20 more with Barrs of Iron and massie Stones and at the last made up the Number Thirty Six over which they laid a Thousand Billets and Five-hundred Faggots And at a Meeting at the Bath of Percy and Catesby it was agreed that Catesby should take in whom he thought fit who thereupon engaged Sir Everard Digby that promised to advance 1500 l. towards it and Mr. Francis Tresham that gave him assurance of 2000 l. All things thus being in a readiness the Parliament was again Prorogued till the Fift of November upon which they retired with a promise of meeting about Ten daies before At which time Catesby being informed by Winter at a House by Enfield Chase that the Prince was not likely to be present with the King there was another Plot laid to surprize him if it should so happen The time drew very near and they that had past so long without discovery seem'd now to be above the the fear of it All things had so happily concurred to further their design and they had all approved themselves to be so trusty in it that they were more concerned how to manage the success than to fear it But God that had a reserve of favour for us and that doth delight in catching the wise in their own craftiness suffered them to proceed thus far in it that the detection and overthrow of it might appear to be more from his than Man's Providence When Catesby first thought of this the great difficulty with him was about the lawfulness of destroying the innocent with the guilty For the blow would know no difference betwixt a Catholick and a Heretick betwixt a Friend or F. O. When the Nobles and the Commons those that were a part of that Assembly and those that came to be Auditors and Spectators only those that were within and those that were without the House when no less than Thirty thousand must perish at once by it as Barclay saith it was computed it must needs be that many whom they wished well to and that also if they knew it would wish well to their cause must be part of the Sacrifice What an havock would Thirty-six Barrels or Nine or Ten-thousand Pound of Powder make loaded thus with Bars of Iron massie Stones and great pieces of Timber how would it tear the Foundations of the strongest Buildings throw down all the Tops of the neighbouring Houses and bury all within the ruins of both What would become of their Friends and Allies those that they had received much kindness from and others who neither did nor knew how to do them an injury How many Families must they undo by the loss of Relations Estates and Records which were there deposited This and much more was what they well foresaw and what they could not foresee without some kind of horror if they had but one spark of humanity left untouched by their unnatural Religion What must therefore be done to whom should he resort for Counsel but to his fast Friend Father Garnet to him he opens the Case as far as it was fit and as far as the other was willing to know of it after this manner Whether for the good and Promotion of the Catholick cause the necessity of time and occasion so requiring it be lawfull or not amongst many Nocents to destroy and take away some Innocents also To which the Jesuit replies That if the advantage was greater on the side of the Catholicks by the destruction of the Innocent with the Nocent than by the preservation of both it was doubtless lawful further explaining himself by this comparison That if at the taking of a Town possessed by the Enemy there happen to be seen Friends they must undergo the Fortune of War and the General and Common destruction of the Enemy With this answer Catesby was satisfied and with this he satisfied others telling them that it was the resolution of the Case given by the Provincial But yet though this did thus compose their Minds and what they were generally satisfied with there wanted not one that having a kindness for the Lord Monteagle eldest Son to the Lord Morley sent this Note to him by the hands of one of his Foot-boyes that was abroad in the Evening of the Saturday was Sennight before the appointed time for the meeting of the Parliament My Lord Out of the love I hear 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 at this Parliament For God and Man have Concurred to punish the wickedness of this time And think not slightly of this Advertisment but retire your self into your Contrey 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 hurt 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 shall have burned this Letter And I hope God will give you the grace to make good use of it To whose Holy protection I commend you The Letter was without Date or Subscription and the hand in which it was write was hardly legible and the contents of it so perplexed that the Lord knew as little what to make of it as whence it came But yet however since it respected more than himself he thought not fit to conceal it and presently repaired to White-hall 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 busie 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 Majesties 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 following 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 Mad-man for who else could be guilty of saying The Danger is past as soon as you have burn'd 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 sence 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 extraordinary 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 entitles his little Book that he wrote about it Series patefacti divinitus Parricidii c. And Spondanus Ann. 1605. § 8. saith of the King that divinitus evasit The Secretary admired the King's great Sagacity and tho 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 Munday to make the Search which he accordingly did that evening being accompanied with the Lord Monteagle that was very desirous of seeing the Event Having view'd 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 spied Faux 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 I know not for Bishop Goodman in his Answer to Sir Anth. Weldon's Court of K. James saith That Tresham sent it But that Circumstance with what they had discovered so much encreased 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 Kings Hangings that were stollen 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 Faux standing at the Door booted and spurr'd 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 Faux to be searched he found about him three Matches a Tinderbox 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 immediatly returns with joy to the Palace and acquaints the Lord Chamberlain and Earl of Salisbury with it who went to the King's Bedchamber and with as much hast 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 immediatly sent for the Prisoner was taken into Examination and to the amazement of all appeared no more dash'd 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 design'd but only that he fail'd 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 4 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 Faux 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
