823 Ai64u M LI B RAHY OF THE UNIVERSITY Of ILLINOIS 1811 s '• w <\ t The person charging this material is re- sponsible for its return to the library from which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the University. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN NOV DEC 1 5 19/7 < \ L161 — O-1096 The person charging this material is re- sponsible for its return to the library from which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the University. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SUJLDJNG L ! 3 - 1977 SUILQIN0 USE NOV 4 -1577 NOV - >\ 1S7 3UIL0JNG I NOV 7m NOV 7m SE ONU SE GNU LI61 — O-1096 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://www.archive.org/details/guyfawkesorgunpo01ains GUY FAWKES; THE GUNPOWDER TREASON, AN HISTORICAL ROMANCE PY AVILLIAM HARRISON AINSVORTH. AUTHOR OF THE " TOWER OF LONDON." F.TC, ' You shall swear by the blessed Trinity, and bj tht sacrament you now propo* to receive, n^cr to disclose directly o> indirectly, by word or circumstame, the matter mat shall be proposed to 'you to keep secret; nor desist from the execution thereof till the rest shall give you leave." oath of the Conspirators. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS liY GEORGE CRUIKSHANK IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: RICH- *r> BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1841, 3 i TO cr cr MRS. HUGHES, KINGSTON LISLE, BERKS. My dear Mrs. Hughes, You are aware that this Romance was brought to a close during my last brief visit at King- ston Lisle, when the time necessary to be de- voted to it deprived me of the full enjoyment of your society, and, limiting my range — no very irksome restriction, — to your own charm- ing garden and grounds, prevented me from accompanying you in your walks to your fa- vourite and beautiful downs. This circum- . stance, which will suffice to give it some in- terest in your eyes by associating it with your residence, furnishes me with a plea, of which I gladly avail myself, of inscribing it with your name, and of recording, at the same time, the VI DEDICATION. high sense I entertain of your goodness and worth, the value I set upon your friendship, — a friendship shared in common with some of the most illustrious writers of our time, — and the gratitude I shall never cease to feel for atten- tions and kindnesses little less than maternal, which I have experienced at your hands. In the hope that you may long continue to diffuse happiness round your own circle, and contribute to the instruction and delight of the many attached friends with whom you main- tain so active and so interesting a correspon- dence ; and that you may live to see your grandsons fulfil their present promise, and tread in the footsteps of their high-minded and excel- lent-hearted father, — and of his father! I remain Your affectionate and obliged friend, W. Harrison Ainsworth. Kensal Manor House, Harrow Road, July 26, 1841. PREFACE. The tyrannical measures adopted against the Roman Catholics in the early part of the reign of James the First, when the severe penal en- actments against recusants were revived, and with additional rigour, and which led to the remarkable conspiracy about to be related, have been so forcibly and faithfully described by Doctor Lingard,* that the following extract from his history will form a fitting introduction to the present work. " The oppressive and sanguinary code framed in the reign of Elizabeth, was re-enacted to its full extent, and even improved with additional severities. Every individual who had studied or resided, or should afterwards study or reside in any college or seminary beyond the sea, was rendered incapable of inheriting, or purchasing, or enjoying lands, annuities, chattels, debts, or * Vide History of England, vol ix. New Edition. Vlll PREFACE. sums of money, within the realm ; and as mis- sionaries sometimes eluded detection under the disguise of tutors, it was provided that no man should teach even the rudiments of grammar in public or in private, without the previous approbation of the diocesan. " The execution of the penal laws enabled the king, by an ingenious comment, to derive con- siderable profit from his past forbearance. It was pretended that he had never forgiven the penalties of recusancy ; he had merely for- bidden them to be exacted for a time, in the hope that this indulgence would lead to con- formity ; but his expectations had been de- ceived ; the obstinacy of the Catholics had grown with the lenity of the sovereign ; and, as they were unworthy of further favour, they should now be left to the severity of the law. To their dismay, the legal fine of twenty pounds per lunar month was again demanded, and not only for the time to come, but for the whole period of the suspension ; a demand which, by crowding thirteen payments into one, reduced many families of moderate, in- PREFACE. ix comes to a state of absolute beggary. Nor was this all. James was surrounded by num- bers of his indigent countrymen. Their habits were expensive, their wants many, and their importunities incessant. To satisfy the more clamorous, a new expedient was devised. The king transferred to them his claims on some of the more opulent recusants, against whom they were at liberty to proceed by law, in his name, unless the sufferers should submit to compound by the grant of an annuity for life, or the immediate payment of a considerable sum. This was at a time when the jealousies between the two nations had reached a height, of which, at the present day, we have but little conception. Had the money been carried to the royal coffers, the recusants would have had sufficient reason to complain ; but that Englishmen should be placed by their king at the mercy of foreigners, that they should be stripped of their property to support the extravagance of his Scottish minions, this added indignity to injustice, exacerbated their already wounded feelings, and goaded the most mo- X PREFACE. derate almost to desperation." From this de- plorable state of things, which is by no means over-coloured in the above description, sprang the Gunpowder Plot. The county of Lancaster has always abound- ed in Catholic families, and at no period were the proceedings of the ecclesiastical commis- sioners more rigorous against them than at that under consideration. Manchester, "the Goshen of this Egypt," as it is termed by the fiery zealot, Warden Hey rick, being the place where all the recusants were imprisoned, the scene of the early part of this history has been laid in that town and its immediate neighbourhood. For the introduction of the munificent founder of the Blue Coat Hospital into a tale of this description I ought, perhaps, to apologize, but if I should succeed by it in arousing my fellow- townsmen to a more lively appreciation of the great benefits they have derived from him, I shall not regret what I have written. In Viviana Radcliffe I have sought to portray the loyal and devout Catholic, such as I con- ceive the character to have existed at the PREFACE. XI period. In Catesby, the unscrupulous and ambitious plotter, masking his designs under the cloak of religion. In Garnet, the subtle, and yet sincere Jesuit. And in Fawkes the gloomy and superstitious enthusiast. One doc- trine I have endeavoured to enforce through- out, — Toleration. From those who have wilfully misinterpreted one of my former productions, and have at- tributed to it a purpose and an aim utterly foreign to my own intentions, I can scarcely expect fairer treatment for the present work. But to that wider and more discriminating class of readers from whom I have experienced so much favour and support, I confidently com- mit these volumes, certain of meeting with leniency and impartiality. CONTENTS FIRST VOLUME. DEDICATION PKEFACE Page Book tljc dfust. THE PLOT. Chapter I. AN EXECUTION IN MANCHESTER, AT THE BE" GINNING OF THE SEVENTEENTH 1 EN P 14 V 3 II. ORDSALL CAVE 26 III. ORDSALL HALL 31 IV. THE SEA UC II . 67 v. CHAT -MOSS .... 81 VI. THE DISINTERMENT 128 VII. DOCTOR DEE 133 fill. THE MAGIC GLASS 14<> IX. THE PRISON ON SALFORD BRIDGE 163 X. THE FATE OF THE PURSUIVANT 175 xiv CONTENTS. Chapter Pa £ e XL THE PILGRIMAGE TO SAINT WINIFRED'S WELL . 189 . 220 . 2.31 XII. THE VISION XIII. THE CONSPIRATORS XIV. THE PACKET . XV. THE ELIXIR 279 ILLUSTRATIONS TO GUY FAWKES. VOL. I. Guy Fawkes and Clietham rescuing Father Oldeorne and Viviana . . to face the Title. Guy Fawkes in Ordsall Cave . . Page 30 Guy Fawkes discovers Dr. Dee disinterring the body of Elizabeth Orton .... 131 Dr. Dee exhibiting his magical skill to Guy Fawkes 11)2 Vision of Guy Fawkes at St. Winifred's Well . 21 9 Guy Fawkes preventing Sir William Radcliffe from joining the conspiracy . . . 252 Dr. Dee resuscitating Guy Fawkes . . . 301 VOL. II. Guy Fawkes keeping watch upon Tresham and Lord Mounteagle . . .to face the Title. Guy Fawkes protecting Chetham from Catesby Page 44 Viviana imploring Guy Fawkes to abandon the con- spiracy . . . . . 76 Guy Fawkes and Catesby landing the powder . 11$ Guy Fawkes and the other Conspirators alarmed 175 ia examined by the Earl of Salisbury, &c. in the Star Chamber .... Guy Fawkes laying the train . . . 305 XVI ILLUSTRATIONS. VOL. III. Execution of Guy Fawkes . to face the Title. Guy Fawkes arrested by Sir Thomas Knevett and Topcliffe .... Page 46 Guy Fawkes interrogated by King James the First 87 Guy Fawkes subscribing his examination after the torture .... 125 The explosion at Holbeach . . 178 Death of Catesby .... 