The government at once suspected of having con- The old House of Lords and its surroundings- House hired by the conspirators-They attempt to dig a mine beneath the Peers' Chamber-Diffi- culties and improbabilities of the account-The "Cellar" hired-Its position and character-The gunpowder bought and stored-Further problems concerning it-The conspirators' plans-Contra- dictions respecting them—Their wild and absurd V. THE GOVERNMENT INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT Evidence that the government were fully aware of what was in progress-Various intelligence sup- plied to them-Cecil's uneasiness on account of the spread of Catholicity, and the king's communi- cation with the pope-His evident determination to force on James a policy of intolerance-He intimates that a great move is about to be made, and acknowledges to information concerning the -Impossibility of ascertaining what actually occurred-The French version of the story— The conduct of the government at variance with their own professions-Their inexplicable delay in making the discovery-They take no precautions against the recurrence of danger- VII. PERCY, CATESBY, AND TRESHAM . Probability that the government had an agent among the conspirators-Suspicious circum- stances regarding Percy-His private life—- His alleged intercourse with Cecil His Catesby and Tresham likewise accused of secret dealings with Cecil-Catesby's falsehood Alleged positive evidence against the govern- A monopoly secured for the official narrative, which is admittedly untruthful- Suspicions suggested by such a course, especially in such a case-The confessions of Faukes and Winter, on which this narrative is based, deserve no credit-Nor does the evidence of Bates against Greenway-Indications of foul play in regard of Robert Winter-The case of Owen, Baldwin and Cresswell; assertions made respecting them of which no proof can be produced- Efforts to implicate Sir Walter Raleigh and others-Falsification of evidence-The service Catholic writers have drawn their accounts from the sources provided by the government. Cecil well informed as to the real nature of the con- The popular history of the Plot, and how it was Summary of the argument. 209 WORKING MOR WHAT WAS THE GUNPOWDER PLOT? CHAPTER I. THE STATE OF THE QUESTION. ON the morning of Tuesday, the 5th of November, 1605, which day was appointed for the opening of a new Parliamentary session, London rang with the news that in the course of the night diabolical plot had been discovered, by which the king and legislature were to have been destroyed at a blow. In a chamber beneath the House of Lords had been found a great quantity of gunpowder, and with it a man, calling himself John Johnson, who, finding that the game was up, fully acknowledged his intention to have fired the magazine while the royal speech was being delivered, according to custom, overhead, and so to have blown King, Lords, and Commons into the air. At the same time, he doggedly refused to say who were his accomplices, or whether he had any. This is the earliest point at which the story of the Gunpowder Plot can be taken up with any certainty. Of what followed, at least as to the main outlines, we B are sufficiently well informed. Johnson, whose true name was presently found to be Guy, or Guido, Faukes,' proved, it is true, a most obstinate and unsatisfactory witness, and obstinately refused to give any evidence which might incriminate others. But the actions of his confederates quickly supplied the information which he withheld. It was known that the "cellar" in which the powder was found, as well as a house adjacent, had been hired in the name of one Thomas Percy, a Catholic gentleman, perhaps a kinsman, and certainly a dependent, of the Earl of Northumberland. It was now discovered that he and others of his acquaintance had fled from London on the previous day, upon receipt of intelligence that the plot seemed at least to be suspected. Not many hours later the fugitives were heard of in Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Staffordshire, the native counties of several amongst them, attempting to rally others to their desperate fortunes, and to levy war against the crown. For this purpose they forcibly seized cavalry horses at Warwick, and arms at Whewell Grange, a seat of Lord Windsor's. These violent proceedings having raised the country behind them, they were pursued by the sheriffs with what forces could be got together, and finally brought to bay at Holbeche, in Staffordshire, the residence of one Stephen Littleton, a Catholic gentleman. 2 There proved to have been thirteen men in all who had undoubtedly been participators in the treason. Of these Faukes, as we have seen, was already in the 1 So he himself always wrote it. 2 Also described as "Great Horses," or Saddle." 66 Horses for the great |