much urged this expedition Yet others disliked this counsell as a matter of great difficulty and danger of long time of much labor of great expence and uncertaine successe And that neither secretly nor openly it could be performed and easily hindered by the English These thought that with the same labour and expences England might be won and the victory would be sure if a well prepared army from Spaine might with a strong Navy be landed on Thames â—oe and of a sudden surprise London the chiefe City by an unexpected assault This séemed a thing most easie to be effected The Duke of Parma also in Flanders by the The Duke of Parma plays his part commandement of the Spaniard built ships and a great company of small broad vessels each one able to transport thirty horse with bridges fitted for them severally And hired mariners from the East part of Germany And provided long pieces of wood sharpened at the end and covered with yron with hooks on the one side And twenty thousand vessels with an huge number of fagots and placed an army ready in Flanders of an 103. companies of foot and foure thousand horsemen Among these were seven hundred English fugitives which were had of all other in most contempt Neither was Stanley respected or heard who was set over the English nor Westmerland nor any other who offered their help but for their impiety towards their owne countrey were shut out from all consultations and as men unominous rejected not without detestation And Pope Sixtus the fifth that in such a purpose would not be wanting sent Cardinall Alan into The Pope excommunicates the Queen c. Flanders and renued the Buls declaratory of Pius 5. and Gregory the thirtéenth He excommunicateth the Quéen deposeth her absolveth her subjects from all allegiance and as if it had béen against the Turks and Infidels he set forth in print a Conceat wherein he bestowed plenary indulgences out of the treasure of the Church besides a million of gold or ten hundred thousand Duckats to be distributed the one half in hand the other halfe when either England or some famous haven therein should be won upon all them that would joyne their helpe against England By which meanes the Marquesse of Burgain of the house of Austria the Duke of Pastrana Armady Duke of Savoy Vespasian Gonzaga Id. Medices and divers other noblemen were drawn into these wars Quéene Elizabeth that she might not be surprised at unawares prepared as great a Navy as she could and with singular care and providence maketh ready all things necessary for war And she her selfe which was ever most judicious in discerning of mens wits and aptnesse and The Queen selects out such able and servâ—ceable men as were fitâ— est to undertake so great implosment most happy in making choice when she made it out of her owne judgement and not at the commandement of others dâ—signed the best and most serviceable to each severall imployment Over the whole Navy she appointed the Lord Admirall Charles Howard in whom shee reposed much trust and sent him to the West parts of England where Captaine Drake whom she made Viceadmirall joyned with him She commanded Henry Seimor the second sonne to the Duke of Somerset to watch upon the Belgicke shore with forty English and Dutch shippes that the Duke of Parma might not come out with his forces Albeit some were of opinion that the enemy was to be expected and set upon by land forces according as it was upon deliveration resolved in the time of Henry the eighth when the French brought a great Navy upon the English shore For the land fight there were placed on the Order taken about the land fight South shores twenty thousand And two armies besides were mustered of the choicest men for war The one of these which consisted of 1000 horse twenty two thousand foot was the Earle of Leicester set over and camped at Tilbury on the side of Thames For the enemy was resolved first to set upon London The other army was governed by the Lord Hunsdon consisting of thirty foure thousand foot and two thousand horse to guard the Quéene The Lord Grey Sir Francis Knolles Sir Iohn Norice Sir Richard Bingham Sir Roger Williams men famously knowne for military experience were chosen to conferre of the land fight These thought fit that all those places should be fortified with men and munition which were commodious to land in either out of Spaine or out of Flanders as Milford haven Falmouth Plimmouth Portland the Isle of Wight Portsmouth the open side of Kent called the Downes the mouth of Thames Harwich Yarmouth Hul c. That trained souldiers through all the maritime provinces should méet upon warning given to defend these places that they should by their best meanes and power hinder the enemy to take land if he should take land then should they wast the Countrey all about and spoyle every thing that might be of any use to the enemy that so hee might find no more victuals then what he brought upon his shoulders with him And that by continuall alarums the enemy should find no rest day or night