Series 3 > Mary Queen of Scots and the Babington plot

xlviii MARY STUART AND THE BABINGTON PLOT
It does not indeed follow that, if Gilbert and George
worked together in 1585, they also worked together at an
earlier date. Still we cannot but suspect that so it was.
The conjecture is evidently suggested that Gilbert was
acting the part of provocateur all through, in collusion
with his cousin George.
It will also be noted hereafter, as an indication of
Gilbert’s habit of mind, that no sooner had he got to
work in England, than he bethought himself of his Rheims
achievement, and wanted to bring Dr. William over, in
order to inveigle him into acting once more the part
which he had played with Savage.
Savage having left the college at Rheims in August 1585,
Gilbert remained on there quietly while his cousin, Dr.
William, was summoned by Morgan to Paris in September.
Berden has told us that Morgan’s object was to send him
to England, probably in order that he might act as a sort
of figure-head for the so-called ‘ Welsh ’ faction. For as
the persecution had killed off all the leading laymen among
the catholics, they had come to look for leadership to
clerics like Allen and Persons, and these were all on the
so-called ‘ English ’ side. Morgan was therefore endeav¬
ouring to get a clergyman of repute to represent him, and
we see from his letters and from those of Charles Paget,
that they endeavoured to push Christopher Bagshaw,
Alban Dolman, Meredith Hanmer and others, into the fore¬
ground, and next spring they renewed the attempt with
Dr. Gifford. Yet such was the rashness of Morgan and
his friends, that all their clerical allies were either betrayed
by their letters, or fared the worse for their patronage.
Dr. Gifford, however, refused Morgan’s offer, and re¬
turned to Rheims accompanied by Edward Grately, - a
clever young priest and a fellow-student with the Giffords,
but who, alas ! was, like them, entirely bewitched by
Morgan’s wretched feuds. Grately begged Gilbert, though