By
these means he got the names and habitations of men of quality,
their relations, correspondents, and interests; and upon this
bottom, with a daring boldness, and a, dexterous turn of fancy
and address, he put himself into the world. He was skilful in
all the arts and methods of cheating; but his masterpiece was his
personating men of quality, getting credit for watches, coats,
and horses; borrowing money, bilking vintners and tradesmen,
lying and romancing to the degree of imposing upon any man of
good nature. He lived like a wild Arab upon prey, and whether he
was in Flanders, France, Spain, or England, he never failed in
leaving the name of a notorious cheat and impostor behind him."
On the 7th of November, Bedlow was brought before the king, and
examined by two Secretaries of State. Here he made the
extraordinary declaration that he had seen the body of the
murdered magistrate lying at Somerset House--then the residence
of the queen; that two Jesuits, named La Faire and Walsh, told
him they, with the assistance of an attendant in the queen's
chapel, had smothered Sir Edmondbury Godfrey between two pillows;
that he had been offered two thousand guineas if he would safely
remove the body, which on his refusal was carried away, a couple
of nights after the murder, by three persons unknown to him, who
were servants of the queen's household. Hearing this statement,
Sir William Coventry asked him if he knew anything of the popish
plot, when he affirmed on oath he was entirely ignorant regarding
it; he likewise swore he knew no such man as Titus Oates.
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