Series 3 > Mary Queen of Scots and the Babington plot

§ II. CONFESSIONS OF BABINGTON
67
No. 18
SECOND EXAMINATION OF ANTHONY
BABINGTON
[Ely House, 20 August 1586.]
Yelverton MS., xxxi. if. 223-6. Babington’s further examinations differ consider¬
ably from his first. In that he aimed at telling his story fully and finally.
In these his veracity and the completeness of his confessions are being tested.
Upon the whole he comes out well from the test; no substantial error is dis¬
covered, and no notable omission. Additional information is given of course,
especially on fundamental ideas of Catholic politics, etc., which had not been
touched before, and there is much that is valuable and interesting, especially
in Examination V. After this came the commital to the Tower on the 25th
of August. The delay over this was probably due to the time it took to move
on prisoners previously immured there (Oath. Rec. Soc., vol. ii. pp. 253-76).
But meanwhile the government had nearly finished their quest, and after
two more examinations the lawyers step in to prepare evidence for the trial.
Interrogations are extant for Examinations II., IV., V., but not for III.,
VI., VII., VIII., IX. Though on separate pages in the MS. they are here
combined ; questions in italics with answers, and numbers are added to both.
The first set of questions is based seriatim on Confession I., and references
are added to the passages concerned.
For Mr Babbington
(1) Who were those that muche abiused your zeale in
religion and drew yow into these courses, and how many?
[On § 1, p. 51.]
Ballard abused my zeale in religion by manye and often
perswasions, drawinge me and the rest into these courses.
He is able to witnes my dislike of the acction, soundrye
tymes tellinge him that I woulde get me over, and the
rest with me, and never meddle in matters of state againe.
He reprehended muche my delayes at soundrye tymes ;
and vppon my could proceedinge, suspected I would dis-
couer it, as he tolde to Henrye Dun sondrye tymes.
Savadge likewise disliked the same delayes.
(2) When and by whose meanes was the excommunication
to be revived, and to what effecte, and whether it be reviued
or no ? [On § 2.]
That the excommunicacion is revived I doe not vnder-