The fact of the duke of York's Catholicism underlay all the politics of this period. It broke up the ‘Cabal’. Clifford withdrew from the government when his conversion became known and died soon after. Ashley, now earl of Shaftesbury, and Buckingham went into permanent opposition to the court. Arlington, frightened by an attempt to impeach him in 1674, retreated into a cosy apolitical household office. Only Lauderdale remained and he was usually in Scotland. The fact of a Catholic heir-apparent to the throne aroused all the fears and hatreds implicit in the anti-Catholic tradition. But it soon became clear that a direct attack on York or on his right to succeed was something too radical for most parliament-men to contemplate. Instead their fears found an outlet in plans for further legislation against Catholics, in order to minimise the number of supporters the duke would have if he succeeded to the throne, and in attempts to limit the powers of a Popish successor. The court responded with proclamations against priests and orders that the laws against Papists should be enforced. The Venetian resident noted in June 1674: