PREFACE
The chief difficulty in writing a life of Sir Everard Digby is to steer clear of the alternate dangers of perverting it into a mere history of the Gunpowder Plot, on the one hand, and of failing to say enough of that great conspiracy to illustrate his conduct, on the other. Again, in dealing with that plot, to condemn all concerned in it may seem like kicking a dead dog to Protestants, and to Catholics like joining in one of the bitterest and most irritating taunts to which they have been exposed in this country throughout the last three centuries. Nevertheless, I am not discouraged. The Gunpowder Plot is an historical event about which the last word has not yet been said, nor is likely to be said for some time to come; and monographs of men who were, either directly or indirectly, concerned in it, may not be altogether useless to those who desire to make a study of it. However faulty the following pages may be in fact or in inference, they will not have been written in vain if they have the effect of eliciting from others that which all students of historical subjects ought most to desire—the Truth.
I wish to acknowledge most valuable assistance received from the Right Rev. Edmund Knight, formerly Bishop of Shrewsbury, as well as from the Rev. John Hungerford Pollen, S.J., who was untiring in his replies to my questions on some very difficult points; but it is only fair to both of them to say that the inferences they draw from the facts, which I have brought forward, occasionally vary from my own. My thanks are also due to that most able, most courteous, and most patient of editors, Mr Kegan Paul, to say nothing of his services in the very different capacity of a publisher, to Mr Wynne of Peniarth, for permission to photograph his portrait of Sir Everard Digby, and to Mr Walter Carlile for information concerning Gayhurst.
The names of the authorities of which I have made most use are given in my footnotes; but I am perhaps most indebted to one whose name does not appear the oftenest. The back-bone of every work dealing with the times of the Stuarts must necessarily be the magnificent history of Mr Samuel Rawson Gardiner.
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER I. | PAGE |
| The portrait of Sir Everard Digby—Genealogy—His father aliterary man—His father’s book—Was Sir Everard broughtup a Protestant?—At the Court of Queen Elizabeth—Persecutionof Catholics—Character of Sir Everard—Gothurst—MaryMulsho—Marriage—Knighthood | [1-14] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Hospitality at Gothurst—Roger Lee—Sir Everard “Catholickly inclined”—Countryvisiting 300 years ago—An absent host—Agood hostess—Wish to see a priest—Priest or sportsman?—FatherGerard—Reception of Lady Digby—Question ofUnderhandedness—Illness of Sir Everard—Conversion—SecondIllness—Impulsiveness of Sir Everard | [15-32] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| The wrench of conversion—Position of converts at different periods—TheDigbys as converts—Their chapel—Father Strange—FatherPercy—Chapels in the days of persecution—Luisa deCarvajal—Oliver Manners—Pious dodges—Stolen waters—Persecutionunder Elizabeth | [33-48] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| The succession to the Crown—Accession of James—The Bye Plot—GuyFawkes—Father Watson’s revenge on the Jesuits—Questionas to the faithlessness of James—Martyrdoms andpersecutions—A Protestant Bishop upon them | [49-69] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| Catholics and the Court—Queen Anne of Denmark—Fears of theCatholics—Catesby—Chivalry—Tyringham—The SpanishAmbassador—Attitude of foreign Catholic powers—Indictmentsof Catholics—Pound’s case—Bancroft—Catesby andGarnet—Thomas Winter—William Ellis—Lord Vaux—Elizabeth,Anne, and Eleanor Vaux—Calumnies | [70-96] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| Roger Manners—A pilgrimage—Harrowden—Catesby informs SirEverard of the Conspiracy—Scriptural precedents—OtherGunpowder Plots—Mary Queen of Scots, Bothwell andDarnley—Pretended Jesuit approval | [97-113] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| A Latin Book—Immoderate friendships—Principles—Second-handapproval—How Catesby deceived Garnet—He deceived hisfellow-conspirators—A liar | [114-129] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| Garnet’s unfortunate conversation with Sir Everard—Garnet’sweakness—How Garnet first learned about the Plot—Secresyof the Confessional—Catesby and the Sacraments—Catesbya Catholic on Protestant principles—Could Garnet have savedSir Everard?—Were the conspirators driven to desperation?—DidCecil originate the Plot? | [130-148] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| Financial aspects of the Gunpowder Plot—Sir Everard’s relations tohis wife—Little John—Secret room at Gothurst—Persecutionof Catholics in Wales—The plan of Campaign—Coughton—GuyFawkes—His visit to Gothurst | [149-168] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| White Webbs—Baynham’s Mission—All-Hallows at Coughton—AllSouls at Gothurst—An unwelcome Guest—The remains offeudalism—Start from Gothurst—Arrival at Dunchurch—Whatwas going on in London—Tresham—The hunting-party—Acard-party—Arrival of the fugitives—The discoveryin London—The flight | [169-191] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| Catesby lies to Sir Everard—Expected help from Talbot—Thehunting-party repudiates the conspirators—The future Earlof Bristol—The start—Warwick—Norbrook—Alcester—Coughton—Huddington—Talbotrefuses to join in the Insurrection—FatherGreenway—Father Oldcorne—WhewellGrange—Shadowed—No Catholics will join the conspirators—DonQuixote | [192-218] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| Holbeche House—Sir Everard deserts—Sir Fulke Greville—TheHue-and-Cry—Hunted—In cover—Caught—Journey toLondon—Confiscation—The fate of the conspirators atHolbeche—The Archpriest—Denunciations—Letter of SirEverard—Confession | [219-236] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| Threats of torture—Search at Mrs Vaux’s house—Lady Digby’sletters to Salisbury—Sir Everard to his wife—Sir Everardwrites to Salisbury—Death of Tresham—Poem—Examinations | [237-251] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| Father Gerard’s letter to Sir Everard—Sir Everard exoneratesGerard—Sir Everard’s letter to his sons | [252-267] |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
| The trial—Appearance of the prisoners from different points ofview—Sir Edward Philips—Sir Edward Coke—His description ofthe punishment for High Treason—Sir Everard’s speech—Coke’sreply—Earl of Northampton—Lord Salisbury—Sentence | [268-288] |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
| Waiting for death—Poem—Kind words for Sir Everard—The injuryhe did to the Catholic cause—Two happy days—Processionto the scaffold—Sir Everard’s last speech—Execution—Epilogue | [289-306] |