known the fact, saying he would not describe his dream until the event had proved it true. Arrived in Spain, he betook himself to Valladolid where he took up his quarters at the Jesuit College, and applied himself eagerly to the study of Theology, in which he soon became as noted as he had been at Oxford.

He did not long remain an inmate of the college. One day, going on business into the city with a Jesuit companion, he saw the Abbot of St. Martin's walking quietly along, accompanied by one of his monks. At this sight impelled by an irresistable force, for he had never before seen a Benedictine in his long flowing cowl, he ran, and in the sight of everyone in the street, and to the astonishment of his companion, cast himself at the Abbot's feet, and begged to be admitted among the number of his sons. The Abbot after considerable doubts recognised the hand of God and allowed him to be received. But a vocation so strange seemed most unlikely and the Fathers of the Society could hardly believe that the Abbot and his monks had not in some way or other been instrumental in bringing upon them the loss of one from whom they were expecting great things. This appeared the more likely as the reputation of the young foreigner was well known in Valladolid, and so it was thought best to refer the case to the Bishop. To him the youth declared the certainty of his religious vocation to the Order of St. Benedict, and recounted the vision he had been granted whilst on the ship coming to Spain, of the two Benedictines he had seen afterwards by accident in the streets of Valladolid. This made the truth of his divine call apparent, and the Fathers of the Society joined in thanking Providence which had so clearly pointed out the vocation of this youth of great promise. Fr. Leander a Sto. Martino, as he was now called was thus professed in the great Benedictine Abbey of St. Martin of Compostella about the year 1600. He was soon sent to the University of Salamanca where he passed brilliantly through his Theological studies, and was ordained priest. Having taken the degree of Doctor of Divinity, he was sent to the various monasteries of Spain, to acquire those branches of learning which flourished in each, that he might fit himself more thoroughly for the English mission.

After five or six years spent in this manner, his superiors ordered him to proceed to England to join those of his brethren who were labouring to recover our country to the true faith. On his journey through France, he stayed for a time at the Abbey of St. Remigius at Rheims, and at the earnest request of the Abbot was allowed by his superiors to remain to train their novices. So wonderfully were the monks of that house charmed with his great abilities and capacity, that they gave him leave to bring up English youths for the English Congregation with their own

novices, and thus we find Fr. Leander on 2nd September, 1608, giving the habit to Fr. Columban Malon of Lancashire, for the new house at Douai, to which he apparently accompanied his novice master, and was the first professed for St. Gregory's, September 13th, 1609.

On leaving the Abbey of St. Remigius, Fr. Leander proceeded on his journey to England, but when he reached Douai he was again ordered to undertake the office of novice master by Fr. Austin Bradshaw then Vicar General of the English-Spanish Benedictine Missioners. Four years before, in 1605, Fr. Bradshaw had been obliged to withdraw from England because of the storm raised against Catholics on account of the Gunpowder-plot. It had been his desire to obtain some place nearer to England than Spain, which might serve as a nursery for the order and especially for such as were engaged in the struggles against Protestantism on the English mission. Following Dr. Allen's example he fixed upon Douai where he obtained a dormitory in Auchin College. Here he established some of the fathers withdrawn from England until 1607, when he was able to rent a small house belonging to the Trinitarians. Though only five in number, they here commenced conventual life, kept choir and took novices, and it was to this house -the first beginning of St. Gregory's-that Fr. Leander a Sto. Martino came as novice master in 1609.

The new Establishment of St. Gregory's met with much opposition, and its enemies obtained a surreptitious Bull from Rome to the Nuncio Bentivoglio ordering him to break up the establishment, and expel the monks from the University. In 1610 the Nuncio ordered the Superior, Fr. Bradshaw, to Brussels, and after a consultation with Abbot Cavarel of Arras, who was about to establish the house at Douai permanently Fr. Bradshaw was on the point of yielding to the opposition and withdrawing from the town, when Fr. Leander arrived at Arras, with a letter from the Benedictine Cardinal Archbishop of Metz, informing them that the Bull' had been surreptitiously obtained. By the Abbot's advice they set out immediately for Brussels to inform the Nuncio-the interview may be told in the words of Br. Bennet Weldon. "As soon as they "arrived there and presented themselves before the Nuncio, he expostulated “with them in very high terms for their demurs and disobedience to his "orders. They pleaded (and justly) indigence and want of money to "make such a journey. "Well," replied he "to be short, you must "disperse and quit Douai. Such is His Holiness' pleasure." Father "Leander who by the Abbot's orders was Dux Verbi (he that spoke) "begged the favour of his Lordship to see the date of the Bull. "you take me then for an impostor," answered the Nuncio in great "indignation," this shall not serve your turn." Then he commanded

"Do

"the original to be brought. Father Leander having seen the date and "compared it with the Cardinal's letter, begged pardon for asking a "question in appearance so uncivil but withal so important, produced "his letter of a later date, which maintained that the Bull was surrep"titious, and asked the Nuncio if he knew the hand. "Yes," says he "and the persons too," and read the letter much surprised; and told "them they had been injured and himself abused: bade them return "home and be secure that he would never trouble them with any summons "till he had better warrant for them, and had first heard what the Fathers "of Douai could say for themselves."