But they should not try any battell untill divers Captaines were met together with their companies That one Captaine might be named in every shire which might command Two yeares before the Duke of Parma considering how hard a matter it was to end the Belgicke A Counsell about peace pretended on the adversaries part whilest they intended to make war warre so long as it was continually nourished and supported with ayde from the Quéene he moved for a treaty of peace by the meanes of Sir Iames Croft one of the privy Counsell a man deshous of peace and Andrew Loe a Dutchman and professed that the Spaniard had delegated authority to him for this purpose But the Quéene fearing that there was some cunning in this séeking of peace that the friendship betwéene her and the confederate Princes might bee dissolved and that so they might secretly be drawne to the Spantard she deferred that treaty for some time But now that the wans on both sides prepared might be turned away shee was content to treat of peace It is the honor of a King saith Solomon to search out a thing Delegats sent into Flanders about a treaty of peace but so as still holding the weapons in her hand For this purpose in February Delegats were sent into Flanders the Earle of Darby the Lord Cobham Sir Iames Croft Doctor Dale and doctor Rogers These were received with all humanity on the Dukes behalfe and they presently sent Doctor Dale to him that a place might be appointed for their treating and that they might see the authority delegated to him by the Spanish King Hee appointed the place néere to Ostend not in Ostend which then was holdeÌ„ of English against the King His authority delegated he promised then to shew when they were once met together Hee wished
of the thing signified Bish As touching the sacraments in the old testament which had their extent only to the comming of Christ and no further we indéed doe hold that the signe beares the name of the thing signified thereby and thus the Paschall Lambe Exod. 12. 43. Cec. 71. 1â— was called the Passeover and Circumcision was called Gods Covenant being but a signe thereof but it is otherwise now in the sacraments of the new Testament which have their continuance unto the end of the world containing in them the thing signified La Grange Your Distinction will be but idle if we come to the sacraments of the new Testament which are onely two howsoever the church of Rome holds seven to wit Baptisme and the Lords supper The scripture calls Baptisme the washing of regeneration because it is a signe thereof yet bearing the name of that whereof it is but a signe Nor among your owne Writers do we finde that the water in Baptisme is changed into the blood of Christ which is notwithstanding the true lover of regeneration Also the cup is called the new Testament because it is a signe thereof Dare you now affirme that the cup is the new Testament But because you séeme to bring in for confirmation of your opinion the ancient Fathers we are content to be tried herein by them even in our cause also and it shall appeare that they are not so contrary to us as you suppose and this will cleare our doctrine from the crime of novelty wherewith yée slander it Afterwards we will come to touch such inconveniences and absurdities as flow from your Doctrine The Bishop answering that hée was content La Grange began as followeth La Grange Gelasius who was an ancient doctor Gelasius a pope of Rome yea and a Pope also said in a Councell held at Rome That the substance and nature of bread and wine remained in the sacrament of the Lords Supper even as the humane nature of our Lord Iesus Christ was united unto his divine essence Chrysostome an ancient doctor in his imperfect Chrisostome worke upon S. Matthew denies that the body of Christ is inclosed under the bread in the sacrament but holds that it is only an outward signe thereof Bish I have as you know before answered that sentence of Gelasius and then I told you that he was not séene in Philosophie and therefore could not dispute substantially of the substance of the bread yea I verily thinke he understood not what this word substance meant but tooke it for that which we call accidents as some times by this word accident wee understand substance witnesse Iulian who takes it in this sence La Grange Sir I cannot conceive that such a learned Father could be so ignorant as not to know what the substance of bread should meane or at least the nature thereof féeling hée ate of it daily S. Augustine hath this saying on the third Augustine Psalme That Christ shewed admirable patience in receiving Iudas to that banquet in which hee instituted and gave to his Disciples the signe of his body and blood Bish I doubt not but many such sentences are to be found in saint Augustine which séeme to favour your opinion as where he saith to Adimantus the Manichée That Iesus Christ did not shun to call it his body albeit he gave but the signe thereof But such kinde of spéeches must be expounded by conferring one