Monteagle knew not what to think of this letter, and shewed it to Lord Salisbury, who was not inclined to pay much attention to it, but who nevertheless laid it before the king. The king had sagacity enough to perceive, from its serious, earnest style, that something important was meant; and this forewarning of a sudden and terrible blow, yet with the authors concealed, made his suspicions come very near the truth. The day before the meeting of Parliament he sent the Earl of Suffolk to examine all the vaults under the Houses of Parliament. In that which was under the House of Lords, Suffolk was surprised to see so many piles of wood and faggots, and was also struck with the dark and mysterious countenance of Guy Fawkes, who was found there, and who called himself Percy's servant. It was then resolved to make a more thorough inspection, and about midnight a magistrate was sent for, with proper attendants for that purpose. On turning over the faggots, the barrels of gunpowder were discovered. Fawkes had been seized near the door, and matches and everything required for setting the train on fire were found upon him. He at first appeared quite undaunted, but his courage afterwards failed him, and he made a full discovery of the plot, and of all the conspirators. Catesby, Percy, and some others hurried into Warwickshire, where one of their confederates, Sir Everard Digby, not doubting but that the expected catastrophe in London had taken place, was already in arms. The country was soon roused against these wretches, who took refuge in one of those fortified houses which were common at that period, and resolved to defend themselves to the last. But the same fate awaited them which they had designed for so many others. Their gunpowder caught fire, and blew up, maiming and destroying several of them. The rest rushed out upon the multitude, and were literally cut to pieces, except a few who were taken alive, and afterwards executed. The king shewed more moderation on this occasion than was approved of by his subjects in general, who were wound up to such a pitch of horror at the greatness of the crime which had been attempted, that they would gladly have had every Papist in the kingdom put to death; and they were very much displeased that James punished those only who were more immediately concerned in the plot. When the ferment of this affair was over, James employed himself in an unsuccessful attempt to bring about a union between his two kingdoms; but the Parliament of England was so much swayed by old and vulgar prejudices and antipathies against the Scots, that it would agree to nothing, except to annul the hostile laws which had formerly subsisted between the two kingdoms. They would have done well to have followed the example of good sense and candour which James really shewed them in his arguments on this point. Argument, indeed, was his delight and his glory. He loved to exhibit his wisdom and learning in long and sometimes sagacious harangues. But this was all he could do. Though he could talk he could not act; he wanted both decision and exertion; and the Parliament, soon finding out his weakness, listened to his speeches, but paid no other attention to them, and contrived by degrees to strengthen its own power, and diminish that of the crown; so that, while he was perpetually talking of his kingly prerogative, he gradually lost much of it. His bad management of the finances, and his profuse generosity to his favourites, involved him in great difficulties. Amongst other ways of procuring money, he sold titles and dignities. The title of baronet, which might be purchased by any bidder for a thousand pounds, was now first created to supply his necessities. The idea was suggested by Lord Salisbury; and this species of hereditary knighthood is, I believe, still quite peculiar to this country. II. Books of Reference. For many of the subjects prescribed (both for Prose and Verse Composition) in the previous Exercises, the pupil will require to gather materials from different sources. The following List contains Authorities and Books of Reference which are in general easily accessible. In cases in which the information necessary for writing a Theme or Poem is not likely to be within the reach of all the members of a class, the teacher is recommended to read, in their hearing, such portions of any of the following works as may be required, on which they should make notes, as directed in § 114. 1.:— 1. ANCIENT HISTORY, BIOGRAPHY, MYTHOLOGY, &c. Dr Smith's Classical Dictionaries. Plutarch's Lives, Langhorne's Translation. The Student's Histories of Greece and Rome. Dr Schmitz's Histories of Greece and Rome, Ancient History, and Cox's Tales from Greek Mythology; and Gods and Heroes. Grimm's Household Stories. Andersen's Danish Fairy Legends and Tales. 2. MODERN HISTORY, AND BIOGRAPHY, ADVENTURES, &c. Cyclopædia of Universal Biography. Dictionary of Biography. Hume's England. Charles Knight's Popular History of England. Lingard's History of England. Scott's Tales of a Grandfather (Scotland and France). Scott's Provincial Antiquities. The Student's Hume, Gibbon, and France. Hallam's Middle Ages. Robertson's Charles V. Tytler's Modern British Plutarch. Murray's History of British India. Chambers's Domestic Annals of Scotland. Percy Anecdotes. 3. MISCELLANEOUS. Encyclopædia Britannica. The English Cyclopædia,-Biography, Arts, and Sciences. Haydn's Dictionary of Dates. Maunder's Treasuries. |