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 "Help! Help!" shrieked Viviana just as Guy Fawkes sprang through 
 the aperture. Page 44. Guy Fawkes
 
 EDITION DE LUXE 
 
 THE WORKS OF 
 
 William Harrison Ainsworth 
 
 Guy Fawkes 
 
 or the 
 
 Gunpowder Treason 
 
 Volume One 
 
 w 
 
 With Illustrations 
 By GEORGE CRUIKSHJNK 
 
 
 THE NOTTINGHAM SOCIETY 
 
 NEW YORK PHILADELPHIA CHICAGO 
 
 i i\91i]^
 
 EDITION DE LUXE 
 
 Limited to One Thousand Sets 
 Printed for Subscribers Only 
 
 « • • • 
 
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 • • • • • 
 
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 ' * • • • , • • 
 
 • « • • k 
 
 • • • • -* • 
 • • • • . • 
 
 * i tc • •• .• • • 1 •• ••• • ••• •*« * •! •• •*• ••• 
 
 • C C 
 « C tC
 
 to 
 MES. HUGHES, 
 
 KINGSTON LISLE, BERKa 
 
 My dear Mrs. Hughes, 
 
 You are aware that this Romance waf? brought to 
 a close during my last brief visit at Kingston Lisle, 
 when the time necessary to be devoted to it deprived 
 me of the full enjoyment of your society, and, limiting 
 my range — no very irksome restriction, — to your own 
 charming garden and grounds, prevented me from ac- 
 ^ companying you in your walks to your favorite and 
 ^ beautiful downs. This circumstance, which will suffice 
 S to give it some interest in your eyes by associating it 
 s) with your residence, furnishes me with a plea, of which 
 ^ I gladly avail myself, of inscribing it with your name, 
 ■^ and of recording, at the same time, the high sense I en- 
 tertain of your goodness and worth, the value I set upon 
 your friendship, — a friendship shared in common with 
 some of the most illustrious writers of our time, — and 
 the gratitude I shall never cease to feel for attentions 
 and kindnesses, little less than maternal, which I have 
 experienced at your hands. 
 
 In the hope that you may long continue to diffuse 
 happiness round your own circle, and contribute to the 
 instruction and delight of the many attached friends 
 with whom you maintain so active and so interesting 
 a correspondence ; and that you may live to see your 
 grandsons fulfil their present promise, and tread in the 
 footsteps of their high-minded and excellent-hearted 
 father, — and of his father ! I remain 
 
 Your affectionate and obliged friend, 
 
 W. Harrison Ains worth. 
 
 Kensal Manor House, Harrow Road, 
 July 26, 1S41.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 VOLUME I. 
 JSook tbe f trst. 
 
 CHAPTKR PA«« 
 
 I. An Execution in Manchester, at the Beginning of the 
 
 Seventeenth Century 1 
 
 11. Ordsall Cave 14 
 
 III. Ordsall Hall 17 
 
 IV. TheSearch 87 
 
 V. ChatMoss 46 
 
 VI. The Disinterment 70 
 
 VII. Doctor Dee 73 
 
 VIII. The Magic Glass 83 
 
 IX. The Prison on Salford Bridge 90 
 
 X. The Fate of the Pursuivant 97 
 
 XI. The Pilgrimage to Saint Winifred's Well 105 
 
 XII. The Vision 122 
 
 XIII. The Conspirators 128 
 
 XIV. The Packet 144 
 
 XV. The Elixir 1.54 
 
 XVI. The Collegiate Church at Manchester 168 
 
 XVII. The Rencounter 188 
 
 XVIII. The Explanation 191 
 
 XIX. The Discovery 195 
 
 XX. The Departure from the Hall 204 
 
 JBooft tbe ScconO. 
 
 I. The Landing of the Powder 215 
 
 II. The Traitor 229 
 
 III. The Escape Prevented 238 
 
 IV. The Mine 846 
 
 iii
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 <i 
 
 VOLUME ONE 
 
 Help! Help! " shrieked Viviana just as Guy Fawkes sprang 
 through the aperture J Frontispiece 
 
 PAGS 
 
 Guy Fawkes gave the woman the crucifix and she clasped 
 it to her breast 15 
 
 Guy Fawkes stood behind a tree watching Dr. Dee and Kelley 
 
 digging in the new made grave 72 
 
 Guy Fawkes was just in time to prevent Catesby running 
 
 his sword through Chetham 190 
 
 When Garnet reached the door of the chamber, he saw Viviana 
 
 on her knees before Guy Fawkes 205 
 
 Fawkes and Catesby soon had the powder safely on the wharf. 228 
 
 The conspirators listened in speechless astonishment to the 
 deep, clear, tones of the bell.« 260 
 
 Guy Fawkes
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Thk tyrannical measures adopted against the Roman 
 Catholics in the early part of the reign of James the 
 First, when the severe penal enactments against recusants 
 were revived, and with additional rigor, and which led 
 to the remarkable conspiracy about to be related, have 
 been so forcibly and faithfully described by Doctor Lin- 
 gard,* that the following extract from his history will 
 form a fitting introduction to the present work. 
 
 " The oppressive and sanguinary code framed in the 
 reign of Elizabeth, was re-enacted to its full extent, 
 and even improved vsdth additional severities. Every in- 
 dividual who had studied or resided, or should afterwards 
 study or reside in any college or seminary beyond the sea, 
 was rendered incapable of inheriting, or purchasing, or 
 enjoying lands, annuities, chattels, debts, or sums of 
 money, within the realm ; and as missionaries sometimes 
 eluded detection under the disguise of tutors, it was 
 provided that no man should teach even the rudiments of 
 grammar in public or in private, without the previous 
 approbation of the diocesan. 
 
 " The execution of the penal laws enabled the king, by 
 an ingenious comment, to derive considerable profit from 
 his past forbearance. It was pretended that he had never 
 forgiven the penalties of recusancy ; he had merely for- 
 bidden them to be exacted for a time, in the hope that 
 this indulgence would lead to conformity ; but his ex- 
 pectations had been deceived; the obstinacy of the 
 Catholics had grown with the lenity of the sovereign ; 
 and, as they were unworthy of further favor, they should 
 
 * Vide History of England, vol. ix. New Edition, 
 
 Y
 
 Vi PREFACE. 
 
 now be left to the seventy of the law. To their dismay, the 
 legal fine of twenty pounds per lunar month was again 
 demanded, and not only for the time to come, but for the 
 whole period of the suspension ; a demand which, by 
 crowding thirteen payments into one, reduced many 
 families of moderate incomes to a state of absolute 
 beggary. Nor was this all. James was surrounded by 
 numbers of his indigent countrymen. Their habits 
 were expensive, their wants many, and their imj)ortunities 
 incessant. To satisfy the more clamorous, a new expe- 
 dient was devised. The king transferred to them his 
 claims on some of the more opulent recusants, against 
 whom they were at liberty to proceed by law, in his 
 name, unless the sufferers should submit to compound, by 
 the grant of an annuity for life, or the immediate payment 
 of a considerable sum. This was at a time when the 
 jealousies between the two nations had reached a height, 
 of which, at the present day, we have but little concep- 
 tion. Had the money been carried to the royal coffers, 
 the recusants would have had sufficient reason to com- 
 plain ; but that Englishmen should be placed by their 
 king at the mercy of foreigners, that they should be 
 stripped of their property to support the extravagance of 
 his Scottish minions, this added indignity to injustice, 
 exacerbated their already wounded feelings, and goaded the 
 most moderate almost to desperation." From this de- 
 plorable state of things, which is by no means over- 
 colored in the above description, sprang the Gunpowder 
 Plot. 
 
 The county of Lancaster has always abounded in 
 Catholic families, and at no period were the proceedings 
 of the ecclesiastical commissioners more rigorous against 
 them than at that under consideration. Manchester, 
 " the Goshen of this Egypt," as it is termed by the fiery 
 zealot, Warden Heyrick, being the place where all the 
 recusants were imprisoned, the scene of the early part of 
 this history has been laid in that town and its immediate 
 neighborhood. For the introduction of the munificent
 
 PREFACE. vii 
 
 founder of the Blue Coat Hospital into a tale of this de- 
 scription I ought, perhaps, to apologize ; but if I should 
 succeed by it in arousing my fellow-townsmen to a more 
 lively appreciation of the great benefits they have de- 
 rived from him, I shall not regret what I have written. 
 
 In Viviana Radcliffe I have sought to portray the loyal 
 and devout Catholic, such as I conceive the character to 
 have existed at the period. In Catesby, the unscrupulous 
 and ambitious plotter, masking his designs under the 
 cloak of religion. In Garnet, the subtle, and yet sincere 
 Jesuit. And in Fawkes the gloomy and superstitious 
 enthusiast. One doctrine I have endeavored to enforce 
 throughout, — Toleration-. 
 
 From these who have wilfully misinterpreted one of 
 my former productions, and have attributed to it a pur- 
 pose and an aim utterly foreign to my own intentions, I 
 can scarcely expect fairer treatment for the present work. 
 But to that wider and more discriminating class of 
 readers from whom I have experienced so much favor 
 and support, I confidently commit this volume, certain of 
 meeting with leniency and impartiality.
 
 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 THE PLOT. 
 
 Their searches are many and severe. They come either in the nignt 
 or early in the morning, and ever seelc their opportunity, when the 
 Catholics are or would be best occupied, or are likely to be worse 
 provided or look for nothing. They willingliest come when few are 
 at home to resist them, that they may rifle coffers, and do what 
 they list. They lock up the servants, and the mistress of the house, 
 and the whole family, in a room by themselves, while they, like young 
 princes, go rifling the house at their will. 
 
 Letter to Verstegan, ap. Stonyhurst MSS. 
 
 What a thing is it for a Catholic gentleman to have his house sud- 
 denly beset on all sides with a number of men in arms, both horse 
 and foot ! and not only his house and gardens, and such enclosed places 
 all beset, but all highways laid, for some miles near unto him, that 
 none shall pass but they shall be examined ! Then are these searchers 
 oft-times so rude and barbarous, that, if the doors be not opened in 
 the instant they would enter, they break open the doors with all 
 violence, as if they were to sack a town of enemies won by the sword. 
 
 Father Gerard's MS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 AN" EXECUTION IN MANCHESTER, AT THE BEGINNING OP THE 
 SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 More than two hundred and thirty-five years ago, or, 
 to speak with greater precision, in 1605, at tlie latter end 
 of June, it was rumored one morning in Manchester that 
 two seminary priests, condemned at tlie late assizes under 
 the severe penal enactments then in force against the 
 Papists, were about to suffer death on that day. At- 
 
 1
 
 2 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 traded by the report, large crowds flocked towards the 
 place of execution, which, in order to give greater solem- 
 nity to the spectacle, had been fixed at the southern gate 
 of the old Collegiate Church, where a scaif old was erected 
 Near it was a large blood-stained block, the use of which 
 will be readily divined, and adjoining the block, upon a 
 heap of blazing coals, smoked a caldron filled with boiling 
 pitch, intended to receive the quarters of the miserable 
 sufferers. 
 
 The place was guarded by a small band of soldiers, 
 fully accoutered in corselets and morions, and armed with 
 swords, half-pikes, and calivers. Upon the steps of the 
 scaif old stood the executioner, — a square-built, ill-favored 
 personage, busied in arranging a bundle of straw upon 
 the boards. He was dressed in a buff jerkin, and had a 
 long-bladed, two-edged knife thrust into his girdle. Be- 
 sides these persons, there was a pursuivant, — an ofiicer 
 appointed by the Privy Council to make search through- 
 out the provinces for recusants. Popish priests, and other 
 religious offenders. He was occupied at this moment in 
 reading over a list of suspected persons. 
 
 Neither the executioner nor his companions appeared 
 in the slightest degree impressed by the butcherly busi- 
 ness about to be enacted ; for the former whistled care- 
 lessly as he pursued his task, while the latter laughed 
 and chatted with the crowd, or jestingly pointed their 
 matchlocks at the jackdaws wheeling above them in the 
 sunny air, or perching upon the pinnacles and tower of 
 the neighboring fane. Not so the majority of the as- 
 semblage. Most of the older and wealthier families in 
 Lancashire still continuing to adhere to the ancient faith 
 of their fathers, it will not be wondered that many of 
 their dependents should follow their example. And, even 
 of those who were adverse to the creed of Rome, there 
 were few who did not murmur at the rigorous system of 
 persecution adopted towards its professors. 
 
 At nine o'clock, the hollow rolling of a muffled drum 
 was heard at a distance. The deep bell of the church
 
 EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 3 
 
 began to toll, and presently afterwards the mournful 
 procession was seen advancing from the market-place. 
 It consisted of a troop of mounted soldiers, equipped in 
 all respects like those stationed at the scaffold, with their 
 captain at their head, and followed by two of their number 
 with hurdles attached to their steeds, on which were tied 
 the unfortunate victims. Both were young men — both 
 apparently prepared to meet their fate with firmness and 
 resignation. They had been brought from Radcliffe Hall 
 — an old moated and fortified mansion belonging to a 
 wealthy family of that name, situated where the close, 
 called Pool Fold, now stands, and then recently converted 
 into a place of security for recusants ; the two other pris- 
 ons in Manchester — namely, the New Fleet on Hunt's 
 Bank, and the jail on Salford Bridge, — not being found 
 adequate to the accommodation of the numerous religious 
 offenders. 
 
 By this time, the cavalcade had reached the place of 
 execution. The soldiers drove back the throng with 
 their pikes, and cleared a space in front of the scaffold ; 
 when, just as the cords that bound the limbs of the priests 
 were unfastened, a woman in a tattered woolen robe, with 
 a hood partially drawn over her face, — the features of 
 which, so far as they could be discerned, were sharp and 
 attenuated, — a rope girded round her waist, bare feet, 
 and having altogether the appearance of a Sister of 
 Charity, sprang forward, and flung herself on her knees 
 beside them. 
 
 Clasping the hem of the garment of the nearest priest, 
 she pressed it to her lips, and gazed earnestly at him, as 
 if imploring a blessing, 
 
 " You have your wish, daughter," said the priest, ex- 
 tending his arms over her. « Heaven and our lady bless 
 you ! " 
 
 The woman then turned towards the other victim, who 
 was audibly reciting the Miserere. 
 
 "Back, spawn of Antichrist!" interposed a soldier, 
 rudely thrusting her aside. " Don't you see you disturb
 
 4 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 the father's devotions ? He has enough to do to take 
 care of his own soul, without minding yours." 
 
 " Take this, daugliter," cried the priest who had been 
 first addressed, offering her a small volume, which he 
 took from his vest, " and fail not to remember in your 
 prayers the sinful soul of Robert Woodroofe, a brother of 
 the order of Jesus." 
 
 The woman put out her hand to take the book ; but 
 before it could be delivered to her, it was seized by the 
 soldier. 
 
 " Your priests have seldom anything to leave behind 
 them," he shouted, with a brutal laugh, "except some 
 worthless and superstitious relic of a saint or martyr. 
 "What's this ? Ah ! a breviary — a mass-book. I've too 
 much regard for your spiritual welfare to allow you to 
 receive it," he added, about to place it in his doublet. 
 
 " Give it her," exclaimed a young man, snatching it 
 from him, and handing it to the woman, who disappeared 
 as soon as she had obtained possession of it. 
 
 The soldier eyed the newcomer as if disposed to re- 
 sent the interference, but a glance at his apparel, which, 
 though plain, and of a sober hue, was rather above the 
 middle class, as well as a murmur from the crowd, who 
 were evidently disposed to take part with the young 
 man, induced him to stay his hand. He, therefore, con- 
 tented himself with cr3ing, " A recusant ! a Papist ! " 
 
 " I am neither recusant nor Papist, knave ! " replied 
 the other, sternly ; " and I counsel you to mend your 
 manners, and show more humanity, or you shall find I 
 have interest enough to procure your dismissal from a 
 service which you disgrace." 
 
 This reply elicited a shout of applause from the mob. 
 
 " Who is that bold speaker ? " demanded the pursuivant 
 from one of his attendants. 
 
 " Humphrey Chetham of Crumpsall," answered the 
 man : " son to one of the wealthiest merchants of the town 
 and a zealous upholder of the true faith." 
 
 " He has a strange way of showing his zeal," rejoined
 
 EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 5 
 
 the pursuivant, entering the answer in his ncte-book. 
 "And who is the woman he befriended?" 
 
 " A half-crazed being called Elizabeth Orton,'* replied 
 the attendant. " She was scourged and tortured during 
 Queen Elizabeth's reign for pretending to the gift of 
 prophecy, and was compelled to utter her recantation 
 within yonder church. Since then she has never opened 
 her lips." 
 
 " Indeed," exclaimed the pursuivant : " I will engage to 
 make her speak, and to some purpose. Where does she 
 live?" 
 
 " In a cave on the banks of the Irwell, near Ordsall 
 Hall," replied the attendant. " She subsists on the chance 
 contributions of the charitable ; but she solicits nothing, — 
 and, indeed, is seldom seen." 
 
 "Her cave must be searched," observed the pursuivant; 
 " it may be the hiding-place of a priest. Father Campion 
 was concealed in such another spot at Stonor Park, near 
 Henley-on-Thames, where he composed his ' Decern Ra- 
 tiones ; ' and, for a long time, eluded the vigilance of the 
 commissioners. We shall pass it in our way to Ordsall 
 Hall to-night, shall we not ? " 
 
 The attendant nodded in the affirmative. 
 
 " If we surprise Father Oldcorne," continued the pur- 
 suivant, " and can prove that Sir William Radcliffe and 
 his daughter, both of whom are denounced in my list, are 
 harborers and shelterers of recusants, we shall have done 
 a good night's work." 
 
 At this moment, an officer advanced, and commanded 
 the priests to ascend the scaffold. 
 
 As Father Woodroofe, who was the last to mount, 
 reached the uppermost step, he turned round and cried 
 in a loud voice, " Good people, I take you all to witness 
 that I die m the true Catholic religion, and that I rejoice 
 and thank God with all my soul, that he hath made me 
 worthy to testify my faith therein by shedding my blood 
 in this manner." He then advanced towards the execu- 
 tioner, who was busied in adjusting the cord round his
 
 6 GUY FAWKE.^. 
 
 companion's throat, and said, "God forgive thee — do 
 thine office quickly ; " adding in a lower tone, " Asperge 
 97ie, Domine ; Domine^ miserere mei ! " 
 
 And, amid the deep silence that ensued, the execu- 
 tioner performed his horrible task. 
 
 The execution over, the crowd began to separate slowly, 
 and various opinions were expressed respecting the revolt- 
 ing and sanguinary spectacle just witnessed. Many, who 
 condemned — and the majority did so — the extreme 
 severity of the laws by which the unfortunate priests had 
 just suffered, uttered their sentiments with extreme cau- 
 tion ; but there were some whose feelings had been too 
 much excited for prudence, and who inveighed loudly 
 and bitterly against the sj^irit of religious persecution 
 then prevailing ; while a few others of an entirely op- 
 posite persuasion looked upon the rigorous proceedings 
 adopted against the Papists, and the punishment now 
 inflicted upon their priesthood, as a just retribution for 
 their own severities during the reign of Mary. In general, 
 the common people entertained a strong prejudice against 
 the Catholic party, — for, as it has been shrewdly observed, 
 " they must have some object to hate ; heretofore it was 
 the Welsh, the Scots, or the Spaniards, but now in these 
 latter times only the Papists ; " but in Manchester, near 
 which, as has been already stated, so many old and 
 important families, professing that religion, resided, the 
 case was widely different ; and the mass of the inhabitants 
 were favorably inclined towards them. It was the knowl- 
 edge of this feeling that induced the commissioners, 
 appointed to superintend the execution of the enactments 
 against recusants, to proceed with unusual rigor in this 
 neighborhood. 
 
 The state of the Roman Catholic party at the period 
 of this history was indeed most grievous. The hopes 
 they had indulged of greater toleration on the accession 
 of James the First, had been entirely destroyed. The 
 persecutions, suspended during the first year of the reign 
 of the new monarch, wei^ now renewed with greater
 
 EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. f 
 
 severity than ever ; and though their present condition 
 was deplorable enough, it was feared that worse remained 
 in store for them. " They bethought themselves," writes 
 Bishop Goodman, " that now their case was far worse 
 than in the time of Queen Elizabeth ; for they did live in 
 some hope that after the old woman's life, they might 
 have some mitigation, and even those who did then 
 persecute them were a little more moderate, as being 
 doubtful what times might succeed, and fearing their. 
 own case. But, now that they saw the times settled, 
 having no hope of better days, but expecting that the 
 uttermost rigor of the law should be executed, they 
 became desperate : finding that by the laws of the king- 
 dom their own lives were not secured, and for the carry- 
 ing over of a priest into England it was no less than high 
 treason. A gentlewoman was hanged only for relieving 
 and harboring a priest ; a citizen was hanged only for be- 
 ing reconciled to the Church of Rome ; besides, the penal 
 laws were such, and so executed, that they could not 
 subsist. What was usually sold in shops and usually 
 bouglit, this the pursuivant would take away from them 
 as being Popish and superstitious. One knight did 
 affirm that in one term he gave twenty nobles in rewards 
 to the doorkeeper of the Attorney- General ; another did 
 affirm, that his third part which remained unto him of 
 his estate did hardly serve for his expense in law to 
 defend him from other oppressions ; besides their children 
 to be taken from home, to be brought up in another re- 
 ligion. So they did every way conclude that their estate 
 was desperate ; they could die but once, and their religion 
 was more precious unto them than their lives. They did 
 further consider their misery ; how they were debarred 
 in any course of life to help themselves. They could not 
 practise law, — they could not be citizens, — they could 
 have no office ; they could not breed up their sons — none 
 did desire to match with them ; they had neither fit 
 marriages for their daughters, nor nunneries to put them 
 into J for those few which are beyond seas are not
 
 8 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 considerable in respect of the number of recusants, and 
 none can be admitted into them without great sums of 
 money, which they, being exhausted, could not supply. 
 The Spiritual Court did not cease to molest them, to ex- 
 communicate them, then to imprison them ; and thereby 
 they were utterly disenabled to sue for their own." Such 
 is a faithful picture of the state of the Catholic party at 
 the commencement of the reign of James the First. 
 
 Pressed down by these intolerable grievances, is it to 
 be wondered at that the Papists should repine, — or that 
 some among their number, when all other means failed, 
 should seek redress by darker measures ? By a statute of 
 Elizabeth, all who refused to conform to the established 
 religion were subjected to a fine of twenty pounds a lunar 
 month ; and this heavy penalty, remitted, or rather sus- 
 pended, on the accession of the new sovereign, was again 
 exacted, and all arrears claimed. Added to this, James, 
 whose court was thronged by a host of needy Scottish 
 retainers, assigned to them a certain number of wealthy 
 recusants, and empowered them to levy the fines — a 
 privilege of which they were not slow to avail themselves. 
 There were other pains and penalties provided for by the 
 same statute, which were rigorously inflicted. To with- 
 draw, or seek to withdraw another from the established 
 religion was accounted high treason, and punished ac- 
 cordingly ; to hear mass involved a penalty of one hun- 
 dred marks and a year's imprisonment ; and to harbor 
 a priest, under the denomination of a tutor, rendered the 
 latter liable to a year's imprisonment, and his employer 
 to a fine of ten pounds a-month. Impressed with the 
 belief that, in consequence of the unremitting persecutions 
 which the Catholics underwent in Elizabeth's time, the 
 religion would be wholly extirpated. Doctor Allen, a 
 Lancashire divine, who afterwards received a cardinal's 
 hat, founded a college at Douay, for the reception and 
 education of those intending to take orders. From this 
 university a number of missionary priests, or seminarists, 
 as they were termed, were annually sent over to England j
 
 EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 9 
 
 and it was against these persons, who submitted to every 
 hardship and privation, to danger, and death itself, for the 
 welfare of their religion, and in the hope of propagating 
 its doctrines, that the utmost rigor of the penal enact- 
 ments was directed. Among the number of seminarists 
 despatched from D 3uay, and capitally convicted under the 
 statute above-mentioned, were the two priests whose exe- 
 cution has just been narrated. 
 
 As a portion of the crowd passed over the old bridge 
 across the Irwell connecting Manchester with Salford, 
 on which stood an ancient chapel erected by Thomas de 
 Booth, in the reign of Edward the Third, and recently 
 converted into a prison for recusants, they perceived the 
 prophetess, Elizabeth Orton, seated upon the stone steps 
 of the desecrated structure, earnestly perusing the missal 
 given her by Father Woodroofe. A mob speedily col- 
 lected round her ; but, unconscious seemingly of their 
 presence, the poor woman turned over leaf after leaf, and 
 pursued her studies. He.r hood was thrown back, and 
 discovered her bare and withered neck, over which her 
 disheveled hair streamed in long sable elf-locks. Irrita- 
 ted by her indifference, several of the bystanders, who 
 had questioned her as to the nature of her studies, began 
 to mock and jeer her, mid endeavored, by plucking her 
 robe, and casting little pebbles at her, to attract her 
 attention. Roused at length by these annoyances, she 
 arose ; and fixing her large black eyes menacingly upon 
 them, was about to stalk away, when they surrounded 
 and detained her. 
 
 " Speak to us, Bess," cried several voices. " Prophesy 
 — prophesy." 
 
 ♦' I will speak to you," replied the poor woman, shaking 
 her hand at them, " I will prophesy to you. And mark 
 me, though ye believe not, my words shall not fall to the 
 ground." 
 
 " A miracle ! a miracle ! " shouted the bystanders. 
 " Bess Orton, who has been silent for twenty years, has 
 found her tongue at last."
 
 10 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " I have seen a vision, and dreamed a dream," continued 
 the prophetess. " As I lay in my cell last night, meditat- 
 ing upon the forlorn state of our religion, and of its pro- 
 fessors, methought nineteen shadowy figures stood before 
 me — ay, nineteen — for I counted them thrice — and when 
 I questioned them as to their coming, — for my tongue at 
 first clove to the roof of my mouth, and my lips refused 
 their office, —one of them answered, in a voice which yet 
 rings in my <?:ars, ' We are the chosen deliverers of our 
 fallen and povsecuted church. To us is intrusted the re- 
 building of h'^.T temples, — to our hands is committed the 
 destruction ef our enemies. The work will be done in 
 darkness and in secret, — with toil and travail, — but it 
 will at length be made manifest ; and when the hour is 
 arrived, our vc*ngeance will be terrible and exterminating.' 
 With these words, they vanished from my sight. Ah ! " 
 she exclaimed, suddenly starting, and passing her hand 
 across her brow, as if to clear her sight, "it was no 
 dream — no vision. I see one of them now." 
 
 " Where ? where ? " cried several voices. 
 
