’Of the great peers, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons, part are with us, part against us.  But the latter sort are new creations, whom the Queen has promoted either for heresy or as her personal lovers, and therefore universally abhorred.

’The premier peer of the old stock is the Earl of Arundel, son and heir of the late Duke of Norfolk, whom she has imprisoned because he tried to escape out of the realm.  This earl is entirely Catholic, as well as his brothers and kinsmen; and they have powerful vassals who are eager to revenge the injury of their lord.  The Earl of Northumberland and his brothers are Catholics.  They too have family wrongs to repay, their father having been this year murdered in the Tower, and they have placed themselves at my disposal.  The Earl of Worcester and his heir hate heresy, and are devoted to us with all their dependents.  The Earls of Cumberland and Southampton and Viscount Montague are faithful, and have a large following.  Besides these we have many of the barons—­Dacre, Morley, Vaux, Windsor, Wharton, Lovelace, Stourton, and others besides.  The Earl of Westmoreland, with Lord Paget and Sir Francis Englefield, who reside abroad, have been incredibly earnest in promoting our enterprise.  With such support, it is impossible that we can fail.  These lords and gentlemen, when they see efficient help coming to them, will certainly rise, and for the following reasons:—­

’1.  Because some of the principals among them have given me their promise.

’2.  Because, on hearing that Pope Pius intended to excommunicate and depose the Queen sixteen years ago, many Catholics did rise.  They only failed because no support was sent them, and the Pope’s sentence had not at that time been actually published.  Now, when the Pope has spoken and help is certain, there is not a doubt how they will act.

’3.  Because the Catholics are now much more numerous, and have received daily instruction in their religion from our priests.  There is now no orthodox Catholic in the whole realm who supposes that he is any longer bound in conscience to obey the Queen.  Books for the occasion have been written and published by us, in which we prove that it is not only lawful for Catholics, but their positive duty, to fight against the Queen and heresy when the Pope bids them; and these books are so greedily read among them that when the time comes they are certain to take arms.

’4.  The Catholics in these late years have shown their real feeling in the martyrdoms of priests and laymen, and in attempts made by several of them against the person and State of the Queen.  Various Catholics have tried to kill her at the risk of their own lives, and are still trying.

’5.  We have three hundred priests dispersed among the houses of the nobles and honest gentry.  Every day we add to their number; and these priests will direct the consciences and actions of the Catholics at the great crisis.