aughter of George, Lord Darcy, was
born in October 1561, and was brought up secretly a Roman Catholic. As a
youth he served at Sheffield as page to Mary queen of Scots, for whom he
early felt an ardent devotion. In 1580 he came to London, attended the
court of Elizabeth, and joined the secret society formed that year
supporting the Jesuit missionaries. In 1582 after the execution of Father
Campion he withdrew to Dethick, and attaining his majority occupied himself
for a short time with the management of his estates. Later he went abroad
and became associated at Paris with Mary's supporters who were planning her
release with the help of Spain, and on his return he was entrusted with
letters for her. In April 1586 he became, with the priest John Ballard,
leader of a plot to murder Elizabeth and her ministers, and organize a
general Roman Catholic rising in England and liberate Mary. The conspiracy
was regarded by Mendoza, the Spanish ambassador, one of its chief
instigators, and also by Walsingham, as the most dangerous of recent years;
it included, in its general purpose of destroying the government, a large
number of Roman Catholics, and had ramifications all over the country.
Philip II. of Spain, who ardently desired the success of an enterprise "so
Christian, just and advantageous to the holy Catholic faith,"[1] promised
to assist with an expedition directly the assassination of the queen was
effected. Babington's conduct was marked by open folly and vanity. Desirous
of some token of appreciation from Mary for his services, he entered into a
long correspondence with her, which was intercepted by the spies of
Walsingham. On the 4th of August Ballard was seized and betrayed his
comrades, probably under torture. Babington then applied for a passport
abroad, for the ostensible purpose of spying upon the refugees, but in
reality to organize the foreign expedition and secure his own safety. The
passport being delayed, he offered to reveal to Walsingham a dangerous
conspiracy, but the latter sent no reply, and meanwhile the ports were
closed and none allowed to leave the kingdom for some days. He was still
allowed his liberty, but one night while supping with Walsingham's servant
he observed a memorandum of the minister's concerning himself, fled to St
John's Wood, where he was joined by some of his companions, and after
disguising himself succeeded in reaching Harrow, where he was sheltered by
a recent convert to Romanism. Tow