 The prophetess answered by extending her skinny arm 
 towards some object immediately before her. 
 
 All eyes were instantly turned in the same direction, 
 when they beheld a Spanish soldier — for such his garb 
 proclaimed him — standing at a few paces' distance from 
 them, lie was wrapped in an ample cloak, with a broad- 
 leaved steeple-crowned hat, decorated with a single, 
 green feather, pulled over his brows, and w^ore a polished- 
 steel brigandine, trunk hose, and buff boots drawn up to 
 the knees. His arms consisted of a brace of petronels 
 thrust into liis belt, whence a long rapier depended. His 
 features were dark as bronze, and well-formed, though 
 strongly marked, and had an expression of settled stern- 
 ness. His eyes were gray and penetrating, and shaded 
 by thick beetle-brows ; and his physiognomy was com- 
 pleted by a black peaked beard. His person was tall and 
 erect, and his deportment soldier-like and commanding. 
 Perceiving he had become an object of notice, the stranger
 
 EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 11 
 
 cast a compassionate look at the prophetess, who still 
 remained gazing fixedly at him, and throwing her a few 
 pieces of money, strode away. 
 
 Watching his retreating figure till it disappeared from 
 vieAV, the crazed woman tossed her arms wildly in the air, 
 and cried, in a voice of exultation, " Did I not speak the 
 truth ? — did I not tell you I had seen him ? He is the 
 deliverer of our church, and is come to avenge the 
 righteous blood which hath been this day shed." 
 
 " Peace, woman, and fly while there is yet time," cried 
 the young man who had been designated as Humphrey 
 Chetham. " The pursuivant and his myrmidons are in 
 search of you." 
 
 " Then they need not go far to find me," replied the 
 prophetess. " I will tell them what I told these people, 
 that the day of bloody retribution is at hand, — that the 
 avenger is arrived. I have seen him twice, — once in my 
 cave, and once again here, — even where you stand." 
 
 " If you do not keep silence and fly, my poor creature," 
 rejoined Humphrey Chetham, "you will have to endure 
 what you suffered years ago, — stripes, and perhaps tor- 
 ture. Be warned by me — ah 1 it is too late. He is ap- 
 proaching." 
 
 "Let him come," replied Elizabeth Orton, "I am ready 
 for him." 
 
 " Can none of you force her away ? " cried Plumphrey 
 Chetham, appealing to the crowd ; " I will reward you." 
 
 " I will not stir from this spot," rejoined the prophetess, 
 obstinately ; " I will testify to the truth." 
 
 The kind-hearted young merchant, finding any further 
 attempt to preserve her fruitless, drew aside. 
 
 By this time, the pursuivant and his attendants had 
 come up. " Seize her ! " cried the former, " and let her 
 be placed within this prison till I have reported her to 
 the commissioners. If you will confess to me, woman," 
 he added in a whisper to her, " that you have harbored 
 a priest, and will guide us to his hiding-place, you shall 
 be set free,"
 
 1^ GUY FAWICES. 
 
 " I know of no priest but those you have murdered,'' 
 returned the prophetess, in a loud voice, " but I will tell 
 you something that you wot not of. The avenger of 
 blood is at hand. I have seen him. All here have seen 
 him. And you shall see him — but not now — not now." 
 
 " What is the meaning of this raving ? " demanded the 
 pursuivant. 
 
 " Pay no heed to her talk," interposed Humphrey 
 Chetham ; " she is a poor crazed being, who knows not 
 what she says. I will be surety for her inoffensive con- 
 duct." 
 
 " You must give me surety for yourself, sir," replied 
 the pursuivant. "I have just learnt that you were last 
 night at Ordsall Hall, the seat of that ' dangerous tempo- 
 rizer,' — for so he is designated in my warrant, — Sir Wil- 
 liam Radcliffe. And if report speaks truly, you are not 
 altogether insensible to the charms of his fair daughter, 
 Viviana." 
 
 "What is this to thee, thou malapert knave?" cried 
 Humphrey Chetham, reddening, partly from anger, 
 partly, it might be, from another emotion. 
 
 " Much, as you shall presently find, good Master Wolf-in 
 sheep's-clothing," retorted the pursuivant ; " if you prove 
 not a rank Papist at heart, then do I not know a true man 
 from a false." 
 
 This angry conference was cut short by a piercing 
 scream from the prophetess. Breaking from the grasp of 
 her captors, who were about to force her into the prison, 
 she sprang with a single bound upon the parapet of the 
 bridge ; and utterly regardless of her dangerous position, 
 turned, and faced the soldiers, who were struck mute 
 with astonishment. 
 
 " Tremble ! " she cried, in a loud voice, — " tremble, ye 
 evil-doers ! Ye who have despoiled the house of God, — 
 have broken his altars, — scattered his incense, — slain his 
 priests. Tremble, I say. Tlie avenger is arrived. The 
 bolt is in his hand. It shall strike king, lords, commons, 
 — all ! These are my last words, — take them to heart."
 
 EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER. 13 
 
 " Drag her off ! " roared the pursuivant, furiously. 
 
 "Use care — use gentleness, if ye are menl" cried 
 Humphrey Chetham. 
 
 " Think not you can detain me ! " cried the prophetess. 
 " Avaunt, and tremble 1 " 
 
 So saying she flung herself from the parapet. 
 
 The height from which she fell was about fifty feet. 
 Dashed into the air like jets from a fountain by the 
 weight and force of the descending body, the water in- 
 stantly closed over her. But she rose to the surface of 
 the stream, about twenty yards below the bridge. 
 
 " She may yet be saved," cried Humphrey Chetham, 
 who with the bystanders had hurried to the side of the 
 bridge. 
 
 « You will only preserve her for the gallows," observed 
 the pursuivant. 
 
 "Your malice shall not prevent my making the 
 attempt," replied the young merchant. " Ha ! assistance 
 is at hand." 
 
 The exclamation was occasioned by the sudden appear- 
 ance of the soldier in the Spanish dress, who rushed to- 
 wards the left bank of the river, which was here, as else- 
 where, formed of red sandstone rock, and following the 
 course of the current, awaited the next appearance of the 
 drowning woman. It did not occur till she had been 
 carried a considerable distance down the stream, when 
 the soldier, swiftly divesting himself of his cloak, plunged 
 into the water, and dragged her ashore. 
 
 " Follow me," cried the pursuivant to his attendants. 
 « I will not lose my prey." 
 
 But before he gained the bank of the river, the soldier 
 and his charge had disappeared, nor could he detect any 
 traces of them.
 
 II GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 OEDSALL CAVE. 
 
 After rescuing the unfortunate prophetess from a 
 watery grave in the manner just related, the soldier 
 snatched up his cloak, and, taking his dripping burthen in 
 his arms, hurried swiftly along the bank of the river, 
 until he came to a large cleft in the rock, into which he 
 crept, taking the prophetess with him, and thus eluded 
 observation. In this retreat he continued upwards of two 
 hours, during which time the poor creature, to whom he 
 paid every attention that circumstances would admit, had 
 so far recovered as to be able to speak. But it was evi- 
 dent that the shock had been too much for her, and that 
 she was sinking fast. She was so faint that she could 
 scarcely move ; but she expressed a strong desire to reach 
 her cell before she breathed her last. Having described 
 its situation as accurately as she could to the soldier — 
 who before he ventured forth peeped out to reconnoiter 
 — he again raised her in his arms, and by her direction 
 struck into a narrow lane skirting the bank of the river. 
 
 Pursuing this road for about half a mile, he arrived at 
 the foot of a small knoll, covered by a clump of magnifi- 
 cent beech-trees, and still acting under the guidance of 
 the dying woman, whose voice grew more feeble each in- 
 stant, he mounted it, and from its summit took a rapid 
 survey of the surrounding country. On the opposite 
 bank of the river stood an old hall, while further on, at 
 some distance, he could perceive through the trees the 
 gables and chimneys of another ancient mansion. 
 
 « Raise me up," said Elizabeth Orton, as he lingered on 
 this spot for a moment. " In that old house, which you 
 see yonder, Hulme Ilall, I was born. I would willingly 
 take one look at it before I die."
 
 Guy Fawkes gave the woman the crucifix and she clasped it to her 
 breast. Page 15. Guy Fawkes
 
 ORDSALL CAVE. 15 
 
 « And the other hall, which I discern through the trees, 
 is Ordsall, is it not ? " inquired the soldier. 
 
 " It is," replied the prophetess. " And now let us make 
 what haste we can. We have not far to go ; and I feel I 
 shall not last long." 
 
 Descending the eminence, and again entering the lane, 
 which here made a turn, the soldier approached a grassy 
 space, walled in on either side by steep sandstone rocks. 
 At the further extremity of the enclosure, after a mo- 
 ment's search, by the direction of his companion, he found, 
 artfully concealed by overhanging brushwood, the mouth 
 of a small cave. He crept into the excavation, and found 
 it about six feet high, and of considerable depth. The 
 roof was ornamented with Runic characters and other 
 grotesque and half-effaced inscriptions, while the sides 
 were embellished with Gothic tracery, amid which the 
 letters I.H.S., carved in ancient church text, could be 
 easily distinguished. Tradition assigned the cell to the 
 priests of Odin, but it was evident that worshipers at 
 other and holier altars had more recently made it their 
 retreat. Its present occupant had furnished it with a 
 straw pallet, and a small wooden crucifix fixed in a recess 
 in the wall. Gently depositing her upon the pallet, the 
 soldier took a seat beside her on a stone slab at the foot 
 of the bed. He next, at her request, as the cave was ren- 
 dered almost wholly dark by the overhanging trees, struck 
 a light, and set fire to a candle placed within a lantern. 
 
 After a few moments passed in prayer, the recluse 
 begged him to give her the crucifix that she might clasp 
 it to her breast. This done, she became more composed, 
 and prepared to meet her end. Suddenly, as if some- 
 thing had again disturbed her, she opened wide her glaz- 
 ing eyes, and starting up with a dying effort, stretched 
 out her hands. 
 
 " I see him before them ! " she cried. " They examine 
 him — they adjudge him ! All ! he is now in a dungeon ! 
 See, the torturers advance ! He is placed on the rack — 
 once — twice — thrice — they turn the levers ! His joints
 
 16 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 snap in their sockets — his sinews crack 1 Mercy ! he 
 confesses ! He is led to execution. I see him ascend the 
 scaffold ! " 
 
 " Whom do you behold ? " inquired the soldier, listen- 
 ing to her in astonishment. 
 
 " His face is hidden from me," replied the prophetess ; 
 " but his figure is not unlike your own. Ha ! I hear the 
 executioner pronounce his name. How are you called ? " 
 
 " Guy Fawkes," rei)lied the soldier. 
 
 « It is the name I heard," rejoined Elizabeth Orton. 
 
 And, sinking backward, she expired. 
 
 Guy Fawkes gazed at her for some time, till he felt 
 assured that the last spark of life had fled. He then 
 turned away, and placing his hand upon his chin, became 
 lost in deep reflection.
 
 OHDSALL HALL. 1^ 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 OEDSALL HALL. 
 
 Soon- after sunset, on the evening of the events pre- 
 viously related, the inmates of Ordsall Hall were disturbed 
 and alarmed (for in those times of trouble any casual dis- 
 turbance at night was sufficient to occasion alarm to a 
 Catholic family) by a loud clamor for admittance from 
 some one stationed at the farther side of the moat, then, 
 as now, surrounding that ancient manorial residence. The 
 drawbridge being raised, no apprehension was entertained 
 of an attempt at forcible entrance on the part of the in- 
 truder, who, so far as he could be discerned in the deep- 
 ening twilight, rendered yet more obscure by the shade 
 of the trees under which he stood, appeared to be a soli- 
 tary horseman. Still, for fear of a surprise, it was judged 
 prudent by those inside the hall to turn a deaf ear to the 
 summons ; nor was it until it had been more than once re- 
 peated in a peremptory tone, that any attention was paid 
 to it. The outer gate was then cautiously opened by an 
 old steward, and a couple of serving-men, armed with 
 pikes and swords, who demanded the stranger's business, 
 and were answered that he desired to speak with Sir Wil- 
 liam Radcliffe. The steward rejoined that his master 
 was not at home, having set out the day before for 
 Chester : but that even if he were, he would take upon him- 
 self to affirm that no audience Avould be given, on any pre- 
 tense whatever, to a stranger at such an unreasonable hour. 
 To this the other replied, in a haughty and commanding 
 voice, that he was neither a stranger to Sir William Rad- 
 cliffe, nor ignorant of the necessity of caution, though in 
 this instance it was altogether superfluous ; and as, not- 
 withstanding the steward's assertion to the contrary, he 
 was fully persuaded his master z^as at home, he insisted
 
 18 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 upon being conducted to him without further parley, as 
 his business would not brook delay. In vain the steward 
 declared he had spoken the truth. The stranger evi- 
 dently disbelieved him ; but, as he could obtain no more 
 satisfactory answer to his interrogations, he suddenly 
 shifted his ground, and inquired whether Sir William's 
 daughter, Mistress Viviana, was likewise absent from 
 home. 
 
 " Before I reply to the question, I must know by whom 
 and wherefore it is put '? " returned the steward, evasively. 
 
 " Trouble not yourself further, friend, but deliver this 
 letter to her," rejoined the horseman, flinging a packet 
 across the moat. " It is addressed to her father, but there 
 is no reason why she should not be acquainted with its 
 contents." 
 
 " Take it up, Olin Birtwissel," cried the steward, eye- 
 ing the packet which had fallen at his feet suspiciously ; 
 "take it up, I say, and hold it to the light, that, I may 
 consider it well before I carry it to our young mistress. 
 I have heard of strange treacheries practised by such 
 means, and care not to meddle with it." 
 
 " Neither do I, good Muster Heydocke," replied Birt- 
 wissel. "I would not touch it for a twelvemonth's 
 wages. It may burst, and spoil my good looks, and so 
 ruin my fortunes with the damsels. But here is Jeff 
 Gellibronde, who, having no beauty to lose, and being, 
 moreover, afraid of nothing, will pick it up for you." 
 
 " Speak for yourself, Olin," rejoined Gellibronde, in a 
 surly tone. " I have no more fancy for a shattered limb, 
 or a scorched face, than my neighbors." 
 
 "Dolts ! " cried the stranger, who had listened to these 
 observations with angry impatience, "if you will not 
 convey my packet, which has nothing more dangerous 
 about it than an ordinary letter, to your mistress, at least 
 acquaint her that Mr. Robert Catesby, of Ashby St. 
 Legers, is without, and craves an instant speech with 
 her." 
 
 " Mr. Catesby ! " exclaimed the steward, in astonish-
 
 ORDSALL HALL. 19 
 
 ment. " If it be indeed your worship, why did you not 
 declare yourself at once ? " 
 
 " I may have as good reason for caution as yourself, 
 Master Heydocke," returned Catesby, laughing. 
 
 " True," rejoined the steward ; " but, methinks it is 
 somewhat strange to find your worship here, when I am 
 aware that my master expected to meet you, and certain 
 other honorable gentlemen that you wot of, at a place in 
 a clean opposite direction, Holywell, in Flintshire." 
 
 "The cause of my presence, since you desire to be 
 certified of the matter, is simply this," replied Catesby, 
 urging his steed towards the edge of the moat, while the 
 steward advanced to meet him on the opposite bank, so 
 that a few yards only lay between them ; " I came round 
 by Manchester," he continued, in a lower tone, " to see 
 if any assistance could be rendered to the unfortunate 
 fathers Woodroofe and Forshawe : but found on mv 
 arrival this morning that I was too late, as they had just 
 been executed." 
 
 " Heaven have mercy on their souls ! " ejaculated Hey- 
 docke, shuddering, and crossing himself, " Yours was a 
 pious mission, Mr. Catesby. Would it had been avail- 
 ing ! " 
 
 " I would so, too, with all my soul ! " rejoined the other, 
 fervently ; " but fate ordained it otherwise. While I was 
 in the town, I accidentally learnt from one, who informed 
 me he had just parted with him, that your master was at 
 home ; and, fearing he might not be able to attend the 
 meeting at Holywell, I resolved to proceed hither at 
 nightfall, when my visit was not likely to be observed ; 
 having motives, which you may readily conjecture, for 
 preserving the strictest secrecy on the occasion. The 
 letter was prepared in case I should fail in meeting with 
 him. And now that I have satisfied your scruples, good 
 master steward, if Sir William be really vrithiu, I pray 
 you lead me to him forthwith. If not, your young mis- 
 tress may serve my turn, for I have that to say which it 
 imports one or other of them to know."
 
 20 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " In rep^ard to my master,-' replied the steward, « he 
 departed yesterday for Chester, on his way to join the 
 pilgrimage to St. "Winifred's Well, as I have already 
 assured your worship. And whoever informed you to 
 the contrary, spoke falsely. But I will convey your 
 letter and message to my young mistress, and on learning 
 her pleasure as to receiving j'ou, Avill instantly return 
 and report it. These are dangerous times, your worship ; 
 dangerous times. A good Catholic knows not whom to 
 trust, there are so many spoilers abroad." 
 
 " How, sirrah ! " cried Catesby, angrily, « do you apply 
 that observation to me?" 
 
 " Far be it from me," answered Ileydocke, respectfully, 
 " to apply any observation that may sound offensive to 
 your worship, whom I know to be a most worthy gentle- 
 man, and as free from heresy, as any in the kingdom. I 
 was merely endeavoring to account for what may appear 
 my over-caution in detaining you where you are, till I 
 learn my lady's pleasure. It is a rule in this house not 
 to lower the drawbridge without orders after sunset ; 
 and I dare not, for my place, disobey it. Young Mr. 
 Humphrey Chetham, of Crumpsall, was detained in the 
 like manner no later than last night; and he is a visitor," 
 he added, in a significant tone, " who is not altogether 
 unwelcome to my mistress — ahem ! But duty is no 
 respecter of persons ; and in my master's absence my 
 duty is to protect his household. Your worship will 
 pardon me." 
 
 "I will pardon anything but your loquacity and 
 tediousness," rejoined Catesby, impatiently. " About 
 your errand quickly." 
 
 "I am gone, your worship," returned the steward, dis- 
 appearing v.ith his companions. 
 
 Throwing the bridle over his horse's neck, and allow- 
 ing him to drink his till from the water of the moat, and 
 afterwards to pluck a few mouthfuls of the long grass 
 that fringed its brink, Catesby abandoned himself to re- 
 flection. In a few moments, as the steward did not
 
 ORDSALL HALL, 21 
 
 return, he raised his eyes, and fixed them upon the an- 
 cient habitation before him, — ancient, indeed, it was not 
 at this time, having been in a great measure rebuilt by 
 its possessor, Sir William Radcliffe, during the latter 
 part of the reign of Elizabeth, in the rich and pic- 
 turesque style of that period. Little could be dis- 
 tinguished of its projecting and retiring wings, its walls 
 decorated with black and white checker- work, the char- 
 acteristic of the class of architecture to which it be- 
 longed, or of its magnificent embayed windows filled with 
 stained glass ; but the outline of its heavy roof, with its 
 numerous gables, and groups of tall and elaborately- 
 ornamented chimneys, might be distinctly traced in 
 strong relief against the warm and still-glowing western 
 sky. 
 
 Though nmch gone to decay, grievously neglected, and 
 divided into three separate dwelling-houses, Ordsall Hall 
 still retains much of its original character and beauty ; 
 and viewed at the magic hour above described, when the 
 changes produced by the lapse of years cannot be detected, 
 it presents much the same striking appearance that it 
 offered to the gaze of Catesby. Situated on the north 
 bank of the Irwell, which supplies the moat with a con- 
 stant stream of fresh water, it commands on the south- 
 west a beautiful view of the winding course of the river, 
 here almost forming an island, of Trafford Park and its 
 hall, of the woody uplands beyond it, and of the distant 
 hills of Cheshire. The mansion itself is an irregular 
 quadrangle, covering a considerable tract of ground. 
 The gardens, once exquisitely laid out in the formal taste 
 of Elizabeth's days, are also enclosed by the moat, sur- 
 rounding (except in the intervals where it is filled up) a 
 space of some acres in extent. At the period of this his- 
 tory, it was approached on the northeast by a noble 
 avenue of sycamores, leading to within a short distance 
 of its gates. 
 
 As Catesby surveyed this stately structure, and pon- 
 dered upon the wealth and power of its owner, his medu
 
 22 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 tations thus found vent in words : — " If I could but link 
 Radcliffe to our cause, or win the hand of his fair daugh- 
 ter, and so bind him to me, the great attempt could not 
 fail. She has refused me once. No matter. I will per- 
 severe till she yields. With Father Oldcorne to back 
 my suit, I am assured of success. She is necessary to 
 my purpose, and shall be mine." 
 
 Descended from an ancient Northamptonshire family, 
 and numbering among his ancestry the well-known min- 
 ister of the same name who flourished in the reign 
 of Richard the Third, Robert Catesby, — at this time 
 about forty, — had in his youth led a wild and dissolute 
 life ; and though bred in the faith of Rome, he had for 
 some years abandoned its worship. In 1580, when the 
 Jesuits, Campion and Persons, visited England, he was 
 reconciled to the church he had quitted, and thenceforth 
 became as zealous a supporter and promoter of its doc- 
 trines as he had heretofore been their bitter opponent. 
 He was now actively engaged in all the Popish plots of 
 the period, and was even supposed to be connected with 
 those designs of a darker dye which were set on foot for 
 Elizabeth's destruction,— with Somerville's conspiracy, — 
 with that of Arden and Throckmorton, — the latter of 
 whom was his uncle on the maternal side, — with the 
 plots of Bury and Savage, — of Ballard, — and of Babing- 
 ton. After the execution of the unfortunate Queen of 
 Scots, he devoted himself to what was termed the Span- 
 ish faction, and endeavored to carry out the schemes of 
 a party, who, distrusting the vague promises of James, 
 were anxious to secure the succession to a Catholic, — the 
 Infanta of Spain, or the Duke of Parma. On the insur- 
 rection of the Earl of Essex, he took part with that ill- 
 fated nobleman ; and, though he escaped condign punish- 
 ment for the offense, he was imprisoned and heavily 
 fined. 
 
 From this time his career ran in darker channels. 
 "Hunger-starved for innovation," as he is finely described 
 by Camden, — imbued with the fiercest religious fanati-
 
 ORDSALL HALL. 23 
 
 cism, — eloquent, wily, resolute, — able alike to delude the 
 powerful and intimidate the weak, — he possessed all the 
 ingredients of a conspirator. Associating with men like 
 himself, of desperate character and broken fortunes, he 
 was ever on the look-out for some means of retrieving 
 his own condition, and redressing the wrongs of his 
 church. Well informed of the actual state of James's 
 sentiments, when, on that monarch's accession, confident 
 hopes were entertained by the Romanists of greater 
 toleration for their religion, Catesby was the first to point 
 out their mistake, and to foretell the season of terrible 
 persecution that was at hand. On this persecution he 
 grounded his hopes — hopes, never realized, for the suf- 
 ferers, amid all the grievances they endured, remained 
 constant in their fidelity to the throne — of exciting a 
 general insurrection among the Catholics. 
 
 Disappointed in this expectation, — disappointed, also, 
 in his hopes of Spain, of France, and of aid from Rome, 
 he fell back upon himself, and resolved upon the execu- 
 tion of a dark and dreadful project which he had long 
 conceived, and which he could execute almost single- 
 handed, without aid from foreign powers, and without 
 the co-operation of his own party. The nature of this 
 project, which, if it succeeded, would, he imagined, ac- 
 complish all or more than his wildest dreams of ambi- 
 tion or fanaticism had ever conceived, it will be the busi- 
 ness of this history to develop. Without going further 
 into detail at present, it may be mentioned that the suc- 
 cess of the plot depended so entirely on its secrecy, and 
 so well aware was its contriver of the extraordinary sys- 
 tem of espionage carried on by the Earl of Salisbury 
 and the Privy Council, that for some time he scarcely 
 dared to trust it out of his keeping. At length, after 
 much deliberation, he communicated it to five others, all 
 of whom were bound to silence by an oath of unusual 
 solemnity ; and as it was necessary to the complete suc- 
 cess of the conspiracy that its outbreak should be instan- 
 taneously followed by a rise on the part of the Catholics,
 
 24 GtTY FAWKES. 
 
 he darkly hinted that a plan was on foot for their deliver- 
 ance from the yoke of their oppressors, and counseled 
 them to hold themselves in readiness to fly to arms at a 
 moment's notice. But here again he failed. Few were 
 disposed to listen to him ; and of those who did, the 
 majority returned for answer, " that their part was en- 
 durance, and that the only arms which Christians could 
 use against lawful powers in their severity were prayers 
 and tears." 
 
 Among the Popish party of that period, as in our own 
 time, were ranked many of the oldest and most illustrious 
 families in the kingdom, — families not less remarkable 
 for their zeal for their religion than, as has before been 
 observed, for their loyalty ; — a loyalty afterwards ap- 
 proved in the disastrous reign of James the Second by 
 their firm adherence to what they considered the inde- 
 feasible right of inheritance. Plots, indeed, were con- 
 stantly hatched throughout the reigns of Elizabeth and 
 James, by persons professing the religion of Rome ; but 
 in these the mass of the Catholics had no share. And 
 even in the seasons of the bitterest persecution, when 
 every fresh act of treason, perpetrated by some lawless 
 and disaffected individual, was visited with additional 
 rigor on their heads, — when the scaffold reeked with 
 their blood, and the state smoked with their ashes, — when 
 their quarters were blackening on the gates and market- 
 crosses of every city in the realm, — when their hearths 
 were invaded, their religion proscribed, and the very 
 name of Papist had become a byword, — even in those 
 terrible seasons, as in the season under consideration, 
 they remained constant in their fidelity to the crown. 
 
 From the troubled elements at work, some fierce and 
 turbulent spirits were sure to arise, — some gloomy fanatics 
 who, having brooded over their wrongs, real or imaginary, 
 till they had lost all scruples of conscience, hesitated at no 
 means of procuring redress. But it would be unjust to 
 hold up such persons as representatives of the whole 
 body of Catholics. Among the conspiratoi'S themselves
 
 ORDSALL HALL. 25 
 
 there were redeeming shades. All were not actuated by 
 the same atrocious motives. Mixed feelings induced 
 Catesby to adopt the measure. Not so Guy Fawkes, who 
 had already been leagued with the desigu. One idea 
 alone ruled him. A soldier of fortune, but a stern reli- 
 gious enthusiast, he supposed himself chosen by Heaven 
 for the redemption of his church, and cared not what 
 happened to himself, provided he accomplished his (as he 
 conceived) holy design. 
 
