This law forbade priests to say Mass and forbade communicants to attend it. Consequently Mass was held secretly in the open fields. Laymen were subject to jail and heavy fines and priests to execution. Many priests were executed by the terrible death of being burnt alive at the stake or, even worse, being hung, drawn and quartered. The most famous English recusants were Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot Conspirators. The American Version of the Lyrics It is possible that the word Ladybird was exchanged for Ladybug, in the American version of the nursery rhyme, due the word association with Firebug meaning an arsonist or pyromaniac. The first publication date was 1865 and the word ladybird was used as opposed to ladybug. There has been some speculation that this Nursery Rhyme originates from the time of the Great Fire of London in 1666. Ladybug Ladybug aka Ladybird Ladybird Ladybug ladybug fly away home, Your house in on fire and your children are gone, All except one and that's little Ann, For she crept under the frying pan. Ladybug Ladybug aka Ladybird Ladybird |