The King's arbitrary spirit angered the House of Commons, many of whom
were Puritans (S378). They believed that the King secretly favored
the Roman Catholics; and for this reason they increased the stringency
of the laws against persons of that religion. To vindicate himself
from this suspicion, the King proceeded to execute the new statutes
with rigor. As a rule, the Catholic were loyal subjects. We have
seen that when Spain threatened to invade the country, they fought as
valiantly in its defense as the Protestants themselves (SS399, 400).
Many of them were now ruined by enormous fines, while the priests were
driven from the realm.
One of the sufferers by these unjust measures was Robert Catesby, a
Catholic gentleman of good position. He, with the aid of a Yorkshire
man, named Guy Fawkes, and about a dozen more, formed a plot to blow
up the Parliament House on the day the King was to open the session
(November 5, 1605). Their intention, after they had thus summarily
disposed of the government, was to induce the Catholics to rise and
proclaim a new sovereign. The plot was discovered, the conspirators
were executed, and the Catholics treated with greater severity than
ever (S382).