 In considering the causes which produced the conspiracy 
 about to be related, and in separating the disaffected 
 party of the Papists from the temperate, due weight must 
 be given to the influence of the priesthood. Of the 
 Romish clergy there were two classes — the secular 
 priests, and the Jesuits and missionaries. Wliile the 
 former, like the more moderate of the laity, would have 
 been well-contented with toleration for their religion, the 
 latter breathed nothing but revenge, and desired the 
 utter subversion of the existing government, temporal 
 as well as ecclesiastical. Men, for the most part, of high 
 intellectual powers, of untiring energy, and unconquerable 
 fortitude, they were enabled by their zeal and ability to 
 make many proselytes. By their means, secret corre- 
 spondence was carried on with the different courts of 
 Europe ; and they were not without hope that, taking ad- 
 vantage of some favorable crisis, they should yet restore 
 their church to its former supremacy. To these persons, 
 — who held as a maxim, " Qui reUgio7iem Catholicam 
 deserit regnandi jus omne amisU^'' — Catesby and his 
 associates proved ready and devoted agents. Through 
 their instrumentality, they hoped to accomplish the great 
 work of their restoration. To Father Garnet, the pro- 
 vincial of the English Jesuits, of whom it will be necessary 
 to speak more fully hereafter, the plot had been revealed 
 by Catesby under the seal of confession ; and, though it 
 subsequently became a question whether he was justified 
 in withholding a secret of such importance to the state, 
 it is sufficient for the present purpose to say that he did
 
 26 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 withhold it. For the treasonable practises of the Jesuits 
 and their faction some palliation may perhaps be found 
 in the unrelenting persecution to which they were sub- 
 jected ; but if any excuse can be admitted for them, 
 what opinion must be formed of the conduct of their 
 temperate brethren ? Surely, while the one is condemned, 
 admiration may be mingled with the sympathy which 
 must be felt for the unmerited sufferings of the other ! 
 
 From the foregoing statement, it will be readily inferred 
 that Sir ^Yilliam Radclifte, a devout Catholic, and a man 
 of large possessions, though somewhat reduced by the 
 heavy fines imposed upon him as a recusant, must have 
 appeared an object of importance to the conspirators ; 
 nor will it be wondered at, that every means were used to 
 gain him to their cause. Acting, however, upon the 
 principles that swayed the well-disposed of his party, the 
 knight resisted all these overtures, and refused to take 
 any share in proceedings from which his conscience and 
 loyalty alike revolted. BaflQed, but not defeated, Catesby 
 returned to the charge on a new point of assault. Him- 
 self a widower (or supposed to be so), he solicited the 
 hand of the lovely Viviana Radcliffe, Sir William's only 
 child, and the sole heiress of his possessions. But his suit 
 in this quarter was, also, unsuccessful. The knight re- 
 jected the proposal, alleging that his daughter had no 
 inclination to any alliance, inasmuch as she entertained 
 serious thoughts of avowing herself to heaven. Thus 
 foiled, Catesby ostensibly relinquished his design. 
 
 Shortly before the commencement of this history, a 
 pilgrimage to Saint Winifred's Well, in Flintshire, was 
 undertaken by Father Garnet, the provincial of the 
 Jesuits before mentioned, in company with several dis- 
 tinguished Catholic jjcrsonages of both sexes, and to this 
 ceremonial Sir William and his daughter were urgently 
 bidden. The invitation was declined on the part of 
 Viviana, but accepted by the knight, who, though un- 
 willing to leave home at a period of so much danger, or to 
 commit his daughter to any care but his own, even for so
 
 ORDSALL HALL. 27 
 
 short a space, felt it to be his duty to give countenance 
 by his presence to the ceremonial. 
 
 Accordingly, he departed for Chester on the previous 
 day, as stated by the steward. And, though Catesby 
 professed ignorance on the subject, and even affirmed he 
 had heard to the contrary, it may be doubted whether 
 he was not secretly informed of the circumstance, and 
 whether his arrival, at this particular conjuncture, was 
 not preconcerted. 
 
 Thus much in explanation of what is to follow. The 
 course of Catesby's reflections was cut short by the return 
 of the steward, who, informing him that he had his mis- 
 tress's commands to admit him, immediately lowered the 
 drawbridge for that purpose. Dismounting, and com- 
 mitting his steed to one of the serving-men, who ad- 
 vanced to take it, Catesby followed his conductor through 
 a stone gateway, and crossing the garden, was ushered 
 into a spacious and lofty hall, furnished with a long 
 massy oak table, at the upper end of which was a raised 
 dais. At one side of the chamber yawned a huge arched 
 fireplace, garnished with enormous andirons, on which 
 smoldered a fire composed of mixed turf and wood. 
 Above the chimney-piece hung a suit of chain-armor, 
 with the battle-axe, helmet, and gauntlets of Sir John 
 Radcliffe, the first possessor of Ordsall, who flourished in 
 the reign of Edward the First ; on the right, masking the 
 entrance, stood a magnificent screen of carved oak. 
 
 Traversing this hall, Heydocke led the way to another 
 large apartment ; and placing lights on a Gothic-shaped 
 table, offered a seat to the newcomer, and departed. 
 The room in which Catesby was left was termed the 
 star-chamber — a name retained to this day — from the 
 circumstance of its ceiling being molded and painted to 
 resemble the heavenly vault when studded with the 
 luminaries of night. It was terminated by a deeply- 
 embayed window filled with stained glass of the most 
 gorgeous colors. The walls, in some places, were hung 
 with arras, in others, wainscoted Avith dark lustrous oak,
 
 28 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 embellished with scrolls, ciphers, and fanciful designs. 
 The mantel-piece was of the same solid material, curiously 
 carved, and of extraordinary size. It was adorned with 
 the armorial bearings of the family — two bends en- 
 grailed, and in chief a label of three, — and other devices 
 and inscriptions. The hearth was considerably raised 
 above the level of the floor, and there was a peculiarity 
 in the construction of the massive wooden pillars flank- 
 ing it, that attracted the attention of Catesby, who rose 
 with the intention of examining them more narrowly, 
 when he was interrupted by the entrance of the lady of 
 the mansion. 
 
 Advancing at a slow and dignified pace, Viviana Rad- 
 clitfe courteously but gravely saluted her guest; and, 
 without offering him her hand, motioned him to a chair, 
 while she seated herself at a little distance. Catesb}'' 
 had seen her twice before; and whether the circum- 
 stances under which they now met might have caused 
 some change in her demeanor he could not tell, but he 
 thought her singularly altered. A year ago she had been 
 a lively, laughing girl of seventeen, with a bright brown 
 skin, dark flowing tresses, and eyes as black and radiant 
 as those of a gipsy. She was now a grave, collected 
 woman, infinitely more beautiful, but wholly changed in 
 character. Her complexion had become a clear, trans- 
 parent white, and set off to great advantage her large, 
 luminous eyes, and jetty brows. Her figure was tall and 
 majestic ; her features regular, delicately formed, and of 
 the rarest and proudest class of beauty. She was attired in 
 a dress of black wrought velvet, entirely without ornament 
 except the rosary at her girdle, with a small ebony cru- 
 cifix attached to it. She wore a close-fitting cap, like- 
 wise of black velvet, edged with pearls, beneath which 
 her raven tresses were gathered in such a manner as to 
 display most becomingly the smooth and snowy expanse 
 of her forehead. Tlie gravity of her manner, not less 
 than her charms of person, seem to have struck Catesby 
 mute. He gazed on her in silent admiration for a brief
 
 ORDSALL HALL. 29 
 
 space, utterly forgetful of the object of his visit, and the 
 part he intended to play. During this pause, she main- 
 tained the most perfect composure, and jEixing her dark 
 eyes full upon him, a]3peared to await the moment when 
 he might choose to open the conversation. 
 
 Notwithstanding his age, and the dissolute and dis- 
 tracted life he had led, Catesby was still good-looking 
 enough to have produced a favorable impression upon any 
 woman easily captivated by manly beauty. The very 
 expression of his marked and peculiar physiognomy, — in 
 some degree an index to his character, — was sufficient 
 to rivet attention ; and the mysterious interest generally 
 inspired by his presence was not dimmished on further 
 acquaintance with him. Though somewhat stern in their 
 expression, his features were strikingly handsome, cast in 
 an oval mold, and clothed with the pointed beard and 
 trimmed mustaches invariably met with in the portraits 
 of Vandyck. His frame was strongly built, but well pro- 
 portioned, and seemed capable of enduring the greatest 
 fatigue. His dress was that of an ordinary gentleman of 
 the period, and consisted of a doublet of quilted silk, of 
 sober color and stout texture ; large trunk-hose swelling 
 out at the hips ; and buff boots, armed with spurs with 
 immense rowels. He wore a high and stiffly-starched 
 ruff round his throat ; and his apj^arel was completed by 
 a short cloak of brown cloth, lined with silk of a similar 
 color. His arms were rapier and poniard, and his high 
 crowned plumed hat, of the peculiar form then in vogue, 
 and looped on the " leer-side " with a diamond clasp, was 
 thrown upon the table. 
 
 Some little time having elapsed, during which he made 
 no effort to address her, Viviana broke silence. 
 
 "I understood you desired to speak with me on a 
 matter of urgency, Mr. Catesby," she remarked. 
 
 " I did so," he replied, as if aroused from a reverie ; " and 
 I can only excuse my absence of mind and ill manners, 
 on the plea that the contemplation of your charms has 
 driven all other matter out of my head."
 
 30 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " Mr. Catesby," returned Viviana, rising, " if the pur- 
 pose of your visit be merely to pay unmerited compli- 
 ments, I must at once put an end to it." 
 
 " I have only obeyed the impulse of my heart," resumed 
 the other, passionately, "and uttered what involuntarily 
 rose to my lips. But," he added, checking himself, "I 
 will not offend you with my admiration. If you have 
 read my letter to your father, you will not require to be 
 informed of the object of my visit." 
 
 " I have not read it," replied Viviana, returning him 
 the packet with the seal unbi-oken. " I can give no 
 opinion on any matter of difficulty. And I have no desire 
 to know any secret with which my father might not 
 desire me to be acquainted." 
 
 " Are we overheard ? " inquired Catesby, glancing 
 suspiciously at the fireplace. 
 
 " By no one whom you would care to overhear us," 
 returned the maiden, 
 
 " Then it is as I supposed," rejoined Catesby. " Father 
 Oldcorne is concealed behind that mantel-piece ? " 
 
 Viviana smiled an affirmative. 
 
 " Let him come forth, I pray you," returned Catesby. 
 " What I have to say concerns him as much as yourself 
 or your father ; and I would gladly have his voice in the 
 matter." 
 
 " You shall have it, my son," replied a reverend per- 
 sonage, clad in a priestly garb, stepping from out one 
 side of the mantel-piece, which flew suddenly open, disclos- 
 ing a recess curiously contrived in the thickness of the 
 wall. " You shall have it," said Father Oldcorne, for he 
 it was, approaching and extending his arms over him. 
 " Accept my blessing and my welcome." 
 
 Catesby received the benediction with bowed head and 
 bended knee. 
 
 " And now," continued the priest, " what has the 
 bravest soldier of our church to declare to its lowliest 
 servant ? " 
 
 Catesby then briefly explained, as he had before done
 
 ORDSALL HALL. 31 
 
 to the steward, why he had taken Manchester in his route 
 to North Wales ; and, after lamenthig his inability to 
 render any assistance to the unfortunate priests, he went 
 on to state that he had accidentally learnt, from a few 
 words let fall by the pursuivant to his attendant, that a 
 warrant had been sent by the Earl of Salisbury for Sir 
 William Radcliffe's arrest. 
 
 "My father's arrest!" exclaimed Viviana, trembling 
 violently. " What — what is laid to his charge ? " 
 
 " Felony," rejoined Catesby, sternly — " felony, without 
 benefit of clergy — for so it is accounted by the iDresent 
 execrable laws of our land, — in harboring a Jesuit priest. 
 If he is convicted of the oflt'ense, his punishment will be 
 death — death on the gibbet, accompanied by indignities 
 worse than those shown to a common felon." 
 
 " Holy Virgin ! " ejaculated Father Oldcorne, lifting up 
 his hands, and raising his eyes to heaven. 
 
 " From what I gathered, the officers will visit this 
 house to-night," continued Catesby. 
 
 " Our Lady be praised, they will not find him ! " cried 
 Viviana, who had been thrown into an agony of distress. 
 " What is to be done in this frightful emergency, holy 
 father? "she added, turning to the priest, with a sup- 
 plicating look. 
 
 " Heaven only knows, dear daughter," replied Oldcorne. 
 " You had better appeal for counsel to one who is more 
 able to afford it than I am, — Mr. Catesby. Well aware 
 of the crafty devices of our enemies, and having often 
 eluded their snares himself, he may enable you to escape 
 them. My own course is clear. I shall quit this roof at 
 once, deeply and bitterly regretting that by entering it, I 
 have placed those whom I hold so dear, and from whom 
 I have experienced so much kindness, in such fearful 
 jeopardy." 
 
 " Oh, no, father ! " exclaimed Viviana, " you shall not 
 go." 
 
 " Daughter," replied Oldcorne, solemnly, " I have long 
 home the cross of Christ, — have long endured the stripes,
 
 32 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 inflicted upon me by the adversaries of our faith, in 
 patience ; and my last actions and last breath shall testify 
 to the truth of our holy religion. But, though I could 
 endure aught on my own account, I cannot consent to 
 bring misery and destruction upon others. Hinder me 
 not, dear daughter. I will go at once." 
 
 " Hold, father ! " interposed Catesby. " The step you 
 would take may bring about what you are most anxious 
 to avoid. If you are discovered and apprehended in this 
 neighborhood, suspicion will still attach to your protec- 
 tors, and the secret of your departure will be wrung 
 from some of the more timid of the household. Tarry 
 where you are. Let the pursuivant make his search. I 
 will engage to baffle his vigilance." 
 
 " He speaks the truth, dear father," returned Viviana. 
 " You must not — shall not depart. There are plenty of 
 hiding-places, as you know, within the mansion. Let 
 them be as rigorous as they may in their search, they 
 will not discover you." 
 
 " Whatever course you adjudge best for the security of 
 others, I will pursue," rejoined Oldcorne, turning to 
 Catesby. " Put me out of the question." 
 
 "My opinion has already been given, father," replied 
 Catesby. " Remain where you are." 
 
 " But, if the officers should ascertain that my father is 
 at Chester, and pursue him thither ? " cried Viviana, sud- 
 denly struck by a new cause of alarm. 
 
 " A messenger must be immediately despatched after 
 him to give him warning," returned Catesby. 
 
 " Will you be that messenger ? " asked the maiden, 
 eagerly. 
 
 " I would shed my heart's best blood to pleasure you," 
 returned Catesby. 
 
 " Then I may count upon this service, for which, rest 
 assured, I will not prove ungrateful," she rejoined. 
 
 " You may," answered Catesby. " And yet I would, on 
 Father Oldcorne's account, that my departure might be 
 delayed till to-morrow,"
 
 ORDSALL HALL. 33 
 
 « The delay might be fatal," cried Viviana. " You must 
 be in Chester before that time." 
 
 « Doubt it not," returned Catesby. " Charged with 
 your wishes, the wind shall scarcely outstrip my speed." 
 
 So saying, he marched irresolutely towards the door, 
 as if about to depart, when, just as he had reached it, he 
 turned sharply round, and threw himself at Viviana's 
 feet. 
 
 « Forgive me. Miss Radcliff e," he cried, " if I once again, 
 even at a critical moment like the present, dare to renew 
 my suit. I fancied I had subdued my passion for you, 
 but your presence has awakened it with greater violence 
 than ever." 
 
 " Rise, sir, I pray," rejoined the maiden, in an offended 
 tone. 
 
 " Hear me, I beseech you," continued Catesby, seizing 
 her hand. " Before you reject my suit, consider well that 
 in these perilous seasons, when no true Catholic can call 
 his life his own, you may need a protector." 
 
 "In the event you describe, Mr. Catesby," answered 
 Viviana, "I would at once fulfil the intention I have 
 formed of devoting myself to Heaven, and retire to the 
 convent of Benedictine nuns, founded by Lady Mary 
 Percy, at Brussels." 
 
 « You would much more effectually serve the cause of 
 your religion by acceding to my suit," observed Catesby, 
 rising. 
 
 " How so ? " she inquired. 
 
 "Listen to me, Miss Radcliffe," he rejoined, gravely, 
 « and let my words be deeply graven upon your heart. 
 In your hands rests the destiny of the Catholic Church." 
 
 " In mine ! " exclaimed Viviana. 
 
 "In yours," returned Catesby. "A mighty blow is 
 about to be struck for her deliverance." 
 
 " Ay, marry, is it," cried Oldcorne, with sudden fervor. 
 "Redemption draweth nigh; the year of visitation ap- 
 proacheth to an end ; and jubilation is at hand. England 
 shall again be called a happy realm, a blessed country, a
 
 34 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 religious people. Those who knew the former glory of 
 religion shall lift up their hands for joy to see it returned 
 again. Righteousness shall prosper, and infidelity be 
 plucked up by the root. False error shall vanish like 
 smoke, and they which saw it shall say where is it be- 
 come ? The daughters of Babylon shall be cast down, 
 and in the dust lament their ruin. Proud heresy shall 
 strike her sail, and groan as a beast crushed under a 
 cart-wheel. The memory of novelties shall perish with a 
 crack, and as a ruinous house falling to the ground. Re- 
 pent, ye seducers, with speed, and prevent the dreadful 
 wrath of the Powerable. He will come as flame that 
 burnetii out beyond the furnace. His fury shall fly forth 
 as thunder, and pitch upon their tops that malign him. 
 They shall perish in his fury, and melt like wax before 
 the fire." 
 
 « Amen ! " ejaculated Catesby, as the priest concluded. 
 « You have spoken prophetically, father." 
 
 « I have but recited a prayer transmitted to me by 
 Father Garnet," rejoined Oldcorne. 
 
 " Do you discern any hidden meaning in it ? " demanded 
 Catesby. 
 
 " Yea, verily, my son," returned the priest. " In the 
 *■ false error vanishing like smoke,' — in the ' hoitse perish- 
 ing icith a CRACK,' — and in the 'fury flying forth as 
 THUNDER,' — I read the mode the great Avork shall be 
 brought about." 
 
 " And you applaud the design ? " asked Catesby, eagerly. 
 
 " JSTon vero factum proho^ sed eventum a??io," rejoined 
 the priest. 
 
 " The secret is safe in your keepmg, father ? " asked 
 Catesby, uneasily. 
 
 " As if it had been disclosed to me in private confession," 
 replied Oldcorne. 
 
 " Hum ! " muttered Catesby, " Confessions of as much 
 consequence to the state have ere now been revealed, 
 father." 
 
 « A decree has been passed by his holiness, Clement
 
 ORDSALL HALL. 35 
 
 VITI., forbidding all such revelations," replied Oldcorne. 
 " And the question has been recently propounded by a 
 learned brother of our order, Father Antonio Delrio, who, 
 in his Magical Disquisitions, putteth it thus : — ' Supposing 
 a malefactor shall confess that he himself or some other 
 has laid Guxpowdee, or the like combustible matter, under 
 a building — ' " 
 
 " Ha ! " exclaimed Catesby, starting. 
 
 " — ' And, unless it be taken away,' " proceeded the 
 priest, regarding him fixedly, " ' the whole house will be 
 burnt, the prince destroyed, and as many as go into or 
 out of the city will come to great mischief or peril ! '" * 
 
 " Well ! " exclaimed Catesby. 
 
 " The point then arises," continued Oldcorne, " whether 
 the priest may make use of the secret thus obtained for 
 the good of the government, and the averting of such 
 danger ; and, after fully discussing it. Father Delrio de- 
 cides in the negative." 
 
 " Enough," returned Catesby. 
 
 "By whom is the blow to be struck ? " asked Viviana, 
 who had listened to the foregoing discourse in silent 
 wonder, 
 
 « By me," answered Catesby. " It is for you to nerve 
 my arm." 
 
 "You speak in riddles," she replied. "I understand 
 you not." 
 
 " Question Father Oldcorne, then, as to mj'- meaning," 
 rejoined Catesby ; "he will tell you that, allied to you, I 
 could not fail in the enterprise on which I am engaged." 
 
 " It is the truth, dear daughter," Oldcorne asseverated. 
 
 "I will not inquire further into this mystery," returned 
 Viviana, " for sucli it is to me. But, believing what you 
 both assert, I answer, that willingly as I would lay down 
 
 * Confitetur maleflcus se vel alium posuisse pulverem vel quid 
 aliud sub tali limine, et nisi tollantur domum comburendam, priu- 
 cipem interiturum, quotquot urbem egredienturque in magnam 
 perniciem aut periculum veuturos. — Deluio, Disq. Mug., lib. vi. 
 cap. 1. {Edit. IGOO.J
 
 36 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 my life for the welfare of our holy religion, persuading 
 myself, as I do, that I have constancy enough to endure 
 martyrdom for its sake, — I cannot consent to your pro- 
 posal. Nay, if I must avouch the whole truth," she con- 
 tinued, blushing deeply, " my affections are already en- 
 gaged, though to one with whom I can never hope to be 
 united." 
 
 " You have your answer, my son," observed the priest. 
 
 Catesby replied with a look of the deepest mortifica- 
 tion and disappointment; and, bowing coldly to Viviana, 
 said, " I now depart to obey your behests. Miss Rad- 
 cliffe." 
 
 " Commend me in all duty to my dear father," replied 
 Viviana, " and believe that I shall forever feel bound to 
 you for your zeal." 
 
 " Neglect not all due caution, father," observed Catesby, 
 glancing significantly at Oldcorne. " Forewarned, fore- 
 armed." 
 
 " Doubt me not, my son," rejoined the Jesuit. " My 
 prayers shall be for you. 
 
 Gentem auferte perfidam 
 Credentium de finibus, 
 Ut Christo laudes debitas 
 Persolvamus alaoriter. 
 
 After receiving a parting benediction from the priest, 
 Catesby took his leave. His steed was speedily brought 
 to the door by the old steward ; and mounting it, he 
 crossed the drawbridge, which was immediately raised 
 behind him, and hastened on his journey.
 
 THE SEAKCH. 37 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE SEARCH. 
 
 InnrEDiATELY after Catesby's departure, ITeydocke was 
 suuimoiied to his mistress's presence. He found her 
 with the priest, and was informed that in all probability 
 the house would be visited that night by the messengers 
 of the Privy Council. The old steward received the in- 
 telligence as he might have done liis death-warrant, and 
 looked so bewildered and affrighted, that Yiviana half 
 repented having acquainted him with it. 
 
 " Compose yourself, Master Heydocke," she said, try- 
 ing to reason him out of his fears ; " the search may not 
 take place. And if it does, there is nothing to be alarmed 
 at. I am not afraid, you perceive." 
 
 " Nothing to be alarmed at, my dear young lady ! " 
 gasped the steward. " You have never witnessed a mid- 
 night search for a priest b}'' these ruffianly catchpoles, as 
 I have, or you would not say so. Father Oldcorne will 
 comprehend my uneasiness, and excuse it. The mis- 
 creants break into the house like robbers, and treat its 
 inmates worse than robbers would treat them. They 
 have no regard for decency, — no consideration for sex, — 
 no respect for persons. Not a chamber is sacred from 
 them. If a door is bolted, they burst it open ; a cabinet 
 locked, they tarry not for the key. They pull down the 
 hangings, thrust their rapier-points into the crevices of 
 the wainscot, discharge their firearms against the wall, 
 and sometimes threaten to pull down the house itself, if 
 the object of their quest be not delivered to them. Their 
 oaths, abominations, and menaces are horrible ; and their 
 treatment of females, even of your degree, honored mis- 
 tress, too barbarous to relate. Poor Lady Nevil died of 
 the fright she got by such a visit at dead of night to her 
 
 } 2 4 6
 
 38 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 residence in Holborn. Mrs. Vavasour, of York, lost her 
 senses ; and many others whom I could mention have 
 been equal sufferers. Nothing to be alarmed at. Heaven 
 grant, my dear, dear young lady, that you may never be 
 fatally convinced to the contrary ! " 
 
 " Suppose my apprehensions are as great as your own. 
 Master Heydocke," replied Viviana, who, though some- 
 what infected by his terrors, still maintained her firm- 
 ness ; " I do not see how the danger is to be averted by 
 idle lamentations and misgivings. We must meet it 
 boldly ; and trust to Him who is our only safeguard, in 
 the hour of peril, for protection. Do not alarm the house- 
 hold, but let all retire to rest as usual." 
 
 " Right, daughter," observed the priest. " Preparations 
 for resistance would only excite suspicion." 
 
 " Can you depend on the servants, in case they are 
 examined ? " asked Viviana of the steward, who by this 
 time had partially recovered his composure. 
 
 " I think so," returned Heydocke ; " but the threats of 
 the officers are so dreadful, and their conduct so violent 
 and outrageous, that I can scarcely answer for myself. I 
 would not advise your reverence to remain in that hiding- 
 place," he added, pointing to the chimney-piece ; " they 
 are sure to discover it." 
 
 "If not here, where shall I conceal myself?" rejoined 
 Oldcorne, uneasily. 
 
 " There are many nooks in which your reverence might 
 hide," replied the steward ; " but the knaves are so crafty, 
 and so well experienced in their vocation, that I dare not 
 recommend any of them as secure. I would advise you 
 to remain on the watch, and, in case of alarm, I will con- 
 duct you to the oratory in the north gallery, adjoining 
 Mistress Viviana's sleeping-chamber, where there is a 
 panel in the wall, known only to myself and my master, 
 opening upon a secret passage running many hundred 
 yards underground, and communicating with a small out- 
 building on the other side of the moat. There is a con- 
 trivance in this passage, which I will explain to your
 
 THE SEARCH. 39 
 
 reverence if need be, which will cut off any possibility of 
 pursuit in that quarter." 
 
 " Be it so," replied the priest. " I place myself in your 
 hands, good Master Heydocke, well assured of your fidelity. 
 I shall remain throughout the night in this chamber, 
 occupied in my devotions." 
 
 " You will suffer me to pray with you, father, I trust ? " 
 said Viviana. 
 
 " If you desire it, assuredly, dear daughter," rejoined 
 Oldcorne ; " but I am unwilling you should sacrifice your 
 
 rest." 
 
 " It will be no sacrifice, father, for I should not slum- 
 ber, even if I sought my couch," she returned. " Go, good 
 Heydocke. Keep vigilant watch : and, if you hear the 
 slightest noise without, fail not to give us warning." 
 
 The steward bowed, and departed. 
 
