Now, in this calm and dignified demeanour of Oldcorne, at Hindlip, which
evidently so annoyed, nay, exasperated——because it arrested and
thwarted——his younger brother Jesuit (both of whom, almost certainly, had
known each other in York from boyhood), the discerning reader, I submit,
ought in reason to draw _this_ conclusion, namely, that Edward Oldcorne
was tranquil and imperturbable because, in regard to the whole of the
unhappy business, that so possessed and engrossed the being of Oswald
Tesimond, Edward Oldcorne’s was a _mens conscia recti_——a mind conscious
of rectitude——aye, a mind conscious of superabounding merit and virtue.
So important evidentially do I think the diverse demeanour[149] of
Tesimond and Oldcorne on this occasion, that I will transcribe from
Jardine’s “_Criminal Trials_”[150] Oldcorne’s testimony of what took place
at Hindlip Hall at this interview:——[151]
“Oldcorne confesseth that upon Wednesday, being the 6th of November, about
two of the clock in the afternoon, there came Tesimond (Greenway) from
Huddington, from Mr. Robert Winter’s to Hindlip, and told Mr. Abington and
him ‘that he brought them the worst news that ever they heard,’ and said
‘that they were all undone.’ And they demanding the cause, he said that
there were certain gentlemen that meant to have blown up the Parliament
House, and that their plot was discovered a day or two before; and now
they were gathered together some forty horse at Mr. Winter’s house, naming
Catesby, Percy, Digby, and others; and told them, ‘their throats would be
cut unless they presently went to join with them.’ And Mr. Abington said,
‘Alas! I am sorry.’ And this examinate and he answered him that they would
never join with him in that matter, and charged all his house to that
purpose not to go with them. He confesseth that upon the former speeches
made by this examinate and Mr. Abington to Tesimond, alias Greenway, the
Jesuit, _Tesimond said in some heat ‘thus we may see a difference between
a flemmatike [phlegmatic] and a choleric person!’, and said he would go to
others, and specially into Lancashire, for the same purpose as he came to
Hindlip to Mr. Abington_.” [152][153] (The italics are mine.)