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THE GUNPOWDER PLOT.

THE papists and puritans expected, on the accession of James I. to the crown of England, to experience some happy change in their condition. The Catholics particularly hoped for a full toleration, with liberty of publicly exercising their religion, upon which they built their hopes of restoring, by degrees, their religion in England. But the king's first speech to the Parliament discovered two things. The first, that this toleration, which, till then, had been hardly doubted, was not yet ready to come. The second, that though they should obtain it of the King, it would not be for such as acknowledged the Pope's authority in its utmost extent. These were the men, however, that were most active and eager to re-establish their religion in the kingdom. They despised a bare liberty of conscience for the moderate Catholics, to whom the King seemed to confine his favours.

Some of these zealots consulted together, and formed a horrible plot, which was afterwards approved by the rest. The chief of these wretches was a Robert Catesby, a gentleman of Northamptonshire. This man having gained Thomas Percy, the Earl of Northumberland's cousin, John Grant, Ambrose Rookwood, John and Christopher Wright, Francis Tresham, Guy Fawkes, Sir Edward Digby, Robert and Thomas Winter, Thomas Bates, and Robert Keyes, chose five of them to consult how to restore the Romish religion in England. Percy, one of the most zealous, proposed killing the King, and offered to perform it. To this Catesby replied, "though the King was dead, their cause would not be advanced, since he would leave sons, who, perhaps, would not be more favourable to the Catholics. Nay, supposing the King and his children were removed, there would remain so many of the nobles and gentry, that probably it would be very difficult to accomplish their design." He added, "he had thought of a way to destroy, in an instant, almost all the principal enemies

of the Catholic religion, and to throw the kingdom into such a consternation, that not a man would be able to take proper measures to oppose the execution of their designs." This way was to blow up the Parliament-house, whilst the King should be speaking his speech from the throne to the Lords and Commons. Then he showed them in what manner the project might be executed, and was applauded by all.

The thing being determined, they took an oath of secrecy, administered, as it is said, by Father Garnet. Then Percy, being one of the gentleman-pensioners, was appointed to hire a house adjoining to the upper house of Parliament. This passed in November or December, 1604, and the King was to make his speech to the Parliament on the 7th of February. Percy having hired the house, the conspirators began, with no small labour, to dig in the cellar through the wall of partition, which was very thick. But as the Parliament was prorogued to the 3d of October, they had as much time as was necessary to finish their work. In the beginning of February 1605, they had almost dug through the wall, when, on a sudden, they heard a noise on the other side. This threw them into a great fright, being apprehensive of a discovery; but their courage reviving, Guy Fawkes, who passed for Percy's footman, was sent to see what had occasioned their fear. Presently afterwards he returned, and said, the place from whence the noise came, was a large cellar under the upper house of Parliament, full of sea-coals, which were now under sale, and the cellar offered to be let. As nothing could be more favourable to their design, Percy immediately hired the cellar, and bought the remainder of the coals. Then he sent for thirty-six barrels of powder from Holland, and lodging them at Lambeth, caused them to be conveyed in the night into the cellar, and covered with coals and fagots.

The Parliament being farther prorogued to the 5th of November, the conspirators expected the day with the utmost impatience, not one being touched with remorse for the crime they were going to commit.

But one of the conspirators was inspired with a desire to save Lord Monteagle, son of the Lord Morley. This Lord going home, about seven in the evening, a letter was given him by his servant, who received it from an unknown person, with a charge to deliver it into his master's own hand. The letter was without name or date, and expressed in the following words: My Lord,

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"Out of the love I bear to some of your friends, I have a care of your preservation. Therefore I would advise you, as you tender your life, to devise some excuse to shift off your attendance at the Parliament; for God and man have concu.red to punish the wickedness of this time. And think not slightly of this advertisement, but retire yourself into your country, where you may expect the event in safety. For though there be no appearance of any stir, yet, I say, they shall receive a terrible blow up this Parliament, and yet they shall not see who hurt them. This council is not to be contemned, because it may do you good, and can do you no harm; for the danger is past so soon as you burn this letter. And I hope God will give you the grace to make use of it: to whose holy protection I commend you."