203 Discovery of Garnet and Oldcorne at Hendlip . 268 Death of Viviana ...... 324 GUY FAWKES. 33oofc tf)t d?trst, THE PLOT. Their searches are many and severe. They come either in the ni^ht or early in the morning, and ever seek their opportunity, when the Ca- tholics are or would be best occupied, or are likely to be worse provided or look for nothing. They willingliest come when few are at home to resist them, that they may rifle coders, and do what they list. They lock up the servants, and the mistress of the house, and the whole family, in a room by themselves, while they, like young princes, go rifling the house at their will. Letter to Verstegan, ap. Stonyhurst MSS. What a thing is it for a Catholic gentleman to have his house suddenly beset on all sides with a number of men in arms, both horse and foot! and not only his house and gardens, and such enclosed places all beset, but all highways laid, for some miles near unto him, that none shall pass, but they shall be examined ! Then are these searchers oft-times so rude and barbarous, that, if the doors be not opened in the instant they would enter, they break open the doors with all violence, as if they were to sack a town of enemies won by the sword. Father Gerard's MS. VOL. CHAPTER I. AN EXECUTION IN MANCHESTER, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. More than two hundred and thirty-five years ago, or, to speak with greater precision, in 1605, at the latter end of June, it was rumoured one morning in Manchester that two seminary priests, condemned at the late assizes under the severe penal enactments then in force against the Pa- pists, were about to suffer death on that day. Attracted by the report, large crowds flocked to- wards the place of execution, which, in order to give greater solemnity to the spectacle, had been fixed at the southern gate of the old Collegiate Church, where a scaffold was erected. Near it was a large blood-stained block, the use of which will be readily divined, and adjoining the block, 4 GUY FAWKES. upon a heap of blazing coals, smoked a caldron filled with boiling pitch, intended to receive the quarters of the miserable sufferers. The place was guarded by a small band of soldiers, fully accoutred in corslets and morions, and armed with swords, half-pikes, and calivers. Upon the steps of the scaffold stood the execu- tioner, — a square-built, ill-favoured personage, busied in arranging a bundle of straw upon the boards. He was dressed in a buff jerkin, and had a long-bladed, two-edged knife thrust into his girdle. Besides these persons, there was a pursuivant, — an officer appointed by the Privy Council to make search throughout the provinces for recusants, Popish priests, and other religious offenders. He was occupied at this moment in reading over a list of suspected persons. Neither the executioner nor his companions appeared in the slightest degree impressed by the butcherly business about to be enacted ; for the former whistled carelessly as he pursued his task, while the latter laughed and chatted with the crowd, or jestingly pointed their matchlocks at the jackdaws wheeling above them in the sunny EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. O air, or perching upon the pinnacles and tower of the neighbouring fane. Not so the majority of the assemblage. Most of the older and wealthier families in Lancashire still -continuing to adhere to the ancient faith of their fathers, it will not be wondered that many of their dependants should follow their example. And, even of those who were adverse to the creed of Rome, there were few who did not murmur at the rigorous system of persecution adopted towards its professors. At nine o'clock, the hollow rolling of a muf- fled drum was heard at a distance. The deep bell of the church began to toll, and presently afterwards the mournful procession was seen ad- vancing from the market-place. It consisted of a troop of mounted soldiers, equipped in all re- spects like those stationed at the scaffold, with their captain at their head, and followed by two of their number with hurdles attached to their steeds, on which were tied the unfortunate vic- tims. Both were young men — both apparently prepared to meet their fate with firmness and re- signation. They had been brought from Rad- cliffe Hall — an old moated and fortified mansion 6 GUY FAWKES. belonging to a wealthy family of that name, situ- ated where the close, called Pool Fold now stands, and then recently converted into a place of security for recusants ; the two other prisons in Manchester — namely, the New Fleet on Hunt's Bank, and the gaol on Salford Bridge, — not being found adequate to the accommodation of the numerous religious offenders. By this time, the cavalcade had reached the place of execution. The soldiers drove back the throng with their pikes, and cleared a space in front of the scaffold ; when, just as the cords that bound the limbs of the priests were unfastened, a woman in a tattered woollen robe, with a hood partially drawn over her face, — the features of which, so far as they could be discerned, were sharp and attenuated, — a rope girded round her waist, bare feet, and having altogether the ap- pearance of a sister of Charity, sprang forward, and flung herself on her knees beside them. Clasping the hem of the garment of the nearest priest, she pressed it to her lips, and gazed earn- estly at him, as if imploring a blessing. " You have your wish, daughter,' 1 said the EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. priest, extending his arms over her. " Heaven and Our Lady bless you ! " The woman then turned towards the other victim, who was audibly reciting the Miserere. "Back, spawn of Antichrist !" interposed a soldier, rudely thrusting her aside. " Don't you see you disturb the father's devotions ? He has enough to do to take care of his own soul without minding yours." " Take this, daughter," cried the priest who had been first addressed, offering her a small volume, which he took from his vest, " and fail not to remember in your prayers the sinful soul of Robert Woodroofe, a brother of the order of Jesus. " The woman put out her hand to take the book ; but before it could be delivered to her, it was seized by the soldier. IC Your priests have seldom anything to leave behind them," he shouted, with a brutal laugh, " except some worthless and superstitious relic of a saint or martyr. What 's this ? Ah ! a breviary — a mass-book. I 've too much regard for your spiritual welfare to allow you to re- 8 GUY FAWKES ceive it," he added, about to place it in his doublet. " Give it her," exclaimed a young man, snatch- ing it from him, and handing it to the woman, who disappeared as soon as she had obtained pos- session of it. The soldier eyed the new-comer as if disposed to resent the interference, but a glance at his apparel, which, though plain, and of a sober hue, was rather above the middle class, as well as a murmur from the crowd, who were evidently dis- posed to take part with the young man, induced him to stay his hand. He, therefore, contented himself with crying, " A recusant ! a Papist !" "I am neither recusant nor Papist, knave ! " replied the other, sternly ; u and I counsel you to amend your manners, and show more hu- manity, or you shall find I have interest enough to procure your dismissal from a service which you disgrace. 1 ' This reply elicited a shout of applause from the mob. " Who is that bold speaker? 11 demanded the pursuivant from one of his attendants. EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. y " Humphrey Chetliam of CrumpsaU,' 1 answer- ed the man ; " son to one of the wealthiest mer- chants of the town, and a zealous upholder of the true faith. 11 " He has a strange way of showing his zeal,' 1 rejoined the pursuivant, entering the answer in his note-book. " And who is the woman he befriended? 11 " A half-crazed being called Elizabeth Orton," replied the attendant. " She was scourged and tortured during Queen Elizabeth's reign for pre- tending to the gift of prophecy, and wa§ com- pelled to utter her recantation within yonder church. Since then she has never opened her lips. 11 " Indeed ! " exclaimed the pursuivant : " I will engage to make her speak, and to some pur- pose. Where does she live P 11 " In a cave on the banks of the Irw ell, near Ordsall' Hall, 11 replied the attendant. " She subsists on the chance contributions of the cha- ritable ; but she solicits nothing, — and, indeed, is seldom seen. 11 " Her cave must be searched, 11 observed the B 5 10 GUY FAWKES. pursuivant ; " it may be the hiding-place of a priest. Father Campion was concealed in such another spot at Stonor Park, near Henley-on- Thames, where he composed his 'Decern Ra- tiones ,*' and, for a long time, eluded the vigilance of the commissioners. — We shall pass it in our way to Ordsall Hall to-night, shall we not?" The attendant nodded an affirmative. " If we surprise Father Oldcorne," continued the pursuivant, " and can prove that Sir William Radcliffe and his daughter, both of whom are denounced in my list, are harbourers and shel- terers of recusants, we shall have done a good night's work." At this moment, an officer advanced, and com- manded the priests to ascend the scaffold. As Father Woodroofe, who was the last to mount, reached the uppermost step, he turned round and cried in a loud voice, " Good people, I take you all to witness that I die in the true Catholic religion, and that I rejoice and thank God with all my soul, that he hath made me wor- thy