London and the Kingdom - Volume II | Page 7

be levied by order of the court of Common Council
(23 Aug.) on the companies, according to rates agreed upon at the time
of the loan of £20,000 to the late queen in 1598,(37) and it was to be
delivered to Sir Thomas Lowe, the treasurer of the fund, by the 5th
September. Some of the companies, however, proved remiss in paying
their quota.(38)
(M15)
The action of James in expelling the Jesuits and Seminary priests had in
the meantime so incensed the Catholics that a plot was set on foot for
blowing up the king, the lords and commons, with gunpowder, as soon
as parliament should re-assemble. In May (1604) a house had been
hired by a Catholic named Robert Catesby, through which access might
be gained to the basement of the parliament-house. The party-wall,
however, proved exceptionally thick, and more than a year elapsed
before the necessary mining operations were complete. Catesby was
assisted in his work by a Spaniard named Guy Fawkes, who assumed
the name of John Johnson. In the spring of 1605 the exasperation of the
Catholics was increased by James again imposing the recusancy fines,
and the little band of plotters increased in numbers, although never
allowed to become large. The design of the conspirators was rendered
more easy of execution by the discovery that a cellar reaching under the

parliament-house was to be let. This was hired by one of the plotters,
and a large quantity of gunpowder was safely deposited there and
carefully concealed. After several adjournments parliament was
summoned to assemble on the 5th November. On the eve of its meeting
Fawkes entered the cellar with a lantern, ready to fire the train in the
morning. One of the conspirators, however, Tresham by name, had
given his friends some hint of the impending danger. Fawkes was
seized and committed to the Tower, where he was subjected to the most
horrible torture by the king's orders.(39) The rest of the conspirators,
with the exception of Winter, took immediate flight. Hue and cry was
raised,(40) and a personal description of the leaders for their better
identification was scattered throughout the country. Winter was
described as "a man of meane stature, rather lowe than otherwise,
square made, somewhat stouping, neere fortie yeares of age, his haire
and beard browne, his beard not much and his haire short"; Stephen
Littleton, another conspirator, as "a verye tall man, swarthy of
complexion, of browne coloured haire, no beard or litle, about thirty
yeares of age"; and Thomas Percy, another, as "a tall man, with a great
broad beard, a good face, the colour of his beard and head mingled with
white heares, but stoupeth somewhat in the shoulders, well coloured in
the face, long-footed, small legged."(41)
On the 8th November the mayor issued his precept for bonfires to be
lighted that evening in the principal streets of the city in token of joy
and thanksgiving for the deliverance of the king and parliament from
this "most horrible treason."(42) A week later (16 Nov.) another
precept was addressed to the alderman of each ward to furnish an extra
watch, as those who had been engaged in safe-guarding the city had
found the work too much for them "since the troubles begonne."(43) A
diligent search was subsequently ordered to be made in every cellar and
vault for any illegal store of gunpowder.(44) Fawkes and such of his
fellow-conspirators as were taken alive were brought to trial at
Westminster, in January (1606), and executed, some in St. Paul's
Churchyard and others before the parliament-house, their quarters
being afterwards placed on the city's gates, whilst their heads were
stuck up on London bridge.(45) Pending their trial a double watch was
kept in the city and fresh halberds issued.(46)

Three Jesuits were implicated in the plot, their names being John
Gerrard, Oswald Greenway, and Henry Garnet. Gerrard and Greenway
effected their escape, but Garnet was captured after having suffered
much deprivation whilst in hiding, and was brought to trial at the
Guildhall. Gerrard is described as tall and well set up, but his
complexion "swart or blackish, his face large, his cheeks sticking out
and somewhat hollow underneath," his hair long unless recently cut, his
beard cut close, "saving littell mustachoes and a littell tuft under his
lower lippe," his age about forty. Equally precise descriptions are given
of Greenway and Garnet; the former being represented as of "meane
stature, somewhat grosse," his hair black, his beard bushy and brown,
his forehead broad, and his age about the same as that of Gerrard;
whilst Garnet is described as an older man, between fifty and sixty
years of age, of fair complexion, full face and grisly hair, with a high
forehead, and corpulent.(47) At his trial, which took place on the 28th
March, Garnet denied