322 DECLARATION OF HIE TREASONS 



and to acquaint few ; and, after the manner of mi 

 ners, to make ready their powder, and place it, and 

 then give fire but in the instant. Therefore, the 

 first consideration w as of such persons as my lord 

 thought fit to draw to be of his party ; singling out 

 both of nobility and martial men, and others, such 

 as were discontented or turbulent, and such as were 

 weak of judgment, and easy to be abused, or such 

 as were wholly dependents and followers, for means 

 or countenance, of himself, Southampton, or some 

 other of his greatest associates. 



And knowing there were no such strong and 

 drawing cords of popularity as religion, he had not 

 neglected, both at this time and long before, in a 

 profane policy to serve his turn, for his own great 

 ness, of both sorts and factions, both of Catholics 

 and puritans, as they term them, turning his outside 

 to the one, and his inside to the other ; and making 

 himself pleasing and gracious to the one sort by pro 

 fessing zeal, and frequenting sermons, and making 

 much of preachers, and secretly underhand giving 

 assurance to Blunt, Davis, and divers others, that, if 

 he might prevail in his desired greatness, he would 

 bring in a toleration of the catholic religion. 



Then having passed the whole Michaelmas term 

 in making himself plausible, and in drawing con 

 course about him, and in affecting and alluring men 

 by kind provocations and usage, wherein, because his 

 liberty was qualified, he neither forgot exercise of 

 mind nor body, neither sermon nor tennis-court, to 

 give the occasion and freedom of access and con- 



