Catesby, however, received Father Greenway with delight. On first seeing him, he exclaimed that "Here at least was a gentleman who would live and die with them."[300] But Greenway seems to have paid them a very short visit; and he was evidently commissioned by Catesby to go to a neighbouring landlord and enlist him to the cause; for he rode away the same afternoon to Henlip, or Hindlip,[301] a house about four miles off, belonging to Thomas Abington, or Habingdon, a man famed for his hospitality to priests flying from persecution. On arriving at Hindlip, Father Greenway told Abington that he had[302] "brought them the worst newes that ever they hade, and sayd they were all undone"; that "ther were certayne gentlemen that meant to have blown upp the Parliament house, and that ther plot was discovered a day or two before, and now ther were gathered together some forty horse at Mr Wynter's house, meaning Catesbye, Percye, Digby, and others, and tould them," _i.e._, Abington and his household, "their throates would be cutt unlesse they presently wente to joyne with them." Abington replied, "Alas, I am sorye;" but he said that he[303] "would never ioyne with them in that matter, and chardged all his house to that purpose not to goe unto them." [300] Exam. of Bates, 13 Jan. 1606; G. P. Book, Gardiner's _Hist. Eng._, Declaration of Morgan, 10 Jan.; G. P. Book; Vol. i. p. 260. [301] A very curious house, said to have been built by John Habington, cofferer to Queen Elizabeth. _Nash's Worcestershire_, Vol. i. p. 585. This house has been pulled down, and a large modern mansion has been built in its place by the Allsopp family, the head of which, Lord Hindlip, takes his title from it. [302] G. P. Book, Vol ii. n. 197. Exam. of Oldcorne, Mar. 6, 1605, [6]. [303] Nevertheless, Abington was condemned to death, because Father Garnet was found in his house, a few weeks later. He was eventually reprieved; but his lands and goods were forfeited. See _Narrative of the G. P._, Gerard, p. 268. He was "confined to Worcestershire on account of the Gunpowder Treason Plot," and became "The first Collector of Antiquities for that County. Died Oct. 1647, aged 87." _Nash's Worcestershire_, Vol i. Illustrations to p. 588. His wife, sister to Lord Mounteagle, "is supposed to have wrote the letter which discovered the Gunpowder Treason Plot;" _ib._