however, since it respected more than himself, he thought not fit to conceal it, and presently repaired to Whitehall, and put it into the hands of the Earl of Salisbury, principal secretary of state. The earl commended the lord for his care and fidelity, and told him, that, though there seemed to be little in it, yet, because of the reports that he had received from abroad, that the Papists, this session of parliament, would be very busy and insolent in their demands for toleration, upon some prospect they had of being in a condition to command it; and also that, because nothing, that concerned the safety of his majesty, and peace of his government, ought to be slighted, he would advise with others of his majesty's council about it, Accordingly, he shewed it to the lord chamberlain (to whom it particularly belonged to visit all places, where his majesty either lived, or to which he did resort) to the lord high admiral, the Earls of Worcester and Northampton; who all were of the same mind with the secretary, and concluded it fit to deliver it to the king at his return from Royston, when he came from hunting, and from whence he was expected, the Thursday fol lowing.

On the next day after his return, the earl presented him with it, and told him how it came to his hands. After the reading of it, the king made a pause, and then, reading it again, said, that there seemed somewhat in it extraordinary, and what was by no means to be neglected. The earl replied, that it seemed to him to be written by a fool, or a madman; for who else could be guilty of saying, "The danger is "past, as soon as you have burned the letter?" For what danger could there be in that, which the burning of the letter would put an end to? But the king, considering the smartness of the stile, and, withal, what was said before, "That they should receive a terrible blow, and yet "should not see who hurt them," did conclude, as he was walking and musing in the gallery, that the danger must be sudden, and like the blowing up by gunpowder; for what else could the parliament be in danger of? Or, what rebellion and insurrection could there be, and yet there be no appearance of stir therein? Or, how could they be otherwise hurt, and not see who hurt them? And, as for the phrase, which the secretary particularly offered at, he said, to him it seemed to be of a quite different signification, and that thereby was to be understood the suddenness and quickness of it, which should as soon, or as quickly, be done, as that paper might be burnt. Doubtless this was the sense of it, and what he that wrote it did intend, who was no fool, as appears by the other parts of the letter; and yet the discovery of it was extraordi nary, being against the common construction, far from what any other did apprehend by it; and therefore it is what even some of the adverse party have looked upon, as God's inspiration. So John Barclay intitles his little book, that he wrote about it, Series patefacti divinitus Parri. cidi, &c. And Spondanus, ann. 1605. §. 8. saith of the king, that divinitus evasit.

The secretary admired the king's great sagacity; and, though he seemed to differ from him, whilst in his presence, yet presently conferred with the lords about it, and on Saturday it was resolved, that the houses and rooms thereabouts should be searched. The care of this

was committed to the lord chamberlain, who was appointed on Monday to make the search; which he accordingly did, that evening, being ac. companied with the Lord Monteagle, that was very desirous of seeing the event. Having viewed this house, they found, in a vault under ground, great store of billets, faggots, and coal, brought thither (as) Mr. Whinyard told them) for the use of Mr. Percy, and espied Fawkes standing in a corner of the cellar, who said, that he was Mr. Percy's servant, and left there by him for the keeping of his house. Upon the naming of Percy, the Lord Monteagle told the Chamberlain, that he now vehemently suspected Mr. Percy to be the author of that letter, both from his inclination to the Romish religion, and the intimacy that had been betwixt them. How true that lord's conjecture was, I know not (for Bishop Goodman, in his answer to Sir Anthony Weldon's Court of King James, saith that Tresham sent it.) But that circumstance, with what they had discovered, so much increased the suspicion, that, when all was reported by the lord chamberlain to the king, in the presence of the lord admiral, lord treasurer, the Earls of Worcester, Northampton, and Salisbury, it was resolved, that further search should be made, what was under that great pile of fewel, in such a house, where Percy had so little occasion to reside. But, what for avoiding the report of too much credulity, and easiness to receive informations of that kind; what from the care of doing any thing that might redound to the blemish of the Earl of Northumberland, whose near relation and great confident this Thomas Percy was, it was resolved to do it under the pretence of making inquisition for some of the king's hangings, that were stolen out of Whinyard's custody. Sir Thomas Knevet, one of the king's privy-chamber, was employed in it, being a person in publick office, as a justice of peace, and of great prudence. At midnight he repaired thither, and found Fawkes standing at the door, booted and spurred, whom he presently apprehended. Then, proceeding, he first lighted upon one of the smaller, and after discovered the rest of the barrels: upon which, causing Fawkes to be searched, he found about him three matches, a tinder-box, and a dark lanthorn.

