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238 F. X. MARTIN Nugent sent Epiphanius Lindsay to Scotland in the year 1620. In a 0 later letter Epiphanius made the almost incredible statement that at the time of his arrival there were only three priests in the whole, country, to the best of his knowledge 116 • The more accurate but still depressing picture appears from a report on the Church in Scotland sent to Propaganda by two Minim missionaries during the year 1623 117 • In this frank document they explained that in all Scotland there was no secular priest. The needs of the Catholics were served by a bare fifteen priests from religious Orders, whom they listed as four Minims, four Jesuits, three Scottish Observant Franciscans, one Irish Observant, two Capuchins and one Benedictine. The writers stated that though the Catholics suffered from the lack of sermons only the four Minims and one of the Capuchins were authorized preachers 118 • They complained that the Jesuits remained as chaplains to the nobles, and left it to the other· priests to serve amid the hardships and increased dangers of the poorer areas. The report mentioned that outside Scotland there were two Scottish Capuchins - the first was John Chrysostom Campbell, then in the Province of Lorraine, whom they described as of the highest character, a noted preacher, and of wide experience both in missionary work and English prisons. The other Capuchin, Archangel Leslie, was briefly described as a well-known preacher, and was stated as being then in England 119 • The reference to Archangel Leslie introduces the best known of the Scottish Capuchins 120 • Born at Aberdeen he became a convert from Calvinism, and was to be found in the year 1608 as a student in the Scots College at Rome. A meeting with Ange de Joyeuse in that year persuaded him that his vocation lay with the Capuchins. We catch but glimpses of him during the following fifteen years. In res, partim religiosos, elaborare existimaverim » (ibid. 196). Archangel Leslie, the Scottish Capuchin, to Ingoli, London 8 Aug. 1635, makes interesting comments on the state of Cathol– icism in Scotland (APF, Scritt.rif.cong.gen., 135, 165r-166r). 11s Epiphanius to Cyprien de Gamaches - cited in CYPRIEN DE GAMACHES, Memoires, 347-351. 111 John Brown and Francis Metellan, Minims, undated but written during or shortlr before the year 1623 as may be judged from the reference to Archangel Leslie (Bibi.Vat.," Barb.tat. 8628, 8lr-87v). Another copy in APF, Scritt.rif.cong.gen., 312, 56r-63v, has the · secretary's note (f.65v) - « 27 Jun. 1623 ». ns Bibi.Vat., Barb.lat. 8628, 84v. 110 Ibid., 851·. 120 For Archangel Leslie see Lex.Cap., 118-119. There are many of his letters in the,· Propaganda Archives which are so far unused by his biographers.
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