Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

any of the English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, or Swedish colonies, and I challenge contradiction to such averment.

All Europe is in the habit of estimating human labour! but, to estimate the value of the human body or soul, is not within the precinct of human comprehension.

I remain, sir, your very humble servant, PHILANTHROPUS.

Tottenham, Feb. 4, 1825.

CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS
CONTRASTED.

THE Romish Church puts tradition
and the decisions of councils on the
same footing with the word of God;
but dishonour the latter by subjecting
it to the judgment of the former, and
by perverting it in the confirmation |
of the former. Protestant churches
restrict all authority in doctrines and
morals to the word of God; but are,
in general, guided in their exposition
of the scriptures by the authority of
reformers, leaders, &c.

Catholics receive their religious opinions from the principle of submission to human authority, the authority of councils, which they credulously believe to be equal to divine authority; and the generality of Protestants receive their religious opinions from the same principle of submission to human authority, but with this difference, that they ground the reason of the choice of their guides in opinions, on qualifications which do not necessarily secure the subjects of them from error; while the Catholics ground the reason of the choice of their guides, on a false interpretation of scripture; which interpretation they must, as consistent Catholics, receive on the authority of the guides themselves; and thus become absurd by reasoning in a circle.

be dogmatical, because they think that obstinacy alone prevents others from seeing as they see. The man, however, who exercises reason on the evidence which scripture affords in favour of certain doctrines, is both modest in his own opinions, and candid towards the opinions of others; for he learns by experience, that there are many difficulties and impediments in his way to truth, and therefore sees the great probability there is of his own failure, and admits the sincerity of others who may come to a conclusion different from his own. We may, therefore, infer, that many Protestants err in the same way that the Catholics do, viz. by setting aside their own judgment, and trusting to the opinions of others. There are also many Protestants who rest on their own persuasions, instead of their convictions, in reference to the doctrines of the gospel. Were we to particularize, we could give many instances out of all parties.

No.

[blocks in formation]

(Continued from col. 146.) II.-History of the Gunpowder Plot, by a Popish Priest.

As I anticipate that my readers will be laudably impatient to taste the beauties of Sir Robert Bradgate's collection of ancient manuscripts, I hasten to transcribe one of the most interesting, (in the point of view to which I afterwards direct them,) to which is appended a curious statement in the baronet's own hand, written in a neat gentlemanly style, and containing information which was, I believe, collected from some letters in another part of the library. Here it is:

"In the reign of King James I. the Many Protestants resign their judg-occupant of Bradgate Hall was ments to their guides, imagining at Sir Edmund, my renowned ancestor, the same time that they are using whose book of travels may still be them without any bias. This decep- found at some old bookstalls, (it is tion arises from the circumstance that numbered 31 in the present collecthey think they are exercising their tion,) and shares, with the relations of judgment about scripture, while they Pinto and Mandeville, the imputation are only exercising it about the quali- of falsity. The principal stimulant to fications of the guides of their opini- action of my noble forefather was, as ons. Thus many persons think their I have heard, CURIOSITY. He visited opinions accord with scripture, be- Egypt to ascertain the height of a pycause they were held by pious and ramid, and, in the disguise of a nauseful men; hence such persons must tive, endeavoured to penetrate into

the interior of Africa, to discover whether it was inhabited or not, and other matters which he was anxious to learn. But not to be tedious; it happened that, in the year 1605, he was in England, and at Bradgate Hall, and was meditating on new journeys, when the Gunpowder Plot was discovered.

"The affair had scarcely subsided, when, one day hunting through the neighbouring forest with a couple of excellent bloodhounds, which he always used in that sport, they diverged from the track pursued by the game, and ran to a little cave by the side of the path, from which was soon heard the cries of a man evidently in great fear. Sir Edmund, who possessed a very benevolent heart, went in to call them off, and found inside an old man, clad in the habit of a Romish priest, on whom the dogs were making an attack. He bade them lie down, and then sternly demanded of the fellow his name, and business there. The other, exceedingly terrified, fell at his feet, and implored him not to give him up to his pursuers, for that he was Oswald Desmond, one of the Jesuits who was said to have encouraged the gunpowder plot conspirators to proceed in their truly diabolical machinations, and whom all were then endeavouring to apprehend, in order to bring them to condiga punishment, as some pounds (I forget how many) were offered for his seizure. Sir Edmund had compassion on him, and told him, that if he would truly relate to him all he knew about the plot, he would assist him to escape from England. The following is the narrative that the Jesuit related, written in Sir Edmund's own hand, to which (as I must confess that it cannot easily be read by reason of the enormous loops to the l's, and the resemblance of his r's to k's, by which the printer of his travels has been led into putting 'king for ring,' in the 7th chapter,) I have appended a copy made for my own use, by John Robinson, who writes very well.-R. B."

