As a counterweight, he intrigued with the Whig leaders, notably Algernon Sidney, whose posthumous reputation was greatly damaged by the discovery that Barillon had paid him regular bribes. The Popish Plot, with the wave of anti-Catholic and anti-French hysteria it produced, was in itself unwelcome to Barillon, but he used it to his short-term advantage by helping to bring down the Earl of Danby, the main exponent of a Protestant, pro-Dutch, anti-Catholic foreign policy, by assisting in the publication of letters, which taken out of context, suggested secret intrigues between Danby and the French Court.
As a counterbalance, he engaged with Whig leaders, notably Algernon Sidney whose posthumous reputation was severely tarnished by the revelation that Barillon had paid him regular bribes. The Popish Plot, fueled by anti-Catholic and anti-French sentiment, proved unwelcome to Barillon but he leveraged it for short-term gain by aiding in the downfall of the Earl of Danby, a staunch Protestant, pro-Dutch, and anti-Catholic foreign policy advocate, through the publication of letters that, when taken out of context, suggested secret dealings between Danby and the French Court.