he was quite dead.

The "face in the straw" was a miracle said to be performed at Garnet's
death.

The original fabricator of the miracle of the straw was one John
Wilkinson, a young Roman Catholic, who at the time of Garnet's trial and
execution was about to pass over into France, to commence his studies at
the Jesuits' College at St. Omer's. Some time after his arrival there,
Wilkinson was attacked by a dangerous disease, from which there was no
hope of his recovery; and while in this state he gave utterance to the
story, which Endaemon-Joannes relates in his own words, as follows:--"The
day before Father Garnet's execution my mind was suddenly impressed (as
by some external impulse) with a strong desire to witness his death, and
bring home with me some relic of him. I had at that time conceived so
certain a persuasion that my design would be gratified, that I did not
for a moment doubt that I should witness some immediate testimony from
God in favour of the innocence of his saint; though as often as the idea
occurred to my mind, I endeavoured to drive it away, that I might not
vainly appear to tempt Providence by looking for a miracle where it was
not necessarily to be expected. Early the next morning I betook myself
to the place of execution, and, arriving there before any other person,
stationed myself close to the scaffold, though I was afterwards somewhat
forced from my position as the crowd increased." Having then described
the details of the execution, he proceeds thus:--"Garnet's limbs having
been divided into four parts, and placed, together with the head, in a
basket, in order that they might be exhibited, according to law, in some
conspicuous place, the crowd began to disperse. I then again approached
close to the scaffold, and stood between the cart and place of
execution; and as I lingered in that situation, still burning with the
desire of bearing away some relic, that miraculous ear of straw, since
so highly celebrated, came, I know not how, into my hand. A considerable
quantity of dry straw had been thrown with Garnet's head and quarters
into the basket, but whether this ear came into my hand from the
scaffold or from the basket I cannot venture to affirm; this only I can
truly say, that a straw of this kind was thrown towards me before it had
touched the ground. This straw I afterwards delivered to Mrs. N----, a
matron of singular Catholic piety, who inclosed it in a bottle, which
being rather short