youth, intelligence, ability, popularity, high position, favour at Court, abundance of wealth, and a son and heir. How far this brilliant promise of happiness was fulfilled will be seen by and bye.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Harleian MSS., 1364.
[2] Narrative of the Gunpowder Plot, Father Gerard, p. 87.
N.B.—“The Narrative of the Gunpowder Plot,”and “The Life of Father John Gerard,”are both published in one volume, entitled The Condition of Catholics under James I., edited by Father John Morris, S.J.: Longmans, Green & Co., 1871. It will be to this edition that I shall refer, when I quote from either of these two works.
[3] See Bibliographia Britannica, Vol. iii. p. 1697. The books were:—I. Theoria Analytica ad Monarchiam Scientiarum demonstrans. II. De Duplici Methodo, libri duo, Rami Methodum refutantes. III. De Arte Natandi; libri duo. IV. A Dissuasive from taking the Goods and Livings of the Church, &c.
[4] Narrative of the G. P., p. 88.
[5] P. 62.
[6] Vol. iii. p. 1697.
[7] Life of Father John Gerard, p. clii.
[8] History of England, Vol. vii. chap. i.
[9] S. P. James I., Gun. P. Book, Part II. No. 135, Exam, of Sir E. Digby—“He confesseth that he was a pencon to Quene Elizabeth about six yeres, and tooke the othe belonging to the place of a pencioner and no other.”
[10] Lord Henry Howard to Worcester.
[11] Letter of Lord Worcester, Lodge III. p. 148.
[12] MS. Letter. See Lingard, Vol. vi. chap. ix.
[13] MS. Letter. See Lingard, Vol. vi. chap. ix.
[14] History, Vol. vii. chap. i.
[15] Ib., Vol. vi. chap. ix.
[16] Lingard, Vol. vi. chap. iii.
[17] Narrative of the G. P., p. 88.
[18] Ib.
[19] Vol. iii. p. 180.
[20] Narrative of the G. P., p. 88.
[21] “Antiently Gaythurst,”says Pennant in his Journey. It is now called Gayhurst.
[22] See Pennant’s Journey from Chester to London, p. 437, seq. Also Lipscomb’s History and Antiquities of Bucks, Vol. iv. 158, seq.
[23] The house is still standing, and is the residence of Mr. Carlile. The further side was enlarged, either in the eighteenth or very early in the nineteenth century, in the style of Queen Anne; but this in no way spoils the effect of the remarkably fine old Elizabethan front.
[24] This has disappeared.
[25] Poem on Everard Digby, written by the present owner of Gothurst, and privately printed.
[26] See Pennant’s Journey, p. 438.
[27] Criminal Trials, Vol. ii. p. 30.
[28] S. P. Dom. James I., Gunpowder Plot Book, Part II. No 135, B.
[29] Osborne’s Traditional Memorials, p. 468. I quote from a footnote on page 147 of the Somers Tracts, Vol. ii.
[30] See Lingard, Vol. vii. chap. i.
CHAPTER II.
Young as he was, Sir Everard Digby’s acquaintance was large and varied, and Gothurst was a very hospitable house. Its host’s tastes enabled him thoroughly to enjoy the society of his ordinary country neighbours, whose thoughts chiefly lay in the direction of sports and agriculture; but he still more delighted in conversing with literary and contemplative men, and when his guests combined all these qualities, he was happiest. One such, who frequently stayed at Gothurst, is thus quaintly described by Father Gerard.[31] Roger Lee “was a gentleman of high family, and of so noble a character and such winning manners that he was a universal favourite, especially with the nobility, in whose company he constantly was, being greatly given to hunting, hawking, and all other noble sports. He was, indeed, excellent at everything, &c.”In short, he appears to have been exactly the kind of man to make a congenial companion for Sir Everard.[32]
So intimate was he at Gothurst, even during the life of Lady Digby’s father, who had died at the time of which I am about to write, that, on his visits there, he frequently took with him a friend, who, like himself, was an intelligent, highly-educated, and agreeable man, of good family, fond of hawking, hunting, and other sports, and an excellent card-player.
Both Lee and his companion were Catholics, and, as I explained in the last chapter, Sir Everard Digby, although brought up a Protestant, was “Catholickly inclined, and entertained no prejudice whatever against those of the ancient faith”; indeed, in one of his conversations with Lee he went so far as to ask him whether he thought his friend would be a good match for his own sister, observing that he would have no objection to her marrying a Catholic; “for he looked on Catholics