 Some hours elapsed, during which nothing occurred to 
 alarm Viviana and her companion, who consumed the 
 time in prayer and devout conversation ; when, just at 
 the stroke of two, — as the former was kneeling before her 
 spiritual adviser, and receiving absolution for the slight 
 off'enses of which a being so pure-minded could be sup- 
 posed capable, — a noise like the falling of a bar of iron 
 was heard beneath the wmdow. The priest turned pale, 
 and cast a look of uneasiness at the maiden, who said 
 nothing, but snatching up the light, and motioning him 
 to remain quiet, hurried out of the room in search of the 
 steward. He was nowhere to be found. In vain, she ex- 
 amined all the lower rooms, — in vain, called to him by 
 name. No answer was returned. 
 
 Greatly terrified, she was preparing to retrace her steps, 
 when she heard the sound of muttered voices in the hall. 
 Extinguishing her light, she advanced to the door, which 
 was left ajar, and, taking care not to expose herself to 
 observation, beheld several armed figures, some of whom 
 bore dark lanterns, while others surrounded and menaced 
 with their drawn swords the unfortunate steward. From 
 their discourse she ascertained that, having thrown a plank
 
 40 GUY FAWltES. 
 
 across the moat, and concealed themselves within the 
 garden until they had reconnoitered the premises, tliey had 
 contrived to gain admittance unperceived through the 
 window of a small back room, in which they had surprised 
 Heydocke, who had fallen asleep on his post, and captured 
 him. One amongst their number, who appeared to act as 
 leader, and whom, from his garb, and the white wand he 
 carried, Viviana knew must be a pursuivant, now pro- 
 ceeded to interrogate the prisoner. To every question 
 proposed to him the steward shook his head ; and, in spite 
 of the threats of the examinant, and the blows of his 
 followers, he persisted in maintaining silence. 
 
 " If we cannot make this contumacious rascal speak, we 
 will find others more tractable," observed the pursuivant. 
 " I will not leave any corner of the house unvisited ; nor 
 a soul within it unquestioned. Ah ! here they come ! " 
 
 As he spoke, several of the serving-men, with some of 
 the female domestics, who had been alarmed by the noise, 
 rushed into the hall, and on seeing it filled with armed 
 men, were about to retreat, when they were instantly 
 seized and detained. A scene of great confusion now en- 
 sued. The women screamed and cried for mercy, while 
 the men struggled and fought with their captors. Com- 
 manding silence at length, the pursuivant proclaimed in 
 the King's name that whoever would guide him to the 
 hiding-place of Father Oldcorne, a Jesuit priest, whom it 
 was known, and could be proved, was harbored within 
 the mansion, should receive a free pardon and reward ; 
 while those who screened him, or connived at his conceal- 
 ment, were liable to fine, imprisonment, and even more 
 severe punishment. Each servant was then questioned 
 separately. But, though all were more or less rudely 
 dealt with, no information could be elicited. 
 
 Meanwhile, Viviana was a prey to the most intolerable 
 anxiety. Unable to leach Father Oldcorne without cross- 
 ing the hall, which she did not dare to attempt, she gave 
 him up for lost ; her sole hope being that, on hearing the 
 cries of the domestics, he would provide for his own safety-
 
 THE SEARCH. 41 
 
 Her anxiety was still farther increased when the pursui- 
 vant, having exhausted his patience by fruitless interroga- 
 tories, and satisfied his malice by frightening two of the 
 females into fits, departed with a portion of his band to 
 search the house, leaving the rest as a guard over the 
 prisoners. 
 
 Yiviana then felt that, if she would save Father Old- 
 corne, the attempt must be made without a moment's de- 
 lay, and at any hazard. Watching her opportunity, when 
 the troopers were occupied, — some in helping themselves 
 to such viands and liquors as they could lay hands upon, 
 — some in searching the persons of the prisoners for amu- 
 lets and relics, — while others, more humane, were trying 
 to revive the swooning women, she contrived to steal un- 
 perceived across the lower end of the hall. Having gained 
 the passage, she found to her horror that the pursuivant 
 and his band were already within the star-chamber. They 
 were sounding the walls with hammers and mallets, and 
 from their exclamations, she learnt that they had dis- 
 covered the retreat behind the fireplace, and were about 
 to break it open. 
 
 " We have him," roared the pursuivant, in a voice of 
 triumph. " The old owl's roost is here ! " 
 
 Viviana, who stood at the door, drew in her breath, 
 expecting that the next moment would inform her that 
 the priest was made captive. Instead of this, she was 
 delighted to find, from the oaths of rage and disappoint- 
 ment uttered by the troopers, that he had eluded them. 
 
 " He must be in the house, at all events," growled the 
 pursuivant : " nor is it long since he quitted his hiding- 
 place, as this cushion proves. We will not go away 
 without him. And now, let us proceed to the upper 
 chambers." 
 
 Hearing their footsteps approach, Viviana darted off, 
 and quickly ascending the principal staircase, entered a 
 long corridor. Uncertain what to do, she was about to 
 proceed to her own chamber, and bar the door, when she 
 felt her arm grasped by a man. With difficulty repress-
 
 42 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 ing a shriek, she strove to disengage herself, when a 
 whisper told her it was the priest. 
 
 " Heaven be praised ! " cried Viviana, " you are safe. 
 How — how did you escape ? " 
 
 " I flew upstairs on hearing the voices," rej)lied Old- 
 corne. " But what has happened to the steward ? " 
 
 " He is a prisoner," replied Viviana. 
 
 " All then is lost, unless you are acquainted with the 
 secret panel he spoke of in the oratory," rejoined Old- 
 corne. 
 
 "Alas! father, I am wholly ignorant of it," she an- 
 swered. " But, come with me into my chamber ; they will 
 not dare to invade it." 
 
 " I know not that," returned the priest, despairingly. 
 " These sacrilegious villains would not respoct the sanc- 
 tity of the altar itself." 
 
 " They come ! " cried Viviana, as lights were seen at 
 the foot of the stairs. " Take my hand — this way, 
 father." 
 
 They had scarcely gained the room, and fastened the 
 door, when the pursuivant and his attendants appeared in 
 the corridor. Tlie officer, it would seem, had been well 
 instructed where to search, or was sufficiently practised 
 in his duty, for he proceeded at once to several hiding- 
 places in the different chambers which he visited. In 
 one room he detected a secret staircase in the wall, which 
 he mounted, and discovered a small chapel built in the 
 roof. Stripping it of its altar, its statue of the Virgin, its 
 crucifix, pix, chalice, and other consecrated vessels, he 
 descended, and continued his search. Viviana's cliamber 
 was now the only one unvisited. Trying the door, and 
 finding it locked, he tapped against it with his wand. 
 
 " Who knocks ? " asked the maiden. 
 
 " A state-messenger," was the reply. " I demand en- 
 trance in the King's name." 
 
 " You cannot have it," she replied, " It is my sleeping 
 chamber." 
 
 *' My duty allows me no alternative," rejoined the pur«.
 
 THE SEARCH. 43 
 
 sulvant, harshly. " If you will not admit me quietly, I 
 must use force." 
 
 " Do you know to whom you offer this rudeness ? " re- 
 turned Viviana. " I am the daughter of Sir William 
 Radcliffe." 
 
 " I know it," replied the pursuivant ; " but I am not ex- 
 ceeding my authority. I hold a warrant for your father's 
 arrest. And, if he had not been from home, I should have 
 carried him to prison along with the Jesuit priest whom, 
 I suspect, is concealed within your chamber. Ojjen the 
 door, I command you ; and do not hinder me in the exe- 
 cution of my duty." 
 
 As no answer was returned to the application, the pur- 
 suivant commanded his men to burst open the door ; and 
 the order was promptly obeyed. 
 
 The chamber was empty. 
 
 On searching it, however, the pursuivant found a door 
 concealed by the hangings of the bed. It was bolted on 
 the other side, but speedily yielded to his efforts. Pass- 
 ing through it, he entered upon a narrow gallery, at the 
 extremity of which his progress was stopped by another 
 door, likewise fastened on the further side. On bursting 
 it open, he entered a small oratory, wainscoted with oak, 
 and lighted by an oriel window filled with stained glass, 
 through which the newly-risen moon was pouring its full 
 radiance, and discovered the object of his search. 
 
 " Father Oldcorne, I arrest you as a Jesuit and a 
 traitor," shouted the pursuivant, in a voice of exultation. 
 "Seize him ! " he added, calling to his men. 
 
 " You shall not take him," cried Viviana, clinging de- 
 spairingly to the priest, who offered no resistance, but 
 clasped a crucifix to his breast. 
 
 " Leave go your hold, young mistress," rejoined the 
 pursuivant, grasping Oldcorne by the collar of his vest- 
 ment, and dragging him along ; " and rest thankful that 
 I make you not, also, my prisoner." 
 
 " Take me ; but spare him ! — in mercy spare him ! " 
 shrieked Viviana.
 
 44 GtJY FAWKEg. 
 
 " Yon solicit mercy from one who knows it not, daugh- 
 ter," observed the priest. " Lead on, sir. I am ready to 
 attend you." 
 
 " Your destination is the New Fleet, father," retorted 
 the pursuivant, in a tone of bitter raillery ; " unless you 
 prefer the cell in Radcliffe Hall lately vacated by your 
 saintly predecessor, Father Woodroofe." 
 
 " Help ! help ! " shrieked Viviana. 
 
 " You may spare your voice, fair lady," sneered the 
 pursuivant. " No help is at hand. Your servants are all 
 prisoners." 
 
 The words were scarcely uttered, when a sliding panel 
 in the wall flew open, and Guy Fawkes, followed by 
 Humphrey Chetham, and another personage, sprang 
 through the aperture, and presented a petronel at the 
 head of the pursuivant.
 
 CHAT MOSS. 45 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 CHAT MOSS. 
 
 The pursuivant was taken so completely unawares by 
 the sudden appearance of Guy Fawkes and his companions, 
 that he made no attempt at resistance. Nor were his at- 
 tendants less confounded. Before they recovered from 
 their surprise, Humphrey Chetham seized Viviana in his 
 arms, and darting througli the panel, called to the priest 
 to follow him. Father Oldcorne was about to comply, 
 when one of the soldiers, grasping the surcingle at his 
 waist, dragged him forcibly backwards. The next mo- 
 ment, however, he was set free by Guy Fawkes, who, 
 felling the man to the ground, and interposing himself 
 between the priest and the other soldier, enabled the 
 former to make good his retreat. This done, he planted 
 himself in front of the panel, and with a petronel in each 
 hand, menaced his opponents. 
 
 " Fly for your lives ! " he shouted in a loud voice to the 
 others. " Not a moment is to be lost. I have taken 
 greater odds, and in a worse cause, and have not been 
 worsted. Heed me not, I say. I will defend the passage 
 till you are beyond reach of danger. Fly ! — fly ! " 
 
 " After them ! " vociferated the pursuivant, stamping 
 with rage and vexation ;" after them instantly! Hew 
 down that bold traitor. Show him no quarter. His life 
 is forfeit to the king. Slay him as you would a dog ! " 
 
 But the men, having no firearms, were so much in- 
 timidated by the fierce looks of Guy Fawkes, and the 
 deadly weapons he pointed at their heads, that they 
 hesitated to obey their leader's injunctions. 
 
 " Do you hear what I say to you, cravens ? " roared the 
 pursuivant. " Cut him down without mercy."
 
 46 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 « They dare not move a footstep," rejoined Guy Fawkes, 
 in a decisive tone. 
 
 " Recreants I " cried tlie pursuivant, foaming with rage, 
 *' is my prey to be snatclied from me at the very moment 
 I have secured it, through your cowardice ? Obey me 
 instantly, or, as Heaven shall judge me, I will denounce 
 you to my Lord Derby and the Commissioners as aiders 
 and abettors in Father Oldcorne's escape ! — and you well 
 know what your punishment will be if I do so. What ! 
 — are you afraid of one man ? " 
 
 " Our pikes are no match for his petronels," observed 
 the foremost soldier, sullenly. 
 
 " They are not," rejoined Guy Fawkes ; " and you will 
 do well not to compel me to prove the truth of your as- 
 sertion. As to you, Master Pursuivant," he continued, 
 with a look so stern that the other quailed before it, " un- 
 willing as I am to shed blood, I shall hold your life, if 
 I am compelled to take it, but just retribution for the fate 
 you have brought upon the unfortunate Elizabeth Orton." 
 
 " Ha ! " exclaimed the pursuivant, starting. " I thought 
 I recognized you. You are the soldier in the Spanish 
 garb who saved that false prophetess from drowning.'' 
 
 "I saved her only for a lingering death," rejoined Guy, 
 Fawkes. 
 
 " I know it," retorted the pursuivant. " I found her 
 dead body when I visited her cell on my way hither, and 
 gave orders to have it interred ^vithout coffin or shroud 
 in that part of the burial-ground of the Collegiate Church 
 in Manchester reserved for common felons." 
 
 " I know not what stays my hand," rejoined Guy 
 Fawkes, fiercely. " But I am strongly tempted to give 
 you a grave beside her." 
 
 " I will put your daring to the proof ! " cried the pur- 
 suivant, snatching a pike from one of his followers, and 
 T)randishing it over his head. " Throw down your arms, 
 or you die ! " 
 
 " Back ! " exclaimed Guy Fawkes, presenting a petronel 
 at him, " or I lodge a bullet in your brain."
 
 CHAT MOSS. 47 
 
 " Be advised by me, and rush not on certain destruc- 
 tion, good Master Pursuivant," said tlie foremost soldier, 
 plucking his mantle. " I see by his bloodthirsty looks 
 that the villain is in earnest." 
 
 " I hear footsteps," cried the other soldier ; " our com- 
 rades are at hand." 
 
 « Then it is time for me to depart," cried Guy Fawkes, 
 springing through the secret door, and closing it after 
 him. 
 
 " Confusion ! " exclaimed the pursuivant ; " but he shall 
 not escape. Break open the panel." 
 
 The order was promptly obeyed. The men battered 
 the stout oak board, which was of great thickness, with 
 their pikes, but it resisted every effort, nor was it until 
 the arrival of a fresh band of soldiers with lights, mallets, 
 chisels, and other implements suitable to the purpose, 
 that it could be forced open. This accomplished, the 
 pursuivant, commanding his attendants to follow him, 
 dashed through the aperture. As they proceeded singly 
 along the narrow passage, the roof became so low that 
 they were compelled to adopt a stooping posture. In 
 this manner they hurried on until their further progress 
 was stopped by a massive stone door, which appeared to 
 descend from above by some hidden contrivance, no trace 
 of bolt or other fastening being discernible. The flag 
 fitted closely in channels in the walls, and had all the ap- 
 pearance of solid masonry. After examining this obstacle 
 for a moment, the pursuivant was convinced that any at- 
 tempt to move it would be impracticable, and muttering 
 a deep execration, he gave the word to return. 
 
 "From the course it appears to take," he observed, 
 " this passage must communicate with the garden, — per- 
 haps with the further side of the moat. We may yet 
 secure them, if we use despatch." 
 
 To return to the fugitives. On arriving at the point 
 where the stone door was situated, which he discovered 
 by the channels in the Avail above-mentioned, Guy Fawkes 
 searched for an iron ring, and, having found it, drew it
 
 48 GUI' FAWKES. 
 
 towards him, and the ponderous flag sloAvly dropped into 
 its place. He then groped his way cautiously along in the 
 dark, until his foot encountered the to^D of a ladder, down 
 which he crept, and landed on the floor of a damp deep 
 vault. Having taken the precaution to remove the ladder, 
 he hastened onwards for about fifty yards, when he came 
 to a steep flight of stone steps, distinguishahle hy a 
 feeble glimmer of light from above, and mounting them, 
 emerged through an open trap-door into a small building 
 situated at the western side of the moat, where, to his 
 surprise and disaj)pointment, he found the other fugitives. 
 
 "How comes it you are here? " he exclaimed, in a re- 
 proachful tone. " I kept the wolves at bay thus long, to 
 enable you to make good your retreat." 
 
 " Miss Radcliffe is too weak to move," replied Hum- 
 phrey Chetham ; " and I could not persuade Father Old- 
 corne to leave her." 
 
 " I care not what becomes of me," said the priest. " The 
 sooner my painful race is run the better. But I cannot — 
 will not abandon my dear charge thus." 
 
 "Think not of me, father, I implore you," rejoined 
 Viviana, who had sunk overpowered with terror and ex- 
 haustion. " I shall be better soon. Master Chetham, I 
 am assured, will remain with me till our enemies have 
 departed, and I will then return to the hall." 
 
 "Command me as you please. Miss Radcliffe," replied 
 Humphrey Chetham, " You have but to express a wish 
 to insure its fulfilment on my part." 
 
 " Oh ! that you had suffered Mr. Catesby to tarry with 
 us till the morning, as he himself proposed, dear daugh 
 ter," observed the priest, turning to Viviana. 
 
 " Has Catesby been here ? " inquired Guy Fawkes, with 
 a look of astonishment. 
 
 "He has," replied Oldcorne. "He came to warn us 
 that the hall would be this night searched by the ofiicers 
 of state ; and he also brought word that a Avarrant had 
 been issued by the Privy Council fof the arrest of Sir 
 >YiUiam Radcliffe."
 
 CHAT MOSS. 49 
 
 " "Where is he now ? " demanded Fawkes, hastily. 
 
 " On the way to Chester, whither he departed in all 
 haste, at Viviana's urgent request, to apprise her father of 
 his danger," rejoined the priest. 
 
 " This is strange ! " muttered Guy Fawkes. " Catesby 
 here, and I not know it ! " 
 
 " He had a secret motive for his visit, my son," whis- 
 pered Oldconie, signilicantly. 
 
 " So I concluded, father," replied Fawkes, in the same 
 tone. 
 
 " Viviana Radcliffe," murmured Humphrey Chetham, 
 in low and tender accents, " something tells me that this 
 moment will decide my future fate. Emboldened by the 
 mysterious manner in which we have been brought to- 
 gether, and you, as it were, have been thrown upon my 
 protection, I venture to declare the passion I have long 
 indulged for you ; — a passion which, though deep and 
 fervent as ever agitated human bosom, has hitherto, from 
 the difference of our rank, and yet more from the differ- 
 ence of our religious opinions, been without hope. What 
 has just occurred, — added to the peril in which your 
 worthy father stands, and the difficulties in which you 
 yourself will necessarily be involved, — makes me cast 
 aside all misgiving, and perhaps with too much presump- 
 tion, but with a confident belief that the sincerity of my 
 love renders me not wholly undeserving of your regard, 
 earnestly solicit you to give me a husband's right to watch 
 over and defend you." 
 
 Viviana was silent. But even by the imperfect light 
 the young merchant could discern that her cheek was 
 covered with blushes. 
 
 " Your answer ? " he cried, taking her hand. 
 
 " You must take it from my lips. Master Chetham," 
 interposed the priest ; " Viviana Radcliffe never can be 
 yours." 
 
 " Be pleased to let her speak for herself, reverend sir," 
 rejoined the young merchant, angrily. 
 
 " I represent her father, and have acquainted you with
 
 50 OUY FAWKES. 
 
 his determination," rejoined the priest, "Appeal to her, 
 and she will confirm my words." 
 
 « Viviana, is this true ? " asked Chetham. « Does your 
 father object to your union with me ? " 
 
 Viviana answered by a deep sigh, and gently withdrew 
 her hand from the young merchant's grasp. 
 
 « Then there is no hope for me ? " cried Chetham. 
 
 " Alas ! no," replied Viviana ; " nor for me — of earthly 
 affection. I am already dead to the world." 
 
 " How so ? " he asked. 
 
 "I am about to vow myself to Heaven," she answered. 
 
 " Viviana ! " exclaimed the young man, throwing him- 
 self at her feet, " reflect !— oh ! reflect, before you take 
 this fatal — this irrevocable step." 
 
 " Rise, sir," interposed the priest, sternly ; " you plead 
 in vain. Sir William Radcliffe will never wed his 
 daughter to a heretic. In his name I command you to 
 desist from further solicitation." 
 
 " I obey," replied Chetham, rising. 
 
 " We lose time here," observed Guy Fawkes, who had 
 been lost for a moment in reflection. " I will undertake 
 to provide for your safety, father. But, what must be 
 done with Viviana ? She cannot be left here. And her 
 return to the hall would be attended with danger." 
 
 " I will not return till the miscreants have quitted it," 
 said Viviana. 
 
 "Their departure is uncertain," replied Fawkes. 
 " When they are balked of their prey they sometimes 
 haunt a dwelling for weeks." 
 
 " What will become of me ? " cried Viviana, distract- 
 edly. 
 
 " It were vain, I fear, to entreat you to accept an 
 asylum with my father at Clayton Hall, or at my own 
 residence at Crumpsall," said Humphrey Chetham. 
 
 " Your offer is most kind, sir," replied Oldcorne, " and 
 is duly appreciated. But Viviana will see the propriety 
 — on every account — of declining it." 
 
 "I do; I do," she acquiesced.
 
 CHAT MOSS. 51 
 
 " Will you entrust yourself to my protection ? " 
 observed Fawkes. 
 
 "Willingly," replied the priest, answering for her. 
 " We shall find some place of refuge," he added, turning 
 to Viviana, "where your father can join us, and where 
 we can remain concealed till this storm has blown over." 
 
 " I know many such," rejoined Fawkes, " both in this 
 county and in Yorkshire, and will guide you to one." 
 
 " My horses are at your service," said Humphrey 
 Chetham. "They are tied beneath the trees in the 
 avenue. My servant shall bring them to the door," and, 
 turning to his attendant, he gave him directions to that 
 effect. " I was riding hither an hour before midnight,'* 
 he continued, addressing Viviana, " to offer you assistance, 
 having accidentally heard the pursuivant mention his 
 meditated visit to Ordsall Hall, to one of his followers, 
 when, as I approached the gates, this person," pointing to 
 Guy Fawkes, " crossed my path, and, seizing the bridle 
 of my steed, demanded whether I was a friend to Sir 
 William Radcliffe. I answered in the affirmative, and 
 desired to know the motive of his inquiry. He then 
 told me that the house was invested by a numerous band 
 of armed men, who had crossed the moat by means of a 
 plank, and were at that moment concealed within the 
 garden. This intelligence, besides filling me with alarm, 
 disconcerted all my plans, as I hoped to have been before- 
 hand with them — their inquisitorial searches being 
 generally made at a late hour, when all the inmates of a 
 house intended to be surprised are certain to have retired 
 to rest. While I was bitterly reproaching myself for mj^ 
 dilatoriness, and considering what course it would be best 
 to pursue, my servant, Martin Heydocke, son to yotu- 
 father's old steward, who had ridden up at the stranger's 
 approach, informed me that he was acquainted with a 
 secret passage communicating beneath the moat with the 
 hall. Upon this, I dismounted ; and fastening my horse 
 to a tree, ordered him to lead me to it without an instant's 
 delay. The stranger, who gave his name as Guy Fawkes,
 
 52 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 and professed himself a stanch Catholic, and a friend of 
 Father Oldcorne, begged permission to join us, in a tone 
 so earnest, that I at once acceded to his request. We 
 tlien proceeded to this building, and after some search 
 discovered the trap-door. Much time was lost, owing to 
 our being unprovided with lights, in the subterranean 
 passage, and it was more than two hours before we could 
 find the ring connected with the stone door, the mystery 
 of which Martin explained to us. This delay we feared 
 would render our scheme abortive, when, just as we 
 reached the panel, we heard your shrieks. The spring 
 was touched, and — you know the rest." 
 
 " And shall never forget it," replied Viviana, in a tone 
 of the deepest gratitude. 
 
 At this juncture, the tramp of horses was heard at the 
 door ; and the next moment it was thrown open by the 
 younger Heydocke, who, with a look, and in a voice of the 
 utmost terror, exclaimed, " They are coming ! — they are 
 coming ! " 
 
 " The pursuivant ? " cried Guy Fawkes. 
 
 " Not him alone, but the whole gang," rejoined Martin. 
 " Some of them are lowering tlie drawbridge, while 
 others are crossing the plank. Several are on horseback, 
 and I think I discern the pursuivant amongst the number. 
 They have seen me, and are hurrying in this direction." 
 
 As he spoke, a loud shout corroborated his statement. 
 
 " We are lost ! " exclaimed Oldcorne. 
 
 "Do not despair, father," rejoined Guy Fawkes. 
 "Heaven will not abandon its faithful servants. The 
 Lord will deliver us out of the hands of these Amalekites." 
 
 " To horse, then, if you would indeed avoid them," 
 urged Humphrey Chetham. " The shouts grow louder 
 Your enemies are fast approaching." 
 
 " Viviana," said Guy Fawkes, " are you willing to fly 
 with us?" 
 
 " I will do anything rather than be left to those hor- 
 rible men," she answered. 
 
 Guy Fawkes then raised her in his arms, and sprang
 
 cMat bioss. 53 
 
 with his lovely burthen upon the nearest charger. His 
 example was quickly followed by Humphrey Chetham, 
 who, vaulting on the other horse, assisted the priest to 
 mount behind him. While this took place, Martin Hey- 
 docke darted into the shed, and instantly bolted the door. 
 
 It was a beautiful moonlight night, almost as bright as 
 day, and the movements of each party were fully revealed 
 to the other. Guy Fawkes perceived at a glance that 
 they were surrounded ; and, though he had no fears for 
 himself, he was full of apprehension for the safety of his 
 companion. While he was debating with himself as to 
 the course it would be best to pursue, Humphrey Chet- 
 ham shouted to him to turn to the left, and started off in 
 that direction. Grasping his fair charge, whom he had 
 placed before him on the saddle, firmly with his left arm, 
 and wrapping her in his ample cloak, Guy Fawkes drew 
 his sword, and striking spurs into his steed, followed in 
 the same track. 
 
 The little fabric which had afforded them temporary 
 shelter, it has already been mentioned, was situated on 
 the west of the hall, at a short distance from the moat, 
 and was screened from observation by a small shrubbery. 
 No sooner did the fugitives emerge from this cover, than 
 loud outcries were raised by their antagonists, and every 
 effort was made to intercept them. On the right, gallop- 
 ing towards them on a light but swift courser, taken from 
 Sir William Radcliffe's stables, came the pursuivant, 
 attended by half-a-dozen troopers, who had accommodated 
 themselves with horses in the same manner as their 
 leader. Between them and the road leading to Man- 
 chester, were stationed several armed men on foot. At 
 the rear, voices proclaimed that others were in full pur- 
 suit ; while in front, a fourth detachment menaced them 
 with their pikes. Thus beset on all sides, it seemed 
 scarcely possible to escape. Nothing daunted, however, 
 by the threats and vociferations with which they were 
 received, the two horsemen boldly charged this party. 
 The encounter was instantaneous. Guy Fawkes warded
 
 64 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 off a blow, which, if it had taken effect, must have robbed 
 Viviana of life, and struck down the fellow who aimed 
 it. At the same moment, his career was checked by an- 
 other assailant, who, catching his bridle with the hook of 
 his pike, command him to surrender. Fawkes replied by 
 cleaving the man's staff asunder, and, having thus disem- 
 barrassed himself, was about to pursue his course, when 
 he perceived that Humphrey Chetham was in innninent 
 danger from a couple of soldiers who had stopped him, 
 and were trying to unhorse his companion. Riding up 
 to them, Guy Fawkes, by a vigorous and well-directed 
 attack, speedily drove them off ; and the fugitives, being 
 now unimpeded, were enabled to continue their career. 
 
