CAMPION, EDMUND (154o-1581), English Jesuit, was born in London and educated at Christ's hospital and St. John's college, Oxford. About 1564 religious difficulties began to beset him, but at the persuasion of Edward Cheyney, bishop of Glou cester, although holding Catholic doctrines, he took deacon's orders in the English Church. Inwardly "he took a remorse of conscience and detestation of mind," and in 1569 left Oxford to take part in a proposed restoration of Dublin university. Followed by suspicion, he at last escaped to Douai, where he joined William Allen (q.v.) and was reconciled to the Roman Church. After being ordained sub-deacon, he became a Jesuit at Rome in 1573. In 158o the Jesuit mission to England was begun, and he accompanied Robert Parsons (q.v.) who, as superior, was intended to counter balance Campion's impetuous zeal. In England he led a hunted life, preaching and ministering to Catholics in Berkshire, Ox fordshire, Northamptonshire and Lancashire. His Decem Rationes against the Anglican Church was privately printed and 400 copies were found on the benches of St. Mary's, Oxford, at the Com mencement, on June 27, 1581. The sensation was immense, and the pursuit became keener. When preaching at Lyford, in Berk shire, on July 14 he was captured by a spy and taken to London, bearing on his hat a paper with the inscription, "Campion, the Seditious Jesuit." Committed to the Tower, he was examined in the presence of Elizabeth, who asked him if he acknowledged her as queen of England, and on his affirmative reply she made him offers of life, wealth and dignities on conditions which his con science could not allow. He was kept a long time in prison, twice racked by order of the council, and every effort was made to shake his constancy. Despite the effect of a false rumour of re traction and a forged confession, his adversaries in despair sum moned him to four public conferences (1st, 18th, 23rd and 27th of September), where his ease won the admiration of the audience. Racked again on Oct. 31, he was indicted at Westminster that he with others had conspired at Rome and Reims to dethrone the queen. On Nov. 20, when found guilty, he remarked : "If our religion do make traitors we are worthy to be condemned ; but otherwise are and have been true subjects as ever the queen had." He received the sentence of the traitor's death with the Te Deum laudamus, and suffered the barbarous penalty on Dec. 1, 1581. Of all the Jesuit missionaries who suffered for their allegiance to the ancient religion Campion stands the highest. His life and his aspirations were pure, his zeal true and his loyalty unquestionable. He was beatified by Leo XIII. in 1886.
The last of the forty-seven editions of the Decem Rationes appeared with an Eng. trans. in vol. 6 of "The Catholic Library." See R. Simp son, Edmund Campion (1867) ; H. Foley, Records of the English Province of the Society of Jesus