GUNPOWDER PLOT BOOKS——Vol. II., No. 202.
“The voluntarie declaration of Edward Oldcorne alias Hall
Jesuite 12 Mar. 1605 [_i.e._, 1605-6].
A.
“Mr. Humfrey Litleton[A] telling me that after Mr. Catesbie saw
him self and others of his Companie burnt w^{th} powder, and the
rest of the compnie readie to fly from him, that then he began
to thinke he had offended god in this action, seeing soe bad
effects follow of the same.
[Footnote A: I do not know the exact point of time when Humphrey
Littleton thus spoke to Father Oldcorne, except that it was
certainly after the fatal 5th of November, 1605.]
B.
“I answeared him that an act is not to be condemd or justified
upon the good or bad euent that follow^{th} it but upon the ende
or object, and the meanes that is used for effecting the same
and brought him an example out of the booke of Judges wher the
11 tribs of Israel weare comannded by god to make warrs upon the
trib of Benjamin; and yett the tribe of Benjamin did both in the
first and secound battaile overthrow the other 11 tribs. The
like said I wee read of Lewis King of france who went to fight
against the Turks and to recouer the hoolye Land, but ther he
loost the most of his armie, and him self dyed ther of the
plague the like wee may say when the xtianes defended Rhoodes
against the turks wher the Turkes preuayled and the xtianes
weare overthrowne, and yet noe doubt the xtians cause was good
and the turks bad and thus I applied it to this fact of Mr.
Catesbie’s it is not to be approved or condemned by the euent,
but by the propper object or end, and meanes w^{ch} was to be
vsed in it; and bycause I know nothinge of thes I will neither
approve it or condeme it but leave it to god and ther owne
consciences and in this warie sort I spake to him bycause I
doubted he came to entrap me, and that he should take noe
advantage of my words whither he reported them to Catholiks or
Protestants.
“(Signed) Edward Oldcorne.
“Acknowledged before vs
“J. Popham.[A]
Edw. Coke.[B]
W. Waad.[C]
John Corbett.”
(The A and B at the left side of the Declaration are Coke’s own marks.)
[Footnote A: The Lord Chief Justice of England.]
[Footnote B: Afterwards the celebrated Lord Chief Justice of England, and
Editor of “_Littleton’s Tenures_.” This Humphrey Littleton, mentioned in
the Text, was a descendant of Sir John Littleton, Author of the immortal
legal work.]
[Footnote C: Lieutenant of the Tower of London.]