 The foregoing occurrences were witnessed by the pur- 
 suivant with the utmost rage and vexation. Pouring 
 forth a torrent of threats and imprecations, he swore he 
 would never rest till he had secured them, and urging 
 his courser to its utmost siaeed, commanded his men to 
 give chase. 
 
 Skirting a sluice, communicating between the Irwell 
 and the moat, Humphrey Chetham, who, as better ac- 
 quainted with the country than his companions, took the 
 lead, proceeded along its edge for about a hundred j^ards, 
 when he suddenly struck across a narrow bridge covered 
 with sod, and entered the open fields. Hitherto Viviana 
 had remained silent. Though fully aware of the risk she 
 had run, she gave no sign of alarm — not even when the 
 blow was aimed against her life ; and it was only on con- 
 ceiving the danger in some degree past, that she ventured 
 to express her gratitude. 
 
 "You have displayed so much courage," said Guy 
 Fawkes, in answer to her speech, " that it would be un- 
 pardonable to deceive you. Our foes are too near us, and 
 too well mounted, to make it by any means certain we 
 shall escape them, — unless by stratagem." 
 
 " They are within a hundred yards of us," cried Hum- 
 phrey Chetham, glancing fearfully backwards. " They 
 have possessed themselves of your father's fleetest horses j
 
 CiiAt MOSS. 55 
 
 and, if I mistake not, the rascally pursuivant has secured 
 your favorite barb." 
 
 " My gentle Zayda ! " exclaimed Viviana, " Then in- 
 deed we are lost. She has not her match for speed." 
 
 " If she bring her rider to us alone, she will do us 
 good service," observed Guy Fawkes, significantly. 
 
 The same notion, almost at the same moment, occurred 
 to the pursuivant. Having witnessed the prowess dis- 
 played by Guy Fawkes in his recent attack on the soldiers, 
 he felt no disposition to encounter so formidable an op- 
 ponent single-handed ; and finding that the high-mettled 
 barb on which he was mounted, by its superior speed and 
 fiery temper, would inevitably place him in such a dilem- 
 ma, he prudently resolved to halt, and exchange it for a 
 more manageable steed. 
 
 This delay was of great service to the fugitives, and 
 enabled them to get considerably ahead. They had now 
 gained a narrow lane, and, tracking it, speedily reached 
 the rocky banks of the Irwell. Galloping along a foot- 
 path that followed the serpentine course of the stream 
 for a quarter of a mile, they arrived at a spot marked by 
 a bed of osiers, where Humphrey Chetham informed them 
 there was a ford. 
 
 Accordingly, they plunged into the river, and while 
 stemming the current, which here ran with great swift- 
 ness, and rose up above the saddles, the neigliing of a 
 steed was heard from the bank they had quitted. Turn- 
 ing at the sound, Viviana beheld her favorite courser 
 on the summit of a high rock. The soldier to whom 
 Zayda was entrusted had speedily, as the pursuivant 
 foresaw, distanced his companions, and chose this elevated 
 position to take sure aim at Guy Fawkes, against whom 
 he was now leveling a caliver. The next moment a 
 bullet struck against his brigandine, but without doing 
 him any injury. The soldier, however, did not escape so 
 liglitly. Startled by the discharge, the fiery barb leaped 
 from the precipice into the river, and throwing her rider, 
 who was borne off by the rapid stream, swam towards
 
 56 GtTY FAWKESi. 
 
 the opposite bank, which she reached just as the others 
 were landing. At the sound of her mistress's voice she 
 stood still, and allowed Humphrey Chetham to lay hold 
 of her bridle ; and Viviana declaring she was able to 
 mount her, Guy Fawkes, who felt that such an arrange- 
 ment was most likely to conduce to her safety, and who 
 was, moreover, inclined to view the occurrence as a pro- 
 vidential interference in their behalf, immediately assisted 
 her into the saddle. 
 
 Before this transfer could be effected, the pursuivant 
 and his attendants had begun to ford the stream. The 
 former had witnessed the accident that had befallen the 
 soldier from a short distance ; and, while he affected to 
 deplore it, internally congratulated himself on his pru- 
 dence and foresight. But he was by no means so well sat- 
 isfied when he saw how it served to benefit the fugitives. 
 
 " That unlucky beast ! " he exclaimed. " Some fiend 
 must have prompted me to bring her out of the stable. 
 Would she had drowned herself instead of poor Dickon 
 Duckesbury, whom she hath sent to feed the fishes ! 
 With her aid. Miss Radcliffe will doubtless escape. No 
 matter. If I secure Father Oldcorne, and that black- 
 visaged trooper in the Spanish garb, who, I'll be sworn, 
 is a secret intelligencer of the pope, if not of the devil, I 
 shall be well contented. I'll hang them both on a gibbet 
 higher than Ilaman's." 
 
 And muttermg other threats to the same effect, he 
 picked his way to the opposite shore. Long before he 
 reached it, the fugitives had disappeared ; but on climb- 
 ing the bank, he beheld them galloping swiftly across a 
 well- wooded district steeped in moonlight, and spread out 
 before his view, and inflamed by the sight he shouted to 
 his attendants, and once more started in pursuit. 
 
 Cheered by the fortunate incident above related, which, 
 in presenting her with her oavu steed in a manner so sur- 
 prising and unexpected, seemed almost to give her assur- 
 ance of deliverance, Viviana, inspirited by the exercise, felt 
 her strength and spirits rapidly revive. At her side rodo
 
 CHAT MOSS. 57 
 
 Guy Fawkes, who ever and anon cast an anxious look be- 
 hind, to ascertain the distance of their pursuers, but suf- 
 fered no exclamation to escape his lips. Indeed, throughout 
 the whole affair, he maintained the reserve belonging to his 
 somber and taciturn character, and neither questioned 
 Humphrey Chetham as to where he was leading them, 
 nor proposed any deviation from the route he had appar- 
 ently chosen. To such remarks as were addressed to 
 him, Fawkes answered in monosyllables ; and it was only 
 when occasion required, that he volunteered any observa- 
 tion or advice. He seemed to surrender himself to chance. 
 And perhaps, if his bosom could have been examined, it 
 would have been found that he considered himself a mere 
 puppet in the hands of destiny. 
 
 In other and calmer seasons, he might have dwelt with 
 rapture on the beautiful and varied country through 
 which they were speeding, and which from every knoll 
 they mounted, every slope they descended, every glade 
 they threaded, intricacy pierced, or tangled dell tracked, 
 presented new and increasing attractions. This charming 
 district, since formed into a park by the Traffords, from 
 whom it derives its present designation, was at tliis time, 
 — though part of the domain of that ancient family, — 
 wholly unenclosed. Old Trafford Hall lies (for it is still 
 in existence,) more than a mile nearer to Manchester, a 
 little to the east of Ordsall Hall ; but the modern residence 
 of the family is situated in the midst of the lovely region 
 through which the fugitives were riding. 
 
 But, though the charms of the scene, heightened by the 
 gentle medium through which they were viewed, produced 
 little effect upon the iron nature of Guy Fawkes, they 
 were not without influence on his companions, especially 
 Viviana. Soothed by the stillness of all around her, she 
 almost forgot her danger; and surrendering herself to 
 the dreamy enjoyment generally experienced in contem- 
 plating such a scene at such an hour, suffered her gaze to 
 wander over the fair woody landscape before her, till it 
 was lost in the distant moonlit wolds.
 
 58 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 From the train of thought naturally awakened by this 
 spectacle, she was roused by the shouts of the pursuers ; 
 and, glancing timorously behind her, beheld them hurry- 
 ing swiftly along the valley they had just quitted. From 
 the rapidity with which they were advancing, it was 
 evident they were gaining upon them, and she was about 
 to urge her courser to greater speed, when Humphrey 
 Chetham laid his hand upon the rein to check her. 
 
 « Reserve yourself till we gain the brow of this hill," he 
 remarked; "and then »put Zay da to her mettle. We are 
 not far from our destination." 
 
 " Indeed ! " exclaimed Viviana. " Where is it ? " 
 
 " I will show it to you presently," he answered. 
 
 Arrived at the summit of the high ground, which they 
 had been for some time gradually ascending, the young 
 merchant pointed out a vast boggy tract, about two miles 
 off, in the vale beneath them. 
 
 " That is our destination," he said. 
 
 " Did I not hold it impossible you could trifle with me 
 at such a time as this, I should say you were jesting," 
 rejoined Viviana. "The place you indicate, unless I 
 mistake you, is Chat Moss, the largest and most dangerous 
 marsh in Lancashire." 
 
 « You do not mistake me, neither am I jesting, Viviana," 
 replied the young merchant, gravely. " Chat Moss is the 
 mark at which I aim." 
 
 " If we are to cross it, we shall need a Will-o'-the-wisp 
 to guide us, and some friendly elf to make firm the 
 ground beneath our steeds," rejoined Viviana, in a 
 slightly-sarcastic tone. 
 
 " Trust to me and you shall traverse it in safety," re- 
 sumed Humphrey Chetham. 
 
 " I would sooner trust myself to the pursuivant and 
 his band, than venture upon its treacherous surface," she 
 replied. 
 
 " How is this, young sir ? '* interposed Guy Fawkes, 
 sternly. "Is it from heedlessness or rashness that you 
 are about to expose us to this new danger ? — which, if
 
 CHAT MOSS. 50 
 
 Viviana judges correctly, and my own experience of such 
 places inclines me to think she does so, — is greater than 
 that which now besets us." 
 
 " If there is any danger I shall be the first to encounter 
 it, for I propose to act as your guide," returned Humphrey 
 Chetham, in an offended tone. "But the treacherous 
 character of the marsh constitutes our safety. I am 
 acquainted with a narrow path across it, from which the 
 deviation of a foot will bring certain death. If our pur- 
 suers attempt to follow us their destruction is inevitable. 
 Viviana may rest assured I would not needlessly expose 
 so dear a life as hers. But it is our best chance of 
 safety." 
 
 " Humphrey Chetham is in the right," observed the 
 priest. " I have heard of the path he describes ; and if 
 he can guide us along it, we shall effectually baffle our 
 enemies." 
 
 " I cry you mercy, sir," said Viviana. " I did not ap- 
 prehend your meaning. But I now thankfully resign 
 myself to your care." 
 
 « Forward, then," cried the young merchant. And they 
 dashed swiftly do^vn the declivity. 
 
 Chat Moss, towards which they were hastening, though 
 now drained, in part cultivated, and traversed by the 
 busiest and most-frequented railroad in England, or the 
 world, was, within the recollection of many of the young- 
 est of the present generation, a dreary and almost im- 
 passable waste. Surveyed from the heights of Dunham, 
 whence the writer has often gazed upon it, envying the 
 plover her wing to skim over its broad expanse, it pre- 
 sented with its black boggy soil, striped like a motley 
 garment, with patches of gray, taw^ly, and dunnish red, 
 a singular and mysterious appearance. Conjecture fixes 
 this morass as the site of a vast forest, whose immemorial- 
 and Druid-haunted groves were burnt by the Roman in- 
 vaders ; and seeks to account for its present condition by 
 supposing that the charred trees — still frequently found 
 within its depths — being left where the conflagration had
 
 60 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 placed them, hart choked up its brooks and springs, and 
 so reduced it to a general swamp. Drayton, however, in 
 the following lines from the Faerie Land, places its origin 
 as far back as the Deluge : — 
 
 -Great Chat Moss at my fall 
 
 Lies full of turf and marl, her unctuous mineral ; 
 And blocks as black as pitch, with boring augers found, 
 There at the General Flood supposed to be drown'd. 
 
 But the former hypothesis appears the more probable. 
 A curious description of Chat Moss, as it appeared at the 
 time of this history, is furnished by Camden, who terms 
 it, " a swampy tract of great extent, a considerable part of 
 which was carried off in the last age by swollen rivers 
 with great danger, whereby the rivers were infected, and 
 great quantities of fish died. Instead thereof is now a 
 valley watered by a small stream ; and many trees were 
 discovered thrown down, and lying flat, so that one may 
 suppose when the ground lay neglected, and the waste 
 water of brooks was not drained off into the open valleys, 
 or their courses stopped by neglect or desolation, all the 
 lower grounds were turned into swamps, (which we call 
 mosses,) or into pools. If this was the case, no wonder so 
 many trees are found covered, and, as it were, buried in 
 such places all over England, but especially here. For 
 the roots being loosened by too excessive wet, they must 
 necessarily fall down and sink in so soft a soil. The 
 people hereabouts search for them with poles and spits, 
 and after marking the place, dig them up and use them 
 for firing, for they are like torches, equally fit to burn 
 and to give light, which is probably owing to the bitumi- 
 nous earth that surrounds them, whence the common 
 people suppose them firs, though Csesar denies that there 
 were such trees in Britain." 
 
 But, though vast masses of the bog had been carried 
 off by the Irwell and the Mersey, as related by Camden, 
 the general appearance of the waste, — with the exception 
 of the valley and the small stream, — was much the same
 
 CHAT MOSS. 61 
 
 as it continued to our own time. Its surface was more 
 broken and irregular, and black gaping chasms and pits 
 filled with water and slime as dark-colored as the turf 
 whence it flowed, pointed out the spots where the swollen 
 and heaving swamp had burst its bondage. Narrow 
 paths, known only to the poor turf-cutters and other 
 laborers who dwelt upon its borders, and gathered fuel 
 with poles and spits in the manner above described, in- 
 tersected it at various points. But as they led in many 
 cases to dangerous and deep gulfs, to dismal quagmires 
 and fathomless pits ; and, moreover, as the slightest de- 
 parture from the proper track would have whelmed the 
 traveler in an oozy bed, from which, as from a quicksand, 
 he would have vainly striven to extricate himself, — it was 
 never crossed without a guide, except by those familiar 
 with its perilous courses. One painful circumstance con- 
 nected with the history of Chat Moss remains to be re- 
 corded — namely, that the attempt made to cultivate it by 
 the great historian Roscoe, — an attempt since carried out, 
 as has already been shown, with complete success, — ended 
 in a result ruinous to the fortunes of that highly-gifted 
 person, who, up to the period of this luckless undertaking, 
 was as prosperous as he was meritorious. 
 
 By this time the fugitives had approached the confines 
 of the marsh. An accident, however, had just occurred, 
 which nearly proved fatal to Viviana, and, owing to the 
 delay it occasioned, brought their pursuers into dangerous 
 proximity with them. In fording the Irwell, which, from 
 its devious course, they were again compelled to cross, 
 about a quarter of a mile below Barton, her horse missed 
 its footing, and precipitated her into the rapid current. 
 In another instant she would have been borne away, if 
 Guy Fawkes had not flung himself into the water, and 
 seized her before she sank. Her affrighted steed, having 
 got out of its depth, began to swim off, and it required 
 the utmost exertion on the part of Humphrey Chetham, 
 embarrassed as he was by the priest, to secure it. In a 
 few minutes all was set to rights, and Viviana was once
 
 62 . GUY FAWKES. 
 
 more placed on tlie saddle, without having sustained 
 further inconvenience than was occasioned by her dripping 
 apparel. But those few minutes, as has been just stated, 
 sufficed to bring the pursuivant and his men close upon 
 them ; and as they scrambled up the opposite bank, the 
 plunging and shouting behind them told that the latter 
 had entered the stream. 
 
 "Yonder is Baysnape," exclaimed Humphrey Chetham, 
 calling Viviana's attention to a ridge of high ground on 
 the borders of the waste. "Below it lies the path by 
 which I propose to enter the moss. We shall speedily be 
 out of the reach of our enemies." 
 
 " The marsh at least will hide us," answered Viviana, 
 with a shudder. " It is a terrible alternative." 
 
 "Fear nothing, dear daughter," observed the priest. 
 " The saints, who have thus marvelously protected us, 
 will continue to watch over us to the end, and will malve 
 the path over yon perilous waste as safe as the ground 
 on which we tread." 
 
 " I like not the appearance of the sky," observed Guy 
 Fawkes, looking uneasily upwards. "Before we reach 
 the spot you have pointed out, the moon will be obscured. 
 Will it be safe to traverse the moss in the dark ? " 
 
 " It is our only chance," replied the young merchant, 
 speaking in a Ioav tone, that his answer might not reach 
 Viviana's ears ; " and after all, the darkness may be service- 
 able. Our pursuers are so near, that if it were less gloomy, 
 they might hit upon the right track. It \vill be a risk to 
 us to proceed, but certain destruction to those who follow. 
 And now let us make what haste we can. Every momeni 
 is precious." 
 
 The dreary and fast darkening waste had now opened 
 upon them in all its horrors. Far as the gaze could reach 
 appeared an immense expanse, flat almost as the surface 
 of the ocean, and unmarked, so far as could be discerned 
 in that doubtful liglit, by any trace of human footstep or 
 habitation. It was a stern and somber prospect, and 
 calculated to inspire terror in the stoutest bosom. What
 
 CHAT MOSS. 63 
 
 effect it produced on Viviana may be easily conjectured. 
 But her nature was brave and enduring, and, though she 
 trembled so violently as scarcely to be able to keep her 
 seat, she gave no utterance to her fears. They were now 
 skirting that part of the morass since denominated, from 
 the unfortunate speculation previously alluded to, " Ros- 
 coe's Improvements." This tract was the worst and most 
 dangerous portion of the whole moss. Soft, slabby, and 
 unsubstantial, its treacherous beds scarcely offered secure 
 footing to the heron that alighted on them. The ground 
 shook beneath the fugitives as they hurried past the edge 
 of the groaning and quivering marsh. The plover, scared 
 from its nest, uttered its peculiar and plaintive cry ; the 
 bittern shrieked; other night fowl poured forth their 
 doleful notes ; and the bull-frog added its deep croak to 
 the ominous concert. Behind them came the thundering 
 tramp and loud shouts of their pursuers. Guy Fawkes 
 had judged correctly. Before they reached Baysnape the 
 moon had withdrawn behind a rack of clouds, and it had 
 become profoundly dark. Arrived at this point, Hum- 
 phrey Chetham called to them to turn off to the right. 
 
 " Follow singly," he said, " and do not swerve a hair's 
 breadth from the path. The slightest deviation will be 
 fatal. Do you, sir," he added to the priest, " mount behind 
 Guy Fawkes, and let Viviana come next after me. If I 
 should miss my way, do not stir for your life." 
 
 The transfer effected, the fugitives turned off to the 
 right, and proceeded at a cautious pace along a narrow 
 and shaking path. The ground trembled so much beneath 
 them, and their horses' feet sank so deeply in the plashy 
 bog, that Viviana demanded, in a tone of some uneasiness, 
 if he was sure he had taken the right course ? 
 
 " If I had not," replied Humphrey Chetham, " we 
 should ere this have found our way to the bottom of the 
 morass," 
 
 As he spoke, a floundering plunge, accompanied by a 
 horrible and quickly-stifled cry, told that one of their 
 pursuers had perished in endeavoring to follow them.
 
 64 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " The poor wretch is gone to his account," observed 
 Viviana, in a tone of commiseration. " Have a care ! — 
 have a care, lest you share the same fate." 
 
 " If I can save you, I care not wliat becomes of me," 
 replied the young merchant. " Since I can never hope 
 to possess you, life has become valueless in my eyes." 
 
 "Quicken your pace," shouted Guy Fawkes, who 
 brought up the rear. "Our pursuers have discovered 
 the track, and are making towards us." 
 
 " Let them do so," replied the young merchant, " They 
 can do us no farther injury." 
 
 " That is false ! " cried the voice of a soldier from be- 
 hind. And, as the words were uttered, a shot was fired, 
 which, though aimed against Chetham, took effect upon 
 his steed. The animal staggered, and his rider had only 
 time to slide from his back when he reeled off the path, 
 and was ingulfed in the marsh. 
 
 Hearing the plunge of the steed, the man fancied he 
 had hit his mark, and hallooed in an exulting voice to his 
 companions. But his triumph was of short duration. A 
 ball from the petronel of Guy Fawkes pierced his brain, 
 and dropping from his saddle, he sank, together with his 
 horse, which he dragged along with him into the quag- 
 mire. 
 
 " Waste no more shot," cried Humphrey Chetham ; 
 "the swamp will fight our battles for us. Though I 
 grieve for the loss of my horse, I may be better able to 
 guide you on foot." 
 
 With this, he seized Viviana's bridle, and drew her steed 
 along at a quick pace, but with the greatest caution. As 
 they proceeded, a light like that of a lantern was seen to 
 rise from the earth, and approach them. 
 
 " Heaven be praised ! " exclaimed Viviana : " some one 
 has heard us, and is hastening to our assistance." 
 
 " Not so," replied Humphrey Chetham. " The light 
 you behold is an iffuis fatinis. Were you to trust your- 
 self to its delusive gleam, it would lead you to the most 
 dangerous parts of the moss."
 
 CHAT MOSS. 65 
 
 And, as if to exhibit its real character, the little flame, 
 which hitherto had burnt as brightly and steadily as 
 a wax-candle, suddenly appeared to dilate, and assuming 
 a purple tinge, emitted a shower of sparks, and then flit- 
 ted rapidly over the plain. 
 
 " Woe to him that follows it ! " cried Humphrey Chet- 
 ham. 
 
 " It has a strange unearthly look," observed Viviana, 
 crossing herself. " I have much difficulty in persuading 
 myself it is not the work of some malignant sprite." 
 
 " It is only an exhalation of the marsh," replied Chet- 
 ham. " But, see ! others are at hand." 
 
 Their approach, indeed, seemed to have disturbed all 
 the weird children of the waste. Lights were seen 
 trooping towards them in every direction ; sometimes 
 stopping, sometimes rising in the air, now contracting, 
 now expanding, and when within a few yards of the 
 travelers, retreating with inconceivable swiftness. 
 
 " It is a marvelous and incomprehensible spectacle," re- 
 marked Viviana. 
 
 " The common folk hereabouts affirm that these Jack- 
 o'-lanterns, as they term them, always appear in greater 
 numbers when some direful catastrophe is about to take 
 place," rejoined the young merchant. 
 
 " Heaven avert it from us," ejaculated Viviana. 
 
 " It is an idle superstition," returned Chetham. " But 
 we must now keep silence," he continued, lowering his 
 voice, and stopping near the charred stump of a tree, 
 left, it would seem, as a mark. " The road turns here ; 
 and, unless our pursuers know it, we shall now quit them 
 forever. We must not let a sound betray the course we 
 are about to take." 
 
 Having turned this dangerous corner in safety, and 
 conducted his companions as noiselessly as possible for a 
 few yards along the cross path, which being much nar- 
 rower was consequently more perilous than the first 
 Humphrey Chetham stood still, and, imposing silence 
 upon the others, listened to the approach of their pur-
 
 66 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 suers. His prediction was speedily and terribly verified. 
 Hearing the movement in advance, but unable to discover 
 the course taken by the fugitives, the unfortunate sol- 
 diers, fearful of losing their prey, quickened their 
 pace, in the expectation of instantly overtaking them. 
 They were fatally undeceived. Four only of their num- 
 ber, besides their leader, remained, — two having perished 
 in the manner heretofore described. The first of these, 
 disregarding the caution of his comrade, laughingly urged 
 his horse into a gallop, and, on passing the mark, sunk as 
 if by magic, and before he could utter a single warning 
 cry, into the depths of the morass. His disappearance 
 was so instantaneous, that the next in order, though he 
 heard the sullen plunge, was unable to draw in the rein, 
 and was likewise ingulfed. A third followed; and a 
 fourth, in his efforts to avoid their fate, backed his steed 
 over the slippery edge of the path. Only one now re- 
 mained. It was the pursuivant, who, with the prudence 
 that characterized all his proceedings, had followed in 
 the rear. He was so dreadfully frightened, that, adding 
 his shrieks to those of his attendants, he shouted to the 
 fugitives, imploring assistance in the most piteous terms, 
 and promising never again to molest them, if they would 
 guide him to a place of safety. But his cries were wholly 
 unheeded ; and he perhaps endured in those few minutes 
 of agony as much suffering as he had inflicted on the 
 numerous victims of his barbarity. It was indeed an ap- 
 palling moment. Three of the wretched men had not 
 yet sunk, but were floundering about in the swamp, and 
 shrieking for help. The horses, as much terrified as 
 their riders, added their piercing cries to the half-suf- 
 focated yells. And, as if to make the scene more ghastly, 
 myriads of dancing liglits flitted towards them, and 
 throwing an unearthly glimmer over this part of the 
 morass, fully revealed their struggling figures. Moved 
 by compassion for the poor wretches, Viviana implored 
 Humphrey Chetham to assist them, and, finding him im- 
 movable, appealed to Guy Fawkes.
 
 CHAT MOSS. 67 
 
 « They are beyond all human aid," the latter replied. 
 
 " Heaven have mercy on their souls ! " ejaculated the 
 priest. " Pray for them, dear daughter. Pray heartily, 
 as I am about to do." And he recited in an audible voice 
 the Romish formula of supplication for those in extremis. 
 
 Averting her gaze from the spectacle, Viviana joined 
 fervently in the prayer. 
 
 By this time two of the strugglers had disappeared. 
 The tliird, having freed himself from his horse, contrived 
 for some moments, during which he uttered the most 
 frightful cries, to keep his head above the swamp. His 
 efforts were tremendous, but unavailing, and served only 
 to accelerate his fate. Making a last desperate plunge 
 towards the bank where tlie fugitives were standing, he 
 sank above the chin. The expression of his face, shown 
 by the ghastly glimmer of the fen-fires, as lie was grad- 
 ually swallowed up, was horrible. 
 
 " Hequiem mternam dona eis, Dombte^" exclaimed the 
 priest. 
 
 "All is over," cried Ilumplirey vlJhetham, taking the 
 bridle of Viviana's steed, and leading her onwards. "We 
 are free from our pursuers." 
 
 " There is one left," she rejoined, casting a look back- 
 wards. 
 
 " It is the pursuivant," returned Guy Fawkes, sternly. 
 " He is within shot," he added, drawing his petronel. 
 
