GUNPOWDER PLOT

In English History, the celebrated conspiracy of certain disappointed Roman Catholics to destroy the king, James I., and the two Houses of Parliament, by gunpowder, which was detected on the 4th of November, lfiO.=i. Its details are among the most popular portions of English history, and too well known to need repetition. But the miraculous exercise of sagacity by which King James is commonly said to have detected the nature of the plot, from the mysterious Ifitter sent to Lord Mon teagle, is now perhaps negatived beyond a doubt. It had long been remarked that Salisbury and Car lisle (probably before the scheme between themselves and their royal master was concerted) had claimed for themselves the credit of the discovery; and it now appears that Lord Mon teagle had been previously rewarded by government for mysterious services, apparently rendered in the capacity of spy: so that it is highly probable that he was acquainted with the design of the male contents, and that the celebrated letter was an invention, destined to conceal the real mode of discovery. Those who are anxious to study the Roman Catholic vergion of the story will find it ably detailed in the pages of Lingard (vol. vii. ch. 1. 4to ed.). That writer seeks to throw the whole onus of the conspiracy on Catesby, its rhief promoter, and to exculpate Father Garnet; but Mr. Jardine (in his State Trials), who has fully investigated the subject, is of a different opinion. 630 [s. 549]