Robert Peckham, R.I.P.

Robert Peckham was an Englishman who left all he loved in England when his nation fell from the Catholic Faith; he died in Rome on the 13th of September 1569, and had a memorial erected to him in the forecourt of San Gregorio al Celio, where I'm staying. It appears that he had the friendship and the aid of his fellow-escapee from evil Elizabeth, the last of the English hierarchy, Thomas Goldwell, Bishop of St Asaph (who assisted at Trent, and ordained St Philip Neri).

I feel a great sadness at this and a connexion to him, and to a fellow Englishman also commemorated by a plaque at St Gregory's, since it was from this same church that St Augustine of Canterbury and his companions went forth in 597 at Pope Gregory the Great's command to bring the pagan English the True Faith; and here one of the faithful remnant of their mission came to die when all seemed lost, when after near a thousand years faithlessness and immorality seemed to triumph in Our Lady's Dowry, which had been Merrie England.

On the last day, I hope to stand, all unworthy, yet penitent, by the side of such stedfast men - and not with Henry, Elizabeth, and all damned heretics and craven followers of worldly expediency.

Here is the inscription:

D.O.M.
ROBERT PECHAMO ANGLO
EQVITI AVRATO
PHILIPPO ET MARIAE
ANGLIAE ET HISPAN. REGIBVS
OLIM CONCILIIS
GENERE RELIGIONE VIRTVTE
PRAECLARO
QVI CVM PATRIAM SVAM
A FIDE CATHOLICA DEFICIENTEM ADSPICERE
SINE SVMMO DOLORE NON POSSET
RELICTIS OMNIBVS QVAE IN HAC VITA
CARISSIMA ESSE SOLENT
IN VOLVNTARIVM PROFECTVS EXILIVM
POST SEX ANNOS
PAVPERIBVS CHRISTI HAEREDIBVS
TESTAMENTO INSTITVTIS
SANCTISSIME E VITA MIGRAVIT
IDIB. SEPT. ANN. MDLXIX AETATIS SVAE LIV
THOMAS GOLDOVELLVS EPISCOP. ASAPHENSIS
ET THOMAS KIRTONVS ANGLI
TESTAMENTI PROCVRATORES POS.