BABINGTON, ANTHONY. – Englishman, born into a noble and wealthy family at Detwick (Derbyshire) in October 1561, he died in London on 20 September 1586. A Catholic and a pious man, but susceptible to religious enthusiasms, he allowed himself to be enthralled by an unfortunate priest, John Bellard, who held extremist ideas. Taking advantage of his favorable feelings toward Mary Stuart, Bellard succeeded in placing him at the head of a conspiracy aimed at freeing the imprisoned queen and suppressing the Protestant Elizabeth, designated as a usurper; at the same time, he sought to quiet the scruples of conscience that made him hesitate before committing a crime.
Another priest, Gilbert Gifford, a secret spy of Lord Walshingam, succeeded in infiltrating the conspirators, all of them Catholics; he in turn brought in two other spies. Thus the Secretary of State was informed of every move; indeed, he was able to manipulate the threads in such a way as to ruin both the reckless conspirators and Mary Stuart. Through the three spies, in fact, he initiated and facilitated compromising correspondence between B. and the prisoner; and when, from the letters passing through his hands, he was able to ascertain the plot clearly, he gave the order to arrest the conspirators. They attempted to flee, but in vain; the seven principal conspirators, including B., were captured, tried as traitors, hanged, and quartered.
That deplorable conspiracy, plotted by Catholics and promoted by a priest, seriously harmed religion, because, exploited as their opponents saw fit, it gave rise to accusations against the Jesuit General and the Pope himself, who were accused of having recommended the killing of Elizabeth; but above all, it gave Lord Walshingam the opportunity to proceed finally, amid the excitement aroused among the people, to that act of violence which was the trial and condemnation of Mary Stuart.