a vehicle for publishing the common news of the
day. At a subsequent period, during the commotions between Charles I.
and his Parliament, when the latter obtained possession of most of the
pulpits, they were the only channels through which many of the people
were made acquainted with the progress of the war. Whatever had occurred
during the week was published to the people, from the pulpit, on the
Sunday[6].

[Footnote 6: For a description of the proceedings of the
Parliamentary divines in publishing the _news_ of the day from
the pulpits during the civil war, the reader is referred to my
former work, _A History of the English Episcopacy from 1640 to
1660_.]

King James, therefore, succeeded to the English crown at a period when
the pope and the papal sovereigns entertained the most sanguine hopes of
re-establishing popery in this country, and when numbers of Jesuits and
their disciples were ready to execute any treason which might be
concocted.

CHAPTER II.

SKETCHES OF THE CONSPIRATORS.

The persons actually engaged in this atrocious deed were few in number:
at the outset, indeed, very few: but the design was gradually revealed
to others, though even when the discovery actually took place, the
number was comparatively small. That there was a general belief among
the Romanist body, that some great and effective blow would be struck,
is a fact which I need not attempt to prove, since it is so well known,
that no doubt can be entertained on the subject: but how the design was
to be carried into effect was a secret to the great body of the Roman
Catholics. The conspirators were thirteen in number. Their names were as
follows:--

Robert Catesby,
Robert Winter,
Thomas Percy,
Thomas Winter,
John Wright,
Christopher Wright,
Everard Digby, Knt.,
Ambrose Rookwood,
Francis Tresham,
John Grant,
Robert Keys,
Guy Fawkes,
And Bates, the servant of Catesby.

Of this number, five only were engaged in the plot at its commencement,
the rest being associated with them during its progress. Several of them
took no active part in the mine; they were, however, in the secret, and
furnished the money necessary to carry on the work. Three Jesuits, as
will appear in the narrative, were also privy to the design, and
counselled and encouraged the conspirators. They were Garnet, Gerrard,
and Tesmond, _alias_ Greenway. I shall endeavour to place before the
reader such particula