nd to the people." Then Garnet
said to those near him, "I always disapproved of tumults and seditions
against the king, and if this crime of the powder treason had been
completed I should have abhorred it with my whole soul and conscience."
They then advised him to declare as much to the people. "I am very
weak," said he, "and my voice fails me. If I should speak to the people,
I cannot make them hear me; it is impossible that they should hear me."
Then said Mr. Recorder, "Mr. Garnet, if you will come with me, I will
take care that they shall hear you," and, going before him, led him to
the western end of the scaffold. He still hesitated to address the
people, but the Recorder urged him to speak his mind freely, promising
to repeat his words aloud to the multitude. Garnet then addressed the
crowd as follows:--"My good fellow-citizens,--I am come hither, on the
morrow of the invention of the Holy Cross, to see an end of all my pains
and troubles in this world. I here declare before you all that I
consider the late treason and conspiracy against the State to be cruel
and detestable; and, for my part, all designs and endeavours against the
king were ever misliked by me; and if this attempt had been perfected,
as it was designed, I think it would have been altogether damnable; and
I pray for all prosperity to the king, the queen, and the royal family."
Here he paused, and the Recorder reminded him to ask pardon of the King
for that which he had attempted. "I do so," said Garnet, "as far as I
have sinned against him--namely, in that I did not reveal that whereof
I had a general knowledge from Mr. Catesby, but not otherwise." Then
said the Dean of Winchester, "Mr. Garnet, I pray you deal clearly in the
matter: you were certainly privy to the whole business." "God forbid!"
said Garnet; "I never understood anything of the design of blowing up
the Parliament House." "Nay," responded the Dean of Winchester, "it is
manifest that all the particulars were known to you, and you have
declared under your own hand that Greenaway told you all the
circumstances in Essex." "That," said Garnet, "was in secret confession,
which I could by no means reveal." Then said the Dean, "You have
yourself, Mr. Garnet, almost acknowledged that this was only a pretence,
for you have openly confessed that Greenaway told you not in a
confession, but by way of a confession, and that he came of purpose to
you with the design of making a confession; but you ans