should fail to attend in their places; for there
was a suspicion that certain Roman Catholic lords were implicated in the
treason. Some were in consequence imprisoned and fined. In the House of
Commons the same subject was discussed the first day of the session. The
minds of men indeed could dwell on nothing else; nor is it surprising
that such was the case; for a most horrible plot had been discovered,
and the traitors were already in prison awaiting the sentence of the
law. At length a committee was appointed to decide upon some course to
be taken against _jesuits_, _seminaries_, and other _papal agents_.

[Footnote 18: Ibid. v. 141.]

The conspirators were tried and convicted at common law, as will be
related in the next chapter; but the parliament seemed anxious to award
some new punishment, beyond that which was ordinarily inflicted on
traitors, on such culprits, for the purpose of marking their sense of
their crime. Accordingly a committee was appointed in the lords to
consider what extraordinary punishments should be inflicted. While they
were engaged in this business, it was reported to the house, that it was
not convenient to delay longer the trial of the conspirators, and
therefore the matter dropped. The commons were no less anxious on the
subject than the lords. The question was debated at some length; but at
last it was determined, that the conspirators should be left to the
ordinary courts of justice. On the 25th of January, however, the commons
framed and passed a bill, which was sent up to the lords, entitled, _"An
Act for Appointing a Thanksgiving to Almighty God every year on the
Fifth of November."_ When the bill was carried to the lords, the
messengers stated, "that the whole body of the commons having entered
into consideration of the great blessing of God, in the happy
preservation of his majesty and the state, from the late most dangerous
treason intended to have been attempted by the instigation of _jesuits_,
_seminaries_, and _Romish priests_, had framed and passed the said bill
in their house, as the first fruits of their labours, in this session of
parliament, which they did very earnestly recommend to their lordships."
The lords read and passed the bill in three days, without even going
into a committee. This act is, therefore, the _first_ in the printed
statutes of the session. Several bills were passed against recusants and
as a protection to the Protestant religion. On the 27th of May