to testify my faith therein by shedding my blood in this manner." He then advanced to- EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 11 wards the executioner, who was busied in adjust- ing the cord round his companion's throat, and said, " God forgive thee — do thine office quick- ly ;" adding in a lower tone, M Asperge me, Domine ; Domine, miserere met ! " And, amid the deep silence that ensued, the executioner performed his horrible task. The execution over, the crowd began to sepa- rate slowly, and various opinions were expressed respecting the revolting and sanguinary spectacle just witnessed. Many, who condemned — and the majority did so — the extreme severity of the laws by which the unfortunate priests had just suffered, uttered their sentiments with ex- treme caution ; but there were some whose feel- ings had been too much excited for prudence, and who inveighed loudly and bitterly against the spirit of religious persecution then prevailing ; while a few others of an entirely opposite persua- sion looked upon the rigorous proceedings adopt- ed against the Papists, and the punishment now inflicted upon their priesthood, as a just retribu- tion for their own severities during the reign of Mary. In general, the common people enter- 12 GUY FAWKES. tained a strong prejudice against the Catholic party, — for, as it has been shrewdly observed, " they must ever have some object to hate ; here- tofore it was the Welsh, the Scots, or the Spa- niards, but now in these latter times only the Papists ;" but in Manchester, near which, as has been already stated, so many old and important families, professing that religion, resided, the case was widely different ; and the mass of the inha- bitants were favourably inclined towards them. It was the knowledge of this feeling that induced the commissioners, appointed to superintend the execution of the enactments against recusants, to proceed with unusual rigour in this neighbour- hood. The state of the Roman Catholic party at the period of this history, was indeed most grievous. The hopes they had indulged of greater toleration on the accession of James the First, had been entirely destroyed. The persecutions, suspended during the first year of the reign of the new mon- arch, were now renewed with greater severity than ever ; and though their present condition was deplorable enough, it was feared that worse EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 13 remained in store for tliem. " They bethought themselves,"" writes Bishop Goodman, " that now their case was far worse than in the time of Queen Elizabeth ; for they did live in some hope that after the old woman's life, they might have some mitigation, and even those who did then perse- cute them were a little more moderate, as being doubtful what times might succeed, and fearing their own case. But, now that they saw the times settled, having no hope of better days, but expecting that the uttermost rigour of the law should be executed, they became desperate : find- ing that by the laws of the kingdom their own lives were not secured, and for the carrying over of a priest into England it was no less than high treason. A gentlewoman was hanged only for re- lieving and harbouring a priest ; a citizen was hanged only for being reconciled to the Church of Rome ; besides, the penal laws were such, and so executed, that they could not subsist. What was usually sold in shops and usually bought, this the pursuivant would take away from them as being Popish and superstitious. One knight did affirm that in one term he gave twenty nobles in 14 GUY FAWKES. rewards to the door-keeper of the Attorney-gene- ral ; another did affirm, that his third part which remained unto him of his estate did hardly serve for his expense in law to defend him from other oppressions; besides their children to be taken from home, to be brought up in another religion. So they did every way conclude that their estate was desperate ; they could die but once, and their religion was more precious unto them than their lives. They did further consider their mi- sery ; how they were debarred in any course of life to help themselves. They could not practise law, — they could not be citizens, — they could have no office ; they could not breed up their sons — none did desire to match with them ; they had neither fit marriages for their daughters, nor nunneries to put them into ; for those few which are beyond seas are not considerable in respect of the number of recusants, and none can be ad- mitted into them without great sums of money, which they, being exhausted, could not supply. The Spiritual Court did not cease to molest them, to excommunicate them, then to imprison them ; and thereby they were utterly disenabled to sue EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 15 for their own." Such is a faithful picture of the state of the Catholic party at the commencement of the reign of James the First. Pressed down by these intolerable grievances, is it to be wondered at that the Papists should repine, — or that some among their number, when all other means failed, should seek redress by darker measures ? By a statute of Elizabeth, all who refused to conform to the established religion were subjected to a fine of twenty pounds a lunar month ; and this heavy penalty, remitted, or rather suspended, on the accession of the new sovereign, was again exacted, and all arrears claimed. Added to this, James, whose court was thronged by a host of needy Scottish retainers, assigned to them a certain number of wealthy recusants, and empowered them to levy the fines, — a privilege of which they were not slow to avail themselves. There were other pains and penalties provided for by the same statute, which were rigorously inflicted. To withdraw, or seek to withdraw another from the established religion was accounted high treason, and punished accord- ingly ; to hear mass involved a penalty of one 16 GUY FAWKES. hundred marks and a year's imprisonment ; and to harbour a priest, under the denomination of a tutor, rendered the latter liable to a year's im- prisonment, and his employer to a fine of ten pounds a-month. Impressed with the belief that, in consequence of the unremitting persecutions which the Catholics underwent in Elizabeth's time, the religion would be wholly extirpated, Doctor Allen, a Lancashire divine, who after- Wards received a cardinal's hat, founded a college at Douay, for the reception and education of those intending to take orders. From this uni- versity a number of missionary priests, or semi- narists, as they were termed, were annually sent over to England ; and it was against these per- sons, who submitted to every hardship and priva- tion, to danger, and death itself, for the welfare of their religion, and in the hope of propagating its doctrines, that the utmost rigour of the penal enactments was directed. Among the number of seminarists despatched from Douay, and capi- tally convicted under the statute above-men- tioned, were the two priests whose execution has just been narrated. EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 17 As a portion of the crowd passed over the old bridge across the Irwell connecting Manchester with Salford, on which stood an ancient chapel erected by Thomas de Booth, in the reign of Edward the Third, and recently converted into a prison for recusants, they perceived the pro- phetess, Elizabeth Orton, seated upon the stone steps of the desecrated structure, earnestly peru- sing the missal given her by Father Woodroofe. A mob speedily collected round her ; but, un- conscious seemingly of their presence, the poor woman turned over leaf after leaf, and pursued her studies. Her hood was thrown back, and discovered her bare and withered neck, over which her dishevelled hair streamed in long sable elf-locks. Irritated by her indifference, several of the by-standers, who had questioned her as to the nature of her studies, began to mock and jeer her, and endeavoured by plucking her robe, and casting little pebbles at her, to attract her atten- tion. Roused at length by these annoyances, she arose ; and fixing her large black eyes menacingly upon them, was about to stalk away, when they surrounded and detained her. 18 GUY FAWKES. " Speak to us, Bess," cried several voices. " Prophesy — prophesy/' " I will speak to you," replied the poor wo- man, shaking her hand at them, " I will prophesy to you. And mark me, though ye believe me not, my words shall not fall to the ground." " A miracle ! a miracle ! " shouted the by- standers. " Bess Orton, who has been silent for twenty years, has found her tongue at last." " I have seen a vision, and dreamed a dream," continued the prophetess. " As I lay in my cell last night, meditating upon the forlorn state of our religion, and of its professors, methought nineteen shadowy figures stood before me — ay, nineteen — for I counted them thrice — and when I questioned them as to their coming, — for my tongue, at first, clove to the roof of my mouth, and my lips refused their office, — one of them answered in a voice which yet rings in my ears, ' We are the chosen deliverers of our fallen and persecuted church. To us is intrusted the re- building of her temples, — to our hands is com- mitted the destruction of her enemies. The work will be done in darkness and in secret, — EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 19 with toil and travail, — but it will at length be made manifest ; and when the hour is arrived, our vengeance will be terrible and exterminating.' 