place with another La Grange Nay sir we have not onely saint Augustine but also the most part of the ancient Fathers all which you say are against us on our side Bishop Well but come now to the absurdities and inconveniences of our doctrine whereof you spake La Grange Amongst other I will instance in this one by the doctrine which you teach you sever 1. Absurdity and diâ—oyne that which in it self is joyned and united together In the supper of the Lord the Sonne of God gives us his flesh for our meate and his blood for our drinke which are coupled together by outward sacramentall signes bread and wine now according to your doctrine the bread to converted into flesh and the wine into blood and yée separate the flesh from the blood of Christ Bish We separate not the flesh from the blood séeing that by concomitancy the flesh is never without blood nor blood without flesh La Grange If this be so wee should in one 2. Absurdity the same action receive the flesh blood of Christ twice for taking the bread which you say hath blood accompanying it by your Concomitance you receive whole Christ in flesh and then againe in bloud and thus we receive the flesh twice and the bloud twice Bish What inconvenience commeth of receiving the same twice in one action La Grange Christ did not institute his supper to be received twice in one action but saith in the singular number Take eate this is my body he said not in the plurall These are my bodies This only absurdity if there were no more overturnes the Lords institution To this the Bishop made no answer La Grange If we marke Christs words it will appeare that the absurdities in your doctrine do crosse this commandement Eat for what eat you sir I pray you in this sacrament Bish The accidents of bread La Grange Eate you nothing but the accidents It is said Eate this is my body Bish We receive the body and blood La Grange When you eate the body doe you not bruise it with your téeth Bish No for Christs body is insensible so as when we eate or bruise the cake the body is not bruised therewithall but the forme the body is not dismembred but every bit is the body of Christ La Grange Sir you still fall into the former absurdities for making thrée pieces of your cake in the Masse and every piece thereof the whole 3. Absurdity body of Christ it thereupon followes that in taking three pieces you swallow downe three bodies of Christ together Bishop We must not be led thus by humane sense La Grange Sir that which I say is manifest enough and so that which you affirme of your formes cannot stand for Christ saith not Eat the formes but Eate this is my body Now wee cannot eate unlesse we gnaw with our teeth in bruising therewith that we eate If you say that the bread which is flesh as you hold is conveyed under the tongue and gently swallowed then I answer This is not eating but swallowing for Can he be said to eate who being halfe pined with hunger swallowes his bread and meate withou chewing Nay he may rather be said to devoure it Moreover if the bread which as you affirme is flesh bée put into a mans mouth and swallowed then how will you answere that which Christ said in Saint Mathew That whatsoever Mat. 15. 17. enters into the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught or backe
Earle of Home who died last gave an evident proofe of that true knowledge of God wherewith he was indued and in which hée had more especially increased in the time of his troubles and afflications ¶ An extract of a complaint with a protestation of the Prince of Orange and the Gentlemen of the Low countries touching their oppressions THis yeare in the month of Iuly the Prince of Ornage William and Nassau accompanied with many Lords and Gentlemen of the Low-Countries all professors of the Gospell for prevention of the slanders and pretences of rebelion put upon them by the enemies thereof published in writing a declaration that it might appeare to all that they were so farre off from plotting any treason against the Kings Majesty that on the contrary they did by all the meanes they could acknowledge him to be their naturall Prince and Soveraign The true causes indéed for which they tooke up armes under the authority of their Prince for their owne defence as also of those who professed the protestant religion were the extortions the confiscations of body and goods with the continuall condemnations and putting to death even of the most noble personages of the Countrey And that the Prince of Orange might make knowne to all what injustice and cruelties were exercised upon those of the Religion he discovered the notorious subtilties of the cardinall of Gravella and others who under the cloaks of the pretended catholique religion sought nothing else thereby but the diminishing of Gods glory the Kings authority and the welfare of the commonwealth shedding the bloud of many a true Christian by whose death followed the losse of their temporall estates and all forsooth under pretence of Iustice And for as much as tortures