CHAPTER XIII.
Sir Everard says, in a letter from the Tower,[347] that, at one of his examinations, “they did in a Fashion offer me the torture, which I wil rather indure then hurt any body”; but it was only a threat; for, although torture was used to priests and Jesuits in connection with the Gunpowder Plot, it does not[348] appear to have been brought to bear upon any of the actual conspirators except Guy Fawkes. Lord Dunfermline, however, strongly urged Salisbury to expose them to it.[349] “Recommends that the prisoners be confined apart, in darkness, and examined by torch-light, and that the tortures be slow and at intervals, as being the most effectual.”On the other hand, a tract, printed in 1606,[350] says of the conspirators, that “in the time of their imprisonment, they rather feasted with their sins, than fasted with sorrow for them; were richly apparelled, fared deliciously, and took tobacco out of measure, with a seeming carelessness of their crime.”
Sir Everard had not been many days in the Tower before the Government had a search made at Harrowden, the house of his young friend, Lord Vaux, whose mother was suspected of having been privy to the plot. Great hopes were entertained of finding here Digby’s great friend, Father Gerard, who also lay under suspicion of having been concerned in it.[351] “The house was beset with at least 300 men, and those well appointed.”“They searched for two or three days continually, and searched with candles in cellars and several dark corners. They searched every cabinet and box in her [Mrs Vaux’s] own closet, for letters, &c.”A letter to Salisbury stated[352] that Mrs Vaux “gave up all her keys; all the rooms, especially his closet, narrowly searched, but no papers found. She and the young Lord strongly deny all knowledge of the treason; the house still guarded.”Brother Foley says[353] “that house was strictly searched and watched for nine days, with the especial hope of seizing Father Gerard. Though he escaped, the pious lady of the house was herself carried off to London.”She was severely examined before the Privy Council; and Sir Everard Digby was pressed to say whether he had not been very lately in her company—indeed, it was on this point that “they did in a Fashion offer”him “the torture”—but, although she admitted, in her examination,[354] that Sir Everard Digby, Robert Catesby, and “Greene and Darcy, priests,”had been visitors at her house, and, when she refused to say where Father Gerard was, she was told she must die,[355] nothing could be proved against her and she was liberated.
It must have been a great comfort to Lady Digby to receive the scraps of paper inscribed with lemon juice from her husband. It is easy to imagine the eagerness and care with which she would hold them before the fire in order to develope their writing, with anxiety to make every letter legible and fear lest the paper should become scorched. Sir Everard calls her his “Dearest”; but, in letters which might possibly fall into hands for which they were not intended, it would have been out of place to make much display of affection, and the only exhibition of that kind is to be found in a poem which will be quoted later.
In her straits for money, she applied, and not altogether without success, to Salisbury; for we find her writing to him thus:—[356]
“Right Hoable—Your comfortable favours towards me proseding from your noblle disposition in ordering a means for my relefe (being plunged in distresse) by aucthoritie of yours and the rest of the Lords letters to the Sherife of Buck. incytith me to yeld and duly too acknowleg by thes my most humble thankes; for wch favor I shall ever hor your Lop and praye to the —— allmighti for your greatest hapines and with all humbllenes remayne to
“Your hor devoted
“Mary Digby.”
As usual, in a lady’s letter, the pith is in the postscript.
“Pos. Being most fearfull to ofend you hor yet enforced out of the dutifull love towards my wofull husband, I humbly beg pardon to desier your Lops consent and furtharance for such an unspeakable hapines as that out of your worthy and noblle disposition you would purchase merci for my husband’s life, for wch you should tie us our posteritie to you and your howse for ever and I hope his ofence agaynst his Matie is not so haynous in that excrable plot, as is sayd to be contrived by som others, which in my hart I cannot conceve his natuer to give consente for such an ackt to be committed.”
[Endorsed] “To the Right Honoble. the Earlle of Salsbery, Principall Secretary to the King’s most excelent Matie.”
Lady Digby did not find Lord Salisbury’s orders for her relief so availing in practice as in theory; for, a little later, she wrote to him again. I will not weary my readers by giving her exact spelling—such words as “pertickellers,”for particulars, “shreife,”for sheriff, “reseved,”for received, and “howsold”for household, soon become troublesome and vexatious—but I will endeavour to transcribe her letter according to modern orthography and punctuation.