 " Oh, no — no ! — in pity spare him ! " cried Viviana. 
 " Too many lives have been sacrificed already." 
 
 " He is the cause of all the mischief," answered Guy 
 Fawkes, unwillingly replacing the petronel in his belt, 
 " and may live to injure you and your father." 
 
 " I will hope not," rejoined Viviana ; " but, spare him I 
 — oh, spare him ! " 
 
 "Be it as you please," replied Guy Fawkes. "The 
 marsh, I trust, will not be so merciful." 
 
 With this, they slowly resumed their progress. On 
 hearing their departure, the pursuivant renewed his cries 
 in a more piteous tone than ever ; but, in spite of the en-
 
 68 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 treaties of Viviaua, nothing could induce her companions 
 to lend him assistance. 
 
 For some time they proceeded in silence, and without 
 accident. As they advanced, the diflBculties of the path 
 increased, and it was fortunate that the moon, emerging 
 from the clouds in which, up to this moment she had 
 been shrouded, enabled them to steer their course in 
 safety. At length, after a tedious and toilsome march 
 for nearly half a mile, the footing became more secure, 
 the road widened, and they were able to quicken their 
 pace. Another half mile landed them upon tlie western 
 bank of the morass. Viviana's first impulse was to give 
 thanks to Heaven for their deliverance, nor did she omit 
 in her prayer a supplication for the unfortunate beings 
 who had perished 
 
 Arrived at the point now known as Rawson Nook, they 
 entered a lane, and proceeded towards Astley Green, 
 where perceiving a cluster of thatched cottages among 
 the trees, they knocked at the door of the first, and 
 speedily obtained admittance from its inmates, a turf- 
 cutter and his wife. The man conveyed their steeds to a 
 neighboring barn, while the good dame offered Viviana 
 such accommodation and refreshment as her humble 
 dwelling afforded. Here they tarried till the following 
 evening, as much to recruit Miss Radcliffe's strength, as 
 for security. 
 
 At the young merchant's request, the turf-cutter went 
 in the course of the day to see what had become of the 
 pursuivant, fie was nowhere to be found. But he acci- 
 dentally learned from another hind, who followed the 
 same occupation as himself, that a person answering to 
 the officer's description had been seen to emerge from the 
 moss near Baysnape at daybreak, and take the road to- 
 wards Manchester. Of the unfortunate soldiers nothing 
 but a steel cap and a pike, which the man brought away 
 with him, could be discovered. 
 
 After much debate, it was decided that their safest 
 plan would be to proceed to Manchester, where Hum-
 
 CHAT MOSS. 69 
 
 phrey Chetham undertook to procure them safe lodgings 
 at the Seven Stars, — an excellent hostel, kept by a worthy 
 widow, who, he affirmed, would do anything to serve him. 
 Accordingly, they set out at nightfall, — Viviana taking 
 her place before Guy Fawkes, and relinquishing Zayda to 
 the young merchant and the priest. Shaping their course 
 through Worsley, by Monton Green and Pendleton, they 
 arrived in about an hour within sight of the town, which 
 then, — not a tithe of its present size, and unpolluted by 
 the smoky atmosphere in which it is now constantly 
 enveloped, — was not without some pretensions to a pic- 
 turesque appearance. Crossing Salford Bridge, they 
 mounted Smithy Bank, as it was then termed, and pro- 
 ceeding along Cateaton Street and Hanging Ditch, struck 
 into Whithing (now Withy) Grove, at the right of which, 
 just where a few houses were beginning to straggle up 
 Shude Hill, stood, and still stands, the comfortable hostel 
 of the Seven Stars. Here they stopped, and were warm- 
 ly welcomed by its buxom mistress. Dame Sutchtfe. 
 Muffled in Guy Fawkes's cloak, the priest gained the 
 chamber to which he was ushered unobserved. And 
 Dame Sutcliffe, though her Protestant notions were a 
 little scandalized at her dwelling being made the sanc- 
 tuary of a Popish priest, promised, at the instance of 
 IMaster Chetham, whom she knew to be no favorer of 
 idolatry in a general way, to be answerable for his safety.
 
 to tiUY FAWKI^gJ. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE DISINTEEMENT. 
 
 Having seen every attention shown to Viviana by the 
 hostess, — who, as soon as she discovered tliat she had 
 the daughter of Sir William Radcliffe of Ordsall, under 
 her roof, bestirred herself in right earnest for her accom- 
 modation, — Humphrey Chetham, notwithstanding the 
 lateness of the hour, — it was past midnight, — expressed 
 his determination to walk to his residence at Crumpsall, 
 to put an end to any apprehension which might be enter- 
 tained by the household at his prolonged absence. 
 
 With this view, he set forth ; and Guy Fawkes, who 
 seemed to be meditating some project which he was un- 
 willing to disclose to the others, quitted the hostel with 
 him, bidding the chamberlain sit up for him, as he should 
 speedily return. They had not gone far when he inquired 
 the nearest way to the Collegiate Church, and was an- 
 swered that they were then proceeding towards it, and in 
 a few moments should arrive at its walls. He next asked 
 the young merchant whether he could inform him which 
 part of the churchyard was allotted to criminals. Hum- 
 phrey Chetham, somewhat surprised by the question, re- 
 plied, " At the northwest, near the charnel," adding, " I 
 shall pass within a short distance of the spot, and will 
 point it out to you." 
 
 Entering Fennel Street, at the end of which stood an 
 ancient cross, they soon came in sight of the church. The 
 moon was shining brightly, and silvered the massive 
 square tower of the fane, the battlements, pinnacles, but- 
 tresses, and noble eastern window, with its gorgeous 
 tracery. While Guy Fawkes paused for a moment to 
 contemplate this reverend and beautiful structure, two 
 venerable personages, having long snowy beards, and 
 wrapped in flowing mantles edged with sable fur, passed
 
 THE DISINTERMENT. ?! 
 
 the end of the street. One of them carried a lantern, 
 though it was wholly needless, as it was bright as day ; 
 and as they glided stealthily along, there was something 
 so mysterious in their manner, that it greatly excited the 
 curiosity of Guy Fawkes, who inquired from his compan- 
 ion if he knew who they were. 
 
 " The foremost is the warden of Manchester, the famous 
 Doctor Dee," replied Humphrey Chetham, " divine, mathe- 
 matician, astrologer, — and if report speaks truly, con- 
 jurer." 
 
 " Is that Doctor Dee ? " cried Guy Fawkes, in astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 " It is," replied the young merchant : " and the other 
 in the Polish cap is the no-less celebrated Edward Kelley, 
 the doctor's assistant, or, as he is ordinarily termed, his 
 seer." 
 
 "They have entered the churchyard," remarked Guy 
 Fawkes. "I will follow them." 
 
 " I would not advise you to do so," rejoined the other. 
 " Strange tales are told of them. You may witness that 
 it is not safe to look upon." 
 
 The caution, however, was unheeded. Guy Fawkes had 
 already disappeared, and the young merchant, shrugging 
 his shoulders, proceeded on his way towards Hunt's Bank. 
 
 On gaining the churchyard, Guy Fawkes perceived the 
 warden and his companion creeping stealthily beneath the 
 shadow of a wall in the direction of a low fabric, which 
 appeared to be a bone-house, or charnel, situated at the 
 northwestern extremity of the church. Before this build- 
 ing grew a black and stunted yew-tree. Arrived at it, 
 they paused, and looked round to see whether they were 
 observed. They did not, however, notice Guy Fawkes, 
 who had concealed himself behind a buttress. Kelley then 
 unlocked the door of the charnel, and brought out a pick- 
 axe and mattock. Having divested himself of his cloak, 
 he proceeded to shovel out the mold from a new-made 
 grave at a little distance from the building. Doctor Dee 
 stood by, and held the lantern for his assistant.
 
 ^9, GUY FAWKES. 
 
 Determined to watch their proceedings, Guy Fawkes 
 crept towards the yew-tree, behind which he ensconced 
 himself. Kelley, meanwhile, continued to ply his spade 
 with a vigor that seemed almost incomprehensible in one 
 so far stricken in years, and of such infirm appearance. 
 At length he paused, and kneeling within the shallow 
 grave, endeavored to drag something from it. Doctor 
 Dee knelt to assist him. After some exertion, they drew 
 forth the corpse of a female, which had been interred 
 without coffin, and apparently in the habiliments worn 
 during life. A horrible suspicion crossed Guy Fawkes. 
 Resolving to satisfy his doubts at once, he rushed forward, 
 and beheld in the ghastly lineaments of the dead the 
 features of the unfortunate prophetess, Elizabeth Ortou.
 
 Guy Fawkes stood behind a tree watching Dr. Dee and Kelley digging in 
 the new made grave. Page 72. Guy Fawkes
 
 DOCTOR DEE. 73 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 DOCTOR DEE. 
 
 " How now, ye impious violators of the tomb ! ye worse 
 than famine-stricken wolves, that rake up the dead in 
 churchyards ! " cried Guy Fawkes, in a voice of thunder, 
 to Doctor Dee and his companion ; who, startled by his 
 sudden appearance, dropped the body, and retreated to a 
 short distance. " What devilish rites are ye about to en- 
 act, that ye thus profane the sanctity of the grave ? " 
 
 " And who art thou that darest thus to interrupt us ? " 
 demanded Dee, sternly. 
 
 " It matters not," rejoined Fawkes, striding towards 
 them. " Suffice it you are both known to vie. You, 
 John Dee, warden of Manchester, who deserve to be 
 burnt at the stake for your damnable practises, rather 
 than hold the sacred office you fill; and you, Edward 
 Kelley, his associate, who boast of familiar intercourse 
 with demons, and, unless fame belies you, have purchased 
 the intimacy at the price of your soul's salvation. I know 
 you both. I know, also, whose body you have disinterred 
 — it is that of the ill-fated prophetess, Elizabeth Orton. 
 And if you do not instantly restore it to the grave whence 
 you have snatched it, I will denounce you to the authori- 
 ties of the town." 
 
 "Knowing thus much, you should know still more,'* 
 retorted Doctor Dee, " namely, that I am not to be lightly 
 provoked. You have no power to quit the churchyard- 
 nay, not so much as to move a limb without my permis- 
 sion." 
 
 As he spoke, he drew from beneath his cloak a small 
 phial, the contents of which he sprinkled over the in- 
 truder. Its effect was wonderful and instantaneous. 
 The limbs of Guy Fawkes stiffened where he stood. His
 
 74 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 hand remained immovably fixed upon the pommel of his 
 sword, and he seemed transformed into a marble statue. 
 
 "You will henceforth acknowledge and respect my 
 power," he continued. " Were it my pleasure, I could 
 bury you twenty fathoms deep in the earth beneath our 
 feet; or, by invoking certain spirits, convey you to the 
 summit of yon lofty tower," pointing to the church, " and 
 hurl you from it headlong. But I content myself with 
 depri\'ing you of motion, and leave you in possession of 
 sight and speech, that you may endure the torture of wit- 
 nessing what you cannot prevent." 
 
 So saying, he was about to return to the corpse with 
 Kelley, when Guy Fawkes exclaimed, in a hollow voice, 
 
 " Set me free, and I will instantly depart." 
 
 ""Will you swear never to divulge what you have 
 seen ? " demanded Dee, pausing. 
 
 " Solemnly," he replied, 
 
 "I will trust you, then," rejoined the Doctor;— "the 
 rather that your presence interferes with my purpose." 
 
 Taking a handful of loose earth from an adjoining 
 grave, and muttering a few words, that sounded like a 
 charm, he scattered it over Fawkes. The spell was in- 
 stantly broken. A leaden weight seemed to be removed 
 from his limbs. His joints regained their suppleness, 
 and with a convulsive start, like that by which a dreamer 
 casts off a nightmare, he was liberated from his preter. 
 natural thraldom. 
 
 " And now, begone ! " cried Doctor Dee, authorita 
 tively. 
 
 " Suffer me to tarry with you a few moments," said 
 Guy Fawkes, in a deferential tone. " Heretofore, I will 
 freely admit, I regarded you an impostor ; but now I am 
 convinced you are deeply skilled in the occult sciences, 
 and would fain consult you on the future." 
 
 " I have already said that your presence troubles me," 
 replied Doctor Dee. " But if you Avill call upon me at 
 the College to-morrow, it may be I will give you further 
 proofs of my skill."
 
 DOCTOR DEE. 75 
 
 " Why not now, reverend sir ? " urged Fawkes. « The 
 question I would ask is better suited to this dismal spot 
 and witching hour, than to daylight and the walls of your 
 study." 
 
 " Indeed ! " exclaimed Dee. " Your name ? " 
 
 " Guy Fawkes," replied the other. 
 
 " Guy Fawkes ! " echoed the Doctor, starting. " Nay, 
 then, I guess the nature of the question you would ask." 
 
 " Am I then known to you, reverend sir ? " inquired 
 Fawkes, uneasily. 
 
 "As well as to yourself — nay, better," answered the 
 Doctor. " Bring the lantern hither, Kelley," he con- 
 tinued, addressing his companion. " Look ! " he added, 
 elevating the light so as to throw it upon the countenance 
 of Fawkes : " it is the very face, — the bronzed and 
 strongly-marked features, — the fierce black eye, — the 
 iron frame, and foreign garb of the figure we beheld in 
 the show-stone." 
 
 " It is," replied Kelley, " I could have singled him out 
 amid a thousand. He looked thus as we tracked his 
 perilous course, with his three companions, the priest, 
 Chetham, and Viviana Radcliffe, across Chat Moss." 
 
 " How have you learned this ? " cried Guy Fawkes, in 
 amazement. 
 
 " By the art that reveals all things," answered Kelley. 
 
 " In proof that your thoughts are known to me," ob- 
 served Dee, " I will tell you the inquiry you would make 
 before it is uttered. You would learn whether the enter- 
 prise on which you are engaged will succeed." 
 
 " I would," replied Fawkes. 
 
 " Yet more," continued Dee. " I am aware of the na- 
 ture of the plot, and could name to you all connected 
 with it." 
 
 " Your power is, indeed, wonderful," rejoined Fawkes 
 in an altered tone. " But will you give me the informa- 
 tion I require ? " 
 
 " Hum ! " muttered Dee. 
 
 "I am too poor to purchase it," proceeded Fawkes,
 
 76 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " unless a relic I have brought from Spain has any value 
 in your eyeSo" 
 
 "Tush!" exclaimed Dee, angrily. "Do you suppose 
 I am a common juggler, and practise my art for gain ? " 
 
 " By no means, reverend sir," said Fawkes. " But I 
 would not willingly put you to trouble without evincing 
 my gratitude." 
 
 " Well, then," replied Dee, " I will not refuse your re- 
 quest. And yet I would caution you to beware how you 
 pry into the future. You may repent your rashness when 
 it is too late." 
 
 " I have no fear," rejoined Fawkes. " Let me know 
 the worst," 
 
 "Enough," answered Dee. "And now listen to me. 
 That carcass having been placed in the ground without 
 the holy rites of burial being duly performed, I have 
 power over it. And, as the witch of Endor called up 
 Samuel, as is recorded in Holy Writ, — as Erichtho raised 
 up a corpse to reveal to Sextus Pompeius the event of 
 the Pharsalian war, — as Elisha breathed life into the 
 nostrils of the Shunamite's son, — as Alcestis was invoked 
 by Hercules, — and as the dead maid was brought back 
 to life by Apollonius Thyaneus, — so I, by certain power- 
 ful incantations, will allure the soul of the prophetess, 
 for a short space, to its former tenement, and compel it 
 to answer my questions. Dare you be present at this 
 ceremony ? " 
 
 " I dare," replied Fawkes. 
 
 " Follow me, then," said Dee. " You will need all 
 your courage." 
 
 Muttering a hasty prayer, and secretly crossing himself, 
 Guy Fawkes strode after him towards the grave. By the 
 Doctor's directions, he, with some reluctance, assisted 
 Kelley to raise the corpse, and convey it to the charnel. 
 Dee followed, bearing the lantern, and, on entering the 
 building, closed and fastened the door. 
 
 The chamber in which Guy Fawkes found himself was 
 in perfect keeping with the horrible ceremonial about tc
 
 DOCTOR DEE. 77 
 
 "be performed. In one corner lay a moldering heap of 
 skulls, bones, and other fragments of mortality ; in the 
 other a pile of broken coffins, emptied of their tenants, 
 and reared on end. But what chiefly attracted his at- 
 tention, was a ghastly collection of human limbs, black- 
 ened with pitch, girded round with iron hoops, and hung, 
 like meat in a shambles, against the wall. There were 
 two heads, and, though the features were scarcely distin- 
 guishable, owing to the liquid in which they had been 
 immersed, they still retained a terrific expression of 
 agony. Seeing his attention directed to these revolting 
 objects, Kelley informed him they were the quarters of 
 the two priests who had recently been put to death, 
 which had been left there previously to being placed on 
 the church-gates. The implements, and some part of the 
 attire used by the executioner in his butcherly office, were 
 scattered about, and mixed with the tools of the sexton ; 
 while in the center of the room stood a large wooden 
 frame supported by trestles. On this frame, stained with 
 blood and smeared with pitch, showing the purpose to 
 which it had been recently put, the body was placed. 
 This done, Doctor Dee set down the lantern beside it ; 
 <ind, as the light fell upon its livid features, sullied with 
 earth, and exhibiting traces of decay, Guy Fawkes was so 
 appalled by the sight that he half repented of what he 
 had undertaken. 
 
 Noticing his irresolution. Doctor Dee said, " You may 
 yet retire if you think proper." 
 
 " No," replied Fawkes, rousing himself ; " I will go 
 through with it." 
 
 " It is well," replied Dee. And he extinguished the 
 light. 
 
 An awful silence now ensued, broken only by a low 
 murmur from Doctor Dee, who appeared to be reciting 
 an incantation. As he proceeded, his tones became 
 louder, and his accents those of command. Suddenly, he 
 paused, and seemed to await a response. But, as none 
 was made, greatly to the disappointment of Guy Fawkes,
 
 TS GUY FAWKES. 
 
 whose curiosity, notwithstanding his fears, was raised to 
 the highest pitch, he cried, " Blood is wanting to complete 
 the charm." 
 
 " If that is all, I will speedily supply the deficiency," 
 replied Guy Fawkes ; and, drawing his rapier, he bared 
 his left arm, and pricked it deeply with the point of the 
 weapon. 
 
 " I bleed now," he cried. 
 
 " Sprinkle the corpse with the ruddy current," rejoined 
 ,' Doctor Dee. 
 
 "Your commands are obeyed," replied Fawkes. "I 
 have placed my hand on its breast, and the blood is flow- 
 ing upon it." 
 
 Upon this the Doctor began to mutter an incantation 
 in a louder and more authoritative tone than before. 
 Presently, Kelley added his voice, and they both joined 
 in a sort of chorus, but in a jargon wholly unintelligible 
 to Guy Fawkes. 
 
 All at once a blue flame appeared above their heads, 
 and, slowly descending, settled upon the brow of the 
 corpse, lighting up the sunken cavities of the eyes, and 
 the discolored and distorted features. 
 
 " The charm works," shouted Doctor Dee. 
 
 " She moves ! she moves ! " exclaimed Guy Fawkes. 
 " She is alive ! " 
 
 " Take off your hand," cried the Doctor, " or mischief 
 may ensue." And he again continued his incantation. 
 
 " Down on your knees ! " he exclaimed, at length, in a 
 terrible voice. " The spirit is at hand." 
 
 There was a rushing sound, and a stream of dazzling 
 liglitning shot down upon the corpse, which emitted a 
 hollow groan. In obedience to the Doctor's commands, 
 Guy Fawkes had prostrated himself on the ground : but 
 he kept his gaze steadily fixed on the body, which, to 
 his infinite astonishment, slowly arose, until it stood erect 
 upon the frame. There it remained perfectly motionless, 
 with the arms close to the sides, and the habiliments torn 
 and disheveled. The blue light still retained its position
 
 DOCTOR DEE. Y9 
 
 upon the brow, and communicated a horrible glimmer to 
 the features. The spectacle was so dreadful that Guy- 
 Fa wkes would fain have averted his eyes, but he was 
 unable to do so. Doctor Dee and his companion, mean- 
 while, continued their invocations, until, as it seemed to 
 Fa wkes, the lips of the corpse moved, and an awful voice 
 exclaimed, " Why have you called me ? " 
 
 " Daughter ! " replied Doctor Dee, rising, " in life thou 
 wert endowed with the gift of prophecy. In the grave, 
 that which is to come must be revealed to thee. We 
 would question thee." 
 
 " Speak, and I will answer," replied the corpse. 
 
 " Interrogate her, my son," said Dee, addressing Fawkes, 
 " and be brief, for the time is short. So long only as that 
 flame burns have I power over her." 
 
 " Spirit of Elizabeth Or ton," cried Guy Fawkes, " if 
 indeed thou standest before me, and some demon hath not 
 entered thy frame to delude me, — by all that is holy, and 
 by every blessed saint, I adjure thee to tell me whether 
 the scheme on which I am now engaged for the advantage 
 of the Catholic Church will prosper ? " 
 
 " Thou art mistaken, Guy Fawkes," returned the corpse, 
 " Thy scheme is not for the advantage of the Catholic 
 Church." 
 
 "I will not pause to inquire wherefore," continued 
 Fawkes. " But, grant that the means are violent and 
 wrongful, will the end be successful ? " 
 
 " The end will be death," replied the corpse. 
 
 " To the tyrant — to the oppressors ? " demanded Fawkes. 
 
 " To the conspirators," was the answer. 
 
 " Ha ! " ejaculated Fawkes. 
 
 " Proceed, if you have aught more to ask," cried Doc- 
 tor Dee. " The flame is expiring." 
 
 " Shall we restore the fallen religion ? " demanded 
 Fawkes. 
 
 Bat l)efore the words could be pronounced the light 
 vanished, and a heavy sound was heard, as of the body 
 falling on the frame.
 
 80 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " It is over," said Doctor Dee. 
 
 " Can you not summon her again ? " asked Fawkes, in 
 a tone of deep disappointment. " I had other questions 
 to ask." 
 
 " Impossible," replied the Doctor. " The spirit is fled, 
 and will not be recalledo We must now commit tlie body 
 to the earth. And this time it shall be more decently 
 interred." 
 
 "My curiosity is excited, — not satisfied," said Guy 
 Fawkes. " Would it were to occur again ! " 
 
 " It is ever thus," replied Doctor Dee. " We seek to 
 know that which is interdicted, — and quench our thirst 
 at a fountain that only inflames our curiosity the more. 
 Be warned, my son. You are embarked on a perilous 
 enterprise, and if you pursue it, it will lead you to certain 
 destruction." 
 
 " I caimot retreat," rejoined Fawkes, " and would not, 
 if I could. I am bound by an oath too terrible to be 
 broken." 
 
 " I will absolve you of your oath, my son," said Doctor 
 Dee, eagerly. 
 
 " You cannot, reverend sir," replied Fawkes. " By no 
 sophistry could I clear my conscience of the ties imposed 
 upon it. I have sworn never to desist from the execution 
 of this scheme, unless those engaged in it shall give me 
 leave. Nay, so resolved am I, that if I stood alone I 
 would go on." 
 
 As he spoke, a deep groan issued from the corpse. 
 
 " You are again warned, my son," said Dee. 
 
 " Come forth," said Guy Fawkes, rushing towards the 
 door, and throwing it open. " This place stifles me." 
 
 The night has already been described as bright and 
 beautiful. Before him stood the Collegiate Church bathed 
 in moonlight. He gazed abstractedly at this venerable 
 structure for a few moments, and then returned to the 
 charnel, where he found Doctor Dee and Kelley employed 
 in placing the body of the prophetess in a coffin, which 
 they had taken from a pile in the corner. He immediately
 
 DOCTOR DEE. 81 
 
 proffered his assistance, and in a short space the task was 
 completed. The coffin was then home towards the grave, 
 at the edge of which it was laid while the burial-service 
 was recited by Doctor Dee. This ended, it was lowered into 
 its shallow resting-place, and speedily covered with earth. 
 
 When all was ready for their departure, the Doctor 
 turned to Fawkes, and, bidding him farewell, observed, 
 
 " If you are wise, my son, you will profit by the awful 
 warning you have this night received." 
 
 " Before we part, reverend sir," replied Fawkes, " I 
 would ask if you know of other means whereby an insight 
 may be obtained into the future ? " 
 
 " Many, my son," replied Dee. " I have a magic glass, 
 in which, with due preparation, you may behold exact 
 representations of coming events. I am now returning to 
 the College, and if you will accompany me, I will show it 
 to you." 
 
 The offer was eagerly accepted, and the party quitted 
 the churchyard. 
 6
 
 82 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE MAGIC GLASS. 
 
 The old College of Manchester occupied, as is well 
 known, the site of the existing structure, called after the 
 benevolent individual by whom that admirable charity 
 was founded, and whom we have ventured to introduce 
 in this history, — the Chetham Hospital. Much, indeed, of 
 the ancient building remains ; for though it was consid- 
 erably repaired and enlarged, being " very ruinous and in 
 great decay," at the time of its purchase in 1654, by the 
 feoffees under Humphrey Chetham's will, from the se- 
 questrators of the Earl of Derby's estates, still the gen- 
 eral character of the fabric has been preserved, and several 
 of its chambers retained. Originally built on the founda- 
 tion of a manor-house denominated The Baron's Hall, — the 
 abode of the Grelleys and the De la Warrs, lords of Man- 
 chester, — the College continued to be used as the resi- 
 dence of the warden and fellows of the Collegiate Church 
 until the reign of Edward the First, when that body was 
 dissolved. On the accession, however, of Mary, the Col- 
 lege was reestablished ; but the residence of the ecclesi- 
 astical body being removed to a house in Deansgate, the 
 building was allowed to become extremely dilapidated, 
 and was used partly as a prison for recusants and other 
 offenders, and partly as a magazine for powder. In this 
 state Dr. Dee found it when he succeeded to the warden- 
 ship in 1595, and preferring it, notwithstanding its ruin- 
 ous condition, to the house appointed for him elsewhere, 
 took up his abode within it. 
 
 Situated on a high rock, overhanging the river Irk — at 
 that time a clear stream, remarkable for the excellence of 
 its fish, — and constructed entirely of stone, the old College 
 had then, and still has to a certain extent, a venerable
 
 ' THE MAGIC GLASS. 83 
 
 and monastic appearance. During Dee's occupation of it, 
 it became a sort of weird abode in the eyes of the vulgar, 
 and many a timorous look was cast at it by those who 
 walked at eventide on the opposite bank of the Irk. 
 Sometimes the curiosity of the watchers was rewarded by 
 beholding a few sparks issue from the chimney, and now 
 and then, the red reflection of a fire might be discerned 
 through the window. But generally nothing could be 
 perceived, and the building seemed as dark and myste- 
 rious as its occupant. 
 
