a　clergyman　remarkable　for　his　fine　abhorrence　of　papists；　ascended　the　pulpit；　where；　protected　by　two　men　of　great　height　and　strength；　he　delivered　a；　discourse；　pointing　to　the　conclusion　that　Sir　Edmondbury　Godfrey　had　been　sacrificed　to　the　catholic　conspiracy；　and　instigating　his　hearers　to　seek　revenge。　　Sir　Roger　North　tells　us　the　crowd　in　and　about　the　church　was　prodigious；　〃and　so　heated；　that　anything　called　papist；　were　it　cat　or　dog；　had　probably　gone　to　pieces　in　a　moment。　　The　catholics　all　kept　close　in　their　houses　and　lodgings；　thinking　it　a　good　composition　to　be　safe　there。〃
  The　whole　city　was　terror…stricken。　　〃Men's　spirits　were　so　sharpened；〃　says　Burnet；　〃that　it　was　looked　on　as　a　very　great　happiness　that　the　people　did　not　vent　their　fury　upon　the　papists　about　the　town。〃　　Tonge　and　Oates　went　abroad　protected　by　body　guards；　arresting　hundreds　of　catholics；　cannon　were　mounted　around　Whitehall　and　St。　James's；　patrols　paraded　the　streets　by　day　and　night；　the　trained　bands　were　ready　to　fall　in　at　a　moment's　notice；　preparations　were　made　for　barricading　the　principal　thoroughfares；　the　city　gates　were　kept　closed　so　that　admission　could　be　only　had　through　the　wickets；　and　the　Houses　of　Parliament　demanded　a　guard　should　keep　watch　on　the　vaults　over　which　they　sat；　lest　imitators　of　Guy　Fawkes　might　blow　them　to　pieces。　　Moreover；　it　was　not　alone　the　safety　of　the　multitude；　but　the　protection　of　the　individual　which　was　sought　to　be　secured。　　In　the　dark　confusion　which　general　terror　produced；　each　man　felt　he　might　be　singled　out　as　the　next　victim　of　this　diabolical　plot；　and　therefore　devised　means　to　guard　his　life　from　the　hands　of　murderous　papists。　　North；　in　his　〃Examen；〃　speaking　of　this　period；　tells　us：　　〃There　was　much　recommendation　of　silk　armour；　and　the　prudence　of　being　provided　with　it　against　the　time　the　Protestants　were　to　be　massacred。　And；　accordingly；　there　were　abundance　of　those　silken　back；　breast；　and　headpots　made　and　sold；　that　were　pretended　to　be　pistol　proof；　in　which　any　man　dressed　up　was　as　safe　as　in　a　house；　for　it　was　impossible　anyone　could　go　to　strike　him　for　laughing；　so　ridiculous　was　the　figure；　as　they　say；　of　hogs　in　armour。　　This　was　the　armour　of　defence；　but　our　sparks　were　not　altogether　so　tame　as　to　carry　their　provision　no　further；　for　truly　they　intended　to　be　assailants　upon　fair　occasion；　and　had　for　that　end　recommended　also　to　them　a　certain　pocket　weapon；　which　for　its　design　and　efficacy　had　the　honour　to　be　called　a　protestant　flail。　　It　was　for　street　and　crowd　work；　and　the　engine　lurking　perdue　in　a　coat　pocket；　might　readily　sally　out　to　execution；　and　so；　by　clearing　a　great　hall；　or　piazza　or　so；　carry　an　election　by　a　choice　of　polling　called　knocking　down。　The　handle　resembled　a　farrier's　blood　stick；　and　the　fall　was　joined　to　the　end　by　a　strong　nervous　ligature；　that　in　its　swing　fell　just　short　of　the　hand；　and　was　made　of　LIGNUM　VITAE；　or　rather；　as　the　poet　termed　it；　MORTIS。〃
  One　day；　whilst　the　town　was　in　this　state　of　consternation；　Tonge　sent　for　Dr。　Burnet；　who　hastened　to　visit　him　in　the　apartments　allotted　him　and　Oates　at　Whitehall。　　The　historian　says　he　found　Tonge　〃so　lifted　up　that　he　seemed　to　have　lost　the　little　sense　he　had。　　Oates　came　in；〃　he　continues；　〃and　made　me　a　compliment　that　I　was　one　that　was　marked　out　to　be　killed。　　He　had　before　said　the　same　to　Stillingfleet　of　him。　　But　he　had　made　that　honour　which　he　did　us　too　cheap；　when　he　said　Tonge　was　to　be　served　in　the　same　manner；　because　he　had　translated　'The　Jesuits'　Morals'　into　English。　　He　broke　out　into　great　fury　against　the　Jesuits；　and　said　he　would　have　their　blood。　　But　I；　to　divert　him　from　that　strain；　asked　him　what　were　the　arguments　that　prevailed　on　him　to　change　his　religion　and　to　go　over　to　the　Church　of　Rome？　　He　upon　that　stood　up；　and　laid　his　hands　on　his　breast；　and　said；　'God　and　His　holy　angels　knew　that　he　had　never　changed；　but　that　he　had　gone　among　them　on　purpose　to　betray　them。'　　This　gave　me　such　a　character　of　him；　that　I　could　have　no　regard　to　anything　he　said　or　swore　after　that。〃