This letter was delivered to Lord Monteagle ten days before the meeting of Parliament. Though it was unintelligible to him; nay, though he imagined it only an artifice to frighten him, he carried it that very evening to the Earl of Salisbury, principal Secretary of State. The Earl showed it to some Privy Councillors, who understood the meaning of it no more than he. However, they resolved to do nothing till the King's return, who was then at Royston.

The King returning to London the last day of October, the Earl of Salisbury read the letter to him, and concluded that it was written by some fool or madman. To convince the King, he repeated this sentence-" The danger is past so soon as you burn this letter.” "For," said he, "if the danger be passed when the letter is burnt, what sig

nifies this warning?" But the King ordered the letter to be read again-explained the words otherwise-and said, " so soon as you burn the letter" was to be interpreted, in as short a space as you shall take to burn the letter. Then comparing this sentence with the foregoing," that they should receive a terrible blow up this Parliament, and yet should not see who hurt them," he concluded that some sudden blow was preparing by means of gunpowder. This interpretation being deemed very plausible, it was resolved that all the rooms and cellars adjoining to the Parliament-house should be searched, to see whether there was any powder concealed. This search was, however, deferred, till the day before the meeting of Parliament, in a belief that, the nearer the execution was, the more signs would be found. The Earl of Suffolk, Lord Chamberlain, went himself to search, without noise or hurry. When he came to the cellar were the powder was, and saw the coals and fagots with which it was covered, he asked the Keeper of the Wardrobe, who attended him, to what use he had put the cellar? who replied, that Mr. Percy had hired it, and very probably the coals and wood were the gentleman's fuel for the winter. At the same time, the Lord Chamberlain perceiving a man standing in a corner, asked who he was, and being told he was Mr. Percy's servant, did not seem to take any further notice. This affected negligence made the conspirators think there would be no further search, since nothing was found in the cellar to create any suspicion, and they prepared to execute their plot the next day.

The Earl of Suffolk having made his report to the Council, it was thought if there was any powder con、 cealed, it was in the large cellar, under the fagots and coals. But, as the Parliament was to meet on the morrow, it was resolved not to search under the wood till midnight, in hopes to find in or about the eellar some persons from whom some information might be had. Pursuant to this resolution, Sir

Thomas Knevet, Gentleman of the Privy-chamber, and Justice of the Peace for Westminster, going to the cellar about midnight, found at the door a man in a cloak and boots, whom he immediately apprehended. This was Guy Fawkes, who passed for Percy's servant. Then causing the wood and coals to be removed, they found underneath thirty-six barrels of powder. After this discovery, Fawkes being searched, there was found upon him a dark lantern, a tinderbox, and three matches. The villain, instead of being dismayed, boldly told them, that if he had been taken within the cellar, he would have blown up himself and them together. The King being acquainted with the discovery, ordered the prisoner to be examined concerning the circumstances of the plot. He confessed the design was to blow up the King and Parliament, and expressed great sorrow that it was not done. He obstinately refused all that day to name any of his accomplices; but on the morrow, being showed the rack, confessed all he knew.

The opening of the Parliament, which was to be the same day, being deferred, and the news of the conspiracy beginning to spread in London, Catesby, Percy, Winter, and the two Wrights, fled by several ways. These last were ready to execute their design the moment they should hear of the success of the mine at Westminster. As they did not question it would succeed to their wish, and believed they had nothing more to manage, they had the night before broken open a stable and carried away twelve horses. This action had alarmed Sir Richard Verney, sheriff of the county, who had drawn the people together to seize the robbers. Presently after came the conspirators, who had fled from London, and told their companions that the plot had miscarried. Whereupon they resolved to keep together, to endeavour to make the Catholics rise, and put themselves at their head. But all their efforts ended only in raising about a hundred horse.