1 With these words, they vanished from my sight. Ah !" she exclaimed, suddenly starting, and pass- ing her hand across her brow, as if to clear her sight, " it was no dream — no vision. I see one of them now." " Where ? where ?" cried several voices. The prophetess answered by extending her skinny arm towards some object immediately be- fore her. All eyes were instantly turned in the same direction, when they beheld a Spanish soldier — for such his garb proclaimed him — standing at a few paces 1 distance from them. He was wrapped in an ample cloak, with a broad-leafed steeple- crowned hat, decorated with a single green feather, pulled over his brows, and wore a polished-steel brigandine, trunk loose, and buff boots drawn up to the knees. His arms consisted of a brace of petronels thrust into his belt, whence a long rapier depended. His features were dark as bronze, and well-formed, though strongly marked, 20 GUY FAWKES. and had an expression of settled sternness. His eyes were grey and penetrating, and shaded by thick beetle-brows ; and his physiognomy was completed by a black peaked beard. His person was tall and erect, and his deportment soldier-like and commanding. Perceiving he had become an object of notice, the stranger cast a compassionate look at the prophetess, who still remained gazing fixedly at him, and throwing her a few pieces of money, strode away. Watching his retreating figure till it disap- peared from view, the crazed woman tossed her arms wildly in the air, and cried, in a voice of exultation, " Did I not speak the truth ? — did I not tell you I had seen him ? He is the de- liverer of our church, and is come to avenge the righteous blood which hath been this day shed." " Peace, woman, and fly while there is yet time,'" cried the young man who had been desig- nated as Humphrey Chetham. " The pursuivant and his myrmidons are in search of you." " Then they need not go far to find me,"" replied the prophetess. " I will tell them what I told these people, that the day of bloody retri- EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 21 bution is at hand, — that the avenger is arrived. I have seen him twice, — once in my cave, and once again here, — even where you stand." " If you do not keep silence and fly, my poor creature," rejoined Humphrey Chetham, " you will have to endure what you suffered years ago, — stripes, and perhaps torture. Be warned by me — ah ! it is too late. He is approaching." " Let him come," replied Elizabeth Orton, " I am ready for him." " Can none of you force her away ? " cried Humphrey Chetham, appealing to the crowd; " I will reward you." " I will not stir from this spot," rejoined the prophetess, obstinately ; w I will testify to the truth." The kind-hearted young merchant, finding any further attempt to preserve her fruitless, drew aside. By this time, the pursuivant and his attendants had come up. "Seize her!" cried the former, " and let her be placed within this prison till I have reported her to the commissioners. If you will confess to me, woman," he added in a whis- %% GUY FAWKES. per to her, " that you have harboured a priest, and will guide us to his hiding-place, you shall be set free.'" " I know of no priests but those you iiave murdered," returned the prophetess, in a loud voice, " but I will tell you something that you wot not of. The avenger of blood is at hand. I have seen him. All here have seen him. And you shall see him — but not now — not now." " What is the meaning of this raving?" de- manded the pursuivant. " Pay no heed to her talk," interposed Hum- phrey Chetham ; " she is a poor crazed being, who knows not what she says. I will be surety for her inoffensive conduct." " You must give me surety for yourself, sir," replied the pursuivant. " I have just learnt that you were last night at Ordsall Hall, the seat of that ' dangerous temporiser,' — for so he is de- signated in my warrant, — Sir William Radcliffe. And if report speaks truly, you are not altogether insensible to the charms of his fair daughter, Viviana." " What is this to thee, thou malapert knave ?" EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 23 cried Humphrey Chetham, reddening partly from anger, partly, it might be, from another emotion. " Much, as you shall presently find, good Master Wolf-in-sheep's-clothing," retorted the pursuivant ; "if you prove not a rank Papist at heart then do I not know a true man from a false." This angry conference was cut short by a pier- cing scream from the prophetess. Breaking from the grasp of her captors, who were about to force her into the prison, she sprang with a single bound upon the parapet of the bridge ; and utterly regardless of her dangerous position, turned, and faced the soldiers, who were struck mute with astonishment. " Tremble ! " she cried in a loud voice, — " tremble, ye evil-doers ! Ye who have despoil- ed the house of God, — have broken his altars, — scattered his incense, — slain his priests. Trem- ble, I say. The avenger is arrived. The bolt is in his hand. It shall strike king, lords, com- mons, — all ! These- are my last words, — take them to heart." " Drag her off ! " roared the pursuivant, furiously. 24 GUY FAWKES. " Use care — use gentleness, if ye are men !" cried Humphrey Chetham. " Think not you can detain me!" cried the prophetess. " Avaunt, and tremble !" So saying she flung herself from the parapet. The height from which she fell was about fifty feet. Dashed into the air like jets from a foun- tain by the weight and force of the descending body, the water instantly closed over her. But she rose to the surface of the stream, about twenty yards below the bridge. " She may yet be saved," cried Humphrey Chetham, who with the by-standers had hurried to the side of the bridge. " You will only preserve her for the gallows," observed the pursuivant. 44 Your malice shall not prevent my making the attempt," replied the young merchant. " Ha ! assistance is at hand." The exclamation was occasioned by the sudden appearance of the soldier in the Spanish dress, who rushed towards the left bank of the river, which was here, as elsewhere, formed of red sand- stone rock, and following the course of the cur- EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 25 rent, awaited the next appearance of the drowning woman. It did not occur till she had been carried a considerable distance down the stream, when the soldier, swiftly divesting himself of his cloak, plunged into the water, and dragged her ashore. " Follow me, 11 cried the pursuivant to his attendants. " I will not lose my prey." But before he gained the bank of the river, the soldier and his charge had disappeared, nor could he detect any traces of them. VOL. I. 26 GUY FAWKES. CHAPTER II. ORDSALL CAVE. After rescuing the unfortunate prophetess from a watery grave in the manner just related, the soldier snatched up his cloak, and, taking his dripping burthen in his arms, hurried swiftly along the bank of the river, until he came to a large cleft in the rock, into which he crept, taking the prophetess with him, and thus eluded ob- servation. In this retreat he continued upwards of two hours, during which time the poor crea- ture, to whom he paid every attention that cir- cumstances would admit, had so far recovered as to be able to speak. But it was evident that the shock had been too much for her, and that she was sinking fast. She was so faint that she conld scarcely move ; but she expressed a strong desire to reach her cell before she breathed her last. ORDSALL CAVE. 27 Having described its situation as accurately as she could to the soldier, — who before he ventured forth peeped out to reconnoitre, — he again raised her in his arms, and by her direction struck into a narrow lane skirting the bank of the river. Pursuing this road for about half a mile, he arrived at the foot of a small knoll, covered by a clump of magnificent beech-trees, and still acting under the guidance of the dying woman, whose voice grew more feeble each instant, he mounted it, and from its summit took a rapid survey of the surrounding country. On the opposite bank of the river stood an old hall, while further on, at some distance, he could perceive through the trees the gables and chimneys of another ancient mansion. u Raise me up," said Elizabeth Orton, as he lingered on this spot for a moment. " In that old house, which you see yonder, Hulme Hall, I was born. I would willingly take one look at it before I die." " And the other hall which I discern through the trees is Ordsall, is it not ? " inquired the soldier. c2 28 GUY FAWKES. " It is," replied the prophetess. (l And now let us make what haste we can. We have not far to go ; and I feel I shall not last long. 11 Descending the eminence, and again entering the lane, which here made a turn, the soldier approached a grassy space, walled in on either side by steep sandstone rocks. At the further extremity of the enclosure, after a moment's search, by the direction of his companion, he found, artfully concealed by overhanging brush- wood, the mouth of a small cave. He crept into the excavation, and found it about six feet high, and of considerable depth. The roof was orna- mented with Runic characters and other grotesque and half-effaced inscriptions, while the sides were embellished with Gothic tracery, amid which the letters I.H.S, carved in ancient church text, could be easily distinguished. Tradition assigned the cell to the priests of Odin, but it was evident that worshippers at other and holier altars had more recently made it their retreat. Its present occu- pant had furnished it with a straw pallet and a small wooden crucifix fixed in a recess in the wall. Gently depositing her upon the pallet, the soldier ORDSALL CAVE. 29 took a seat beside her on a stone slab at the foot of the bed. He next, at her request, as the cave was rendered almost wholly dark by the over- hanging trees, struck a light, and set fire to a candle placed within a lantern. After a few moments passed in prayer, the recluse begged him to give her the crucifix that she might clasp it to her breast. This done, she became more composed, and prepared to meet her end. Suddenly, as if something had again dis- turbed her, she opened wide her glazing eyes, and starting up with a dying effort, stretched out her hands. 