vexations banishments executions both by fire and water by strait imprisonments sword and gibbets did still increase more and more that for these considerations the cause was lawfull and good in taking upon them the defence of so miserable a people to whom the Dutchesse of Parma Governesse under his Majesty had expresly permitted the preaching of the Gospell for preventing of the perils and dangers which threatened the ruine of the said countries And as the said Prince had béen a faithfull and loyall servant to his Majesty in doing him many acceptable services without either sparing his person or goods so was he also ready prest to be imployed still in the like more then at any time heretofore And thus procéeding on further hée made it apparant to every one whose judgement was not forestalled that the Duke of Alva who in respect of the dignities conferred upon him ought himselfe to be a patterne and a protector of the Nobility and Gentry had notwithstanding put to death thréescore gentlemen with others of quality rich Burgemasters of Bruxels and of other Cities besides that this his ambition being risen to a notable height of cruelty durst put to death the Illustrious Earles of Egmond and Horne without any shew of law or equity who had so faithfully served the Emperour Charles of famous memory in his wars Yea that he might yet further debase the Nobility of the Countrey which is as it were the principall support of his Majesty hée caused the heads of the said Earles to be set upon poles and forkes By such spectacles charging upon their parents and friends much obloquy and disgrace Yea this horrible execution did strike such a feare and terror into many that to avoyd these oppressions they fled the countrey For a conclusion he added that all these things layd together the issue thereof tended to the extirpation of all true Religion and consequently the depriving of the faithfull not onely of their spirituall but corporall good also And therefore as a Prince being a native member of the Empire he held himselfe obliged in having compassion over the wrackes made among so many poore Christians to lend them his best helpe furtherance for the frée passage of the Gospell and the consolation of such of his Majesties good Subjects as were persecuted imprisoned and oppressed ¶ Before wée shut up the History of the yeare 1568. wée will adde to the former Martyrs some that were executed in the Low-countries at divers times in the said yeare without tying our selves to any strict order touching their death ¶ Schoblant the sonne of Barthel Iohn de Hues Ioris Coomans Martyrs THe eleventh of February there were taken and imprisoned in Antwerpe Schoblant the son of Barthel Iohn de Hues and Zoris Coomans After which they were all joyfull and glad in the Lord confessing that nothing fell out in this regard but by his divine providence as it appeares by Letters written to their brethren the seventéenth of March containing that which followeth Séeing it is the will of God that we should suffer for his holy name and in the quarrell of his Gospell we certifie you brethren that we are of good courage hitherto howsoever the flesh continually rebels against the spirit counselling it ever and anone according to the advice of the old serpent But we are well assured that Christ who hath bruised will also still bruise the Serpents head and not leave us comfortlesse True it is we are now and then pricked in the héele but that Ioh. 14. 18. Rom. 16. 20. Gen. 3. 15. Mat. 11. 35. is all the Serpent can doe nor are we discouraged but kéep our faith close to the promises of God who is the Lord of heaven and earth having created all things of nothing He forsooke not Ioseph in Egypt nor left the Gen. 39. 21. Dan. 3. 25. Dan 6. 22. thrée yong men in the fiery furnace no nor Daniel in the Lions Den. This is the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and of their righteous posterity so that we can without feare say with the Prophet David the Lord is my helpe tower Psal 1◠strength and refuge By such and the like Scriptures deare brethren we comfort our selves in our bands rejecting all confidence in any man whatsoever Be not dismaid then good brethren and sisters for our bands and imprisonment For so is the good will of God now towards us And therefore pray rather that he will give us grace to persevere constantly unto the end so be it ¶ The examination of Schoblant taken the 24. of March in the presence of the Marquesse of the Bailiffe of the Secretary and many others 1568. Marq. WHere were you borne Schob in Sommerswall Marq. Where did you marry your wife Schob At Middleborouth in Zealand Marq. Where were your children baptised Schob In the Church of Christ in which true Christians are bound to baptise their children Marq. Though you should say no more we have sufficient testimony from your owne mouth Have you received the Lords Supper Schob Ya sir Marq. Are ye not a Minister Schob No sir Marq. Ought not you to submit your judgement to that which hath béen decréed in a generall councell where so many learned
