Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-07-09
a Plot and its Ending.

In May, 1886, tue Virgin Queens
astute yet pecuniarily disintercsted
minister, Walsingham-of whom it
was aptly remarked, that he cover
reached the Jesuits in their own equiv
ocation and mental reservation"-
growing tired of the ceaseless though
futil plots with which Mary Stuart
vcXed the peace of England, deter
mined to cntrap her into one so dead
ly that it should justify that last Sc
verify to which, rs yet, he had failed
to obtain Elizabetli's consent. Instru-
ments in plenty were ready to his
hands-somc double-lealiug as him
self, plotters within a plot-others
misguided enthusiasts, sincere enough
however erring. There was q half
hidden fire of religious and political
discomfort smouldcring throughout
Elizabcth's long reign which any
chance breeze might fan into mis-
chievous activity. The young Cath
olic gentlemen who six years before
had welcomed the Jesuit Campian to
England, were still rcstlessly though
secretly active; and Walsingham's
first step was to seek go-betweem,
subtle enough to win their confidence
and base enough to betIay it to him
self. Gilbert Clifford, cadet of
good Staffordshirc family, but train
ed from his tenth year in n Jesuit
seminary at Rheims, fulfilled these re-
quiremcnts. lie was the ideal Jesuit
of romance--young, accomplished,
willy, treachcrous, pitiless ami false.
Romance, indeed, tinges all the char
acters and incidents grouped in this
section of Our history. We have rival
Queens-one i'll the zenith of her
power, vain, impcrious, swift to pun
ish and slow TO pardon, yet not
wholly without manly sense and
womanly ATTRACTIONS the other q fu-
gitive Circc, fatally beautiful, loyal
ty to whom invariably ended in love,
and love in death; we have u crafty
minister, i'll whose eyes, blinded by
state necessity, faith to his sovereign
and her country condoncd all other
faithlessness we shave cluster of
perjureu spies, who wrote in cipher
for Mary Stuart orc day wild trea-
sons which they interpreted for Eliz-
abeth Tudor the next; and imaliy we
have hot-hcadcd band of rebels,
Young, well born, well educated, who
flung aside the honorable career
which lay before theW, and impclled
by fanatic devotion to the Scottish
Queen, rushed hcadlorg to prc-dc-
tcrmined death.
at the time That this scheme dawn
ell on Walsingham's "busy brain''
Mary Stuart was At Tutbury, under
| the strict surveillance of Puritan
AmyaS Paulet; that Clifford might
more easily and naturally open COM
munications with her, Walsingham
determined Oh her removal, still uA-
der Paulet's care, to Charley Manor,
in StaGordshire, the house of the
young Lord Essex, which was near
the family mansion of the Giifords,
and as we'll known to the Jesuit spy,
| Gilbert Clifford. as his own home.
! At Charley Mauor Mary sojourncd
for time, unsuspicious aud almost
lappy~enjoying more frequent cx-
crcisc and reader intercourse with
had been placed there by Walsingham
solely to fall more completely into
the snare spread for her by Gilbert
Gigord.
That clever sintriguer found a half
developed plot which ripencd rapid
ly under his skillful manipulation.
lis originator was John Ballard, q
Jesuit priest, who had long cherished
designs against Eiizabeth's life. and
had obtained Gregory the Thir-
tnenth's papal sanction to her pro.
jectcd murder-a deed, if follow ed
by the penalty of death, .'wortllv,'
said that estimable ponti1, "of can.
snization." This Ballard, calling
himself Captain Fortescuc, and dress.
ed gallaEtlv in blue velvet and plum,
cd cap, travelled. all over England
winning the confidence of Catholi.
families, and daily cnlisting adherent:
) to the cause of truth and regicidc
Ultimately a band of young gentle
men, most of them belonging to the
court, pledged themselves to assassi
nate Queen E!iZabeih-''evcn under
, the cloth of state ITSELF" The bes
known of this misguided brother
, hood were Anthony Babington, /;
Derbysbirc gentleman, who, haviG.
been page TO the Earl Of Shrewsbur,
when Mary Stuart was under hi
charge, had formed romantic pas
sion for LGr-though never approach
ing near enough to exchange wor,
with the object of his idolatry-an,
Chidiock Tichbonrne, of Southamp
toa, belonging to n family said t,
\ trace en- unbroken line of HONORABLE
. ancestors back to the Conquest.
Fiction never invented stratagcm
stronger than those by which tn
young enthusiasts communicate,
;. with their imprisoned heroine. lie,
ters were concealed in hollow tire
in the grounds; portrait group wa
!. painted (some say by Darlington him
scl) to give Mary all idea of the per
,e sonal appearance of her unknown dt
;, tenders.
A brewer, who supplied the cal
: tive Queens table, was bribed BY he
to have u sealed box containing letter
hidden in one of the barrels of bee
( and bribed again by Walsinghar
Re (who, with grim irony. dubbed hil
Il 'the honest many 10 let the ministe
IS intercept the barrels, open the bo,
and.copy and replace the corrcspont
ence; while, finally, "like true En-,
lish scoundre!," says Froudc, .sti
brewer, used his mastery of doubI
secret TO extort double price fr
E his beer" Never, surely, before {
: since, can that honest British beye
lage have been put to baser uses!
When Walsinsham considered IL
:. .iplot ripe enough, his emissaries @
August 8, 1856, made sudden aad s
multaneous seizures of its chief COZ
triyers. Mary Stuart was hurri,
:, away Oh horseback from hunti,
US party-her last glimpse of tue wi
er exercise she SO passionately loved
he aud placed under stricter gifard th,
iy ever at Tixhali, the sent Of Sir Wa