61 I see him before them ! " she cried. " They examine him, — they adjudge him ! Ah ! he is now in a dungeon ! See, the torturers advance ! He is placed on the rack — once — twice — thrice — they turn the levers ! His joints snap in their sockets — his sinews crack ! Mercy ! he con- fesses ! He is led to execution. I see him ascend the scaffold !" " Whom do you behold?" inquired the sol- dier, listening to her in astonishment. " His face is hidden from me," replied the SO GUY FAWKES. prophetess ; " but his figure is not unlike your own. Ha ! I hear the executioner pronounce his name. How are you called ?" " Guy Fawkes," replied the soldier. "It is the name I heard," rejoined Elizabeth Orton. And, sinking backward, she expired. Guy Fawkes gazed at her for some time till he felt assured that the last spark of life had fled. He then turned away, and placing his hand upon his chin, became lost in deep reflection. ju\( JWhL&s i I C&' ORDSALL HALL. 31 CHAPTER III. ORDSALL HALL. Soon after sunset, on the evening of the events previously related, the inmates of Ordsall Hall were disturbed and alarmed (for in those times of trouble any casual disturbance at night was sufficient to occasion alarm to a Catholic family) by a loud clamour for admittance from some one stationed at the farther side of the moat, then, as now, surrounding that ancient manorial residence. The drawbridge being raised, no apprehension was entertained of an attempt at forcible entrance on the part of the intruder, who, so far as he could be discerned in the deepening twilight, rendered yet more obscure by the shade of the trees under which he stood, appeared to be a solitary horseman. Still, for fear of a surprise, it was judged prudent by those inside the hall to 32 GUY FAWKES. turn a deaf ear to the summons ; nor was it until it had been more than once repeated in a per- emptory tone that any attention was paid to it. The outer gate was then cautiously opened by an old steward, and a couple of serving-men, armed with pikes and swords, who demanded the stranger's business, and were answered that he desired to speak with Sir William RadclifTe. The steward rejoined that his master was not at home, having set out the day before for Chester ; but that even if he were, he would take upon himself to affirm that no audience would be given, on any pretence whatever, to a stranger at such an unseasonable hour. To this the other replied, in a haughty and commanding voice, that he was neither a stranger to Sir William Rad- clifTe, nor ignorant of the necessity of caution, though in this instance it was altogether super- fluous ; and, as notwithstanding the steward's assertion to the contrary, he was fully persuaded his master was at home, he insisted upon being conducted to him without further parley, as his business would not brook delay. In vain the steward declared he had spoken the truth. The ORDSALL HALL. 33 stranger evidently disbelieved him ; but, as he could obtain no more satisfactory answer to his interrogations, he suddenly shifted his ground, and inquired whether Sir William's daughter, Mistress Viviana, was likewise absent from home. " Before I reply to the question, I must know by whom and wherefore it is put?" returned the steward, evasively. " Trouble not yourself further, friend, but deliver this letter to her," rejoined the horseman, flinging a packet across the moat. "It is ad- dressed to her father, but there is no reason why she should not be acquainted with its contents." " Take it up, Olin Birtwissel," cried the steward, eyeing the packet which had fallen at his feet suspiciously, — " take it up, I say, and hold it to the light, that I may consider it well before I carry it to our young mistress. I have heard of strange treacheries practised by such means, and care not to meddle with it." , " Neither do I, good Master Heydocke," re- plied Birtwissel. " I would not touch it for a twelvemonth's wages. It may burst, and spoil my good looks, and so ruin my fortunes with the c5 34- GUY FAWKES. damsels. But here is Jeff Gellibronde, who having no beauty to lose, and being, moreover, afraid of nothing, will pick it up for you." " Speak for yourself, Olin," rejoined Gelli- bronde, in a surly tone. " I have no more fancy for a shattered limb, or a scorched face, than my neighbours." " Dolts !" cried the stranger, who had listened to these observations with angry impatience, " if you will not convey my packet, which has no- thing more dangerous about it than an ordinary letter, to your mistress, at least acquaint her that Mr. Robert Catesby, of Ashby St. Legers, is without, and craves an instant speech with her." " Mr. Catesby!" exclaimed the steward, in astonishment. " If it be indeed your worship, why did you not declare yourself at once ? " " I may have as good reason for caution as yourself, Master Heydocke," returned Catesby, laughing. " True, 1 ' rejoined the steward ; " but, me- thinks, it is somewhat strange to find your wor- ship here, when I am aware that my master ex- pected to meet you, and certain other honourable ORDSALL HALL. oo gentlemen that you wot of, at a place in a clean opposite direction, — Holywell, in Flintshire." " The cause of my presence, since you desire to be certified of the matter, is simply this,"" replied Catesby, urging his steed towards the edge of the moat, while the steward advanced tg meet him on the opposite bank, so that a few yards only lay between them ; " I came round by Manchester," he continued in a lower tone, " to see if any assistance could be rendered to the unfortunate fathers Woodroofe and For- shawe ; but found on my arrival this morning that I was too late, as they had just been executed." " Heaven have mercy on their souls ! " ejacu- lated Heydocke, shuddering, and crossing him- self. " Yours was a pious mission, Mr. Cates- by. Would it had been availing ! " " I would so, too, with all my soul ! " rejoined the other, fervently ; " but fate ordained it other- wise. While I was in the town, I accidentally learnt from one, who informed me he had just parted with him, that your master was at home ; and, fearing he might not be able to attend the meeting at Holywell, I resolved to proceed hither 36 GUY FAWKES. at nightfall, when my visit was not likely to be observed ; having motives, which you may rea- dily conjecture, for preserving the strictest secrecy on the occasion. The letter was prepared in case I should fail in meeting with him. And now that I have satisfied your scruples, good master steward, if Sir William be really within, I pray you lead me to him forthwith. If not, your young mistress must serve my turn, for I have that to say which it imports one or other of them to know." " In regard to my master," replied the steward, " he departed yesterday for Chester, on his way to join the pilgrimage to St. Winifred's Well, as I have already assured your worship. And who- ever informed you to the contrary, spoke falsely. But I will convey your letter and message to my young mistress, and on learning her pleasure as to receiving you, will instantly return, and report it. These are dangerous times, your worship, — ■ dangerous times. A good Catholic knows not whom to trust, there are so many spoilers abroad." " How, sirrah f " cried Catesby, angrily, " do you apply that observation to me ? " ORDSALL HALL. 37 " Far be it from me," answered Heydocke, respectfully, " to apply any observation that may sound offensive to your worship, whom I know to be a most worthy gentleman, and as free from heresy, as any in the kingdom. I was merely endeavouring to account for what may appear my over-caution in detaining you where you are, till I learn my lady's pleasure. It is a rule in this house not to lower the drawbridge without orders after sunset ; and I dare not, for my place, dis- obey it. Young Mr. Humphrey Chetham, of Crumpsall, was detained in the like manner no later than last night ; and he is a visiter," he added, in a significant tone, " who is not altogether unwel- come to my mistress — ahem ! But duty is no respecter of persons ; and in my master's absence my duty is to protect his household. Your wor- ship will pardon me." " I will pardon anything but your loquacity and tediousness, 11 rejoined Catesby, impatiently. " About your errand quickly. 1 '' " I am gone, your worship,'" returned the steward, disappearing with his companions. Throwing the bridle over his horse's neck, and 38 GUY FAWKES.