 One night, however, a loud explosion took place, — so 
 loud, indeed, that it shook the whole pile to its founda- 
 tion, dislodged one or two of the chimneys, and overthrew 
 an old wall, the stones of which rolled into the river be- 
 neath. Alarmed by the concussion, the inhabitants of 
 Hunt's Bank rushed forth, and saw, to their great alarm, 
 that the wing of the college occupied by Doctor Dee was 
 in flames. Though many of them attributed the circum- 
 stance to supernatural agency, and were fully persuaded 
 that the enemy of mankind was at that instant bearing off 
 the conjurer and his assistant, and refused to interfere to 
 stop the conflagration, others, more humane and less 
 superstitious, hastened to lend their aid to extinguish the 
 flames. On reaching the College, they could scarcely 
 credit their senses on finding that there was no appearance 
 of fire ; and they were met by the Doctor and his com- 
 panion at the gates, who informed them that their pres- 
 ence was unnecessary, as all danger was over. From 
 that night Doctor Dee's reputation as a wizard was firmly 
 established. 
 
 At the period of this history. Doctor Dee was fast verg- 
 ing on eighty, having passed a long life in severe and 
 abstruse study. He had traveled much, had visited most 
 of the foreign courts, where he was generally well received, 
 and was profoundly versed in mathematics, astronomy, 
 the then i3opular science of judicial astrology, and other 
 occult learning. So accurate were his calculations es- 
 teemed, that he was universally consulted as an oracle.
 
 84 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 For some time, he resided in Germany, where he wng 
 invited by the Emperor Charles the Fifth, and retained 
 by his brother and successor, Ferdinando. He next went 
 to Louvain, where his reputation had preceded him ; and 
 from thence to Paris, where lie lectured at the schools on 
 geometry, and was offered a professorship of the univer- 
 sity, but declined it. On his return to England in 1551, 
 he was appointed one of the instructors of the youthful 
 monarch, Edward the Sixth, who presented him with an 
 annual pension of a hundred marks. This he was permitted 
 to commute for the rectory of Up ton-upon- Severn, which 
 he retained until the accession of Mary, when being charged 
 with devising her Majesty's destruction by enchantments, 
 — certain waxen images of the Queen having been found 
 within his abode, — he was thrown into prison, rigorously 
 treated, and kept in durance for a long period. At length 
 from want of sufficient proof against him, he was 
 liberated. 
 
 Dee shared the common fate of all astrologers : he was 
 alternately honored and disgraced. His next patron was 
 Lord Robert Dudley (afterwards the celebrated Earl of 
 Leicester), who, it is well-known, was a firm believer in 
 the superstitious arts to which Dee was addicted, and by 
 whom he was employed, on the accession of Elizabeth, to 
 erect a scheme to ascertain the best day for her corona- 
 tion. His prediction was so fortunate that it procured 
 him the favor of the Queen, from whom he received many 
 marks of regard. As it is not needful to follow him 
 through his various wanderings, it may be sufficient to 
 mention, that in 1564 he proceeded to Germany on a visit 
 to the Emperor Maximilian, to whom he dedicated his 
 '•'- Monas Hieroglyphica ; " that in 1571 he fell grievously 
 sick in Lorrain, whither two physicians were despatched 
 to his aid by Elizabeth ; and that on his recovery he re- 
 turned to his own country, and retired to Mortlake, where 
 he gathered together a vast library, comprising the rarest 
 and most curious Avorks on all sciences, together with a 
 large collection of manuscripts.
 
 THE MAGIC GLASS. 85 
 
 "While thus living in retirement, he was sought out by 
 Edward Kelley, a native of Worcestershire, who repre- 
 sented himself as in possession of an old book of magic, 
 containing forms of invocation, by which spirits might be 
 summoned and controlled, as well as a ball of ivory, found 
 in the tomb of a bishop who had made great progress in 
 hermetic philosophy, which was filled with the powder of 
 projection. These treasures Kelley offered to place in the 
 hands of the Doctor on certain conditions, which were 
 immediately acquiesced in, and thenceforth Kelley became 
 a constant inmate in his house, and an assistant in all his 
 practises. Shortly afterwards, they were joined by a 
 Polish nobleman, Albert de Laski, Palatine of Suabia, 
 whom they accompanied to Prague, at the instance of the 
 Emperor Rodolph the Second, who desired to be initiated 
 into their mysteries. Their reception at this court was 
 not such as to induce a long sojourn at it ; and Dee having 
 been warned by his familiar spirits to sell his effects and 
 depart, complied with the intimation, and removed to 
 Poland. The same fate attended him here. The nuncio 
 of the Pope denounced him as a sorcerer, and demanded 
 that he should be delivered up to the Inquisition. This 
 was refused by the monarch ; but Dee and his companion 
 were banished from his dominions, and compelled to fly to 
 Bohemia, where they took refuge in the castle of Trebona, 
 belonging to Count Rosenberg. Shortly afterwards, Dee 
 and Kelley separated, the magical instruments being 
 delivered to the former, who bent his course homewards ; 
 and on his arrival in London was warmly welcomed by 
 the Queen. During his absence, his house at Mortlake 
 had been broken open by the populace, under the pretense 
 of its being the abode of a wizard, and rifled of its valuable 
 library and manuscripts, — a loss severely felt by its 
 owners. Some years were now passed by Dee in great 
 destitution, during which he prosecuted his studies with 
 the same ardor as before, until at length in 1595, when he 
 was turned seventy, fortune again smiled upon him, and 
 be was appointed to the wardenship of the College at
 
 86 GUY FAM^KES. 
 
 Manchester, whither he repaired, and was installed in 
 great pomp. 
 
 But his residence in this place was not destined to be a 
 tranquil one. His reputation as a dealer in the black art 
 had preceded him, and rendered him obnoxious to the 
 clergy, with whom he had constant disputes, and a feud 
 subsisted between him and the fellows of his church. It 
 has already been mentioned that he refused to occupy the 
 house allotted him, but preferred taking up his quarters in 
 the old dilapidated College. Various reasons were assigned 
 by his enemies for this singular choice of abode. They 
 affirmed — and with some reason — that he selected it be- 
 cause he desired to elude observation, — and that his mode 
 of life, sufficiently improper in a layman, was altogether 
 indecorous in an ecclesiastic. By the common people he 
 was universally regarded as a conjurer — and many at 
 first came to consult him ; but he peremptorily dis- 
 missed all such applicants ; and, when seven females, 
 supposed to be possessed, were brought to him that he 
 might exercise his power over the evil spirits, he refused 
 to interfere. He also publicly examined and rebuked a 
 juggler, named Hartley, who pretended to magical 
 knowledge. But these things did not blind his enemies, 
 who continued to harass him to such a degree, that he 
 addressed a petition to James the First, entreating to be 
 brought to trial, when the accusations preferred against 
 him might be fully investigated, and his character 
 cleared. The application, and another to the like effect 
 addressed to parliament, were disregarded. Dee had not 
 been long established in Manchester when he was secretly 
 joined by Kelley, and they recommenced their search 
 after the grand secret, — passing the nights in making 
 various alchemical experiments, or in fancied conferences 
 with invisible beings. 
 
 Among other magical articles possessed by Doctor Dee 
 was a large globe of crystal, which he termed the Holy 
 Stone, because he believed it had been brought him by 
 " angelical ministry ; " and " in which," according to
 
 THE MAGIC GLASS. 87 
 
 Meric Casaubon, " and out of which, by persons qualified 
 for it, and admitted to the sight of it, all shapes and 
 figures mentioned in every action were seen, and voices 
 heard." The same writer informs us it was "round- 
 shaped, of a pretty bigness, and most like unto crystal." 
 Dee himself declared to the Emperor Rodolph, "that 
 the spirits had brought him a stone of that value that no 
 earthly kingdom was of such worthiness as to be compared 
 to the virtue and dignity thereof." He was in the habit 
 of daily consulting this marvelous stone, and recording 
 the visions he saw therein, and the conferences he held 
 through it with the invisible world. 
 
 Followed by Guy Fawkes and Kelley, the Doctor took 
 his way down Long Mill Gate, and stopping at an arched 
 gateway on the left, near which, on the site of the 
 modern structure, stood the public school, founded a cen- 
 tury before by Hugh Oldham, Bishop of Exeter, — he 
 unlocked a small wicket, and entered a spacious court, 
 surrounded on one side by high stone walls, and on the 
 other by a wing of the College. 
 
 Conducting his guest to the principal entrance of the 
 building, which lay at the farther end of the court, 
 Doctor Dee ushered him into a large chamber, paneled 
 with oak, and having a curiously molded ceiling, 
 ornamented with grotesque sculpture. This room, still 
 in existence, and now occupied by the master of the 
 school, formed Doctor Dee's library. Offering Fawkes a 
 chair, the Doctor informed him that when all was ready, 
 Kelley should summon him, and, accompanied by his as- 
 sistant, he withdrew. Half an hour elapsed before Kelley 
 returnedo Motioning Guy Fawkes to follow him, he led 
 the way through several intricate passages to a chamber 
 which was evidently the magician's sacred retreat. In a 
 recess on one side stood a table, covered with cabalistic 
 characters and figures, referring to the celestial influences. 
 On it was placed the holy stone, diffusing such a glisten- 
 ing radiance as is emitted by the pebble called cat's-eye. 
 On the floor a wide circle was described, in the rings of
 
 gg GUY FAWKES. 
 
 which magical cliaracters, resembling those on the table, 
 were traced. In front stood, a brazier, filled with flaming 
 coals ; and before it hung a heavy black curtain, appear- 
 ing to shroud some mystery from view. 
 
 Desiring Fawkes to place himself in the center of the 
 circle, Doctor Dee took several ingredients from a basket 
 handed him by Kelley, and cast them into the brazier. 
 As each herb or gum was ignited, the flame changed its 
 color ; now becoming crimson, now green, now blue, while 
 fragrant or noxious odors loaded the atmosphere. These 
 suffumigations ended, Dee seated himself on a chair near 
 the table, whither he was followed by Kelley, and com- 
 manding Fawkes not to move a footstep, as he valued his 
 safety, he waved his wand, and began in a solemn tone to 
 utter an invocation. As he continued, a hollow noise was 
 heard overhead, which gradually increased in loudness, 
 until it appeared as if the walls were tumbling about 
 their ears, 
 
 " The spirits are at hand ! " cried Dee. " Do not look 
 behind you, or they will tear you in pieces." 
 
 As he spoke, a horrible din was heard, as of mingled 
 howling, shrieking, and laughter. It was succeeded by a 
 low faint strain of music, which gradually died away, 
 and then all was silent. 
 
 " All is prepared," cried Dee. " Now, what would you 
 behold ? » 
 
 "The progress of the great enterprise," replied 
 FawkeSo 
 
 Doctor Dee waved his wand. The curtains slowly 
 unfolded, and Guy Fawkes perceived as in a glass a group 
 of dark figures ; amongst which he noticed one in all re- 
 spects resembling himself. A priest was apparently pro- 
 posing an oath, which the others were uttering. 
 
 "Do you recognize tliem ? " said Doctor Dee. 
 
 " Perfectly," replied Fawkes. 
 
 " Look again," said Dee. 
 
 As he spoke the figures melted away, and a new scene 
 was presented on the glass. It was a gloomy vault, filled
 
 THE MAGIC GLASS. 89 
 
 with barrels, partly covered with fagots and billets of 
 wood. 
 
 " Have you seen enough ? " demanded Dee. 
 
 " No," replied Fawkes, firmly. " I have seen what is 
 past. I would behold that which is to come." 
 
 " Look again, then," rejoined the Doctor, waving his 
 wand. 
 
 For an instant the glass was darkened, and nothing 
 could be discerned except the lurid flame and thick 
 smoke arising from the brazier. The next moment, an 
 icy chill shot through the frame of Guy Fawkes as he 
 beheld a throng of skeletons arranged before him. The 
 bony fingers of the foremost of the grisly assemblage were 
 pointed towards an indistinct object at its feet. As this 
 object gradually became more defined, Guy Fawkes per- 
 ceived that it was a figure resembling himself, stretched 
 upon the wheel, and writhing in the agonies of torture. 
 
 He uttered an exclamation of terror, and the curtains 
 were instantly closed. 
 
 Half an hour afterwards, Guy Fawkes quitted the 
 College, and returned to the Seven Stars.
 
 90 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE PRISON ON SALFORD BRIDGE. 
 
 On the following morning, Guy Fawkes had a long 
 and private conference with Father Oldcorne. The priest 
 appeared greatly troubled by the communication made 
 to him, but he said nothing, and was for some time lost 
 in reflection, and evidently weighing within himself what 
 course it would be best to pursue. His uneasiness was 
 not without effect on Viviana Radcliffe, and she ventured 
 at last to inquire whether he apprehended any new 
 
 danger. 
 
 « I scarcely know what I apprehend, dear daughter," 
 he answered. " But circumstances have occurred which 
 render it impossible we can remain longer in our present 
 asylum with safety. We must quit it at nightfall." 
 
 "Is our retreat then discovered?" inquired Viviana, 
 
 in alarm. 
 
 « Not as yet, I trust," replied Oldcorne ; « but I have 
 just ascertained from a messenger that the pursuivant, 
 who, we thought, had departed for Chester, is still linger- 
 ing within the town. He has offered a large reward for 
 my apprehension, and having traced us to Manchester, 
 declares he will leave no house unsearched till he finds us. 
 He has got together a fresh band of soldiers, and is now 
 visiting every place he. thinks likely to afford us shelter." 
 . "If -this is the case," rejoined Viviana, "why remain 
 here a single moment ? Let us fly at once." 
 
 " That would avail nothing, — or rather, it would expose 
 us to fresh risk, dear daughter," replied Oldcorne. " Every 
 approach to the town is guarded, and soldiers are posted 
 at the corners of the streets, who stop and examine each 
 suspected person." 
 
 " Heaven protect us ! " exclaimed Viviana.
 
 THE PRISON ON SALFORD BRIDGE. 91 
 
 « But this is not all," continued the priest. " By some 
 inexplicable and mysterious means, the designs of certain 
 of the most assured friends of the Catholic cause have 
 come to the knowledge of our enemies, and the lives 
 and safeties of many worthy men will be endangered : 
 amongst others, that of your father." 
 
 «' You terrify me ! " cried Viviana. 
 
 «* The rack shall force nothing from me, father," said 
 Fawkes, sternly. 
 
 " Nor from me, my son," rejoined Oldcorne. " I have 
 that within me which will enable me to sustain the 
 bitterest agonies that the persecutors of our Church can 
 inflict." 
 
 " Nor shall it force aught from me," added Viviana. 
 *' For, though you have trusted me with nothing that can 
 implicate others, I plainly perceive some plot is in agita- 
 tion for the restoration of our religion, and I more than 
 suspect Mr. Catesby is its chief contriver." 
 
 " Daughter ! " exclaimed Oldcorne, uneasily. 
 
 « Fear nothing, father," she rejoined. " As I have said, 
 the rack shall not force me to betray you. Neither should 
 it keep me silent when I feel that my counsel — such as it 
 is — may avail you. The course you are pursuing is a dan- 
 gerous and fatal one ; dangerous to yourselves, and fatal 
 to the cause you would serve. Do not deceive yourselves. 
 You are struggling hopelessly and unrighteously, and 
 Heaven will never assist an undertaking which has its 
 aim in the terrible waste of life you meditate." 
 
 Father Oldcorne made no reply, but walked apart with 
 Guy Fawkes ; and Viviana abandoned herself to sorrow- 
 ful reflection. 
 
 Shortly after this, the door was suddenly thrown open,, 
 and Humphrey Chetham rushed into the room. His looks 
 were full of apprehension, and Viviana was at no loss to 
 perceive that some calamity was at hand. 
 
 "What is the matter ? " she cried, rising. 
 
 « The pursuivant and his men are below," he replied. 
 "They are interrogating the hostess, and are about to
 
 92 OVY FAWKES. 
 
 search the house. I managed to pass them unper- 
 ceived." 
 
 " We will resist them to the last," said Guy Fawkes, 
 drawing a petronel. 
 
 " Resistance will be in vain," rejoined Humphrey Chet- 
 ham. " They more than treble our number." 
 
 " Is there no means of escape ? " asked Viviana. 
 
 " None whatever," replied Chetham. " I hear them on 
 the stairs. The terrified hostess has not dared to deny 
 you, and is conducting them hither." 
 
 " Stand back ! " cried Guy Fawkes, striding towards 
 the door, " and let me alone confront them. That ac- 
 cursed pursuivant has escaped me once. But he shall 
 not do so a second time." 
 
 " My son," said Oldcorne, advancing towards him ; 
 " preserve yourself, if possible. Your life is of conse- 
 quence to the great cause. Think not of us — think not 
 of revenging yourself upon this caitiff. But think of the 
 high destiny for which you are reserved. That window 
 offers a means of retreat. Avail vourself of it. Fly ! — 
 Fly!" 
 
 " Ay, fly ! " repeated Viviana. " And you, Humphrey 
 Chetham, — your presence here can do no good. Quick ! 
 — they come ! " 
 
 " Nothing should induce me to quit you at such a mo- 
 ment, Viviana," replied Chetham, " but the conviction 
 that I may be able to liberate you, should these miscreants 
 convey you to prison." 
 
 " Fly 1 — fly, my son," cried Oldcorne. " They are at 
 the door." 
 
 Thus urged, Guy Fawkes reluctantly yielded to Old- 
 corne's entreaties and sprang through the window. He 
 was followed by Chetham. Viviana darted to the case- 
 ment, and saw that they had alighted in safety on the 
 ground, and were flying swiftly up Shude Hill. Mean- 
 while, the pursuivant had reached the door, which Chet- 
 ham had taken the precaution to fasten, and was trying 
 to burst it open. The bolts offered but a feeble resistance
 
 THE PRISON ON SALFORD BRIDGE. 93 
 
 to his fury, and the next moment he dashed into the room, 
 at the head of a band of soldiers. 
 
 " Seize them ! " he cried. " Ha I " he added, glancing 
 round the room with a look of disappointment, " where 
 are the others ? Where is the soldier in the Spanish garb ? 
 Where is Humphrey Chetham ? Confess at once, dog ! " 
 he continued, seizing the priest by the throat, " or I will 
 pluck the secret from your breast." 
 
 " Do not harm him," mterposed Viviana. " I will 
 answer the question. They are fled." 
 
 " Fled ! " echoed the pursuivant in consternation. 
 "How?" 
 
 " Through that window," replied Viviana. 
 
 " After them ! " cried the pursuivant to some of his at- 
 tendants. " Take the soldier, dead or alive I And now," 
 he continued, as his orders were obeyed, " you, Father 
 Oldcorne, Jesuit and traitor ; and you, Viviana Radcliff e, 
 his shelterer and abettor, I shall convey you both to the 
 prison on Salford Bridge. Seize them, and bring them 
 along." 
 
 " Touch me not," rejoined Viviana, pushing the men 
 aside, who rudely advanced to obey their leader's com- 
 mand. " You have no warrant for this brutality. I am 
 ready to attend you. Take my arm, father." 
 
 Abashed at this reproof, the pursuivant stalked out of 
 the room. Surrounded by the soldiers, Viviana and the 
 priest followed. The sad procession was attended by 
 crowds to the very door of the prison, where, by the 
 pursuivant's commands, they were locked in separate 
 cells. 
 
 The cell in which Viviana was confined was a small 
 chamber at the back of the prison, and on the upper story. 
 It had a small grated window overlooking the river. It 
 has already been mentioned that this prison was origin- 
 ally a chapel built in the reign of Edward the Third, and 
 had only recently been converted into a place of security 
 for recusants. The chamber allotted to Viviana was con- 
 trived in the roof, and was so low that she could scarcely
 
 94 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 stand upright in it. It was furnished with a chair, a 
 small table, and a straw pallet. 
 
 The hours passed wearily with Yiviana as they were 
 marked by the deep-toned clock of the Collegiate Church, 
 the tall tower of which fronted her window. Oppressed 
 by the most melancholy reflections, she was for some time a 
 prey almost to despair. On whatever side she looked, the 
 prospect was equally cheerless, and her sole desire was 
 that she might find a refuge from her cares in the seclu- 
 sion of a convent. For this she prayed, — and she prayed 
 also that Heaven would soften the hearts of her oppres- 
 sors, and enable those who suffered to endure their yoke 
 with patience. In the evening provisions were brought 
 her, and placed upon the table, together with a lamp, by 
 a surly- looking jailer. But Viviana had no inclination to 
 eat, and left them untouched. Neither could she prevail 
 upon herself to lie down on the wretched pallet, and she 
 therefore determined to pass the night in the chair. 
 
 After some hours of watchfulness, her eyelids closed, 
 and she continued to slumber until she was aroused by a 
 slight noise at the window. Starting at the sound, she 
 flew towards it, and perceived m the gloom the face of a 
 man. She would have uttered a loud cry, when the cir- 
 cumstances of her situation rushed to her mind, and the 
 possibility that it might be a friend checked her. The 
 next moment satisfied her that she had acted rightly. A 
 voice, which she recognized as that of Humphrey Chetham, 
 called to her by name in a low tone, bidding her fear noth- 
 ing, as he was come to set her free. 
 
 " How have you managed to reach this window ? " asked 
 Viviana. 
 
 " By a rope-ladder," he answered. " I contrived in the 
 darkness to clamber upon the roof of the prison from the 
 parapets of the bridge, and, after securing the ladder to a 
 projection, dropped the other end into a boat, rowed by Guy 
 Fawkes, and concealed beneath the arches of the bridge. 
 If I can remove this bar so as to allow you to pass through 
 the window, dare you descend the ladder ? "
 
 THE PRISON ON SALFORD BRIDGE. 95 
 
 " No," replied Yiviana, shuddering. " My brain reels at 
 the mere idea." 
 
 " Think of the fate you will escape," urged Chetham, 
 
 " And what will become of Father Oldcorne ? " asked 
 Viviana. " Where is he ? " 
 
 "In the cell immediately beneath you," replied 
 Chetham. 
 
 " Can you not liberate him ? " she continued, 
 
 "Assuredly, if he will risk the descent," answered 
 Chetham, reluctantly. 
 
 "Free him first," rejoined Viviana, "and at all hazards 
 I will accompany you." 
 
 The young merchant made no reply, but disappeared 
 from the window. Viviana strained her gaze downward ; 
 but it was too dark to allow her to see anything. She, 
 however, heard a noise like that occasioned by a file ; and 
 shortly afterwards a few muttered words informed her 
 that the priest was passing through the window. The 
 cords of the ladder shook against the bars of her window, 
 — and she held her breath for fear. From this state 
 of suspense she was relieved in a few minutes by 
 Humphrey Chetham, who informed her that Oldcorne 
 had descended in safety, and was in the boat with Guy 
 Fawkes, 
 
 " I will fulfil my promise," replied Viviana, trembling ; 
 "but I fear my strength will fail me." 
 
 "You had better find death below than tarry here," 
 replied Humphrey Chetham, who as he spoke was rapidly 
 filing through the iron bar. " In a few minutes this im- 
 pediment will be removed." 
 
 The young merchant worked hard, and in a short time 
 the stout bar yielded to his efl:orts, 
 
 " Now, then," he cried, sj)ringing into the room, " you 
 are free." 
 
 " I dare not make the attempt," said Viviana ; " my 
 strength utterly fails me." 
 
 " Nay, then," he replied ; " I will take the risk upon my- 
 self. You must not remain here."
 
 96 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 So saying he caught her in his arms, and bore her 
 through the window. 
 
 With some difficulty, and no little risk, he succeeded in 
 gaining a footing on the ladder. This accomplished, he 
 began slowly to descend. When half-way down, he found 
 he had overrated his strength, and he feared he should be 
 compelled to quit his hold ; but, nerved by his passion, he 
 held on, and making a desperate effort, completed the 
 descent in safety.
 
 THE PURSUIVANT. 9^ 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE FATE OF THE PURSUIVANT. 
 
 Assisted by the stream, and plying his oars with great 
 rapidity, Guy Fawlies soon left the town far behind him ; 
 nor did he relax his exertions until checked by Humphrey 
 Chetham. He then ceased rowing, and directed the boat 
 towards the left bank of the river. 
 
 " Here we propose to land," observed the young mer- 
 chant to Viviana. " We are not more than a hundred 
 yards from Ordsall Cave, where you can take refuge for a 
 short time, while I proceed to the Hall, and ascertain 
 whether you can return to it with safety." 
 
 " I place myself entirely in your hands," she replied ; 
 " but I fear such a course will be to rush into the very 
 face of danger. Oh ! that I could join my father at Holy- 
 well ! With him I should feel secure." 
 
 " Means may be found to effect your wishes," returned 
 Humphrey Chetham ; " but, after the suffering you have 
 recently endvired, it will scarcely be prudent to undertake 
 so long a journey without a few hours' repose. To- 
 morrow, — or the next day, — you may set out." 
 
 " I am fully equal to it now," rejoined Viviana, eagerly ; 
 " and any fatigue I may undergo will not equal my pres- 
 ent anxiety. You have already done so much for me, 
 that I venture to presume still further upon your kind- 
 ness. Provide some means of conveyance for me and for 
 Father Oldcorne to Chester, and I shall forever be be- 
 holden to you." 
 
 " I will not only do what you desire, Viviana, if it be 
 possible," answered Chetham ; " but, if you will allow me, 
 I will serve as your escort." 
 
 " And I, also," added Guy Fawkes.
 
 98 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " All I fear is, that your strength may fail yon," con- 
 tinued the young merchant, in a tone of uneasiness. 
 
 " Fear nothing then," replied Viviana. " I am made of 
 firmer material than you imagine. Think only of what 
 you can do, and doubt not my ability to do it, also." 
 
 " I ever deemed you of a courageous nature, daughter," 
 observed Oldcorne ; " but your resolution surpasses my 
 belief." 
 
 By this time the boat had approached the shore. Leap- 
 ing ujion the rocky bank, the young merchant assisted 
 Viviana to land, and then performed the same service for 
 the priest. Guy Fawkes was the last to disembark ; and, 
 having pulled the skiff aground, he followed the others, 
 who waited for him at a short distance. The night was 
 profoundly dark, and the path they had taken, being 
 shaded by large trees, was scarcely discernible. Carefully 
 guiding Viviana, who leaned on him for support, the 
 young merchant proceeded at a slow pace, and with the 
 utmost caution. Suddenly, they were surprised and 
 alarmed by a vivid blaze of light bursting through the 
 trees on the left. 
 