With this simple narrative I found an ill-written manuscript bound up, which I turned over, to come to a starched up copybook-looking transcript of the same, which might be said to have been done in round-hand, and which it was evident had taken 75.-VOL. VII.

the inditer some trouble. The following is a "true copy:"

[ocr errors]

HISTORIE

OF

[ocr errors]

THE RENOWNEDDE PLOTTE TO OVERTHROWE HIS MOST GRACIOUSE THE MAJESTIE, WITH GUNLORDES AND COMMONES, BY POWDERRE. RELATEDDE BY OSWOLDE DESMONDE, A POPISH PRIEST. (IN HIS OWNE WORDS.)* "AT the beginning of January, in the year 1605, I had been out one day administering extreme unction to a poor man who died in the holy Catholic faith, and whose death had been chiefly brought to pass by the execution of his son for heresy, he having by his manly conduct given great offence to the blood-thirsty persecutors of our church. As I advanced along the street which led to my dwelling, I could not help reflecting on the present condition of those who held our tenets. When that persecutor of our religion, Queen Elizabeth, had expired,' said I, we thought that in the present monarch we should have another blessed exterminator of the pestilent seeds of heresy like Queen Mary, another favourer of the oppressed and trodden-under-foot Catholics; but, alas! he is a mere dull pedant, and so far from following in the steps of his mother, who was stedfast on the scaffold, and resisted, in sight of the axe and block, all the arguments at conversion made by the Dean of Peterborough; he is even after the heart of the traitor Murray, whom Hamilton deservedly destroyed in the streets of Linlithgow, when the silly populace saluted him with their fickle acclamations. And must our holy faith sink to the ground without one effort to preserve it from destruction, and replace it on its ancient throne, controlling the potentates of the earth, and destroying in their rise all those heresies which would otherwise disturb its peace? May some avenger arise from the blood of the slaughtered saints, and, hurling the oppressive tyrant of Britain from his seat, annihilate with him this wicked sect of Protestants!'

"As I said thus, I approached my own dwelling, which was situated in one of the poorest and most obscure parts of the city, and tumbling down

*The narrative itself I have put into modern English.

R

[ocr errors]

in several places, such are the evil | trice turning round, with a good-hueffects of the ascendency of our ene- moured smile, said, I forgot to tell mies! no offence to you, Sir Edmund, you, master, but that clock's half an for I only speak the truth, as you or- hour too fast.' dered me. I tapped at the casement, which, it may as well be mentioned, consisted as much of paper panes as of glass ones, and was instantly admitted by my old housekeeper, Dame Beatrice, who, to her honour be it spoken, has never attempted to read the scriptures in English; indeed, if she tried, I much doubt whether she would be able to accomplish the task, as she had never learned to decipher. I perceived that she had one of those peculiar smiles on her face which announces pleasing intelligence, and was about to ask the reason, when she saved me the trouble, and informed me that several gentlemen had called in my absence, and inquired for me, but finding I was out, had said they would come again at six in the evening. The good old dame was rather garrulous, and talked much about a very good-looking young man, who had spoken so many pretty things,' and given her a couple of rose-nobles, a circumstance which I perceived had occasioned her joy.

"I went in, and sat down in the room in which the dame was making preparations for supper, which was, I found, to consist of two large geese, of the money for which the good-looking young man had made her a present. This was something curious, and, as I could not conceive what friend could be rich and munificent enough to give away such delicacies, I was on the tenterhooks of anxiety for the stranger's arrival. I sat down on an old chair which commanded an excellent view of the clock, whose movements I watched with some impatience, asking every now and then questions of Beatrice, by which I found that two of the visitors were priests, by their dress, and these I thought to be my estimable acquaintances, Masters Garnet and Gerard; but I could not conceive what could be the important business they came to speak about. Every minute I was darting an impatient glance at the clock, but it still went on its dull tick-tack, till the minute-hand had attained the number of XII. and the hour-hand that of vi. I then jumped up in haste, and exclaimed, 'It's six, they're not over punctual,' when Bea

"I sat down again, and endeavoured to pass the time away by beating my feet upon the floor in tune, but one of the boards nearly giving way, I was compelled to resort to reading, and took from my little library a small Latin tract,' De Petro et Successoribus ejus;' but although that work is most ably written, and contains such arguments, especially in the 46th chapter, Sir Edmund, as will not, I think, fail, if you read it, to convert you to our holy religion, I found myself unable, through my impatience, to follow the convincing train of demonstrations there laid down by its worthy author, Bennet Langham, and replaced it in the shelves. At length the hour of six came, and almost at the same moment that I heard the last stroke of the hour from St. Paul's Cathedral, a tap at the door was heard, and instantly attended to, by which about ten persons were admitted, two of whom it seemed were, by their garb, priests, and eight laymen.

