the Apprehending of the said Father Andrews; so that he was forced to abscond from those places above mentioned, and fled into an ad∣jacent Wood, where he lay Incognito, for the space of Three Months and upwards; his Food being conveyed to him by a Servant Boy, which his Brother sent daily to him. He finding that place not to agree well with his Constitution, one Hills a Priest and a Visiter of his, got him a Private Lodging in a poor Widdows House, whose name was Jane Harris. Hills came often to Visit him during the space of three or four Days. The poor Woman was imployed by Hills to go several times to a Butchers, (who lived in a small Village about half a Mile distant) to buy Meat for Father Andrews; she was not to buy much at a time, because he must have it Fresh and Fresh; the sight of a Large Joint was enough to have taken away his Stomack, being a weakly man, and much stricken in Years. This Butcher taking notice of this Poor Womans coming so often to him to buy Meat, which formerly she did not use to do: for she was not in a Condition to buy it for her self; he took an occasion to ask her who it was for; She ingeniously confessed, that it was for an Antient Gentleman who was newly come to lodge at her house; whereupon the Butcher suspecting that he must be either a Priest or a Jesuit, presently went to one Mr. Arnal a Justice of the Peace, (and a great Prosecutor of the Papists) and gave him Information what the Woman had said, upon which Mr. Arnal went himself with several of his Servants, and some Neighbours to search the House; but old Father Andrews, having some private notice of it,

made his Escape before they came. The Widdow Woman was ex∣amined what became of the Old Gentleman which Lodged at her House; she said he was newly gone, but whither she did not know, he was a Stranger to her, and had been there but four days. The Justice Committed the Woman to the Common Goal of Ʋske, for the said County, where she now remains. After this Escape Mr. Arnal could hear no more of him, till about the 27th of June last; and then a Farmer living at Wengothan near Abergaveny; who ha∣ving occasion to lay some Hay in a Barn of his, which was formerly a Chappel belonging to some Abby or Priory; and there clearing away some old Stubble-Straw to make room for the Hay, under which he found a place digg'd like a Grave, and newly filled up; whereupon he was at first surprised, and could not tell what to do, at last he thought it his best way to go to a Justice of the Peace, and Inform him of it, supposing somebody might have been Murthered and Buried there. The Justice presently Ordered the place to be searched; and there they found the Corps of a Man who had been newly Buried; he had no Coffin, only a Sheet wrapt about him, with a Cross made of Wax on his Stomach, with several Beads, Cru∣cifixes, and other Romish Fopperies about him. Then presently the Coroner was sent for, and called a Jury of Inquest, who sate and found the Body had been poysoned, for it was very much swell'd. The Body was exposed to publick view, for two or three days; in which time it was discovered, that it was the Body of the aforesaid Fa∣ther Andrews the Jesuite. Search was presently made, to see if they coul'd find out how he came to be Buried in that place, and how he came to his End; but it could not be done, so that 'tis thought he was privately conveyed thither in the Night, and there Buried, because it was Antiently a Religious Place. This is a Just Account, I am,

Sir,

Your Humble Servant, J. D.

Skenfreth, July the 2d. 1679.

FINIS.