Every thing was now arranged for the dreadful issue. The day approached (the 5th of November) appointed for the meeting of parliament. The conspirators looked for ward to a certain triumph, when, fortunately for the coun try and for Protestantism, the indiscretion of a Catholic laid open the treason.
Ten days before the sitting of parliament, Lord Mont eagle, a Catholic, son of Lord Morely, received from a person unknown the following letter. It had been put into the hand of his servant, with express injunctions to be de livered only to himself. " My Lord, 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 at this parlia ment. For God and man have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time. And think not slightly of this advertisement ; but retire yourself into your country, where you may expect the event in safety. For though there be no appearance of any stir, yet I say they will re ceive a terrible blow this parliament, and yet they shall not see who hurts them. This council is not to be contemn ed, becsuse it may do you good, and can do you no harm. For the danger is past as soon as you have burned the letter, and I hope God will give you grace to make good use of it." Neither Monteagle nor Salisbury, to whom he carried the letter, was inclined to regard it seriously. James was the first to penetrate its meaning. The words quoted by Salisbury, to prove to him the folly or insanity of its author, viz. " the danger is past as soon as you have burnt the letter," James interpreted to signify, not that the danger would be past when the letter was burnt, but that it would pass in a space of time. as short as the burning of the let ter might occupy. This, compared with the preceding threat of a "terrible blow," the authors of which would be concealed, suggested to the king the agency of gunpowder. It was determined, therefore, to have an inspection of all the rooms and vaults below the houses of parliament. This duty was performed the day before the meeting by the Lord Chamberlain,' who, besides noticing the prodigious pile of fuel, did not fail to observe also the dark, intrepid, and sus picious countenance of Fawkes, who, still passing himself for Piercy's servant, loitered about the cellar. This being reported to the council, a more particular search was deem ed advisable. Accordingly, Sir Thomas Knevet, justice of peace for Westminster, went with proper attendants at midnight, and seized Fawkes, just as he had completed his preparations, and was leaving the vault. He was dressed in a cloak and boots, and held in his hand a dark lantern. Matches being found upon him, and the powder discovered under the fuel, the guilt became apparent, and he no longer sought to conceal it. He broke out in a tone of defiance
and contempt, expressing, in the strongest manner, his ex treme regret that so many heretics had escaped his ven geance, and declaring that he could attribute only to the devil the frustration of so good a work. He met the coun cil with the same scornful intrepidity, and obstinately refused giving any account of his accomplices; but, after two days solitary confinement in the Tower, and the rack being just set before him, his courage was shaken, and he made a full .disclosure of the treason.- Upon the first notice that Fawkes was arrested, Catesby, Piercy, and Winter, fled hastily into Warwickshire, where they joined the party of Sir E. Dighy. Sir Everard, having failed in his attempt to seize the Princess, was already pressed, and almost beset by the sheriffs. After being driven for some time from place to place before their enemies, they made a resolute stand at the house of Holback, in. Staffordshire; but here part of their powder having accidentally explEded, they were thrown into the utmost confusion, the gates were flung open, and the armed multitude rushed in upon them from all sides : Catesby and Piercy, fighting back to back, fell by the same shot ; Winter, Digby, and Rookwood, were taken alive, and, with the Jesuits Garnet and Oldcorne, suffered by the executioner. More were afterwards con victed ; and some owed their lives to the clemency of James.
Stourton and Mordaunt, two Catholic lords, having been absent from parliament, were suspected of connivance, and fined, the former in 40001., and the latter in 10,0001. The Earl of Northumberland fell under the same suspicion. It was discovered, that, as captain of the band of Gentle men pensioners, he had excused his cousin Piercy, upon his.admission into that corps, from taking the customary oaths. He was stripped of his employment, imprisoned during the king's pleasure, and fined in 30,0001.
Such was the issue of this memorable treason,—a trea son scarcely more memorable for the desperate zeal and devoted bigotry of its conductors, than for the magnitude of its purpose, and the deep atrocity of its guilt. It has not the excuse of precipitation or passion. Though under taken perhaps in the freshness of imagined injury, it was meditated for years, and with increasing zeal and approba tion. Neither was it the offspring of ignorance and depra vity ; its leaders were the most esteemed and most enlight ened of their religion. Hence may be traced in the minds of Protestants, a jealousy and a prejudice, which, even in these times, yield, with much reluctance, to the better views and more tolerant spirit of enlightened Christia nity. (v)