"As I conjectured, Garnet and Gerard were in the number, and I recognized, among the others, Master Catesby, a gentleman descended from a noble family, and unalterably attached to our holy faith, and Ambrose Rockwood, a man of decayed fortunes, and as I thought, from his confessions, rather too apt with sword and buckler. With them was the good-looking young man who had so taken Beatrice's fancy; but I could scarcely look on these, for, among them towered a giant, whose appearance was sufficient to attract the attention from any other object. He was a man apparently in the prime of his life, and, by the appearance of his limbs, possessed of great muscular strength. His cap or bonnet was so slouched over his face, that but little of the forehead could be discerned, but beneath sparkled deep dark-set eyes, whose expression gave an idea of wild and even barbarous ferocity. His nose was aquiline, his cheekbones strong and prominent, and his mouth half concealed by a profusion of swarthy mustaches, which, descending to his chin, there encountered a grizzled and thick matted beard, which gave the finish to this appalling

picture. His neck was bare, and his ¦ that myself, brother Gerard, and these doublet of coarse serge, slashed from the shoulders to the elbows, descended but to his belt, in which was stuck a short dudgeon dagger, sheathless, and only retained in its position by the tightness of the girdle. An iron chain crossed his breast, sustaining a large two-edged sword, with richly ornamented hilt, and disposed in various places in his lower garments were pistols, ready to be supplied by a pouch placed in his girdle, and full of gunpowder ready for occasion. He wore buskins of deerskin, and his name was GUIDO FAWKES.

"What want you, friends?' was my first inquiry, when I had recovered from my surprise at beholding this extraordinary personage.'

"Convey us to a chamber where neither man nor devil can hear us, and we will tell you,' replied Guido in a hoarse voice, that at first startled me; 'till then, expect not a revealment of our plans; for should we rashly counsel, death would soon be our award.'

worthy props of the Catholic faith, have come to thy house, for verily our souls are grieved at the defection of this fair isle of Britain from the true religion, and we are willing to hazard life and lands to restore the Romish supremacy. On that account we have formed a plan to destroy the supports of the Protestant heresy, root and branch; for were we only to send the king to purgatory, the prince would immediately succeed, and all would be worse. But to our project: it is, on the assembling of the parliament in the House of Lords, to blow up the mansion and its inmates by gunpowder; and to effect this, we had begun to delve a hole which would lead us to the cellars beneath the senatehouse, when we discovered that they were to be let; and to procure the money necessary to secure it for ourselves, we have to apply to you, that by breaking and recommending the scheme to those who are under your spiritual guidance, they may furnish the necessary assistance.'

"I will not detail my shame.Heated with wine, and seeing in this villanous proposal a future high

"First let us devour the geese which I ordered your old housekeeper to purchase with my gold pieces,' said Piercy, (for it was he who had charm-church-dignity, I madly acceded; a ed Dame Beatrice.)

"After a little more conversation, we ordered the dame to prepare supper, which, although rather soon, was not sooner than the cravings of my stomach required it, for I had tasted nothing since my morning nunchion. It was spread in the best apartment, and the two geese made a gallant appearance, so that I fell on them with the utmost avidity. As for Guido, I perceived that, despising the use of knife and fork, he destroyed his part of the supper with tooth-and-nail, and ate an enormous quantity. At length, after quaffing a little wine brought by Piercy under his cloak, and which I must confess made me rather out of order, we adjourned to the upper room, in which was placed my bed.

conduct which I will never cease to deplore and curse. Perhaps if I had resisted, Garnet and the others (who, the former especially, were, I doubt not, like me, inflamed with liquor and rage,) would not have suffered under the hands of the executioner. I opened the plans to some of the most zealous promoters of the Catholic cause on the next day. They started, but I so plied my arguments, and represented to them the miserable state of our holy church, that they consented, and the cellars were consequently hired, gunpowder was placed, and at length there only remained one meeting to make, before the completion of the work, and this assembly was appointed to take place at six o'clock on the last day of October, the par

the 5th of November. The meetings generally took place at Guido Fawkes's house, near Lambeth Palace, and as I lived on the opposite side, I generally hired a boat and crossed the Thames to the place; a line of conduct which I pursued on that day.

