That night he was lodged in Whitehall, in company with Tonge and
Oates; and next morning appeared before the House of Lords, when
it was evident his memory had wonderfully improved since the
previous day. His story now assumed a more concise form. In the
beginning of October, he stated, he had been offered the sum of
four thousand pounds, to be paid by Lord Bellasis, provided he
murdered a man whose name was withheld from him, This he refused.
He was then asked to make the acquaintance and watch the
movements of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey. With this he complied.
Soon after dusk on the 12th of October, the magistrate had been
dragged into the court of Somerset House by the Jesuits, and
asked if he would send for the documents to which Oates had
sworn. On his refusal he had been smothered with a piece of
linen cloth; the story of suffocation by pillows, being at
variance with the medical evidence, was now abandoned. One of
the Jesuits, La Faire, had asked Bedlow to call at Somerset House
that night at nine o'clock; and on presenting himself, he was
conducted through a gloomy passage into a spacious and sombre
room, where a group of figures stood round a body lying on the
floor. Advancing to these, La Faire turned the light of a
lantern he carried on the face of the prostrate man, when Bedlow
recognised Sir Edmondbury Godfrey. He was then offered two
thousand guineas if he would remove the body, which was allowed
to remain there three days.
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