Fawkes was apprehended at the entrance of the cellar-door, about midnight, by Sir Thomas Knevett, (a gentleman of his Majesty's privy-chamber, and a justice of peace in Westminster) who immediately carried him before the privy-council; before whom he affirmed, that had he been within the doors at the time of his apprehension, he would have blown himself up, with all those that were about him at the time.

He was afterwards examined at Whitehall; where no man, of whatever rank, was denied access or speech with him; and, notwithstanding the continued teazing, and impertinent questions that were put to him, it was observed, he neither changed countenance nor lost his temper the whole day; treating the better sort with contemptuous scorn, and jestingly mocking the

rest.

He was from the council conveyed to the Tower; where although he was shewed and threatened with the rack, he still seemed fixed in his first purpose of denying any accomplice whatever; and it is asserted, he was prevailed on to make what confession he did from the following circumstance being

told

told him, upon such authority as he could not doubt.

"There was a Mr. Pickering, of TichmarshGrove, in Northamptonshire, who was in great esteem with King James. This Mr. Pickering had a horse of special note for swiftness, on which he used to hunt with the King. A little before the blow was to be given, Mr. Keies, one of the conspirators, and brother-in-law to Mr. Pickering, borrowed this horse of him, and conveyed him to London upon a bloody design, which was thus contrived. Fawkes, upon the day of the fatal blow, was appointed to retire himself into St. George's Fields, where this horse was to attend him, to further his escape (as they made him believe) as soon as the parliament should be blown up. It was likewise contrived that Mr. Pickering, who was noted for a puritan, should that morning be murdered in his bed, and secretly conveyed away; and also that Fawkes, as soon as he came into St. George's Fields, should be there murdered, and so mangled, that he could not be known upon which it was to be spread abroad, that the puritans had blown up the parliament

house; and the better to make the world believe it,

there

1

there was Mr. Pickering, with his choice horse, ready to escape; but that stirred up some, who seeing the heinousness of the fact, and him ready to escape, in detestation of so horrible a deed, fell upon him, and hewed him to pieces; and to make it more clear, there was his horse, known to be of special speed and swiftness, ready to carry him away; and upon this rumour, a massacre should have gone through the whole land upon the puritans."

When the contrivance of this plot was thus discovered by some of the conspirators, and Fawkes, who was now a prisoner in the Tower, made acquainted with it, whereas before, he was made to believe by his companions, that he should be bountifully rewarded for that his good service to the catholic cause, now perceiving, that on the contrary, his death had been contrived by them, he thereupon freely confessed all that he knew concerning that horrid conspiracy, which before, all the torments of the rack could not force him to do.

The truth of this was attested by Mr. William Perkins, who had it from Mr. Clement Cotton, to whom Mr. Pickering gave the above relation.

Guy

Guy Fawkes was executed with Thomas Winter, Ambrose Rookwood, and Robert Keies, within the Old Palace Yard, Westminster, not far from the Parliament-house, January 31, 1606.

THOMAS

THOMAS WINTER.

THIS discontented catholic had thoughts

of quitting England for ever, and had retired himself to his brother's house in the country, till such time as a convenient opportunity should offer for that purpose. In the mean time he was twice sent for by Catesby, to come with all speed possible to London; where when he came on the second invitation, Catesby opened to him his gunpowder scheme, into which Winter readily entered, and almost as soon set off for Flanders, to sound the inclinations of several leading persons, towards such a scheme; where he was recommended to Fawkes, as a proper person to overlook the work; he being an approved soldier, and a skilful engineer.

They