he caught several of the most important Jesuits. On September 29,
the King heard his tale, and called him a 'lying knave.' None the
less he was sent on another drive, and, says Mr. Pollock, 'before
dawn most the Jesuits of eminence in London lay in gaol.' But Le
Fevre, 'the Queen's confessor,' and the other 'Jesuits' whom Mr.
Pollock suspects of Godfrey's murder, were not taken. Is it likely
(it is, of course, possible) that they stayed on in town, and killed
Godfrey twelve days later?

Meanwhile Coleman, thanks to Godfrey's warning, had most of
September 28, the night of that day, and September 29, wherein to
burn his papers and abscond. He did neither; if he destroyed some
papers, he left others in his rooms, letters which were quite good
enough to hang him for high treason, as the law stood. Apparently
Coleman did not understand his danger. On Sunday night, September
29, a warrant for his apprehension was issued, and for the seizure
of his papers. 'He came voluntarily in on Monday morning,' having
heard of the warrant. This is not the conduct of a man who knows
himself guilty. He met the charges with disdain, and made so good a
case that, instead of being sent to Newgate, he was merely entrusted
to a messenger, who was told 'to be very civil to Mr. Coleman.'

Charles II. went to the Newmarket Autumn Meeting, Coleman's papers
were examined, and 'sounded so strange to the Lords' that they sent
him to Newgate (October 1). The papers proved that Coleman, years
before, had corresponded (as Oates had sworn) with the confessor of
Louis XIV. and had incurred the technical guilt of treason. Either
Coleman did not understand the law and the measure of his offence
(as seems probable), or he thought his papers safely hidden. But
the heather was on fire. The belief in Oates's impossible Plot