being still known as Guy Fawkes’ House, and when the question came up for decision, he at once volunteered his services, as he was a soldier and a brave man.  They were accepted, and Sir Everard Digby was to stay at Dunchurch in order to be ready to seize the young Princess Elizabeth while the others went to London.  It so happened that one of the conspirators had a friend, Lord Monteagle, whom he knew would be sure to attend the opening of Parliament, and as he did not want him to be killed he caused an anonymous letter to be written warning him not to attend the opening of Parliament, “for though there be no appearance of any stir, yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament, and yet shall not see who hurts them.”  The letter was delivered to Monteagle by a man in a long coat, who laid it on his table and disappeared immediately.  It was afterwards handed to King James, who, after reading the last paragraph, repeated it aloud, “and yet they shall not see who hurts them,” and said to Cecil, “This smells gunpowder!” Their suspicions were aroused, but they waited until midnight on November 4th, and then sent soldiers well armed to search the vaults, where they found a man with a long sword amongst the barrels.  He fought savagely, but was soon overpowered.  When the conspirators found that their plot had been discovered, and that Guy Fawkes was in custody, instead of escaping to France as they might easily have done, they hastened down to Dunchurch, “as if struck by infatuation,” in the wild hope of capturing the young Princess and raising a civil war in her name; but by the time they reached Combe Abbey, the Earl of Harrington had removed Elizabeth to Coventry, which at that time was one of the most strongly fortified places in England.  They now realised that their game was up, and the gang dispersed to hide themselves; but when the dreadful nature of the plot became known, it created such a profound sensation of horror throughout the country, that every one joined in the search for the conspirators, who in the end were all captured and executed.  Great rejoicings were held, bonfires lit, bells rung, and guns fired in almost every village, and thereby the people were taught to—­

  Remember, remember, the Fifth of November
  The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.

These celebrations have been continued on each fifth of November for centuries, November 5th becoming known as “Bonfire Day.”  And in our Book of Common Prayer there was a special service for the day which was only removed in the time of Queen Victoria.  Guy Fawkes was executed on February 6th, 1606.

Fortunately for the Protestants the reign of the queen who was known by them as the “Bloody Queen Mary” was of short duration, for they were then subjected to very great cruelties; on the other hand there was no doubt that during the much longer reign of Queen Elizabeth that followed, the Papists also suffered greatly; still under James they were now bound to suffer more in every way, short of death, for the great mass of their fellow-countrymen had turned against them owing to the murderous character of the Gunpowder Plot, so—­