登陆注册
4705400000148

第148章

Just after the discovery of these papers, a magistrate who had been distinguished by his independent spirit, and who had taken the deposition of the informer, is found murdered, under circumstances which make it almost incredible that he should have fallen either by robbers or by his own hands. Many of our readers can remember the state of London just after the murders of Mar and Williamson, the terror which was on every face, the careful barring of doors, the providing of blunderbusses and watchmen's rattles. We know of a shopkeeper who on that occasion sold three hundred rattles in about ten hours. Those who remember that panic may be able to form some notion of the state of England after the death of Godfrey. Indeed, we must say that, after having read and weighed all the evidence now extant on that mysterious subject, we incline to the opinion that he was assassinated, and assassinated by Catholics, not assuredly by Catholics of the least weight or note, but by some of those crazy and vindictive fanatics who may be found in every large sect, and who are peculiarly likely to be found in a persecuted sect. Some of the violent Cameronians had recently, under similar exasperation, committed similar crimes.

It was natural that there should be a panic; and it was natural that the people should, in a panic, be unreasonable and credulous. It must be remembered also that they had not at first, as we have, the means of comparing the evidence which was given on different trials. They were not aware of one tenth part of the contradictions and absurdities which Oates had committed. The blunders, for example, into which he fell before the Council, his mistake about the person of Don John of Austria, and about the situation of the Jesuits' College at Paris, were not publicly known. He was a bad man; but the spies and deserters by whom governments are informed of conspiracies axe generally bad men.

His story was strange and romantic; but it was not more strange and romantic than a well-authenticated Popish plot, which some few people then living might remember, the Gunpowder treason.

Oates's account of the burning of London was in itself not more improbable than the project of blowing up King, Lords, and Commons, a project which had not only been entertained by very distinguished Catholics, but which had very narrowly missed of success. As to the design on the King's person, all the world knew that, within a century, two kings of France and a prince of Orange had been murdered by Catholics, purely from religious enthusiasm, that Elizabeth had been in constant danger of a similar fate, and that such attempts, to say the least, had not been discouraged by the highest authority of the Church of Rome.

The characters of some of the accused persons stood high; but so did that of Anthony Babington, and that of Everard Digby. Those who suffered denied their guilt to the last; but no persons versed in criminal proceedings would attach any importance to this circumstance. It was well known also that the most distinguished Catholic casuists had written largely in defence of regicide, of mental reservation, and of equivocation. It was not quite impossible that men whose minds had been nourished with the writings of such casuists might think themselves justified in denying a charge which, if acknowledged, would bring great scandal on the Church. The trials of the accused Catholics were exactly like all the state trials of those days; that is to say, as infamous as they could be. They were neither fairer nor less fair than those of Algernon Sydney, of Rosewell, of Cornish, of all the unhappy men, in short, whom a predominant party brought to what was then facetiously called justice. Till the Revolution purified our institutions and our manners, a state trial was merely a murder preceded by the uttering of certain gibberish and the performance of certain mummeries.

The Opposition had now the great body of the nation with them.

同类推荐
  • 洞玄灵窦六甲玉女上宫歌章

    洞玄灵窦六甲玉女上宫歌章

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金刚顶瑜伽金刚萨埵仪轨

    金刚顶瑜伽金刚萨埵仪轨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宗门十规论

    宗门十规论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 否泰錄

    否泰錄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大乘掌珍论

    大乘掌珍论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 一曲江湖行

    一曲江湖行

    断龙脉、绝气运、九州灵气日益不存。衣衫褴褛的小乞丐不光跌跌撞撞闯入江湖后誓要将江湖捅个通透。还要追寻已经无路可走的长生大道。这大抵是一个武者在灵气不复以往、气运断绝的年代中,一步步作为前行者,替天下武者寻觅长生、复苏灵气的故事。神仙、妖怪、侠客、佛门千年古刹、道教武当龙虎、蜀山剑宗倚天而立、你想看的,这里应有尽有。
  • 公子囚之策妃谋天下

    公子囚之策妃谋天下

    硝烟弥漫的战场,亦可侠骨柔情;嗜血厮杀的故事,也可死生契阔。乱世铁血贵公子,冷心冷情,雕琢而出,便是温润之玉;现代机械设计师,没心没肺,圈禁住了,就是一往情深。成王败寇,没有人会是永远的赢家,只要不死,便只能勇往直前。耗尽心智,拼尽全力,以血肉之躯,一寸寸、一步步,爬向那权利之巅的刹那芳华。莫岑菀:前世的名字叫沐岑菀,她被穷凶极恶的军火贩子绑架,前去基地制造一种新型武器的控制开关,中途遇到另一伙军火贩子,双方火拼之时,沐岑菀的车子坠崖,穿越到了珈兰大陆。醒来之时,她变成了一个楚国仅有十岁的落难小公主。鄢黎:晋国六卿之一鄢氏嫡宗公子,在一次机缘巧合之下,遇到了穿越而来的现代单兵武器设计师兼战争理论研究博士莫岑菀。从此,强迫她女伴男装留在自己身边,从一个小小书童成长为权谋天下的策士。再后来,便是二人联手,在凶险诡谲、孤立无援的劣境之下,培养出一支优秀的特种部队,征伐天下,称霸七雄。合纵连横的时代,不仅要靠一条三寸不烂之舌,还要有过硬的战术值,鄢氏的黑鹰兵团,海陆空三栖神军,敌前敌后,所向披靡。“既然没得逃,就杀出去;既然没得悔,就错下去。直到杀出一条血路,直到错成一道风景。鄢黎,我莫岑菀都会陪着你。”“我本来就是女子,是你非要我女扮男装的。”“想做女子?等你爬得上本公子的榻再说!”“你,你这个流氓!”“菀儿,你以前对我说‘醉翁之意不在酒,在乎山水之间也’,我一直觉得这句话里满满的都是谋略,可如今心境不同了,再细细品味,却只觉意境如此情志高远。”“嗯,心里只有权谋,自然看什么都是权谋,可若是放下了,洒脱了,便看什么都是洒脱。”“鄢黎,你若死了,我发誓,明日我就去找殷崛,我马上就嫁给他,去做秦国的王后。”“你敢,我现在就杀了你,让你和我一起死。”“莫岑菀,我殷崛处心积虑争了这秦国的王位是为了什么?你当真不知道吗?”杯盏破碎,只影伶仃,贵为王者又如何?错过,便是永远的失去。醉卧花阴下,天高燕子轻;休言不爱酒,只是未伤情。花开陌上、草色烟波,二人一马,是开始……也是结局……
  • 失婚错爱

