w accomplished.

CONTENTS

PAGE

PREFACE v

SECTION

I. HISTORICAL ANALYSIS 1

II. THE OFFICIAL STORY OF THE LETTER 5

III. IDENTIFICATION OF THE HANDWRITING 9

IV. THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S OPINION OF VAVASOUR'S GUILT 19

V. FRANCIS TRESHAM'S CONFIDENCE WHEN IN THE TOWER 24

VI. THE VAVASOURS AS DEPENDANTS OF THE TRESHAM FAMILY 25

LIST OF FACSIMILES

1. The anonymous letter as delivered to Lord Monteagle, October 26,
1605, warning him not to attend the opening of Parliament
appointed for the Fifth of November (From the original letter in
the Museum of the Public Record Office) _Frontispiece_

2. A page of the MS. entitled "A Treatise against Lying," etc.,
formerly belonging to Francis Tresham, of which the handwriting
was attributed by his brother, William Tresham, to William
Vavasour. Now in the Bodleian Library. (Laud MSS. 655,
folio 44) [1]

3. William Vavasour's handwriting in the letter to the Earl of
Salisbury, dictated and signed by Francis Tresham when dying in
the Tower, December 22, 1605 ("State Papers, Domestic," James I.,
ccxvi. 211) [1]

Stated by Vavasour to have been written by Mrs. Tresham.
On March 24, 1605-6, he confessed that he wrote it and signed
a note to it to that effect.

4. William Vavasour's handwriting in his _untrue_ statement, written in
the presence of the Lieutenant of the Tower, that No. 3 was
written by Mrs. Tresham. Dated March 23, 1605-6 ("State
Papers, Domestic," James I., ccxvi. 207) [1]

[***]To avoid detection of his falsehood, he writes a hand
quite different from his ordinary writing in Nos. 2 and 3, thus
producing a hand which is in itself identical with his former
disguised writing as seen in the anonymous letter (No. 1).

5. George Vavasour's handwriting on the last leaf, which he renewed
for Francis Tresham, of the MS. entitled "A Treatise against
Lying," etc. (Laud MSS. 655, folio 6