Being thus taken in the fact, he both confessed and defended it; adding, That, if he had happened to be within the house, as he was "without, he would, by putting fire to the train, have put an end to "their enquiry." Sir Thomas, having had such happy success, imme. diately returns with joy to the palace, and acquaints the lord chamberlain and Earl of Salisbury with it, who went to the king's bed-chamber; and, with as much haste as joy, the chamberlain told the king, that all was discovered, and the traitor in safe custody. This was about four of the clock in the morning. As soon as the council met (who were immediately sent for) the prisoner was taken into examination, and, to the amazement of all, appeared no more dashed by their presence, or the questions put to him, or the condition that he was in, than if he had been altogether innocent; declaring, "That he was not at all sorry for "what he had designed, but only that he failed in the execution of it; " and that the devil, and not God, was the discoverer." So pertinacious and resolute was he, that he would not own any accomplices, but that he alone was the contriver, and should have been the sole executer

of it; and that he was induced to this for conscience.sake, as the king (being an heretick) was not his lawful sovereign, but an usurper. Thus stout and resolute did he continue, till he was brought to the tower, and shewed the rack; upon the sight of which he began to relent, and, after some days examination, disclosed the whole.

The news of this discovery flew like lightning, it was what rejoiced the heart of every good subject, and daunted that of the rebels; and therefore those of them, that were in town, no sooner heard of it, but they betook themselves to flight.

Catesby was gone the night before towards the place appointed for their rendezvous; and Percy set forward at four of the clock in the morning, much about the time that the discovery was made. But one of the Winters, and the two Wrights that staid behind, staid to hear of their defeat and disappointment; and so made all the haste they could to overtake and meet their confederates, that they might consult what was to be done in so great an exigence.

In the mean time, there was nothing wanting on their part, who were to contribute their endeavours in the country. Sir Everard Digby came to Dunchurch, according to appointment; and so confident were they of success above, that one Grant, a gentleman in those parts, on Monday night, much about the time that Fawkes was apprehended, with other of his associates, broke open the stables of one Benock, a rider of great horses, and took away all that he found for their own service; and with them they repaired to the rest. But all their hopes were soon blasted by the sad news, which they quickly received from those that had made their escape. Desperation begets resolution; and now they are lost, as well as their cause, if they do not speedily find out a remedy; and therefore, with all the haste they could, they dispatched some to call in others to their assistance, and to represent to them the greatness of the danger, that they, and their religion is in, unless they appear in its defence. This Tesmond (alias Greenwel) the Jesuit, did particularly concern himself in, exhorting all to take up arms, and to unite their forces; and for this purpose rode as far as Lancashire. This riding to and fro made a noise in the country, and awakened the people; the loss of Benock's horses came quickly to the ears of some of those gentlemen, that had put them into his hands to manage and fit them for their service. And, for one reason or another, the country was presently up in arms, and upon pursuit of them.

Some of them were taken prisoners, and others of them pursued, by Sir Richard Verney, sheriff of Warwickshire, to the borders of that county; but they kept on their course, till they came to Holbeach, in Staffordshire, the house of Stephen Littleton; thither Sir Richard Walsh, sheriff of Worcestershire, followed them, and, by his trumpeters, commanded them, in the king's name, to surrender; assuring them, that, upon their so doing, he would intercede with the king for them, and doubted not to obtain their pardon. But they, that were conscious to themselves of more than he understood (for the news had not yet spread so far, nor the king's proclamations, though sent after them, had not yet overtaken them) bid him defiance, and sent him word, that he must have a greater force, than what he had then the command of, to reduce

them. But, whilst the one was preparing for the assault, and the other for their defence, God himself seemed to decide the quarrel; for, by the same means, which they contrived to destroy others, they themselves came to suffer for, having laid some powder to dry before the fire, a coal, upon the mending of it, flew into the pan, and set fire to the rest; thereby not only blowing up part of the roof, and a bag of powder of seventeen or eighteen pounds, that they underset the pan with, which was carried unfired into the court, but so wounding Catesby, Percy, Rockwood, and several of the conspirators, that they were unable to make any further defence. By this time also fire was set to the house, and their case grew so desperate, that they opened the doors, and ex. posed themselves to the weapons and fury of the people. The three principal of them, viz. Catesby, Percy, and Winter, joined back to back, and the two former of them were mortally wounded with one shot; Catesby dying upon the spot, and Percy not outliving him above two or three days. The two Wrights were slain at the same time; Digby, Rockwood, Thomas Winter, Grant, and Bates were taken prisoners, and sent up to London; Robert Winter and Littleton endeavoured to conceal themselves in the woods, but were afterwards taken, and committed to the tower. Tresham continued in London, and seemed ready to find out the traitors, and by that means thought at first to remain undiscovered; but, being suspected, he was afterwards searched for, and apprehended, and sent to the same place. Thus suddenly was that design discovered, which had been so long concealed; thus suddenly was it broken, which they had been some years in contriving; therein verifying that of the Psalmist: The ungodly are sunk down into the pit that they made in the net, which they hid, is their own foot taken. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth, the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.'