to minde what I have often told you namely how God prolonged King Hezechias Isa 38 5. life for fiftéen yeares But he hath preserved my life much longer for it is many yeares agoe since you saw me at the point of death and through Gods goodnesse I am alive and I hope yea I am assured that he will so long preserve me as shall be for his glory and my eternall good through his only frée grace From the prison of Ast the sixteenth of September 1601. The Bishop of Ast was somewhat troubled about this his prisoner for if he had let him go he feared it would bréed some scandall and many might thereby be emboldned to open their mouths wide against the Romane religion Besides there was a clause in the Contract made betwéene his Excellency and the people of Vandois which exempted those of the religion from offence in these words And if it shall fall out that they be asked or questioned withall in Piemont about the cause of Religion by any of his excellencies subjects it shall be lawfull for those of the said Religion to answer without suffering any penall or personall punishment for the same Now Copin had a question put to him in which respect he ought to have béen cléered But the Bishop would by no meanes heare that hee had unâ—ustly imprisoned him and therefore that his death should not be laid to his charge nor yet that hee should be sent away absolved he sent the cause of his Endictment to Pope Clement the eighth to know what should be done with him We cannot learne what answer the Pope returned to the Bishop but not long after this good man was found dead in prison not without some apparent suspition of his being strangled there lest if they had executed him in publique the people should have been edified by his constancy Being dead he was condemned to bee burned and therefore having caused him to be brought out of prisoâ— they read his sentence openly and the body was cast into the fire Thus have you the last among the Vandois which is come to our knowledge that were persecuted to death for the cause of Religion ¶ Mention hath heretofore been often made of sundry bloudy massacres in forreine parts but wee are now come to fall upon the report of a businesse neerer home which if the most wise and watchfull providence of God had not timely and graciously prevented it would have to the ruine of our Church and state proved such a massacre the like whereof the heart of man never conceived the care of man never heard of nor the tongue or pen of man could scarse ever have utteted namely at one blow to have blowne up not onely the King Quéene and royall posterity but the whole body of the state in generall Now as the Church and State had each of them a share in this so admirable a deliverance from God upon the fifth day of November Anno 1605. so each of them shewed their care if it might be for ever to perpetuate the praise of God for the same on the said day the one by stablishing an act of Parliament for it the other by publishing a forme of thanksgiving the better to effect it some expression whereof the Reader may hap to méet with at the end of the discourse following ¶ A discourse touching the manner of the discovery of the Pouder-treason with the examination of some of the Prisoners WHile this land and whole Monarchy flourished in a most happy and plentifull peace as well at home as abroad sustained and conducted by these two maine pillars of all good government Piety and Iustice no forraine grudge nor inward whispering of discontentment any way appearing the King being upon his returne from his hunting exercise at Royston upon occasion of the drawing néere of the Parliament time which had béen twise prorogued already partly in regard of the season of the yeare and partly of the Terme as the winds are ever stillest immediately before a storme and as the Sunne blenks often hottest to foretell a following showre so at that time of greatest calme did that secretly hatched thunder begin to cast forth the first flashes and flaming lightenings of the approaching tempest For the Saturday of the wéeke immediately preceding the Kings returne which was upon a Thursday being but ten daies before the Parliament the Lord Mountegle sonne and hoire to A letter delivered to the L. Mountegle the Lord Morley being in his owne lodging ready to goe to supper at seven of the clocke at night one of his Footmen whom he had sent of an errand over the stréet was met by an unknowne man of a reasonable tall personage who delivered him a Letter charging him to put it in my Lord his Masters hands Which my Lord no sooner received but that having broken it up and perceiving the same to be of an unknowne and somewhat unlegible hand and without either date or subscription did call one of his men unto him for helping him to read it But no sooner did he conceive the strange contents thereof although hee was somewhat perplexed what construction to make of it as whether of a matter of consequence as