K 3 b 1. “A Seminarie Priest.”] Of this Thompson, alias Southworth, I find no account in Dodd’s Catholic Church History.  A John Southworth is noticed, vol. iii. p. 303, who is described as of an ancient family in Lancashire, and who was executed at Tyburn, June 28th, 1655.  His dying speech is to be found in the same volume, p. 360.  The interval of time, as well as the difference of surname, excludes the presumption of his being identical with the person referred to in the text, the hero of this extraordinary conspiracy, and who was probably of the family of Sir John Southworth, after mentioned.

K 3 b 2. “A Iesuite, whereof this Countie of Lancaster hath good store.”] Lancashire was, about this period, the great hot-bed of Popish recusants.  From the very curious list of recusants given (Baines’s Lancashire, vol. i. p. 541,) it would seem that Samlesbury was one of their strongholds:—­

James Cowper a seminarie prieste receipted releived and mainteined att the lodge of Sir John Southworthe in Samlesburie Parke by Mr. Tho:  Southworthe, one of the younger sonnes of the said Sir John.  And att the howse of John Warde dwellinge in Samlesburie Park syde.  And the said Prieste sayeth Masse att the said lodge and att the said Wards howse.  Whether resorte, Mr. Sowthworthe, Mres.  An Sowthworthe, John Walmesley servante to Sir John Southworthe, Tho.  Southworthe dwellinge in the Parke, John Gerrerde, servante to Sir John Southworthe, John Singleton, John Wrighte, James Sherples iunior, John Warde of Samlesburie, John Warde of Medler thelder, Henrie Potter of Medler, John Gouldon of Winwicke, Thomas Gouldon of the same, Roberte Anderton of Samlesburie and John Sherples of Stanleyhurst in Samlesburie.—­Baines’s Lancashire, vol. i. p. 543.

Att the lodge in Samlesburie Parke there be masses daylie and Seminaries dyuerse Resorte thither as James Cowpe, Harrisson Bell and such like, The like vnlawfull meetings are made daylie att the howse of John Warde by the Parke syde of Samlesburie all wiche matters, masses, resorte to Masses, receipting of Seminaries wilbe Justifyed by Mr. Adam Sowtheworthe Thomas Sherples and John Osbaldston.—­Ibid., p. 544.

K 4 b. “Picked her off.”] Threw her off.

L a. “Hugh Walshmans.”] The wife of Hugh Walshman, of Samlesbury, is mentioned in the list of recusants; Baines, vol. i. p. 544.

L 2 a 1. “Brought a little child.”] The evidence against the Pendle witches exhibits meagreness and poverty of imagination compared with the accumulated horrors with which the Jesuit, fresh, it may be, from Bodin and Delrio, made his “fire burn and cauldron bubble.”  With respect to this old story of the magical use made of the corpses of infants, Ben Jonson, in a note on

    “I had a dagger:  what did I with that? 
    Killed an infant to have his fat;”