60 DISCOVERY OF THE GUNPOWDER PLOT. to examine him. All that day could the Council get nothing out of him touching his accom plices, refusing to answer any such questions as he thought might discover the plot, and laying all the blame upon himself; whereunto, he said, he was moved only for religion and conscience' sake, denying the king to be his lawful sovereign, or the anointed of God, in respect he was an heretic, and giving himself no other name than John Johnson, servant to Thomas Percy. But the next morning being carried to the Tower, he did not there remain above two or three days, being twice or thrice in that space reexamined, and the rack only offered and showed unto him, when the mask of his Roman fortitude did visibly begin to wear and slide off his face, and than did he begin to confess part of the truth, and thereafter to open the whole matter, as doth appear by his depositions immediately following. A TRUE COPY Of the Declaration of GUIDO FAWKES, taken in the Presence of the Councillors whose Names are under written. I CONFESS, that a practice in general was first broken unto me, against his majesty, for relief of the Catholic cause, and not invented or propounded by myself. And this was first propounded unto me about Easter last was twelve months, beyond the seas, in the Low Countries of the Archduke's obeisance, by Thomas Winter, who came thereupon with me into England, and there we imparted our purpose to three other gentlemen more, namely, Robert Catesby, Thoinas Percy, and John Wright, who all five consulting together of the means how to execute the same, and taking a vow among ourselves for secrecy, Catesby propounded to have it performed by gunpowder, and by making a mine under the Upper House of Parliament; which place we made choice of the rather, because religion having been unjustly suppressed there, it was fittest that justice and punishment should be executed there. This being resolved amongst us, Thomas Percy hired a house at Westminster for that purpose, near adjoining to the Parliament House, and there we begun to make our mine about the 11th of December, 1604. The five that first entered into the work were Thomas Percy, Robert Catesby, Thomas Winter, John Wright, and myself; and soon after we took another unto us, Christopher Wright, having sworn him also, and taken the sacrament for secrecy. When we came to the very foundation of the 62 THE DECLARATION OF GUIDO FAWKES wall of the house, which was about three yards thick, and found it a matter of great difficulty, we took unto us another gentleman, Robert Winter, in like manner with oath and sacrament as aforesaid. It was about Christmas when we brought our mine unto the wall, and about Candlemas we had wrought the wall half through; and whilst they were in working, I stood as sentinel, to descry any man that came near, whereof I gave them warning, and so ceased until I gave notice again to proceed. All we seven lay in the house, and had shot and powder, being resolved to die in that place, before we should yield or be taken. As they were working upon the wall, they heard a rushing in a cellar as of removing of coals, whereupon we feared we had been discovered and they sent me to go to the cellar, who finding that the coals were a-selling, and that the cellar was to be let, viewing the commodity thereof for our purpose, Percy went and hired the same for yearly rent. We had before this provided and brought into the house twenty barrels of powder, which we removed into the cellar, and covered the same with billets and faggots, which were provided for that purpose. About Easter, the Parliament being prorogued till October next, we dispersed ourselves, and I retired into the Low Countries, by advise and direction of the rest, as well to acquaint Owen with the particulars of the plot, as also lest by my longer stay I might have grown suspicious, and so have come in question. In the meantime Percy having the key of the cellar, laid in more powder and wood into ́it. I returned about the beginning of September next, and then receiving the key again of Percy, we brought in more powder and billets to cover the same again, and so I went for a time into the country till the 30th of October. It was further resolved amongst us, that the same day that this act should have been performed, some other of our confederates should have surprised the person of the Lady Elizabeth, the king's eldest daughter, who was kept in Warwickshire at the Lord Harrington's house, and presently have proclaimed her queen, having a project of a proclamation ready for that purpose; wherein we made no mention of altering of religion, nor would have avowed the deed to be ours, until we should have had power enough to make our party good, and then we would have avowed both. Concerning Duke Charles, the king's second son, we had sundry consultations how to seize on his person. But because we found no means how to compass it (the duke being kept near London, where we had not forces enough), we resolved to serve our turn with the Lady Elizabeth. The names of the principal persons that were made privy afterwards to this horrible conspiracy: EVERARD DIGBY, Knight. FRANCIS TRESHAM. JOHN GRANT. ROBERT KEYES. And in regard that before this discourse could be ready to go to the press, Thomas Winter, being apprehended and brought to the Tower, made a confession in substance agreeing with this former of Fawkes, only larger in some circumstances, I have thought good to insert the same likewise in this place, for the further clearing of the matter, and greater benefit of the reader. THOMAS WINTER's Confession, taken the 23rd of November, 1605, in the presence of the Councillors whose names are under-written. MY MOST HONOURABLE LORDS, NOT out of hope to obtain pardon; for, speaking of my temporal part, I may say, the fault is greater than can be forgiven,-nor affecting hereby the title of a good subject; for I must redeem my country from as great a danger as I have hazarded the bringing of her into, before I can purchase any such opinion,-only at your honours' command I will briefly set down mine own accusation, and how far I have proceeded in this business; which I shall the more faithfully do, since I see such courses are not pleasing to Almighty God, and that all, or the most material parts, have been already confessed. I remained with my brother in the country from Allhallowtide until the beginning of Lent, in the year of our Lord 1603, the first year of the king's reign; about which time Master Catesby sent thither, entreating me to come to London, where he and others of my friends would be glad to see me. I desired him to excuse me, for I found myself not very well disposed; and, which had happened never to me before, returned the messenger without my company. Shortly I received another letter, in anywise to come. At the second summons I presently came up, and found him with Mas |