notwithstanding any Mischief that might follow it he might disswade Persons from it but whether they would be perswaded by him or not he was obliged not to divulge it After a long time spent in his Trial there was but little taken by the Jury to give in their Verdict which was that he was guilty of the Treason and accordingly he received Sentence and was executed the third of May following at the West end of St. Paul's Church-Yard This is the Man whom the Jesuits extoll to the Clouds and that is put into the Catalogue of their Martyrs as it is to be found at the end of Alegambe's Bibliotheca Scriptorum Socieatis Iesu. This Person who was a perfect Master of the Art of Dissimulation that could by Equivocation swear to what he knew to be false is what one of them bestows this Character upon That there was in him Morum Simplicitus Candor animi minimè suspicacis This Man who had not the Heart to die and who at the time of his Execution was so divided betwixt the hopes of a Pardon and the fear of Death that he could not attend to his own Devotions but one while cast his Eyes this way and another that now at his Prayers and anon breaking off from them to answer to that discourse which he overheard This Man I say is said by Alegambe to go to his Death interritus exporectâ fronte obtestans c. without any fear and protesting that he exceedingly rejoiced that he was now to suffer that Death which would be an entrance to an immortal Life The Conclusion of all which is that no Jesuit can be a Traitor and none suffer for Treason but he must be a Martyr The Case of Hall was much the same with that of Garnet he did confess and it was also proved that they were both together at Caughton and they were both found together afterwards It appeared that he had afterward defended the Treason to Humphrey Littleton The Excuses the Discourse the Confessions were much one and the same but only that Garnet was the more resolved and the more obstinate of the two Now because as this Treason was hatched and to be executed in the main at London so because part of it was also to be done in the Countrey and the chief of the Conspirators were there taken therefore six of them were sent to Worcester and there executed viz. Humphrey Littleton John Winter and this Hall with three others Thither I say he was carried with them for that reason and not because his Adversaries were ashamed to have his Cause heard at London as a bold Author of theirs would have it It is no wonder to find these Men so concerned to clear themselves of it when all the World is against them though this is no more to be done than to prove that one that kills a King is a good Subject and one that stirs up his Subjects in rebellion against him is a Friend to him These were the Persons that were taken and suffered for this bloody Treason Others of them escaped beyond Sea of which one when Dominicus◠Vicus Governour of Calice assured them of the King's Favour and though they lost their own Country they might be received there replied The loss of their Country was the least part of their grief but their sorrow was that they could not bring so brave a Design to perfection At which the Governour could hardly forbear casting him into the Sea as Thuanus relates from Vicus his one Mouth Others there were whom the Government had a great suspicion of as Henry Lord Mordant and Edward Lord Sturton who not appearing upon the Summons to the Parliament were supposed to absent themselves from some intelligence that they received were fined in the Star-Chamber and to be imprisoned during the King's Pleasure The like Sentence did Henry Earl of Northumberland undergo for having admitted Thomas Percy his Kinsman to be a Gentleman Pensioner without administring to him the Oath of Supremacy when he knew him to be a Recusant This was the end of that Plot and of the Persons chiefly concerned in it And it would be happy if they had left none of their Principles or Temper behind them a Generation whom no Favour will oblige nor Kindness retain whom nothing but Supremacy will content and the most absolute Authority can gratify Whom nothing can secure against but a sufficient Power or great Industry or constant Watchfulness and scarcely all And therefore its fit that not only as a branch of our Thankfulness to God but also as a caution to our selves that this Deliverance should be celebrated and the Memory of it perpetuated I shall end with what is said of a great Person of our own some years since Two great Deliverances in the memory of many of us hath God in his singular Mercy wrought for us of this Nation such as I think take both together no Christian Age or Land can parallel One formerly from a forreign Invasion another since that of an hellish Conspiracy at home Both such as we would have all thought when they were done should never be forgotten And yet as if this Land were term'd oblivious the Land where all things are forgotten how doth the memory of them fade away and they by little and little grow into forgetfulness We have lived to see 88 almost forgotten God be blessed who hath graciously prevented what we feared therein God grant that we nor ours ever live to see November the 5th forgotten or the Solemnity of it silenced FINIS The Authors from whence this Narrative hath been Collected Are Thuanus Jo. Barclaii Conspiratio Anglicana Proceedings against the Traitors printed 1606. Historia Messionis Anglicanae Societatis Iesu Collectore Henrico Moro printed at St. Omers 1660. Andreae Eudaemon̄-Joannis Apologia pro Garnetto Rob. Abboti Antilogia adversus Apologiam Andreae Eudaemon-Joannis Bibliothica Scriptorum Societatis Iesu. * Thuanus Barclay Rog. Widdrington in his Apolog pro jure Principum Pag. 1. * Mori historia missionis Anglicanae praefat The Spanish Treason The rise of the Gun-powder-Plot Proceedings against the Traitors The Oath of Secrecy The Plot. The house made choice of Others taken in to be Confederates The Vault hired and Stored Their Intelligence abroad The Parliament Prorogued Catesby's Case of Conscience A Letter sent to the Lord Monteagle The Letter presented to the King The House ordered to be searched Fawks his Behaviour upon his Apprehension The Flight of the Traitors The Traitors pursued and taken The Examination of the Prisoners The Jesuits in the Conspiracy Eudoem Joannis Apologia pro Garneto pag. 265. Hon. Mori Historiamissionis Anglicanae pag. 333. Garnet taken Fowlis Romish Treason 〈◊〉 pag. 698. The Arraignment of the Traitors Their Execution Garnet's Examination Historia missionis Anglican pag. 315. Pag. 334. Thuanus An. 1606. Garnets Trial His Execution Hist. Mission Angl. p. 311. The Trial and Execution of Hall c. Eudoemon-Joannis Apologia pro Garnetto pag. 272. Bp. Sandersons Sermons l. 1 ad poulum Serm. 5. pag. 242.