ied out, "Tush, man! the Jesuits
have no house within a mile of the Louvre!" Presently Oates named two
catholic peers, Lord Arundel of Wardour and Lord Bellasis, as being
concerned in the plot, when the king again spoke to him, saying these
lords had served his father faithfully, and fought his wars bravely, and
unless proof were clear against them, he would not credit they sought
him ill. Then Oates, seeing he had gone too far, said they did not know
of the conspiracy, but it had been intended to acquaint them with it in
good time. Later on he swore falsely against them.

Meanwhile the wildest sensation was caused by the revelations of this
"hellish plot and attempt to murder the king." The public mind, long
filled with hatred of papacy, was now inflamed to a degree of fury which
could only be quenched by the blood of many victims. To the general
sensation which obtained, a new terror was promptly added by the
occurrence of a supposed horrible and mysterious murder.

On the evening of Saturday, the 12th of October, Sir Edmondbury Godfrey
was missing from his home in the parish of St. Martin's. The worthy
magistrate was an easy going bachelor of portly appearance, much given
to quote legal opinions in his discourse, and to assert the majesty of
the law as represented in his person. He was alike respected for his
zeal by the protestants, and esteemed for his lenity by the catholics.
Bishop Burnet records the worthy knight "was not apt to search for
priests or mass-houses;" and Archdeacon Eachard affirms "he was well
known to be a favourer rather than a prosecutor of the papists."
Accordingly, his disappearance at first begot no evil suspicions; but as
he did not return on Monday, his servants became alarmed at the absence
of a master whose regularity was proverbial. His brothers were of
opinion he was in debt, and sought escape from his creditors; whilst his
friends, after their kind, were ready to name certain houses of doubtful
repute in which they were certain he had taken temporary lodgings. On
his papers being examined, it was found he had set his affairs in
order, paid all his debts, and destroyed a quantity of his letters and
documents. It was then remembered he had been occasionally susceptible
to melancholia--a disease he inherited from his father, who had perished
by his own hand. It was noted some days before that on which he was
missed, he had appeared listless and depressed. It was known the
imprisonment of