Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/466

452 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 56. With, this perilous addition to his burden .Charles Baily sailed for Dover. There were spies everywhere and on every one. He had no sooner set foot on shore than a hint was given to an officer to search his bag- gage ; the letters and books were found, and he and they were sent under guard to Lord Cobham, the War- den of the Cinque Ports, who was in London for the session. Cobham' s house was in Blackfriars. While the pri- soner was being taken thither, intimation was sent to the Bishop of Ross that a person had been arrested with some mysterious papers enclosed under cover to him- self ; and the Bishop, not knowing his precise danger, but feeling only the possibility of a tremendous discovery, first thought of throwing himself upon La Mothe, tell- ing him as much As he dared, and asking him to claim the enclosures as his own. On reflection it seemed better to trust to Cobham himself, whose name was in Hidolfi's list, and to wait to see what Cobham would do. 1 It was the evening of the loth of April, when the Commons were in full discussion of their Communion Bill. Baily, when brought before the Warden, was again searched. The alphabet of the ciphers was found wadded in his coat at the hollow of his back ; the books were manifestly dangerous ; and according to his own story, which must be received with suspicion, Lord Cobham was preparing to discharge his natural duty and lay what he had discovered before the council. His 1 Confession of the Bishop of Ross, October, November, 1571 : MUKDIN.