294 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

C. H A p. was at last disposed to take some notice of hislxvu. intelligence. But as he expected more encourage-36,s ' ment from the public, than from the king or hisministers, he thought proper, before he was pre-sented to the council, to go with his two com-panions to Sir Edtnondsbury Godfrey, a notedand active justice of peace, and to give evidencebefore him of all the articles of the conspiracy.Oates’sus*- The wonderful intelligence, which Oates con-MUve. veyed both to Godfrey and the council, and after-wards to the parliament, was to this purpose'.The pope , he said , on examining the matter inthe congregation de propaganda ., had found him-self entitled to the possession of England andIreland on account of the heresy of prince and° people , and had accordingly assumed the sove-

reignty of these kingdoms. This supreme powerhe had thought proper to delegate to the societyof Jesuits ; and de Oliva, general of that order,In consequence of the papal grant, had exertedevery act of regal authority, and particularlyhad supplied , by commissions under the seal ofthe society, all the chief offices, both civil andmilitary. Lord Arundel was created chancellor,lord Powis treasurer , Sir William Godolphinprivy seal, Coleman secretary of state, Langhorneattorney general, lord Bellasis general of thepapal army. lord Peters lieutenant general, lordStafford pay-master ; and inferior commissions,signed by the provincial of the Jesuits, were

i

Oates’s narrative.