indéed it was or whether some foolish devised Pasquil by some of his enemies to â—karre him from his attendance at the Parliament yet did he as a most dutifull and loyall subject conclude not to conceale it what ever might come of it Whereupon notwithstanding the latenesse and darkenesse of the night in that season of the yeare hee presently repaired to his Majesties Palace at Revealed to the Earle of Salisbury Whitehall and there delivered the same to the Earle of Salisbury his Majesties principall Secretary Whereupon the said Earle of Salisbury having read the Letter and heard the manner of the comming of it to his hands did greatly encourage and commend my Lord for his discretion telling him plainly that whatsoever the purpose of the Letter might prove hereafter yet did this accident put him in minde of divers advertisements he had received from beyond the seas wherewith he had acquainted as well the King himselfe as divers of his privy Counsellors concerning some businesse the Papists were in both at home and abroad making preparation for some combination among them against this Parliament time for enabling them to deliver at that time to the King some petition for toleration of Religion which should be delivered in some such Purpose of the Papists for delivering a petition to his Majesty to crav toleration of religion order and so well backed as the King should be loth to refuse their request Like the sturdy Beggers craving almes with one open hand but carriing a stone in the other in case of refusall And therefore did the Earle of Salisbury conclude with the Lord Mountegle that he would in regard of the Kings absence impart the same Letter to some more of his Majesties Counsell whereof my Lord Mountegle
liked well only adding this request by way of protestation that whatsoever the event hereof might prove it should not be imputed to him as procéeding from too light and too suddaine an apprehension that he delivered this Letter being only moved thereunto for demonstration of his ready devotion and care for preservation of his Majesty and the State And The Lord Chamberlain made privy to the letter by the Earle of Salisbury thus did the Earle of Salisbury presently acquaint the Lord Chamberlaine with the said Letter Whereupon they two in the presence of the Lord Mountegle calling to minde the former intelligence already mentioned which séemed to have some relation with this Letter The tender care which they ever carried to the preservation of his Majesties person made them apprehend that some perillous attempt did thereby appears to be intended against the same which did the more néerely concerne the said Lord Chamberlaine to have a care of in regard that it doth belong to the charge of his office to oversée as well all places of assembly where his Majesty is to repaire as his highnesse owne private houses And therefore did the said two Counsellors conclude that they should joyn unto themselves thrée more of the Counsell to wit the Lord Admirall the Earles of Worcester and Northampton to be also particularly acquainted with this accident who having all of them concurred together to the re-examination of the contents of the said Letter they did conclude that how slight a matter it might at the first appeare to be yet was it not absolutely to be contemned in respect of the care which it behooved them to have of the preservation of his Majesties person Wherefore they resolved for two reasons first Thought meet by the Counsellors to acquaint the King with the Letter to acquaint the K. himselfe with the same before they procéeded to any further inquistition in the matter as well for the expectation and experience they had of his Majesties fortunate Iudgement in cléering of obscure riddles and doubtfull mysteries as also because the more time would in the meane while be given for the practise to ripen if any was whereby the discovery might be the more cléere and evident and the ground of procéeding thereupon more safe just and easie And so according to their determination did the said Earle of Salisbury repaire to the King in his Gallery on Friday being Alhallow day in the afternoone which was the day after his Majesties Upon Alhallow day the Earle of Salisbury shewed the letter to the King arrivall and none but himselfe being present with his highnesse at that time where without any other speech or judgement given of the Letter but only relating simply the forme of the delivery thereof he presented it to his Majesty the contents whereof follow MY Lord out of the love I beare 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 wickednesse of this time And thinke nor slightly of this advertisement but retire your selfe into your country where you may expect the event in safety For though there be no apparance of any stir yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them This counsell is not to be contemned because it may doe you good and can doe you no harme for the danger is past so soone as you have burnt