"Here I again repeated my ques-liament having been prorogued till tion; and that holy man, Henry Garnet, stepping forward to answer it, thus began: Brother Oswold, among thy flock are many daring and bold men, who place their consciences entirely at thy disposal, and would murder their fathers and mothers at the winking of thine eye, or the raising of thy finger, and it is on that account

"The boatmen had almost gained Fawkes's residence, and I was reflect

the violence of my motions. I stamped across the little parlour with fury, and often walked out to look towards the House of Lords. My brain was on fire. At length, taking my hat, I walked towards the venerable pile which projected its broad outline in the clear moonlight. And this lofty edifice,' thought I, 'will, ere a day hath past, be a heap of blackened ruins, strewed with the mangled carcases of many a proud noble, that today struts in silks and satins, and thinks he has many a happy day to come. Alas! how perishable is man. But why should we take vengeance in our hands, and such bloody and de

ing on the desperate plans in which I had engaged, when a cutter ran against the aquatic vehicle in which I was being gently wafted on the bosom of the smiling Thames, and in an instant I was beneath the water. I was rising for the third time, when a young cavalier, who had observed my disaster, plunged in the wave which was about to entomb me, and dragged me on shore by the collar of my doublet. We were received, when we had gained the land, by some of the conspirators, who had already assembled, and who rushed out of the room of meeting on observing my imminent danger. They took me from my deliverer, with promise of all due care being bestow-structive vengeance as this? Pered towards my recovery; and my preserver, who gave in his name as Lord Monteagle, retired.

"I was placed on a bed in the house of Guido, and in a little time recovered, for my immersion had been so slight, that it did not cost much trouble to restore me to consciousness. My first emotions were those of gratitude towards Monteagle, my second thought was to inquire what had been the result of the meeting; and Piercy, who sat by my bedside, informed me that the fate of the king and his nobles was now decided, and all would assuredly perish on the fatal fifth of November. All?' said I. 'All,' replied he, 'not a single lord of the Protestant religion will escape from that destruction which we have deservedly prepared for them.'

66

My brain burned. And shall my brave deliverer, thought I, who has snatched me from a watery grave, be involved in indiscriminate slaughter with a race of proud nobles, who would sooner have saved their cat from drowning, than a poor pastor of the Catholic church? It must not be. I then arose, and intimating to Piercy that I was now as well as ever, walked home by one of the bridges. As soon as I was comfortably seated in my most convenient apartment, I called for pens and ink, and wrote a letter to Monteagle. I sealed this, and holding it in my hand, sallied forth to his dwelling. Report must have already acquainted you with its contents. I delivered it to his servant, and retired home.

"I pass over the events of the week until November the 4th. On that night Dame Beatrice was alarmed at

haps Monteagle may not have paid due attention to my letter, and he may share the fate of the others.' In short, the whole iniquity of my conduct burst upon me, and I determined to prevent the accomplishment of any counsel.

"I was still standing by the House of Lords, when I felt some one tug me by the cloak behind. I turned round, and beheld the demoniacal countenance of Fawkes. His eyes glistened with the furious joy of a fiend, his dark mustaches shook with the vehemence of his rejoicing. A stern smile sat on his rugged features, while he said, 'Well met, Oswold. This is the hour of vengeance!'

[ocr errors]

"Villain,' cried I, attempt not to practise thy purpose. Return with me to thy house; I will produce such arguments to Catesby and Piercy, that they will relinquish their plans.'

"All's nought to Guido Fawkes,' said the ruffian. Away, driveller. By heavens, I thought thee a gallant of the right breed; but none can be sure of a man till he's tried.'

66

My blood boiled with rage. 'Return,' said I, with the fierceness of a lion, Return, or I disclose the plot, and all rebounds on your own heads.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"Remember your OATH,' cried the villain, taken in my cottage at the hour of midnight since October.'

"The recollection of a fearful oath that I had made, not to divulge the plot by word or deed, made my blood run cold within my veins. Natheless wretch,' shouted I, thou shalt not escape. My sword is good and true, and, if thou dost not comply, I'll plunge it in thy traitorous bosom.'

[ocr errors]

"Whilst saying this, I unsheathed

« AnteriorContinuar »