done to maintain these Priviledges; and as a Preparative to all, have afforded you the Glories, Commendations and Prerogatives of your Religion, from Brutes and Blocks, Fools, and Devils themselves: with such-like odd Arguments, as some of your Graver Wits have troubled themselves, confirm'd their Religion, and pleasured us with.

"But, My Masters, I may assure myself of a mitigation of your Fury, when you have seriously considered, that here I say nothing but what is Asserted and Vindicated by your own Authors, approved of by your own Authority, and agreeable to the Sentiments and Doctrine of the Pope himself. From whence will follow, that with what ill will or Names you Prosecute me for these Collections, you must do the same to His Holiness, and the greatest Assertors of his Religion; I being but the Compiler or Transcriber of their Words and Actions, which used to be your Patterns and Examples to live by: and now to turn tail, to oppose and contradict the Pope and his Learned Doctors, not to believe in his Infallible Documents, might renew a Dispute about your disagreements."

The following is FOULIS's account of

The Gunpowder Treason."

"A club of Romanists, vexed that a toleration was not granted, resolved to resettle their religion by the ruin of the king and kingdom. To this end many plots had been contrived against Queen Elizabeth and King James; but they failing, a more desperate is pitched on, and this was, with one blow to destroy king, queen, princes, bishops, nobles, and commons, who were not of their persuasion. This is concluded feasible by blowing up the Parliament-House, where they or their representees meet. To this purpose Piercy hireth an house adjoining, intending by that means to undermine it; which mine being stuffed with gunpowder and other materials, would not fail of execution. But first, they take an oath of secresy, in a house behind St. Clements Church without Temple-Bar.

"The Oath.

"You shall swear by the Blessed Trinity, and by the sacrament you now purpose to receive, never to disclose, directly or indirectly, by word or circumstance, the matter that shall be proposed to you to keep secret, nor desist from the execution thereof, until the rest shall give you leave.'

"This done, they went into a more private chamber, heard mass, and received the sacrament from one William Gerard. In short, to work they fall, and in some time had wrought under a little entry to the wall of the Parliament. House, under-propping it with wood as they proceeded. But at last, occasion offering itself, they hired a convenient cellar just under the House, into which

* In this extract I have slightly modernised the spelling. In the foregoing ones, I have preserved the original spelling, punctuation, etc.

they conveyed thirty-six barrels of powder, over which they laid a thousand billets, and five hundred fagots, with some stones and iron bars. Things thus fitted, they expect the day of the Parliament's sitting, which from time to time had been put off till the fifth of November: in the mean time, they consult how to seize on the Prince Henry, if he should not be at the House. As for Charles Duke of York, (after [wards] King Charles the Martyr,) Piercy undertook to surprise him, whom, with his brother Henry, they resolve to dispatch out of the world; yet the better to bring their ends about, they thought good to centre their hopes in one of the royal blood; and this must be the Lady Elizabeth, (afterwards married to Palsgrave,) whom they would bring up, and marry according to their interests; thinking thereby also to oblige many of the nobility to their cause, upon hopes of having her to wife, and with her the crown. She was now at Comb, the Lord Harrington's house in Warwickshire; where to secure her, they contrived a great hunting-match to be the sixth of November, on Dunmore-Heath; under which pretence many Romanists would meet well appointed, and surprise her by force.

"As for a present supply of monies, Sir Everard Digby promised fifteen hundred pounds, Mr. Francis Tresham two thousand pounds, and Piercy all that he could get of the Earl of Northumberland (his kinsman) his rents, which was about four thousand pounds. They also contrived how to keep the slander of such a villany from themselves and religion; so determined to throw the crime upon the Puritans, (a sort of people bad enough of themselves, that we need not load them with other men's faults,) by declaring them to be the traitors who blew up the Parliament. To carry on which false report, they had framed a proclamation, which they had got printed, and ready for publishing upon the sign given, which they supprest and burnt upon the discovery, though some of them by chance came to view, and were seen and read by Dr. Parker, dean of Lincoln, Sir W. Ellis, recorder of the said city, and other persons. And the better also to get the same credit with the people, Keys (brother-in-law to Mr. Pickering) had a few days before either borrowed or bought the swift horse (well-known in London and thereabouts) of Mr. Pickering of Tichmarch-Grove in Northamptonshire, (a noted Puritan, whom they also designed to kill,) upon which Faux (having fired the match and touchwood leading to the train) was to escape, as they bore him in hand; but their design was to kill him at his taking horse, for Pickering's man; which the people would easily believe, seeing the horse, so well known to them; and the multitude once persuaded of this, would be more facile to join with them, under notion of doing justice upon such supposed traitors and wretches.

"They also consult how to keep the Romish Lords from going that day to Parliament, the better to strengthen their cause by their preservation. But in the height of all their hopes and expectations, a discovery is made thus: some of them (supposed by Monteagle to be Piercy, but Bishop Goodman saith it was Tresham who wrote the letter) having a great affection to the said Lord Monteagle, (son and heir to the Lord Morley,) had a mind to preserve him also from the intended slaughter. So one evening a letter sealed is delivered in the

street (the Strand) by an unknown fellow, to one of the Lord's footmen, charging him to deliver it with care to his Lord. Monteagle opens it, finds it without date or subscription, writ with a very bad hand, and in a style he knew not what to make of, thus :

"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 this Parliament. For God and men have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time. And think not lightly of this advertisement, but retire yourself into your countrey, 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 this Parliament, and yet they shall not see who hurts them. This counsel is not to be contemned, because it may do you good, and can do you no harm; for the danger is past as soon as you have burn'd this letter; and I hope God will give you the grace to make a good use of it: to whose holy protection I commend you.'

'Monteagle wondered at the letter and its delivery: and thinking it might relate to some mischief, thought it his duty to make it known: so away he goes to Whitehall, shows it to the Earl of Salisbury, then secretary of state, who tells some other of the privy council of it, and, the king being returned from his hunting at Royston, they deliver it to him. His majesty, having seriously considered it, and all other circumstances, concluded that it might relate to some design to blow up the Parliament, and in this jealousy ordered the rooms and vaults about the House to be searched; which was done the night before the sessions; when, in the foresaid cellar, under the Lord's House, were found the barrels of gunpowder, and at the door standing Guido Faux, booted and spurred, with a large dark lanthorn, (now to be seen in Oxford Library,) with matches, tinder-box, and other materials for his design.

"Faux was presently carried to Court, and examined, where he appeared sturdy and scornful, maintaining the design to be lawful; that James was not his king, because an heretic; was sorry that the plot failed, and that he had not blown up the House, with himself, and those who were sent to search; affirming, that God would have had the plot concealed, but it was the devil who revealed it. At last, Faux himself confest all that he knew of the treason. Thus far discovered, the king suspecting some commotions or risings, sent with all speed to prevent them by timely notice by Lepton and others. This was that Mr. John Lepton of Yorkshire, who rid so often betwixt London and York in one week, viz. in May, 1606; who, though he won his wager, yet was a loser, never getting his winnings.

'Piercy, Wright, &c., who now lurked about London, to expect the fatal blow, informed of the discovery, take horse, making what haste they can to their companions, appointed to be at the rendezvous on Dunsmore. In brief, according to their abilities, they run into open rebellion, but to their own destruction; the high-sheriffs, with other magistrates and loyal subjects, so hunting them, that they were either all dispersed, slain, or taken, and the chief of them afterwards condemned and executed.