- allowing him to drink his fill from the water of the moat, and afterwards to pluck a few mouth- fuls of the long grass that fringed its brink, Catesby abandoned himself to reflection. In a few moments, as the steward did not return, he raised his eyes, and fixed them upon the ancient habitation before him, — ancient, indeed, it was not at this time, having been in a great measure rebuilt by its possessor, Sir William RadclifTe, during the latter part of the reign of Elizabeth, in the rich and picturesque style of that period. Little could be distinguished of its projecting and retiring wings, its walls decorated with black and white chequer-work, the characteristic of the class of architecture to which it belonged, or of its magnificent embayed windows filled with stained glass ; but the outline of its heavy roof, with its numerous gables, and groups of tall and elabo- rately-ornamented chimneys might be distinctly traced in strong relief against the warm and still- glowing western sky. Though much gone to decay, grievously neg- lected, and divided into three separate dwelling- houses, Ordsall Hall still retains much of its ORDSALL HALL. 39 original character and beauty ; and viewed at the magic hour above described, when the changes produced by the lapse of years cannot be de- tected, it presents much the same striking ap- pearance that it offered to the gaze of Catesby. Situated on the north bank of the Irwell, which supplies the moat with a constant stream of fresh water, it commands on the south-west a beautiful view of the winding course of the river here al- most forming an island, of Trafford Park and its hall, of the woody uplands beyond it, and of the distant hills of Cheshire. The mansion itself is an irregular quadrangle, covering a considerable tract of ground. The gardens, once exquisitely laid out in the formal taste of Elizabeth's days, are also enclosed by the moat, surrounding (ex- cept in the intervals where it is filled up) a space of some acres in extent. At the period of this history, it was approached on the north-east by a noble avenue of sycamores, leading to within a short distance of its gates. As Catesby surveyed this stately structure, and pondered upon the wealth and power of its owner, his meditations thus found vent in words : — " If 40 GUY FAWKES. I could but link Radcliffe to our cause, or win . the hand of his fair daughter, and so bind him to me, the great attempt could not fail. She has refused me once. No matter. — I will persevere till she yields. With Father Oldcorne to back my suit, I am assured of success. She is neces- sary to my purpose, and shall be mine. r> Descended from an ancient Northamptonshire family, and numbering among his ancestry the well-known minister of the same name, who flou- rished in the reign of Richard the .Third, Robert Catesby, — at this time about forty, — had in his youth led a wild and dissolute life ; and though bred in the faith of Rome, he had for some years abandoned its worship. In 1580, when the Je- suits, Campion and Persons, visited England, he was reconciled to the church he had quitted, and thenceforth became as zealous a supporter and promoter of its doctrines as he had heretofore been their bitter opponent. He was now actively engaged in all the Popish plots of the period, and was even supposed to be connected with those designs of a darker dye which were set on foot for Elizabeth's destruction, — with Somerville's con- ORDSALL HALL. 41 spiracy, — -with that of Arden and Throckmorton, — the latter of whom was his uncle on the mater- nal side, — with the plots of Bury and Savage,— of Ballard, — and of Babington. After the exe- cution of the unfortunate Queen of Scots, he devoted himself to what was termed the Spanish faction, and endeavoured to carry out the schemes of a party, who, distrusting the vague promises of James, were anxious to secure the succession to a Catholic, — the Infanta of Spain, or the Duke of Parma. On the insurrection of the Earl of Essex, he took part with that ill-fated nobleman ; and, though he escaped condign punishment for the offence, he was imprisoned and heavily fined. From this time his career ran in darker chan- nels. " Hunger-starved for innovation," as he is finely described by Camden, — imbued with the fiercest religious fanaticism, — eloquent, wily, reso- lute, — able alike to delude the powerful and inti- midate the weak, — he possessed all the ingre- dients of a conspirator. Associating with men like himself, of desperate character and broken fortunes, he was ever on the look out for some means of retrieving his own condition, and re- 42 GUY FAWKES. dressing the wrongs of his church. Well inform- ed of the actual state of James's sentiments, when, on that monarch's accession, confident hopes were entertained by the Romanists of greater toleration for their religion, Catesby was the first to point out their mistake, and to foretel the season of terrible persecution that was at hand. On this persecution he grounded his hopes — hopes, never realized, for the sufferers, amid all the grievances they endured, remained constant in their fidelity to the throne— of exciting a general insurrection among the Catholics. Disappointed in this expectation, — disappoint- ed, also, in his hopes of Spain, of France, and of aid from Rome, he fell back upon himself, and resolved upon the execution of a dark and dreadful project which he had long conceived, and which he could execute almost single-handed, without aid from foreign powers, and without the co-operation of his own party. The nature of this project, which, if it succeeded, would, he imagined, accomplish all or more than his wildest dreams of ambition or fanaticism had ever conceived, it will be the business of this history to develope. Without ORDSALL HALL. 43 going further into detail at present, it may be mentioned that the success of the plot depended so entirely on its secrecy, and so well aware was its contriver of the extraordinary system of espi- onage carried on by the Earl of Salisbury and the Privy Council, that for some time he scarcely dared to trust it out of his own keeping. At length, after much deliberation, he communicated it to five others, all of whom were bound to si- lence by an oath of unusual solemnity ; and as it was necessary to the complete success of the conspiracy that its outbreak should be instan- taneously followed by a rise on the part of the Catholics, he darkly hinted that a plan was on foot for their deliverance from the yoke of their oppressors, and counselled them to hold them- selves in readiness to fly to arms at a moment's notice. But here again he failed. Few were disposed to listen to him ; and of those who did, the majority returned for answer, " that their part was endurance, and that the only arms which Christians could use against lawful powers in their severity were prayers and tears." Among the Popish party of that period, as in 44 GUY FAWKES. our own time, were ranked many of the oldest and most illustrious families in the kingdom, — families not less remarkable for their zeal for their religion than, as has before been observed, for their loyalty ; — a loyalty afterwards approved in the disastrous reign of James the Second, by their firm adherence to what they considered the in- defeasible right of inheritance. Plots, indeed, were constantly hatched throughout the reigns of Elizabeth and James by persons professing the religion of Rome ; but in these the mass of the Catholics had no share. And even in the seasons of the bitterest persecution, when every fresh act of treason, perpetrated by some lawless and dis- affected individual, was visited with additional rigour on their heads, — when the scaffold reeked with their blood, and the stake smoked with their ashes, — when their quarters were blackening on the gates and market-crosses of every city in the realm, — when their hearths were invaded, their religion proscribed, and the very name of Papist had become a by-word, — even in those terrible seasons, as in the season under consideration, they remained constant in their fidelity to the crown. ORDSALL HALL. 45 From the troubled elements at work some fierce and turbulent spirits were sure to arise, — some gloomy fanatics who, having brooded over their wrongs, real or imaginary, till they had lost all scruples of conscience, hesitated at no means of procuring redress. But it would be unjust to hold up such persons as representatives of the whole body of Catholics. Among the conspira- tors themselves there were redeeming shades. All were not actuated by the same atrocious motives. Mixed feelings induced Catesby to adopt the measure. Not so Guy Fawkes, who had already been leagued with the design. One idea alone ruled him. A soldier of fortune, but a stern religious enthusiast, he supposed himself chosen by Heaven for the redemption of his Church, and cared not what happened to himself, provided he accomplished his (as he conceived) holy design. In considering the causes which produced the conspiracy about to be related, and in separating the disaffected party of the Papists from the tem- perate, due weight must be given to the influence of the priesthood. Of the Romish clergy there 46 GUY FAWKES. were two classes — the secular priests, and the Jesuits and missionaries. While the former, like the more moderate of the laity, would have been well-contented with toleration for their religion, the latter breathed nothing but revenge, and de- sired the utter subversion of the existing govern- ment, — temporal as well as ecclesiastical. Men, for the most part, of high intellectual powers, of untiring energy, and unconquerable fortitude, they were enabled by their zeal and ability to make many proselytes. By their means, secret correspondence was carried on with the different courts of Europe ; and