Foxe - The Book of Martyrs

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
Some escaped to Calais, and arriving there with others, who fled to avoid a persecution
which they apprehended on this occasion, were kindly received by the governor; but one of
them declaring before him, that he was not so much concerned at his exile, as that the powder
plot did not take effect, the governor was so much incensed at his glorying in such an
execrable piece of iniquity, that, in a sudden impulse of indignation, he endeavoured to throw
him into the sea.
On the 27th of January, 1606, eight of the conspirators were tried and convicted, among
whom was Sir Everard Digby, the only one that pleaded guilty to the indictment, though all
the rest had confessed their guilt before. Digby was executed on the 30th of the same month,
with Robert Winter, Grant, and Bates, at the west end of St. Paul's churchyard; Thomas
Winter, Keyes, Rockwood, and Fawkes, were executed the following day in Old Palace yard.
Garnet was tried on the 28th of March, "for his knowledge and concealment of the
conspiracy; for administering an oath of secrecy to the conspirators, for persuading them of
the lawfulness of the[315] treason, and for praying for the success of the great action in hand
at the beginning of the parliament." Being found guilty, [C] he received sentence of death, but
was not executed till the 3d of May, when, confessing his own guilt, and the iniquity of the
enterprise, he exhorted all Roman Catholics to abstain from the like treasonable practices in
future. Gerard and Hall, two Jesuits, got abroad; and Littleton, with several others, were
executed in the country.
The Lord Monteagle had a grant of two hundred pounds a year in land, and a pension of
five hundred pounds for life, as a reward for discovering the letter which gave the first hint
of the conspiracy; and the anniversary of this providential deliverance was ordered to be for
ever commemorated by prayer and thanksgiving.
Thus was this diabolical scheme happily rendered abortive, and the authors of it brought
to that condign punishment which their wickedness merited. In this affair Providence
manifestly interposed in behalf of the protestants, and saved them from that destruction
which must have taken place had the scheme succeeded according to the wishes of a bigoted,
superstitious, and blood-thirsty faction.
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