Series 3 > Mary Queen of Scots and the Babington plot

xxvi MARY STUART AND THE BABINGTON PLOT
of putting Mary to death, an idea in itself repugnant to the
profound reverence which the English people as a whole
cherished for royalty, as well to the reverence felt towards
the legitimate heiress to the throne, with whom many
sympathised much more deeply than they dared to show
openly.
One of the first victims of the new blood-lust, to which
the agitation had given rise, was Dr. Parry himself. He
was fond of playing the philosopher, and in truth he was
not without some humane and better feelings. He was
not a mere brutal, man-hunting sleuth-hound, such as were
so many others, whom we shall meet later on. Even in
his correspondence with Burghley and Walsingham he
endeavours to draw distinctions between catholic and
catholic. He would play the traitor to papal agents, to
the Jesuits and to most of the clergy, but he deprecated
indiscriminate persecution, which as he knew to his cost
made the name of England hateful throughout the Con¬
tinent. In his interviews with Elizabeth he had touched
on this same point, and she had in brave words assured him
that ‘ never a catholic should be troubled for religion or
supremacy, so long as they lived like good subjects.’
Alas, that her laws and her practice so flatly belied her
professions!
Her words, however, confirmed Parry in his endeavour
to pose as a superior person. He thought he could take
sides against the catholic leaders, while opposing the
persecution of catholics merely as such. But such an
affectation was not likely to be tolerated by the frenzied
parliament of 1584-1585.
On 17 December 1584, the bloody code of laws against
the catholics passed the Commons ‘ with little or no argu¬
ment,’ whereupon Parry declared that the measure
‘ savoured of treasons, and was full of confiscations, blood,
danger, despair, and terror to the subjects of this realm ;