they were not without hope that, taking advantage of some favourable crisis, they should yet restore their church to its former supremacy. To these persons, — who held as a maxim, " Qui religionem Catholicam deserit regnandi jus omne amisit" — Catesby and his associates proved ready and devoted agents. Through their instrumentality, they hoped to accomplish the great work of their restoration. To Father Garnet, the provincial of the English Jesuits, of whom it will be necessary to speak more fully hereafter, the plot had been revealed ORDSALL HALL. 47 by Catesby under the seal of confession ; and, though it subsequently became a question whe- ther he was justified in withholding a se- cret of such importance to the state, it is suf- ficient for the present purpose to say that he did withhold it. For the treasonable practices of the Jesuits and their faction some palliation may per- haps be found in the unrelenting persecution to which they were subjected ; but if any excuse can be admitted for them, what opinion must be formed of the conduct of their temperate bre- thren ? Surely, while the one is condemned, admiration may be mingled with the sympathy which must be felt for the unmerited sufferings of the other ! x From the foregoing statement, it will be rea- dily inferred that Sir William Radcliffe, a devout Catholic, and a man of large possessions, though somewhat reduced by the heavy fines imposed upon him as a recusant, must have appeared an object of importance to the conspirators ; nor will it be wondered at, that every means were used to gain him to their cause. Acting, however, upon the principles that swayed the well-disposed of 48 GUY FAWKES. his party, the knight resisted all these overtures, and refused to take any share in proceedings from which his conscience and loyalty alike revolted. Baffled, but not defeated, Catesby returned to the charge on a new point of assault. Himself a widower (or supposed to be so), he solicited the hand of the lovely Viviana Radcliffe, Sir Wil- liam's only child, and the sole heiress of his possessions. But his suit in this quarter was, also, unsuccessful. The knight rejected the pro- posal, alleging that his daughter had no inclina- tion to any alliance, inasmuch as she entertained serious thoughts of vowing herself to Heaven. Thus foiled, Catesby ostensibly relinquished his design. Shortly before the commencement of this his- tory, a pilgrimage to Saint Winifred's Well, in Flintshire, was undertaken by Father Garnet, the provincial of the Jesuists before mentioned, in company with several distinguished Catholic per- sonages of both sexes, and to this ceremonial Sir William and his daughter were urgently bidden. The invitation was declined on the part of Vivi- ana, but accepted by the knight, who, though ORDSALL HALL. 49 unwilling to leave home at a period of so much danger, or to commit his daughter to any care but his own, even for so short a space, felt it to be his duty to give countenance by his presence to the ceremonial. Accordingly, he departed for Chester on the previous day, as stated by the steward. And, though Catesby professed ignorance on the sub- ject, and even affirmed he had heard to the con- trary, it may be doubted whether he was not secretly informed of the circumstance, and whe- ther his arrival, at this particular conjuncture, was not preconcerted. Thus much in explanation of what is to follow. — The course of Catesby's reflections was cut short by the return of the steward, who, inform- ing him that he had his mistress's commands to admit him, immediately lowered the drawbridge for that purpose. Dismounting, and committing his steed to one of the serving-men, who advanced to take it, Catesby followed his conductor through a stone gateway, and crossing the garden, was ushered into a spacious and lofty hall, furnished with a long massy oak table, at the upper end of VOL. I. D 50 GUY FAWKES. which was a raised dais. At one side of the chamber yawned a huge arched fire-place, gar- nished with enormous andirons, on which smoul- dered a fire composed of mixed turf and wood. Above the chimney-piece hung a suit of chain- armour, with the battle-axe, helmet, and gauntlets of Sir John Radcliffe, the first possessor of Ords- all, who flourished in the reign of Edward the First : on the right, masking the entrance, stood a magnificent screen of carved oak. Traversing this hall, Heydocke led the way to another large apartment ; and placing lights on a Gothic-shaped table, offered a seat to the new- comer, and departed. The room in which Cates- by was left was termed the star-chamber — a name retained to this day — from the circumstance of its ceiling being moulded and painted to re- semble the heavenly vault when studded with the luminaries of night. It was terminated by a deeply-embayed window filled with stained glass of the most gorgeous colours. The walls, in some places, were hung with arras, in others, wainscoted with dark, lustrous oak, embellished with scrolls, cyphers, and fanciful designs. The ORDSALL HALL. 51 mantel-piece was of the same solid material, curiously carved, and of extraordinary size. It was adorned with the armorial bearings of the family — two bends engrailed, and in chief a label of three, — and other devices and inscriptions. The hearth was considerably raised above the level of the floor, and there was a peculiarity in the construction of the massive wooden pillars flanking it, that attracted the attention of Cates- by, who rose with the intention of examining them more narrowly, when he was interrupted by the entrance of the lady of the mansion. Advancing at a slow and dignified pace, Vi- viana RadclifFe courteously but gravely saluted her guest ; and, without offering him her hand, motioned him to a chair, while she seated herself at a little distance. Catesby had seen her twice before; and whether the circumstances under which they now met might have caused some change in her demeanour he could not tell, but he thought her singularly altered. A year ago, she had been a lively, laughing girl of seventeen, with a bright brown skin, dark flowing tresses, and eyes as black and radiant as those of a gipsy. d2 52 GUY FAWKES. She was now a grave, collected woman, infinitely more beautiful, but wholly changed in character. Her complexion had become a clear, transparent white, and set off to great advantage her large, luminous eyes, and jetty brows. Her figure was tall and majestic ; her features regular, delicately formed, and of the rarest 'and proudest class of beauty. She was attired in a dress of black wrought velvet, entirely without ornament except the rosary at her girdle, with a small ebony cru- cifix attached to it. She wore a close-fitting cap, likewise of black velvet, edged with pearls, be- neath which her raven tresses were gathered in such a manner as to display most becomingly the smooth and snowy expanse of her forehead. The gravity of her manner, not less than her charms of person, seemed to have struck Catesby mute. He gazed on her in silent admiration for a brief space, utterly forgetful of the object of his visit, and the part he intended to play. During this pause, she maintained the most perfect composure, and fixing her dark eyes full upon him, appeared to await the moment when he might choose to open the conversation. ORDSALL HALL. 53 Notwithstanding his age, and the dissolute and distracted life he had led, Catesby was still good- looking enough to have produced a favourable impression upon any woman easily captivated by manly beauty. The very expression of his mark- ed and peculiar physiognomy, — in some degree an index to his character, — was sufficient to rivet attention ; and the mysterious interest generally inspired by his presence was not diminished on further acquaintance with him. Though some- what stern in their expression, his features were strikingly handsome, cast in an oval mould, and clothed with the pointed beard and trimmed mustaches invariably met with in the portraits of Vandyck. His frame was strongly built, but well proportioned, and seemed capable of endur- ing the greatest fatigue. His dress was that of an ordinary gentleman of the period, and con- sisted of a doublet of quilted silk, of sober colour and stout texture ; large trunk-hose swelling out at the hips ; and buff boots, armed with spurs with immense rowels. He wore a high and stiffly-starched ruff round his throat; and his apparel was completed by a short cloak of brown 54 GUY FAWKES. cloth, lined with silk of a similar colour. His arms were rapier and poniard, and his high- crowned plumed hat, of the peculiar form then in vogue, and looped on the " leer-side " with a diamond clasp, was thrown upon the table. Some little time having elapsed, during which he made no effort to address her, Viviana broke silence. " I understood you desired to speak with me on a matter of urgency, Mr. Catesby," she remarked. " I did so," he replied, as if aroused from a reverie ; " and I can only excuse my absence of mind and ill manners, on the plea that the con- templation of your charms has driven all other matter out of my head." " Mr. Catesby," returned Viviana, rising, " if the purpose of your visit be merely to pay un- merited compliments, I must at once put an end to it." " I have only obeyed the impulse of my heart," resumed the other, passionately, " and uttered what involuntarily rose to my lips. But," he added, checking himself, " I will not offend ORDSALL HALL. 55 you with my admiration. If you have read my letter to your father, you will not require to be informed of the object of my visit. 