the Letter And I hope God will give you the grace to make good use of it To whose holy protection I commend you The King no sooner read the Letter but after a little pause and then reading it over againe hée His Majesties judgement of the Letter delivered his judgement of it in such sort as hée thought it was not to be contemned for that the stile of it séemed to be more quicke and pithy then is usuall to be in any Pasquill or Libell the superfluities of idle braines But the Earle of Salisbury perceiving the King to apprehend it déeplier then he looked for knowing his nature told him that he thought by one sentence in it that it was like to be written by some foole or mad man reading to him this sentence in it For the danger is past so soone as you have burnt the Letter which he said was like to be the saying of a foole for if the danger was past so soone as the Letter was burnt then the warning behooved to be of little availe when the burning of the letter might make the danger to be eschewed But the King on the contrary considering the former sentence in the Letter That they should receive a terrible blow at this Parliament and yet should not see who hurt them Ioining it to the sentence immediately A terrible blow indeed at once to have wracked King Queen Prince and Progeny Religion State and all following already alledged did thereupon conjecture That the danger mentioned should bée some suddaine danger by blowing up of powder For no other insurrection rebellion or whatsoever other private and desperate attempt could bée committed or attempted in time of Parliament and the Authors thereof unséene except onely it were by a blowing up of Powder which might be performed by one base knave in a darke corner whereupon he was moved to interpret and construe the latter sentence in the Letter alledged by the Earle of Salisbury against all ordinary sence and construction in Grammar as if by these words For the danger is past so soone as you have burnt the Letter should be closely understood the suddainty and quicknesse of the danger which should be as quickly performed and at an end as that Paper should be blazing up in the fire turning that word of As soone to the sence of As quickly and therefore wished that His Majesties opinion for searching of the under roomes of the Parliament house before his going to the Parliament the under roomes of the Parliament house might be well and narrowly searched But the Earle of Salisbury wondering at this his Majesties commentary which he knew to be so far contrary to his ordinary and naturall disposition who did rather ever sin upon the other side in not apprehending nor trusting due advertisement of practises and perils when he was truly informed of them whereby he had many times drawne himselfe into many desperate dangers and interpreting rightly this extraordinary Caution at this time to procéed from the vigilant care he had of the whole State more then of his owne person which could not but have all perished together if this designement had succéeded He thought good to dissemble still unto the King that there had béene any just cause of such apprehension and ending the purpose with some merry jest on this subject as his custome is tooke his leave for that time But
though he séemed so to neglect it to his Majesty yet his customable and watchfull care of the King and the State still bolling within him And having with the blessed Virgin Mary laid up in Anno 1605. his heart the Kings so strange judgement and construction of it he could not be at rest till hée acquainted the foresaid Lords what had passed between the King and him in private Whereupon they were all so earnest to renew againe the memory of the same purpose unto his Majesty as it was agréed that he should the next day being Saturday repaire to his Highnesse which he did in the said privy Gallery and renewed the memory thereof the Lord Chamberlaine The determination to search the Parliament house and the rooius under it then being present with the King At what time it was determined That the said L. Chamberlaine should according to his custome and office view all the parliament houses both above and below and consider what likelihood or appearance of any such danger might possibly be gathered by the sight of them but yet as well for staying of idle rumors as for being the more able to discern any mystery the nearer that things were in readinesse his journey thither was ordained to be deferred till the afternoone before the sitting downe of the Parliament which was upon the Munday following At what time he according to this conclusion went to the Parliament house accompanied with my Lord Mountegle being in zeale to the Kings service earnest and curious to sée the event of that accident whereof he had the fortune to be the first discoverer where having viewed all Wood and coale found by the L. Chamberlaine in the Vault the lower roomes he found in the vault under the upper house great store and provision of billets fagois and