Sir George Barkley and Charnock were the only persons who, on the contrary, maintained the necessity and the propriety of abandoning none of their intentions.  To this, indeed, after great efforts, they brought back the judgment of the rest; but it required all their skill and art to accomplish that object.  In regard to the general question of proceeding, they urged, at first, that they might as well go on, though cautiously, inasmuch as they were all committed to such a degree, that they could not be more so, let them do what they would.  They were already amenable to the law of high treason, which was sure not to be mitigated towards them, and therefore they had nothing farther to fear but discovery.  This having been conceded, and fear beginning to wear away, after a little consideration, it was easily shown to some of those present who proposed to abandon the idea of calling in foreign troops, in the hope of bringing back the Duke and the Earl of Aylesbury, with others, to their party, that their great hope of security lay in the actual presence of those foreign troops, who would, at all events, enable them to effect their escape, even if they did not insure them success in their design.  The assassination was the next thing touched upon:  but here Sir George Barkley argued, that what had occurred should only be considered as a motive for urging on their proceedings with the utmost rapidity.

“Let us leave it to be understood,” he said, “by the great multitude of King James’s loyal subjects, that the matter of aid from France is a thing yet to be considered of.  In regard to the death of the usurper, whatever it may be necessary to say to others, none of us here present can doubt that it is absolutely necessary to our success.  The whole of the information possessed by the man who has just left us is evidently gained from a letter which I wrote to Sir John Hubbard in the north, which has somehow unfortunately fallen into his hands.  In that letter, however, I stated that the usurper’s life would come to an end in April next, as we at first proposed.  If the man have any design of betraying us—­”

“No, no, he will not betray us,” said several voices; “he has pledged himself not to disclose our names; and when his word is once given, it is sure.”

“But,” said Sir John Fenwick, “he straight-forwardly said that he would frustrate our scheme, and in so doing, it is a thousand chances to one that he causes the whole to be discovered.”

“Then the way,” exclaimed Sir George Barkley, “the only way is to proceed in the business at once.  This letter to Hubbard is what he goes upon; he has no suspicion of our being ready to accomplish the thing at once.  Let us then take him by surprise; and while he is waiting to see what April will produce, let us, I say, within this very week, execute boldly that which we have boldly undertaken.  We can easily have sharp spies kept constantly watching this good friend of ours in the green doublet, who seems