11 " I have not read it, 11 replied Viviana, return* ing him the packet with the seal unbroken. " I can give no opinion on any matter of difficulty. And I have no desire to know any secret with which my father might not desire me to be ac- quainted." " Are we overheard? 11 inquired Catesby, glan- cing suspiciously at the fire-place. " By no one whom you would care to overhear us, 11 returned the maiden. " Then it is as I supposed, 11 rejoined Catesby. " Father Oldcorne is concealed behind that mantel-piece ?" Viviana smiled an affirmative. " Let him come forth, I pray you, 11 returned Catesby. " What I have to say concerns him as much as yourself or your father ; and I would gladly have his voice in the matter. 11 " You shall have it, my son, 11 replied a re- verend personage, clad in a priestly garb, stepping from out one side of the mantel-piece, which 56 GUY FAWKES. flew suddenly open, disclosing a recess curiously contrived in the thickness of the wall. " You shall have it," said Father Oldcorne, for he it was, approaching and extending his arms over him. " Accept my blessing and my welcome.'" Catesby received the benediction with bowed head and bended knee. " And now," continued the priest, " what has the bravest soldier of our Church to declare to its lowliest servant?" Catesby then briefly explained, as he had before done to the steward, why he had taken Manchester in his route to North Wales ; and, after lamenting his inability to render any assist- ance to the unfortunate priests, he went on to state that he had accidentally learnt, from a few words let fall by the pursuivant to his attendant, that a warrant had been sent by the Earl of Sa- lisbury for Sir William RadclifiVs arrest. " My father's arrest ! " exclaimed Viviana, trembling violently. " What — what is laid to his charge ? " " Felony," rejoined Catesby, sternly — " fe- lony, without benefit of clergy — for so it is ORDSALL HALL. 57 accounted by the present execrable laws of our land, — in harbouring a Jesuit priest. If he is convicted of the offence, his punishment will be death — death on the gibbet, accompanied by in- dignities worse than those shown to a common felon:' " Holy Virgin ! " ejaculated Father Oldcorne, lifting up his hands, and raising his eyes to heaven. " From what I gathered the officers will visit this house to-night," continued Catesby. " Our Lady be praised, they will not find him ! " cried Viviana, who had been thrown into an agony of distress. M What is to be done in this frightful emergency, holy father ? " she add- ed, turning to the priest, with a supplicating look. " Heaven only knows, dear daughter," replied Oldcorne. " You had better appeal for counsel to one who is more able to afford it than I am, — Mr. Catesby. Well aware of the crafty devices of our enemies, and having often eluded their snares himself, he may enable you to escape them. My own course is clear. I shall quit this roof at once, deeply and bitterly regretting that by d 5 58 GUY FAWKES. entering it, I have placed those whom I hold so dear, and from whom I have experienced so much kindness, in such fearful jeopardy." " Oh, no, father ! " exclaimed Viviana, " you shall not go." " Daughter," replied Oldcorne, solemnly, " I have long borne the cross of Christ, — have long endured the stripes, inflicted upon me by the adversaries of our faith, in patience ; and my last actions and last breath shall testify to the truth of our holy religion. But, though I could endure aught on my own account, I cannot con- sent to bring misery and destruction upon others. Hinder me not, dear daughter. I will go at once." " Hold, father IV interposed Catesby. " The step you would take may bring about what you are most anxious to avoid. If you are discovered and apprehended in this neighbourhood, suspicion will still attach to your protectors, and the secret of your departure will be wrung from some of the more timid of the household. Tarry where you are. Let the pursuivant make his search. I will engage to baffle his vigilance." ORDSALL HALL. 59 " He speaks the truth, dear father,''' returned Viviana. " You must not — shall not depart. There are plenty of hiding-places, as you know, within the mansion. Let them be as rigorous as they may in their search, they will not discover you." " Whatever course you adjudge best for the security of others I will pursue," rejoined Old- corne, turning to Catesby. " Put me out of the question." * " My opinion has already been given, father," replied Catesby. " Remain where you are." " But, if the officers should ascertain that my father is at Chester, and pursue him thither ? " cried Viviana, suddenly struck by a new cause of alarm. " A messenger must be immediately despatch- ed after him to give him warning," returned Catesby. " Will you be that messenger ? " asked the maiden, eagerly. " I would shed my heart's best blood to plea- sure you," returned Catesby. " Then I may count upon this service, for 60 GUY FAWKES. which, rest assured, I will not prove ungrateful," she rejoined. M You may," answered Catesby. " And yet I would, on Father Oldcorne's account, that my departure might be delayed till to-morrow." " The delay might be fatal," cried Viviana. u You must be in Chester before that time." " Doubt it not," returned Catesby. a Charged with your wishes, the wind shall scarcely outstrip my speed." So saying, he marched irresolutely towards the door, as if about to depart, when, just as he had reached it, he turned sharply round, and threw himself at Viviana's feet. " Forgive me, Miss Radcliffe," he cried, " if I once again, even at a critical moment like the present, dare to renew ray suit. I fancied I had subdued my passion for you, but your presence has awakened it with greater violence than ever." " Rise, sir, I pray," rejoined the maiden, in an offended tone. " Hear me, I beseech you," continued Cates- by, seizing her hand. " Before you reject my suit, consider well that in these perilous seasons, ORDSALL HALL. 61 when no true Catholic can call his life his own, you may need a protector." " In the event you describe, Mr. Catesby," answered Viviana, a I would at once fulfil the intention I have formed of devoting myself to Heaven, and retire to the convent of Benedictine nuns, founded by Lady Mary Percy, at Brus- sels." " You would much more effectually serve the cause of your religion by acceding to my suit," 1 observed Catesby, rising. " How so ? " she inquired. " Listen to me, Miss Radcliffe," he rejoined, gravely, " and let my words be deeply graven upon your heart. In your hands rests the destiny of the Catholic Church/ 1 " In mine ! " exclaimed Viviana. " In yours,*" returned Catesby. " A mighty blow is about to be struck for her deliver- ance. 1 ' M Ay, marry, is it," cried Oldcorne, with sud- den fervour. " Redemption draweth nigh ; the year of visitation approacheth to an end ; and jubilation is at hand. England shall again be 62 GUY FAWKES. called a happy realm, a blessed country, a reli- gious people. Those who knew the former glory of religion shall lift up their hands for joy to see it returned again. Righteousness shall prosper, and infidelity be plucked up by the root. False error shall vanish like smoke, and they which saw it shall say where is it become ? The daughters of Babylon shall be cast down, and in the dust lament their ruin. Proud heresy shall strike her sail, and groan as a beast crushed under a cart- wheel. The memory of novelties shall perish with a crack, and as a ruinous house falling to the ground. Repent, ye seducers, with speed, and prevent the dreadful wrath of the Powerable. He will come as flame that burneth out beyond the furnace. His fury shall fly forth as thunder, and pitch upon their- tops that malign him. They shall perish in his fury, and melt like wax before the fire." " Amen !" ejaculated Catesby, as the priest concluded " You have spoken prophetically, father." " I have but recited a prayer transmitted to me by Father Garnet," rejoined Oldcorne. ORDSALL HALL. 63 " Do you discern any hidden meaning in it ? " demanded Catesby. " Yea, verily, my son," returned the priest. " In the 'false error vanishing like smoke,'' — in the 6 house perishing with a crack,' — and in the ' fury flying forth as thunder, 1 — I read the mode the great work shall be brought about." " And you applaud the design ? " asked Cates- by, eagerly. " Non vero factum probo, sed eventum amo" rejoined the priest. a The secret is safe in your keeping, father?" asked Catesby, uneasily. " As if it had been disclosed to me in private confession," replied Oldcorne. " Hum ! " muttered Catesby. " Confessions of as much consequence to the state have ere now been revealed, father." " A decree has been passed by his holiness, Clement VIII, forbidding all such revelations," replied Oldcorne. " And the question has been recently propounded by a learned brother of our order, Father Antonio Delrio, who, in his Ma- gical Disquisitions, putteth it thus : — s Supposing 64 GUY FAWKES. a malefactor shall confess that he himself or some other has laid Gunpowder, or the like combus- tible matter, under a building — ' M " Ha ! " exclaimed Catesby, starting, " — 'And, unless it be taken away,'" proceeded the priest, regarding him fixedly, " c the whole house will be burnt, the prince destroyed, and as many as go into or out of the city will come to great mischief or peril ! ' " * " Well !" exclaimed Catesby. " The point then arises," continued Oldcome,