=Source.=--_State Papers: Venetian, 1603-1607._ No. 442.
_Niccolo Molin, Ambassador in England, to the Doge and Senate._
The King came to London on Thursday evening, the 10th of this month,
and made all preparations for opening Parliament on Tuesday, the
15th. This would have taken place had not a most grave and important
event upset the arrangement. About six months ago a gentleman, named
Thomas Percy, relation of the Earl of Northumberland and pensioner
of the King, hired, by means of a trusty servant, some wine cellars
under the place where Parliament meets, and stored in them some
barrels of beer, the usual drink of this country, as well as wood and
coal. He said he meant to open a tavern for the use of servants who
attended their masters to Parliament. But among this beer, wood,
and coals he introduced thirty-three barrels of gunpowder, besides
four tuns, the size of Cretan hogsheads, intending to make use of it
at the right moment. About two months ago Lord Salisbury received
anonymous letters from France, warning him to be on his guard, for a
great conspiracy was being hatched by priests and Jesuits; but, as
similar information had been sent about a year ago by the English
lieger in France, no great attention was paid to these letters, and
they were attributed to the empty-headed vanity of persons who wished
to seem more conversant with affairs than became them. Finally, on
Monday last, a letter was brought by an unknown person, for it was
dark, about two o'clock of the night, to a servant of Lord Monteagle,
who was standing at the door. The unknown said, "Please give this to
your master: and tell him to reply at once, as I will come back in
half an hour for the answer to carry to my master." The servant took
the letter, and went upstairs and gave it to his master, who opened
it and found it was anonymous, nor did he recognize the hand. The
substance of the letter was this, that the writer, in return for the
favours received at various times from Lord Monteagle, had resolved
to warn him by letter that he should on no account attend Parliament
the following morning, as he valued his life, for the good party in
England had resolved to execute the will of God, which was to punish
the King ... and the Ministers for their bitter persecution employed
against the poor [Catholics] ... in such brief space ... he could
burn the letter, which he earnestly begged him to do. Lord Monteagle
read the letter, and in great astonishment took it to the Earl of
Salisbury, who at once carried it to the King, and under various
pretexts ordered a search of all the neighbouring houses to see if
arms or anything of that sort, which might furnish a clue, were
hidden there. Meantime the King read the letter, and in terrified
amaze he said, "I remember that my father died by gunpowder. I see
the letter says the blow is to be struck on a sudden. Search the
basements of the meeting-place." The Chamberlain, with three or
four attendants, went straightway to carry out this order. First
he inquired who had hired the basements; then he caused the door to
be opened and went in. He saw nothing but beer barrels, faggots and
coal. Meantime, those who had searched the neighbouring houses came
back and reported that they had found nothing of any importance, and
when the Chamberlain returned and reported that he, too, had seen
nothing but the barrels, faggots and coal this increased the alarm
and suspicions of the King, who said, "I don't like these faggots
and coal. Go back and shift all the wood and all the coal and see
what is underneath, and use all diligence to come to certainty in
the matter." The Chamberlain went back, and after shifting the wood
he found underneath some barrels of powder, and after shifting the
coal he found more barrels. In confusion he returned to the King and
told him; and orders were at once given to a certain knight to take a
company with him and to set sentinels in various posts to watch who
approached the door of the cellars. About two in the morning they saw
a man approaching with a dark lantern, but not so well closed as to
hide the light completely. The guards cunningly drew back and left
him free passage to the cellars, the door of which had been securely
fastened as it was at first. The man went in, laid a train of powder
and fitted a slow match; the powder and the tinder reached the powder
barrels. His intention was to fire the train in the morning. When he
had finished his business, as he was coming out, he was surprised by
the guard, who asked what [he was doing] at that hour at that place.
[He replied] that he had come there, as he had a fancy to see his
property. They saw a bag in his hand, and found in it little bits of
slow match, and when they turned on the light they saw the train of
powder. Thereupon they bound him and took him to the Palace, where
some of the Council were awake, waiting the issue of this affair.
The man was brought into their presence, and at once confessed that
he was servant to Thomas Percy, who had left the evening before, he
knew not where for, and was quite ignorant of these facts. He further
confessed that it was his firm resolve to have set fire to the
mine that morning while the King, Queen, Princes, Clergy, Nobility,
and Judges were met in Parliament, and thus to purge the kingdom of
perfidious heresies. His only regret was that the discovery of the
plot had frustrated its due execution, though it was certain that God
would not for long endure such injustice and iniquity. The rest in my
next despatch.