These persons thus apprehended were carefully examined (in the doing of which were spent twenty-three days) and from their several confessions was drawn sufficient matter not only for their own condemnation, but also for detection of others.

The most considerable of which was Garnet, the provincial of the Jesuits, Hall, Greenwel, Gerard, and Hammond, priests of the same order. The respect that Garnet had to the reputation of their society, and his own safety, had made him to act with so great caution, that he would willingly converse with none about this matter, but those that were of his own order; or Catesby his trusty friend. And, therefore, much of the evidence against him fell with that conspirator. But yet there appeared such presumptions by the acknowledgment of the rest that were taken, and letters that were found, that there was a proclamation issued out, for the apprehension of him and his brethren, declaring it treason for any to harbour and conceal them. Garnet, when the time drew near, and all things were ripe for their design, took a journey to Coulton, in Warwickshire, not far from the place of the general rendezvous, where he preached a sermon, and in which he exhorted his audi. tors to pray for the success of a great action, to be undertaken in the behalf of the Catholicks, at the beginning of the parliament, as is ac

knowledged by his apologist, and was confessed by Hall, alias Oldcorn. Whilst at that place he received a letter, November the sixth, from Catesby, to let him know that their design had miscarried, and to desire him that he would use his interest in stirring up the Catholicks in Wales, to arm and defend themselves. But the wary Jesuit provided for his own safety, and, sending Greenwel to them for their assistance and direction, he himself with Hall fled to Mr. Abington's house, at Henlip, in Worcestershire, where Hall had found a safe retreat for sixteen years together, as an authort of theirs informs us. There they lay concealed for some time, but at the last were discovered to be in that place by Littleton, one of the conspirators, as the same author relates, pag. 314, who further saith, that, though the help of carpenters and bricklayers was used, yet they were many days before they could find them out, being in a vault, the way to which was in an upper room, through the half-pace before the hearth, whose wooden border was made like a trap-door, to pluck up and down, and then the bricks were laid in their courses and order again, as we are told by an author of our ownt.

Hence they were brought to London, and committed to the tower.

On January the twenty-seventh, the other prisoners were brought to their tryal at Guildhall. The persons arraigned were Robert Winter, Esq; Thomas Winter, Gent. Guy Fawkes, Gent. John Grant, Esq. Ambrose Rockwood, Esq; Robert Keyes, Gent. and Thomas Bates, servant to Catesby. By another indictment was arraigned Sir Everard Digby.

They generally acknowledged the fact, and spake little in their own vindication. Rockwood pleaded That it was the intire affection he 'had for Mr. Catesby, which drew him in; and he hoped, as it was his 'first fact, some mercy would be shewed him.' Sir Everard said the same with respect to Catesby, and added, "That he had undertaken it 'for the zeal which he had to the Catholick religion, which he was 'ready to sacrifice all for; and to prevent those calamities, which he 'understood that the parliament was prepared to bring upon them of his persuasion. Keyes said, 'That his fortunes were sunk, and as good now as at another time, and for this cause rather than another.'

They seemed resolved to vindicate the Jesuits, or, at least, to say nothing against them; whether it were that they were not allowed to discourse of the plot with any but such and such particular persons, or whether it were that they thought it to be highly meritorious; and this last seems to be not unlikely. When Tresham, not above three hours before his death, in the tower, did declare upon his salvation, that he had not seen Garnet in sixteen years before: whereas it appeared, both by the confession of Garnet, and Mrs. Ann Vaux, Garnet's bosomfriend, that they had been frequently together the two last years past. On the Thursday following, Sir Everard Digby, Robert Winter, John Grant, and Bates were, according to judgment, drawn, hanged, and quartered, at the west end of St. Paul's Church. And on the Friday,

Eudem. Jeannis apologia pro Garneto, Page 265.

Anglicana. Page 339.

+ Hen. Mori Historia Missionis Fowlis's Romish Treasons. Page 609,