Still more serious is Garnet's own account of his feelings when Greenway imparted the story to him, saying that he thought the plot unlawful, and 'a most horrible thing.' He charged Greenway 'to hinder it if he could, for he knew well enough what strict prohibition we had had.' Greenway replied 'that in truth he had disclaimed it, and protested that he did not approve it, and that he would do what lay in him to dissuade it.' Yet up to the discovery of the plot, Garnet, though he met Greenway at least once, took no means of inquiring how Greenway had fared in his enterprise. "How he performed it after," he explained, "I have not heard but by the report of Bates's confession."[291] On July 24, Garnet writes a letter to the General of his Society, in which, as we are told, nothing learnt only in confession ought to have been introduced. Accordingly, either in this or a later letter,[292] he merely speaks in general terms of the danger of any private treason or violence against the King, and asks for the orders of his Holiness as to what is to be done in the case, and a formal prohibition of the use of armed force. Surely some stronger language would be expected here. It is true that, according to his own account, Garnet remained 'in great perplexity,' and prayed that God 'would dispose of all for the best, and find the best means which were pleasing to Him to prevent so great a mischief.' He tells us, indeed, that he wrote constantly to Rome 'to get a prohibition under censures of all attempts,' but as the answer he got was that the Pope was of the opinion that 'his general prohibition would serve,' it does not seem likely that Garnet enlarged on the real danger more than he had done in the letter referred to above. He expected, he says, some further action; 'and that hope and Mr. Catesby's promise of doing nothing until Sir Edmund had been with the Pope made me think that either nothing would be done or not before the end of the Parliament; before what time we should surely hear, as undoubtedly we should if Baynham had gone to Rome as soon as I imagined.'[293] In a further declaration, Garnet disclosed that there was more in his conduct than misplaced hopefulness. Speaking of Catesby's first consultation with himself, he adds:-- "Neither ever did I enter further with him then, as I wrote, but rather cut off all occasions (after I knew his project) of any discoursing with him of it, thereby to save myself harmless both with the state here, and with my superiors at Rome, to whom I knew this thing would be infinitely displeasing, insomuch as at my second conference with Mr. Greenwell," _i.e._ Greenway, "I said 'Good Lord, if this matter go forward, the Pope will send me to the galleys, for he will assuredly think I was privy to it.'"[294]