is time plots were contrived and treasons planned in rapid
succession; for when one scheme was frustrated, by the vigilance of the
government, another was adopted; so that the whole reign of Elizabeth,
with the exception of the early portion of it, was constantly developing
some machination or other, devised by the emissaries of Rome. At the
head of the confederacy against the queen were the pope and the king of
Spain, who hated her with the most deadly hatred,--the former, because
she was the chief stay of the reformation, the latter, because she was
an obstacle to the prosecution of his designs on this country[1].

[Footnote 1: I subjoin a few extracts from the bull issued
against Elizabeth. It was entitled _The Damnation and
Excommunication of Queen Elizabeth._ It commenced thus: "He that
reigneth on high committed one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic
Church (out of which there is no salvation) to one alone upon
earth, namely, to Peter, and to Peter's successor, the bishop of
Rome. _Him alone he made prince over all people, and all
kingdoms, to pluck up, destroy, scatter, consume, plant, and
build, that he may contain the faithful that are knit together
with the band of charity, in the unity of the Spirit._" Then,
after an enumeration of Elizabeth's alleged crimes against the
holy see, his holiness proceeds: "We do, out of the fulness of
our apostolic power, declare the aforesaid Elizabeth, being a
heretic, and a favourer of heretics, to have incurred the
sentence of _anathema_, and to be cut off from the unity of the
body of Christ. And, moreover, _we do declare her to be deprived
of her pretended title to the kingdom aforesaid, and of all
dominion, dignity, and privilege_. And also the nobility,
subjects, and people of the said kingdom, and all others, who
have in any sort sworn unto her, _to be for ever absolved from
any such oath_. And we do command and interdict all and every
the noblemen, subjects, and people, _that they presume not to
obey her, or her monitions, mandates, and laws_."

It is necessary to give these extracts in the outset, in order
that it may be seen that the gunpowder treason, and almost all
other treasons in the reigns of Elizabeth and James, flowed from
the doctrines thus promulgated by the papal see.]

The first act of rebellion was the attempt of the earls of Westmoreland
and Northum