  The　agitation　now　besetting　the　public　mind　had　been　adroitly　fanned　into　flame　by　the　evil　genius　of　Lord　Shaftesbury。　Eachard　states　that　if　he　was　not　the　original　contriver　of　this　disturbance；　〃he　was　at　least　the　grand　refiner　and　improver　of　all　the　materials。　　And　so　much　he　seemed　to　acknowledge　to　a　nobleman　of　his　acquaintance；　when　he　said；　'I　will　not　say　who　started　the　game；　but　I　am　sure　I　had　the　full　hunting　of　it。'〃　In　the　general　consternation　which　spread　over　the　land　he　beheld　a　means　that　might　help　the　fulfilment　of　his　strong　desires。　Chief　among　these　were　the　exclusion　of　the　Duke　of　York　from　the　throne；　and　the　realization　of　his　own　inordinate　ambition。　　A　deist　in　belief；　he　abhorred　catholicism；　a　worshipper　of　self；　he　longed　for　power。　　He　had　boasted　Cromwell　had　wanted　to　crown　him　king；　and　he　narrated　to　Burnet　that　a　Dutch　astrologer　had　predicted　he　would　yet　fill　a　lofty　position。　　He　had　long　schemed　and　dreamed；　and　now　it　seemed　the　result　of　the　one　and　fulfilment　of　the　other　were　at　hand。　　The　pretended　discovery　of　this　plot　threatened　to　upheave　the　established　form　of　government；　for　the　king　was　one　at　heart　with　those　about　to　be　brought　to　trial　and　death。　　A　quarter　of　a　century　had　not　passed　since　a　bold　and　determined　man　had　risen　up　and　governed　Great　Britain。　　Why　should　not　history　repeat　itself　in　this　respect？　　the　prospect　was　alluring。　　Possessing　strong　influence；　great　vanity；　and　an　unscrupulous　character；　Shaftesbury　resolved　to　stir　the　nation　to　its　centre；　at　the　expense　of　peace；　honour；　and　bloodshed。
  On　the　21st　of　October；　Parliament　assembled；　when　Lord　Danby；　much　against　his　majesty's　inclination；　brought　the　subject　of　the　plot　before　the　Commons。　　This　was　a　movement　much　appreciated　by　the　House；　which；　fired　by　the　general　indignation；　resolved　to　deal　out　vengeance　with　a　strong　hand。　As　befitted　such　intention；　they　began　by　requesting　his　majesty　would　order　a　day　of　general　fasting　and　prayer；　to　implore　the　mercy　of　Almighty　God。　　The　king　complying　with　this　desire；　they　next；　〃in　consideration　of　the　bloody　and　traitorous　designs；〃　besought　him　to　issue　a　proclamation　〃commanding　all　persons　being　popish　recusants；　or　so　reputed；〃　to　depart　ten　miles　from　the　city。　　Accordingly；　upwards　of　thirty　thousand　citizens　left　London　before　the　7th　of　the　following　month；　〃with　great　lamentations　leaving　their　trades　and　habitations。〃　　Many　of　them　in　a　little　while　secretly　returned　again。　　A　few　days　before　this　latest　petition　was　presented　to　the　monarch；　Oates　had　been　examined　before　the　House　for　over　six　hours；　and　so　delighted　was　he　by　the　unprejudiced　manner　in　which　his　statements　were　received；　that　he　added　several　items　to　them。　　These　were　not　only　interesting　in　themselves；　but　implicated　peers　and　persons　of　quality　to　the　number　of　twenty…six。　　The　former；　including　Lords　Stafford；　Powis；　Petre；　Bellasis；　and　Arundel　of　Wardour；　were　committed　to　the　Tower；　the　latter　to　Newgate　prison。
  At　the　end　of　his　examination　he　was　several　times　asked　if　he　knew　more　of　the　plot；　or　of　those　concerned　with　it；　to　which　he　emphatically　replied　he　did　not。　　Three　days　later　he　remembered　a　further　incident　which　involved　many　persons　not　previously　mentioned　by　him。
  Both　Houses　now　sat　in　the　forenoon　and　afternoon　of　each　day；　excitement　was　not　allowed　to　flag。　　Oates　seldom　appeared　before　the　Commons　without　having　fresh　revelations　to　make；　but　the　fertility　of　his　imagination　by　no　means　weakened　the　strength　of　his　evidence　in　the　opinions　of　his　hearers。　　〃Oates　was　encouraged；〃　writes　John　Evelyn；　〃and　everything　he　affirmed　taken　for　gospel。〃　　Indignation　against　the　papists　daily　increasing　in　height；　the　decrees　issued　regarding　them　became　more　rigorous　in　severity。
  On　the　2nd　of　November　the　king；　in　obedience　to　his　Parliament；　offered　a　reward　of　twenty　pounds　for　the　discovery　of　any　officer　or　soldier　who；　since　the　passing　of　the　Test　Act；　〃hath　been　perverted　to　the　Romish　religion；　or　hears　mass。〃　　Two　days　later　a　bill　was　framed　〃for　more　effectually　preserving　the　king's　person　and　government；　by　disabling　papists　from　sitting　in　either　House　of　Parliament。〃　　As　it　was　feared　a　clause　would　be　inserted　in　this；　excluding　the　Duke　of　York；　the　enemies　of　his　royal　highness　more　plainly　avowed　their　object　by　moving　that　an　address　be　presented　to　the　king；　praying　his　brother　should　〃withdraw　himself　from　his　majesty's　person　and　counsels。〃　This　was　the　first　step　towards　the　Bill　of　Exclusion　from　Succession　which　they　hoped　subsequently　to　obtain。　　The　monarch；　however；　determined　to　check　such　designs　whilst　there　was　yet　time；　and　accordingly　made　a　speech　to　the　peers；　in　which　he　said　to　them；　〃Whatever　reasonable　bills　you　shall　present　to　be　passed　into　laws；　to　make　you　safe　in　the　reign　of　my　successor；　so　they　tend　not　to　impeach　the　right　of　succession；　nor　the　descent　of　the　crown　in　the　true　line；　shall　find　from　me　a　ready　concurrence。〃
  The　intended　address　was　therefore　abandoned　for