coales and inquiring of Whyneard kéeper of the Wardrobe to what use he had put those lower roomes and cellars he told him that Thomas Percy had hired both the house and part of the Cellar or Vault under the same and that the wood and coale under which were hidden thirty sixe barrels of powder great and small besides great barres of Iron péeces of Timber and massie stones covered over with Fagots therein was the said Gentlemans owne provision Whereupon the Lord Chamberlaine casting his eye aside perceived a fellow standing in a corner there calling himselfe the said Percies man and kéeper of that house for him but indéed was Guido Fawkes the owner of that hand which should have acted that monstrous and hellish Tragedy The Lord Chamberlaine looking upon all things with a héedfull indéed yet in outward appearance with but a carelesse and recklesse eye as became so wise and diligent a minister he presently addressed himselfe to the King in the privy Gallery where in the presence of the Lord Treasurer the Lord Admirall the Earles of Worcester Northampton and Salisbury he made his report what he had séen and observed there noting The Lord Chamberlaines report and judgment of what he had observed in the search that Montegle had told him That he no sooner heard Thomas Percy named to be the possessor of that house but considering both his backwardnesse in Religion and the old dearenesse in friendship betwéene himselfe and the said Percy he did greatly suspect the matter and that the letter should come from him The said Lord Chamberlaine also told That he did not wonder a little at the extraordinary great provision of wood and coale in that house where Thomas Percy had so seldome occasion to remaine as likewise it gave him in his minde that this man looked like a very tall and desperate fellow This could not but increase the Kings former apprehension and jealousie whereupon he insisted as before that the house was narrowly to be searched and that those billets and coales would be searched to the bottom it being most suspitious that they were laid there onely for covering of the powder Of this same minde also were all the Counsellors then present But upon the fashion of making of the search was it long debated for upon the one side they were all so jealous of the Disputation about the maner of the further search Kings safety that they all agréed that there could not be too much caution used for preventing his danger And yet upon the other part they were all extream loath and dainty that in case this Letter should prove to be nothing but the evaporation of an idle brain then a curious search being made and nothing found should not only turne to the generall scandall of the King and the State as being so suspitious of every light and frivolous toy but likewise lay in ill favoured imputation upon the Earle of Northumberland one of his Majesties greatest subjects and Counsellors this Thomas Percy being his kinsman and most confident familiar And the rather were they curious upon this point knowing how far the King detested to be thought suspitious or jealous of any of his good subjects though of the meanest degrée And therefore though they all agréed upon the main ground which was to provide for the security of the Kings person yet did they much differ in the circumstances by which this action might be best carried with least dinne and occasion of slander But the King himselfe still persisting that there were divers shrewd appearances and that a narrow search of those places could prejudge no man that was innocent he at last plainly resolved them that either must all the parts of those roomes be narrowly searched and no possibility of danger left unexamined or else he and they all must resolve not to meddle in it at all but plainly to goe the next day to the Parliament and leave the successe to Fortune which he beléeved they would be loth to take upon their consciences for in such a case as this an halfe doing was worse than no doing at all Whereupon it was at last concluded That nothing should bée Agreed that the search should be under colour of seeking for Wardrobe stuffe missed by Whyneard left unsearched in those houses and yet for the better colour and stay of rumour in case nothing were found it was thought méet that upon a pretence of Whyneards missing some of the Kings stuffe or hangings which he had in kéeping all these roomes should be narrowly ripped for them And to this purpose was Sir Thomas Knevet a Gèntleman of his Majesties privy Chamber imployed being a Iustice of Peace in Westminster and one of whose ancient fidelity both the late Quéen and our now Soveraigne have had large proofe who according to the trust committed unto him went about the midnight next after to the Parliament house accompanied with such a small number as was fit for that errand But before his entry into the house finding Faux found at midnight without the house Thomas Percies alledged man standing without the doores his clothes and bootes on at so