66

The following year, 1611, the building of the monastery was so far advanced that the church was licensed to be used for service, and the little community removed from the house of the Trinitarians to their new abode. The year 1612 saw Fr. Leander appointed to succeed Fr. Bradshaw. In 1614 the house seems to have increased considerably, for from a document signed by the Abbot of Marchin in October of that year, it appears that there were about four-score monks most piously "affected towards God who lived under the government of the "Venerable Father, Brother Leander of S. Martin, master in Divinity "and Superior of the College of St. Gregory at Douai." Throughout the period of Fr. Leander's office as Superior of the Anglo-Spanish Benedictines, he exerted his whole influence to bring about some union between the monks of the different congregations who were labouring in England. It was a difficult matter to please the Spanish Congregation, which having a much larger number than any of the others, expected to give the law concerning the amalgamation. The Cassinese Congregation, through their agents in Rome, really succeeded in having their views carried out in its regard, while through Fr. Leander, the Spanish General was made acquainted with what was going on. The latter sent Fr. Leander orders under Holy Obedience to go himself to Rome, or send a substitute to prevent or break off the union. Fr. Leander had no sooner received this order, than he was sent for by the Legate to Brussels and received the Pope's command to publish the Union on the Cassinese and English basis. He humbly desired to be heard, and pleaded his case so well that the Legate allowed time for him to send a procurator to Rome to obtain the dissolution of the union, and notwithstanding the great influence of his opponents, he obtained the suspension of the decrce. After some delay, a proposal coming from the old English fathers of the order, was accepted as a basis, and on May 19th, 1616, the Pope ordered nine Definitors to be chosen from among all the Benedictines serving on the mission, who were to draw up the terms of the proposed union. In this list, Fr. Leander's name appears first. As soon as matters were

definitely arranged, Dr. Gifford was chosen first President, but he being almost at the same time elevated to the Episcopal dignity, Fr. Leander, the President second elect, had the honour of becoming the first President of the present English Congregation.

In 1621 the first General Chapter met at Douai, and as in the early years of our congregation, re-election to the same office was not usual, Fr. Leander ceased to be President, and became Prior of St. Gregory's. After twelve years, he again became President, and in 1634 promulgated the famous Bull" Plantata" at St. Gregory's at Douai.

Although the harassing duties of public life had fallen to Fr. Leander's share since his first coming to Douai in 1608, yet we find in spite of all he had to do, that he continued for nearly twenty-five years to discharge the office of Professor of Theology either in the College of Marchienne or in that of St. Vedast. He appears to have had powers of work beyond the capacity of any ordinary man. His literary labours that are known are; I. Sacra ars memoriæ ad Scripturas divinas in promptu habenas. Duaci 1623. II. Conciliatio locorum communium totius Scripturæ 1623. III. Biblia Sacra, 6 vols. published under his care. IV. Opera Ludovici Blosü. V. Arnobius cum notis. Duaci 1634. VI. Rosetum Spirituale fol. 1633. It is probable also that he was one of the editors of the works of Rabanus. Besides this he translated the first seven chapters of the Following of Christ from the old edition of 1638, and gave Fr. Baker great help in the collection of documents, etc. for the "Apostolatus Benedictinorum in Anglia" afterwards published under the name of Dom. Clement Rayner. The seventh tract of this he wrote entirely, and translated the whole work into Latin. "And Fr. Leander" (says Weldon) "being in England during the said searchings (Fr. Baker's for documents) refused not to be a scrivener; and often after admired not only Fr. Baker's solid judgment, but also his good memory; for one day leaving off in the midst of a sentence or a period, when two or three days after Fr. Leander with his papers returned to him again, Fr. Baker continued on where he had left off, as if he had but just then given over." To the last, as a scholar, few were his equals-he was for a long time professor of Hebrew, and excelled in other Oriental languages. Besides this he was "an accomplished rhetorician, poet, Grecian and Latinist," and "enjoyed so prodigious a memory that in a short time he could learn "any language in perfection, if he did but once set his resolution to fix "itself after it."

During the years he remained at Douai he paid frequent visits to England, and even when the laws against priests were being most strictly enforced he received special permits through the agency of his friends. It is said that he was appointed towards the end of his life to make

overtures from Rome to his old friend Archbishop Laud to bring about a re-union with the church, and for which purpose he was to make him the offer of a Cardinal's hat. It is apparently certain that he went over to London in the spring of 1634 and actually paid a visit to Laud. But the real object of his journey was to execute a mission from the court of Rome of a very different and more delicate nature. The marriage between Charles I. and Henrietta of France had brought about a correspondence of courtesy between the King and the Pope. And after the long and continuous disputes between the Secular and Regular clergy on the English mission, it became a matter of great moment with Urban VIII. to be put in possession of the real state of things in England. He consequently seized this favourable opportunity and seclected Fr. Leander not only for his learning and prudence as well as piety and experience, but also because of the great friendship Archbishop Laud and others were known to have for him, which it was considered would help the object he had in view. Little came of his mission and it is not certain whether he ever again left England. At this time he reconciled a certain William Rees or Owen to the Church, having instructed him whilst in London in this year, and just before his death in the following winter he sent him to the English College Douai.1

At the beginning of the year 1635, Fr. Leander fell sick in London. and after long suffering he closed his life in the 60th year of his age, on the 27th of December. The Queen Henrietta by treaty had been allowed to have a Catholic chapel in Somerset house, which was served by the Capuchins. In this chapel Fr. Leander was buried, and as it had been consecrated only four days before he was "primitice dormientum ibidem."2

1 Records of English Province, S.J. Series IX.

2 Fr. Baker on the mission 518.

THE FORMATION OF A MUSEUM.

WE have several times endeavoured to awaken an interest in the formation of a Museum at Downside. From time to time the subject has been alluded to in short notes in our "Odds and Ends," and two articles have been written, the first (vol. I., p. 126) on the natural history division of the subject, the other on that which falls under the comprehensive term of art. A description of the collection of Australian mammals by the hand of a well-known professor has appeared, also an account of the