on a visit at Lord Harrington's, but being frustrated in this scheme, he was taken, brought to trial and executed, with Sir Everard Digby, Robert Winter, and Thomas Bates.

FRANCIS

Their animosity against popery, even before this provocation, had risen to a great pitch; and it had perhaps been more prudent in James, by a little dissimulation, to have conformed himself to it. His theological learning, confirmed by disputation, had happily fixed his judgment in the protestant faith; yet was his heart a little biassed by the allurements of Rome, and he had been well pleased, if the making of some advances could have effected an union with that ancient mother-church.

He strove to abate the acrimony of his own subjects against the religion of their fathers; and, he became himself the object of their diffidence and aversion. Whatever measures he embraced, in Scotland to introduce prelacy, in England to enforce the authority of the established church, and support

its

FRANCIS TRESHAM, ESQ.

THIS Gentleman was one of the most

considerable, in point of fortune, of the conspirators; and was early informed of the plot by Catesby and Piercy, as Sir Everard Digby and himself were the first monied men they called in to aid their purpose. Tresham, it appears, offered five hundred pounds more than Sir Everard, who proffered fifteen hun

dred,

its rites and ceremonies, were interpreted as so many steps towards popery, and were represented by the puritans as symptoms of idolatry and superstition.

Ignorant of the consequences, or unwilling to sacrifice to politics his inclination, which he called his conscience, he persevered in the same measures, and gave trust and preferment almost indifferently to his catholic and protestant subjects; and finding his person, as well as his title, less obnoxious to the church of Rome than those of Elizabeth, he gradually abated the rigour of those laws which had been enacted against that church, and which were so acceptable to his bigoted subjects: but the effects of these dispositions, on both sides, became not very sensible, till towards the conclusion of his reign.

At

dred, and Tresham, two thousand pounds, to pur chase combustibles, hire the house, and pay for any assistance necessary.

After the apprehension of Fawkes, Tresham had the temerity to remain about the court, and the better to disguise his connection in the plot, proffered his service for the suppression and apprehension of the other conspirators: but being suspected, he was examined, and sent to the Tower, where he confessed the whole, and within a few days after, died of the stranguary.

ROBERT

At this time James seems to have possessed the affections even of his English subjects, and, in a tolerable degree, their esteem and regard.

Hitherto their complaints were chiefly levelled against his too great constancy in his early friendships; a quality which, had it been attended with more economy, the wise would have excused, and the candid would even perhaps have applauded.

His parts, which were not despicable, and his learning, which was great, being highly extolled by his courtiers and gownmen, and not yet tried in the management of any delicate affairs for which he was unfit, raised a high idea of him in the world; nor was it always through flattery or insincerity that he received the title of the second Solomon. A

report,