_Item._ Whether was it not resolved that if it were discovered Catesby and others should have killed the king coming from Royston? _Item._ Were not Edw. Neville, calling himself Earl of Westmorland, Mr. Dacre, calling himself Lord Dacre, or any of the Nobility, privy to it? How many of the Nobility have you known at Mass? What persons in the Tower were named to be partakers with you? [357] To Edmondes, November 14th, 1605. (Stowe MSS.) [358] _Viz., The True and Perfect Relation._ The confession of Bates is mentioned but not textually quoted. It is in the "King's Book" that the confessions of Winter and Faukes are given. [359] "The great object of the government now was to obtain evidence against the priests."--Gardiner, _History of England_, i. 267. [360] See Rokewood's examination, December 2nd, 1605. (_Gunpowder Plot Book_, 136.) In the confession of Keyes, November 30th, 1605 (_Gunpowder Plot Book_, 126) we read: "He sayth that the reason that he revealed not the project to his ghostly father was for that Catesby told him that he had good warrant and authoritie that it might safely and with good conscience be done," etc. [361] _Gunpowder Plot Book_, 145. [362] This is shown by a mark (§) in the margin opposite the important passage, attention being called to this by the same mark, and the name "Greenway" in the endorsement. [363] Brit. Mus., Harleian 360, f. 96. [364] Brit. Mus., Harleian 360, f. 109, etc. The reporter had clearly been present. [365] Brit. Mus., MSS. Add. 21, 203; Plut. ciii. F. Printed by Foley, _Records_, iv. 164 _seq._ [366] _Narrative_, p. 210. [367] Plut. ciii. F. § 39. [368] Brit. Mus. MSS. Add. 6178, § 625. [369] _Dom. James I._ xvi. 116. [370] In the _Calendar of State Papers_, Mrs. Everett Green, as has been said, quite gratuitously and without warrant from the original documents, uniformly describes him as "Father Owen," or "Owen the Jesuit." Mr. Gardiner (_Hist._ i. 242) has been led into the same error. It is not impossible that Owen had some knowledge of the conspiracy, though the course adopted by his enemies seems to afford strong presumption to the contrary. It must, moreover, be remembered that, as Father Gerard tells us, he and others similarly accused, vehemently protested against the imputation, while in his case in particular we have some evidence to the same effect. Thomas Phelippes, the "Decipherer," of whom we have already heard, was on terms of close intimacy with Owen, and in December, 1605, wrote to him about the Plot in terms which certainly appear to imply a strong conviction that his friend had nothing to do with it. "There hath been and yet is still great paynes taken to search to the bottom of the late damnable conspiracy. The Parliamente hit seemes shall not be troubled with any extraordinarie course for their exemplarye punishment, as was supposed upon the Kinges speeche, but onlye with their attaynder, the more is the pitye I saye."--_Dom. James I._ xvii. 62.