x doctrine, drawn on
himself the censure of his spiritual superiors, had been compelled to
quit his benefice, and had ever since led an infamous and vagrant life.
He had once professed himself a Roman Catholic, and had passed some time
on the Continent in English colleges of the order of Jesus. In those
seminaries he had heard much wild talk about the best means of
bringing England back to the true Church. From hints thus furnished he
constructed a hideous romance, resembling rather the dream of a sick man
than any transaction which ever took place in the real world. The Pope,
he said, had entrusted the government of England to the Jesuits. The
Jesuits had, by commissions under the seal of their society, appointed
Roman Catholic clergymen, noblemen, and gentlemen, to all the highest
offices in Church and State. The Papists had burned down London once.
They had tried to burn it down again. They were at that moment planning
a scheme for setting fire to all the shipping in the Thames. They were
to rise at a signal and massacre all their Protestant neighbours. A
French army was at the same time to land in Ireland. All the leading
statesmen and divines of England were to be murdered. Three or four
schemes had been formed for assassinating the King. He was to be
stabbed. He was to be poisoned in his medicine He was to be shot with
silver bullets. The public mind was so sore and excitable that these
lies readily found credit with the vulgar; and two events which speedily
took place led even some reflecting men to suspect that the tale, though
evidently distorted and exaggerated, might have some foundation.

Edward Coleman, a very busy, and not very honest, Roman Catholic
intriguer, had been among the persons accused. Search was made for his
papers. It was found that he had just destroyed the greater part of
them. But a few which had escaped contained some passages such as,
to minds strongly prepossessed, might seem to confirm the evidence of
Oates. Those passages indeed, when candidly construed, appear to
express little more than the hopes which the posture of affairs, the
predilections of Charles, the still stronger predilections of James,
and the relations existing between the French and English courts, might
naturally excite in the mind of a Roman Catholic strongly attached to
the interests of his Church. But the country was not then inclined to
construe the letters of Papists candidly; and it was urged, with
some show of r