    失婚错爱

    她是个孤儿,在五岁那年被好心的管家带到了欧家成为了欧家大少欧逸然的贴身女佣…随着年龄的增长,她已经出落的亭亭玉立,一颗放心暗许……他爱的疯狂,为了她他耗尽自己所有的精力,终于与她步入婚姻的殿堂,可是她却想逃开。身心的折磨让他无法忍受,看着那日渐消瘦的人儿最终忍痛说出“我放你自由。”当真相大白的时候,他与欧家有着这样的关系,而她与他将会是一条平行线,无任何的交集。从此他一无所有,就这样从众人的眼中消失了……为何她看不到他了,却每天想着他的好?等她意识到之后,她开始四处寻找他的身影……失望……无果……终于见到他了,他的手中却拉着一个很甜美乖顺的女孩。她该怎么办?
  • 在人间(语文新课标课外读物)

    在人间(语文新课标课外读物)

    现代中、小学生不能只局限于校园和课本,应该广开视野,广长见识,广泛了解博大的世界和社会,不断增加丰富的现代社会知识和世界信息,才有所精神准备,才能迅速地长大,将来才能够自由地翱翔于世界蓝天。否则,我们将永远是妈妈怀抱中的乖宝宝,将永远是温室里面的豆芽菜,那么,我们将怎样走向社会、走向世界呢?
  • 重生之凰途天下

    重生之凰途天下

    前世的荀太后逼宫造反,弑帝废太子,天底下大逆不道的事她做了个遍,顶着惑乱江山的骂名为不受宠的养子铺就了一条锦绣皇途,小皇帝却为她精心布下一场歹毒的诡局,抄了她国公府满门,亲手将她掐死在了慈宁宫。一朝重生,她誓要做那搅动风云的手,要这京师再无宁日,要这天下改朝换代,要亲手将那人从高悬的帝位上拽下来!
  • 亲手为狗狗做美食

    亲手为狗狗做美食

    每个狗狗的主人都希望自己的狗狗有个健康的身体,能够快乐地生活。那么狗狗的健康身体从哪里来呢?和人一样,狗狗的健康从饮食中来。人以食为天,狗狗也是如此。
  • 鹰王(上)

    鹰王(上)

    作为一个乡村医生,余顺来医治好了不知多少人的病,却只能眼睁睁看着自己的亲人先后离他而去:父亲、母亲、老婆、儿子……直到他“成了半村唯一的孤家寡人”。“生”的意愿、“生”的目标、“生”的尊严因此也离他而去。“像是被一束光忽然照亮了”他的,惟剩下死的迫切。就在他上山寻找致命毒草的时候,一只受伤落入树丛中、此时此地只有他能够救助的老鹰改变了他的命运,自此,余顺来的心灵和肉体都发生了变化……
  • 执剑浮生

    执剑浮生

    我,废物?我一打一百你敢吗?废物又能怎么照样杀你,你连废物都杀不赢还能干嘛,从今往后世人都会记住我的名字,我叫韩奕
  • Uncles Josh's Punkin Centre Stories

    Uncles Josh's Punkin Centre Stories

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 陆少缠婚狠毒杀手妻

    陆少缠婚狠毒杀手妻

    楼云起自杀了,楼云落顶替了她的名字。本只想和姐夫离婚,带回姐姐的孩子,好好做她的族长。没想到,一场打斗,一个男人识破了她的身份,杀?还是不杀?“陆斳羽,你想死吗?”匕首抵在男人的喉咙处,男人勾了勾嘴角,不动声色的搂紧了女人的腰。“想你。”“滚。”“离婚,曦曦怀孕了。”一纸离婚协议摔在桌上,楼云落拿起翻了翻呵,一千万买她姐姐这五年的青春。“我只要季辰星。”“可以,签字。”上午离婚,下午就被人拖进民政局结了婚,眼前的两个红色的小本本,还没得来得及打开看看,就被某男撕了个稀碎。“卧槽,以后日子过不下去了还可以离,你他丫的把结婚证撕了是什么鬼?”某男笑的一脸危险,搂紧后知后觉想逃跑的女人。“老婆,我儿子都在你肚子里了,你还想退货!”1v1双处宠文,纯粹虐渣,不喜勿进