 " Some building must be on fire ! " exclaimed Viviana. 
 
 "It is Ordsall Hall, — it is your father's residence," 
 cried Humphrey Chetham. 
 
 " It is the work of that accursed pursuivant, I will be 
 sworn," said Guy Fawkes. 
 
 " If it be so, may Heaven's fire consume him ! " rejoined 
 Oldcorne. 
 
 " Alas ! alas ! " cried Viviana, bursting into tears, " I 
 thought m}'self equal to every calamity; but this new 
 stroke of fate is more than I can bear." 
 
 As he spoke, the conflagration evidently increased. 
 The sky was illumined by the red reflection of the flames ; 
 and as the party hurried forward to a rising ground, 
 whence a better view could be obtained of the spectacle, 
 they saw the dark walls of the ancient mansion apparently 
 wrapped in the devouring element. 
 
 « Let us hasten thither," cried Viviana, distractedly.
 
 . THE PURSUIVANT. 99 
 
 " I and Guy Fawkes will fly there," replied the young 
 merchant, " and render all the assistance in our power. 
 But, first, let me convey you to the cave." 
 
 More dead than alive, Viviana suffered herself to be 
 borne in that direction. Making his way over every im- 
 pediment, Chetham soon reached the excavation ; and de- 
 positing his lovely burthen upon the stone couch, and 
 leaving her in charge of the priest, he hurried with Guy 
 Fawkes towards the Hall. 
 
 On arriving at the termination of the avenue, they 
 found, to their great relief, that it was not the main 
 structure, but an outbuilding which was in flames, and 
 from its situation the young merchant conceived it to be 
 the stables. As soon as they made this discovery, they 
 slackened their pace, being apprehensive, from the shouts 
 and other sounds that reached them, that some hostile 
 party might be among the assemblage. Crossing the 
 drawbridge — which was fortunately lowered, — they were 
 about to shape their course towards the stables, which lay 
 at the further side of the Hall, when they perceived the 
 old steward, Heydocke, standing at the doorway and 
 wringing his hands in distraction. Humphrey Chetham 
 immediately called to him. 
 
 " I should know that voice ! " cried the old man, step- 
 ping forward. " Ah ! Mr. Chetham, is it you ? You arc 
 arrived at a sad time, sir — a sad time — to see the old 
 house, where I have dwelt, man and boy, sixty years and 
 more, in flames. But one calamity has trodden upon the 
 heels of another. Ever since Sir William departed for 
 Holywell nothing has gone right — nothing whatever. 
 First, the house was searched by, the pvirsuivant and his 
 gang ; then, my young mistress disappeared ; then, it was 
 rifled by these plunderers ; and now, to crown all, it is on 
 fire, and will speedily be burnt to the ground." 
 
 " Say not so," replied the young merchant. " The 
 flames have not yet reached the Hall ; and, if exertion is 
 used, they may be extinguished without further mis- 
 chief." 
 
 v.fl
 
 100 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " Let those who have kindled them extinguish them," 
 replied Heydocke, sullenly. "I will not raise hand 
 more." 
 
 " Who are the incendiaries ? " demanded Fawkes. 
 
 " The pursuivant and his myrmidons," replied Hey- 
 docke. " They came here to-night ; and after ransacking 
 the house under pretense of procuring further evidence 
 against my master, and carrying off everything valuable 
 they could collect, — plate, jewels, ornaments, money, and 
 even wearing-apparel, — they ended by locking up all the 
 servants, — except myself, who managed to elude their 
 vigilance, — in the cellar, and setting fire to the stables." 
 
 " Wretches ! " exclaimed Humphrey Chetham. 
 
 "Wretches, indeed!" repeated the steward. "But 
 this is not all the villainy they contemplate. I had con- 
 cealed myself in the store-room, under a heap of lumber, 
 and in searching for me they chanced upon a barrel of 
 gunpowder — " 
 
 " Well ! " interrupted Guy Fawkes. 
 
 " Well, sir," pursued Heydocke, " I heard the pursuivant 
 remark to one of his comrades, ' This is a lucky discovery. 
 If we can't find the steward, we'll blow him and the old 
 house to the devil.' Just then, some one came to tell 
 him I was hidden in the stables, and the whole troop 
 adjourned thither. But being balked of their prey, I 
 suppose, they wreaked their vengeance in the way you 
 perceive." 
 
 " No doubt," rejoined Humphrey Chetham. " But they 
 shall bitterly rue it. I will myself represent the affair to 
 the Commissioners." 
 
 " It will be useless," groaned Heydocke. " There is no 
 law to protect the property of a Catholic." 
 
 " Where is the barrel of gunpowder you spoke of ? " 
 asked Guy Fawkes, as if struck by a sudden idea. 
 
 " The villains took it with them when they quitted the 
 store-room," replied the steward. " I suppose they have 
 got it in the yard." 
 
 " They have lighted a fire which shall be quenched
 
 THE PURSUIVANT. lOl 
 
 with their blood," rejomed Fawkes, fiercely. "FuUow 
 me. I may need you both." 
 
 So saying, he darted off, and turning the corner, came 
 in front of the blazing pile. Occupying one side of a 
 large quadrangular court, the stables were wholly dis- 
 connected with the Hall, and though the fire burned 
 furiously, yet as the wind carried the flames and siaarks 
 in a contrary direction, it was possible the latter building 
 might escape if due precaution were taken. So far, how- 
 ever, from this being the case, it seemed the object of 
 the bystanders to assist the progress of the conflagration. 
 Several horses, saddled and bridled, had been removed 
 from the stable, and placed within an open cowhouse. 
 To these Guy Fawkes called Chetham's attention, and 
 desired him and the old steward to secure some of them. 
 Hastily giving directions to Heydocke, the young mer- 
 chant obeyed, — sprang on the back of the nearest courser, 
 and seizing the bridles of two others, rode off with them. 
 His example was followed by Heydocke, and one steed 
 only was left. Such was the confusion and clamor pre- 
 vailing around, that the above proceeding passed un- 
 noticed. 
 
 Guy Fawkes, meanwhile, ensconcing himself behind 
 the court-gate, looked about for the barrel of gunpowder. 
 For some time he could discover no trace of it. At length, 
 beneath a shed, not far from him, he perceived a soldier 
 seated upon a small cask, which he had no doubt was the 
 object he was in search of. So intent was the man upon 
 the spectacle before him, that he was wholly unaware of 
 the approach of an enemy ; and creeping noiselessly up to 
 him, Guy Fawkes felled him to the ground with a blow 
 from the heavy butt-end of his petronel. The action was 
 not perceived by the others ; and carrying the cask out 
 of the yard, Fawkes burst in the lid, and ascertained that 
 the contents were what they had been represented. He 
 then glanced around, to see how he could best execute 
 his purpose. 
 
 On the top of the wall adjoining the stables he beheld
 
 102 <^UY FAWKES. 
 
 the pursuivant, with three or four soldiers, giving direc- 
 tions and issuing orders. Another and lower wall, form- 
 ing the opposite side of the quadrangle, and built on the 
 edge of the moat, ajiproaclied the scene of the fire, and 
 on this, Guy Fawkes, with the barrel of gunpowder on 
 his shoulder, mounted. Concealing himself behind a 
 tree which overshadowed it, he watched a favorable 
 moment for his enterprise. 
 
 He had not to wait long. Prompted by some undefi- 
 nable feeling, which caused him to rush upon his destruc- 
 tion, the pursuivant ventured upon the roof of the stables, 
 and was followed by his companions. No sooner did this 
 occur, than Guy Fawkes dashed forward, and hurled the 
 barrel with all his force into the midst of the flames, 
 throwing himself at the same moment into the moat. 
 The explosion was instantaneous and tremendous ; — so 
 loud as to be audible even under the water. Its effects 
 were terrible. The bodies of the pursuivant and hL<; 
 companions were blown into the air, and carried to the 
 further side of the moat. Of those standing before the 
 building, several were destroyed, and all more or less 
 injured. The walls were thrown down by the concussion, 
 and the roof and its fiery fragments projected into the 
 moat. An effectual stop was put to the conflagration; 
 and, when Guy Fawkes rose to the boiling and agitated 
 surface of the water, the flames were entirely extinguished. 
 Hearing groans on the opposite bank of the moat, he 
 forced his way through the blazing beams, which were 
 hissing near him ; and snatching up a still burning frag- 
 ment, hastened in the direction of the sound. In the 
 blackened and mutilated object that met his gaze, he 
 recognized the pursuivant. The dying wretch also rec- 
 ognized him, and attempted to speak ; but in vain — his 
 tongue refused its office, and with a horrible attempt at 
 articulation, he expired. 
 
 Alarmed by the explosion, the domestics, — who it has 
 already been mentioned were confined in the cellar, — were 
 rendered so desperate by their fears, that they contrived
 
 THE I^URSUIVANT. 103 
 
 to break out of their prison, and now hastened to the 
 stables to ascertain the cause of the report. Leaving 
 them to assist the sufferers, whose dreadful groans 
 awakened some feelings of compunction in his iron breast, 
 Guy Fawkes caught the steed, — which had broken its 
 bridle and rushed off, and now stood shivering, shaking, 
 and drenched in moisture near the drawbridge, — and, 
 mounting it, galloped towards the cave. 
 
 At its entrance, he was met by Humphrey Chetham 
 and Oldcorne, who eagerly inquired what had happened. 
 
 Guy Fawkes briefly explained. 
 
 " It is the hand of Heaven manifested by your arm, my 
 son," observed the priest. " Would that it had stricken 
 the tyrant and apostate prince by whom our church is 
 persecuted ! But his turn will speedily arrive." 
 
 " Peace, father ! " cried Guy Fawkes, sternly. 
 
 *' I do not lament the fate of the pursuivant," observed 
 Humphrey Chetham. " But this is a frightful waste of 
 human life — and in such a cause ! " 
 
 " It is the cause of Heaven, young sir," rejoined the 
 priest, angrily. 
 
 " I do not think so," returned Chetham ; " and, but for 
 my devotion to Viviana, I would have no further share 
 in it." 
 
 " You are at liberty to leave us, if you think proper," 
 retorted the priest, coldly. 
 
 " Nay, say not so, father," interposed Viviana, who had 
 been an unobserved listener to the foregoing discourse. 
 "You owe your life — your liberty, to Mr. Chetham." 
 
 " True, daughter," replied the priest. " I have been too 
 hasty, and entreat his forgiveness." 
 
 "You have it, reverend sir," rejoined the young mer- 
 chant. " And now. Master Heydocke," he added, turning 
 to the steward, " you may return to the Hall with safety. 
 No one will molest you more, and your presence may be 
 needed." 
 
 " But my young mistress — " said Heydocke. 
 
 " I am setting out for Holywell to join ray father," re-
 
 lOi GtTY FAWKES. 
 
 plied Viviana. " You will receive our instructions from 
 that place." 
 
 "It is well," returned the old man, bowing respectfully. 
 « Heaven shield us from further misfortune ! " 
 
 Humphrey Chetham having assisted Viviana into the 
 saddle, and the rest of the party having mounted, they 
 took the road to Chester, while Heydocke returned to the 
 Hall.
 
 THE PILGRIMAGE. 105 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE PILGKIMAGE TO SAINT WINIFKED's WELL. 
 
 Early on the following morning, the party, who had 
 ridden hard, and had paused only for a short time at 
 Knutsford to rest their steeds, approached the ancient 
 and picturesque citj'- of Chester. Skirting its high, and 
 then partly fortified walls, above which appeared the 
 massive tower of the venerable cathedral, they passed 
 through the east -gate, and proceeding along the street 
 deriving its name from that entrance, were about to halt 
 before the door of a large hostel, called the Saint Wer- 
 burgh's Abbey, when, to their great surprise, they per- 
 ceived Catesby riding towards them. 
 
 " I thought I could not be mistaken," cried the latter, 
 as he drew near and saluted Viviana. " I was about to 
 set out for Manchester with a despatch to you from your 
 father. Miss Radcliiie, when this most unexpected and 
 fortunate encounter spares me the journey. But may I 
 ask why I see you here, and thus attended ? " he added, 
 glancing uneasily at Humphrey Chetham, 
 
 A few words from Father Oldcorne explained all. 
 Catesby affected to bend his brow, and appear concerned 
 at the relation. But he could scarcely repress his satis- 
 faction. 
 
 " Sir William Radclifife mi^s^ joinus now," he whispered 
 to the priest. 
 
 "He must — he shall,'''' replied Oldcorne, in the same 
 tone. 
 
 " Your father wishes you to join him at Holt, Miss 
 Radcliffe," remarked Catesby, turning to her, " whence 
 the pilgrimage starts to-morrow for Saint "Winifred's
 
 106 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 Well. There are already nearly thirty devout persons 
 assembled." 
 
 " Indeed 1 " replied Yiviana. " May I inquire their 
 names ? " 
 
 »' Sir Everard and Lady Digby," replied Catesby ; " the 
 Lady Anne Vaux and her sister, Mrs. Brooksby ; Mr. 
 Ambrose Rookwood and his wife, the two Winters, Tres- 
 ham, Wright, Fathers Garnet and Fisher, and many 
 others, in all probability unknown to you. The proces- 
 sion started ten days ago from Gothurst, in Buckingham- 
 shire, Sir Everard Digby's residence, and proceeded from 
 thence by slow stages to Norbrook and Haddington, at 
 each of which houses it halted for some days. Yester- 
 day, it reached Holt, and starts, as I have just told you, 
 to-morrow for Holywell. If you are so disposed, you will 
 be able to attend it." 
 
 " I will gladly do so," replied Viviana. " And since I 
 find it is not necessary to hurry forward, 1 will rest my- 
 self for a short time here." 
 
 So saying, she dismounted, and the whole party entered 
 the hostel. Viviana withdrew to seek a short repose, and 
 glance over her father's letter, while Catesby, Guy Fawkes, 
 and Oldcorne, were engaged in deep consultation. Hum- 
 phrey Chetham, perceiving that his attendance was no 
 further required, and that he was an object of suspicion 
 and dislike to Catesby, — for whom he also entertained 
 a similar aversion, — prepared to return. And when 
 Viviana made her appearance, he advanced to bid her 
 farewell. 
 
 " I can be of no further service to you, Viviana," he 
 said, in a mournful tone ; " and as my presence might be 
 as unwelcome to your father, as it seems to be to others 
 of your friends, I will now take my leave." 
 
 " Farewell, Mr. Chetham," she replied, " I will not at- 
 tempt to oppose your departure ; for, much as I grieve 
 to lose you — and that I do so these tears will testify, — I 
 feel that it is for the best. I owe you much — more — far 
 more than I can ever repay. It would be unworthy in
 
 THE PILGRIMAGE. 107 
 
 me, and unfair to you, to say that I do not, and shall not 
 ever feel the deepest interest in you ; that, next to my 
 father, there is no one whom I regard — nay, whom I love 
 so much." 
 
 " Love 1 Viviana ? " echoed the young merchant, trem- 
 bling. 
 
 "Love, Mr. Chethara," she continued, turning very 
 
 >- pale ; " since you compel me to repeat the word. I avow 
 
 it boldly, because — " and her voice faltered, — " I would 
 
 not have you suppose me ungrateful, and because I never 
 
 can be yours." 
 
 " I will not attempt to dissuade you from the fatal de- 
 termination you have formed of burying your charms in 
 a cloister," rejoined Humphrey Chetham. " But, oh ! if 
 you do love me, why condemn yourself — why condemn 
 me to hopeless misery ? " 
 
 " I will tell you why," replied Viviana. " Because you 
 are not of my faith ; and because I never will wed a 
 heretic." 
 
 " I am answered," replied the young merchant, sadly. 
 
 "Mr. Chetham," interposed Oldcorne, who had ap- 
 proached them unperceived ; it is in your power to change 
 Viviana's determination." 
 
 " How ? " asked the young merchant, starting. 
 
 " By being reconciled to the Church of Rome." 
 
 " Then it will remain unaltered," replied Chetham, 
 firmly. 
 
 " And, if Mr. Chetham would consent to this proposal, 
 JT would not," said Viviana. "Farewell," she added, ex- 
 , tending her hand to him, which he pressed to his lips. 
 " Do not let us prolong an interview so painful to us 
 both. The best wish I can desire for you is, that we may 
 never meet again." 
 
 Without another word, and without hazarding a look 
 at the object of his affections, Chetham rushed out of the 
 room, and mounting his horse, rode off in the direction 
 of Manchester, 
 
 « Daughter," observed Oldcorne, as soon as he was
 
 lOS GtJY FAWKES. 
 
 gone, " I cannot too highly approve of your conduct, or 
 too warmly applaud the mastery you display over your 
 feelings. But " and he hesitated. 
 
 " But what, father ? " cried Yiviana eagerly, " Do you 
 think I have done wrong in dismissing him ? " 
 
 " By no means, dear daughter," replied the priest. 
 " You have acted most discreetly. But you will forgive 
 me if I urge you — nay, implore you not to take the veil ; 
 but rather to bestow your hand upon some Catholic 
 gentleman " 
 
 " Such as Mr. Catesby," interrupted Viviana, glancing 
 in the direction of the indi^idual she mentioned, who was 
 watching them narrowly from the further end of the 
 room. 
 
 " Ay, Mr. Catesby," repeated Oldcorne, affecting not to 
 notice the scornful emphasis laid on the name. " None 
 more fitting could be found, nor more worthy of you. Our 
 Church has not a more zealous servant and upholder ; 
 and he will be at once a father and a husband to you. 
 Such a union would be highly profitable to our religion. 
 And though it is well for those whose hearts are bur- 
 thened with affliction, and who are unable to render any 
 active service to their faith, to retire from the world, it 
 behooves every sister of the Romish Church to support it 
 at a juncture like the present, at any sacrifice of personal 
 feeling." 
 
 " Urge me no more, father," replied Viviana, firmly. 
 " I will make every sacrifice for my religion, consistent 
 with principle and feeling. But I will not make this ; 
 neither am I required to make it. And I beg j^ou -svill 
 entreat Mr. CatesVjy to desist from further importunity." 
 
 Oldcorne bowed and retired. Nor was another syllable 
 exchanged between them prior to their departure. 
 
 Crossing the old bridge over the Dee, then defended at 
 each extremity by a gate and tower, the party took the 
 road to Holt, where they arrived in about an hour. The 
 recent conversation had thrown a restraint over them, 
 which was not removed during the journey. Habitually
 
 THE PILGRIMAGE. 109 
 
 taciturn, as has already been remarked, Guy Fawkes 
 seemed gloomier and more thoughtful than ever; and 
 though he rode by the side of Viviana, he did not volun- 
 teer a remark, and scarcely appeared conscious of her 
 presence. Catesby and Oldcorne kept aloof, and it was 
 not until they came in sight of the little to^vn which 
 formed their destination, that the former galloped for- 
 ward, and striking into the path on the right, begged 
 Yiviana to follow him. A turn in the road shortly after- 
 wards showed them a large mansion screened by a grove 
 of beech-trees. 
 
 " That is the house to which we are going," observed 
 Catesby. 
 
 And as he spoke, they approached a lodge, the gates 
 of which being opened by an attendant, admitted them 
 to the avenue. 
 
 Viviana's heart throbbed with delight at the antici- 
 pated meeting with her father ; but she could not repress 
 a feeling of anxiety at the distressing intelligence she had 
 to impart to him. As she drew near the house she per- 
 ceived him walking beneath the shade of the trees 
 with two other persons ; and quickening her pace, sprang 
 from her steed, and almost before he was aware of it was 
 in his arms. 
 
 " Why do I see you here so unexpectedly, my dear 
 child ? " cried Sir "William Radcliffe, as soon as he had 
 recovered from the surprise which her sudden appear- 
 ance occasioned him. " Mr. Catesby only left this morn- 
 ing, charged \vith a letter entreating you to set out with- 
 out delay, — and now I behold you. What has hap- 
 pened ? " 
 
 Viviana then recounted the occurrences of the last few 
 days. 
 
 " It is as I feared," replied Sir William, in a desponding 
 tone. " Our oppressors will never cease till they drive us 
 to desperation ! " 
 
 " They will not ! " rejoined a voice behind him. " Well 
 may we exclaim with the prophet — ' How long, Lord, shall
 
 110 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 I cry, and thou wilt not hear? Shall I cry out to 
 thee suffering violence, and thou wilt not save ? Why hast 
 thou showed me iniquity and grievance, to see rapine and 
 injustice before me? Why lookest thou upon them that 
 do unjust things, and boldest thy peace when the wicked 
 devouretb the man that is more just than himself ? ' " 
 
 Viviana looked in the direction of the speaker and be- 
 held a man in a priestly garb, whose countenance struck 
 her forcibly. He was rather under the middle height, of 
 a slight spare figure, and in age might be about fifty. His 
 features, which m his youth must have been pleasing, if 
 not handsome, and wiiich were still regular, were pale 
 and emaciated ; but his eye was dark, and of unusual bril- 
 liancy. A single glance at this person satisfied her it was 
 Father Garnet, the provincial of the English Jesuits ; 
 nor was she mistaken in her supposition. 
 
 Of this remarkable person, so intimately connected 
 with the main events of the history about to be related, 
 it may be proper to offer some preliminary account. 
 Born at Nottingham in 1554, in the reign of Queen Mary, 
 and of obscure parentage, Henry Garnet was originally 
 destined to the Protestant Church, and educated, with a 
 view to taking orders, at Winchester school, whence it 
 was intended he should be removed in due course to Ox- 
 ford. But this design was never carried into effect. In- 
 fluenced by motives, into which it is now scarcely worth 
 Avhile inquiring, and which have been contested by writers 
 on both sides of the question. Garnet proceeded from 
 Winchester to London, where he engaged himself as cor- 
 rector of the press to a printer of law-books, named 
 Tottel, in which capacity he became acquainted with Sir 
 Edward Coke and Chief Justice Po]3ham, — one of whom 
 was afterwards to be the leading counsel against him, and 
 the other his judge. After continuing in this employment 
 for two years, during which he had meditated a change 
 in his religion, he went abroad, and traveling first to 
 Madrid, and then to Korae, saw enough of the Catholic 
 priesthood to confirni his resolution^ and in 1575 he
 
 THE PILGRIMAGE. HI 
 
 assumed the habit of a Jesuit. Pursuing his studies with 
 the utmost zeal and ardor at the Jesuits' College, under 
 the celebrated Bellarmine, and the no less celebrated Cla- 
 vius, he made such progress, that upon the indisposition 
 of the latter, he was able to fill the mathematical chair. 
 Nor was he less skilled in philosophy, metaphysics, and 
 divinity ; and his knowledge of Hebrew was so profound 
 that he taught it publicly in the Roman schools. 
 
 To an enthusiastic zeal in the cause of the religion he 
 had espoused. Garnet added great powers of persuasion 
 and eloquence, — a combination of qualities well fitting 
 him for the office of a missionary priest ; and undismayed 
 by the dangers he would have to encounter, and eager to 
 propagate his doctrines, he solicited to be sent on this 
 errand to his own country. At the instance of Father 
 Persons, he received an appointment to the mission in 
 1586, and he secretly landed in England in the same year. 
 Braving every danger, and shrinking from no la"bor, he 
 sought on all hands to make proselytes to the ancient 
 faith, and to sustain the wavering courage of its profes- 
 sors. Two years afterwards, on the imprisonment of the 
 Superior of the Jesuits, being raised to that important 
 post, he was enabled to extend his sphere of action ; and 
 redoubling his exertions in consequence, he so well dis- 
 charged his duties, that it was mainly owing to him that 
 the Catholic party was kept together during the fierce 
 persecutions of the latter end of Elizabeth's reign. 
 
 Compelled to personate various characters, as he trav- 
 eled from place to place. Garnet had acquired a remark- 
 able facility for disguise ; and such was his address and 
 courage, that he not unfrequently imposed upon the very 
 officers sent in pursuit of him. Up to the period of 
 Elizabeth's demise, he had escaped arrest ; and, though in- 
 volved in the treasonable intrigue with the king of Spain, 
 and other conspiracies, he procured a general pardon 
 under the great seal. His office and profession naturally 
 brought him into contact with the chief Catholic families 
 throughout the kingdom ; and he maintained an active
 
 112 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 correspondence with many of them, by means of his 
 various agents and emissaries. The great object of his 
 life being the restoration of the fallen religion, to accom- 
 plish this, as he conceived, great and desirable end, he was 
 prepared to adopt any means, however violent or obnox- 
 ious. When, under the seal of confession, Catesby re- 
 vealed to him his dark designs, so far from discouraging 
 him, all he counseled was caution. Having tested the 
 disposition of the wealthier Romanists to rise against 
 their oppressors, and finding a general insurrection, as 
 has before been stated, impracticable, he gave every en- 
 couragement and assistance to the conspiracy forming 
 among the more desperate and discontented of the party. 
 At his instigation, the present pilgrimage to Saint Wini- 
 fred's Well was undertaken, in the hope that, when so 
 large a body of the Catholics were collected together, 
 some additional aid to the project might be obtained. 
 
 One of the most mysterious and inexplicable portions of 
 Garnet's history is that relating to Anne Vaux. This lady, 
 the daughter of Lord Vaux of Harrowden, a rigid Catholic 
 nobleman, and one of Garnet's earliest patrons and friends, 
 on the death of her father, in 1595, attached herself to his 
 fortunes, — accompanied him in all his missions, — shared 
 all his privations and dangers, — and, regardless of calum- 
 ny or reproach, devoted herself entirely to his service. 
 What is not less singular, her sister, who had married a 
 Catholic gentleman named Brooksby, became his equally 
 zealous attendant. Their enthusiasm produced a similar 
 effect on Mr. Brooksby ; and wherever Garnet went, all 
 three accompanied him. 
 
 By his side, on the present occasion, stood Sir Everard 
 Digby. Accounted one of the handsomest, most accom- 
 plished, and best-informed men of his time. Sir Everard, 
 at the period of this history only twenty-four, had 
 married, when scarcely sixteen, Maria, heiress of the an- 
 cient and honorable family of Mulshoe, with whom he 
 obtained a large fortune, and the magnificent estate of 
 Gothurst, or Ga^thurst, in Buckhighamshire. Kniglitecl
 
 THE PILGRIMAGE. 113 
 
 by James the First at Belvoir Castle, on his way from 
 Scotland to London, Digby, who had once formed one of 
 the most brilliant ornaments of the court, had of late in a 
 great degree retired from it, " Notwithstanding," writes 
 Father Greenway, "that he had dwelt much in the 
 Queen's court, and was in the way of obtaining honors 
 and distinction by his graceful manners and rare parts 
 he chose rather to bear the cross with the persecuted 
 Catholics, et vivere ahjectus in domo Domini^ than to sail 
 through the pleasure of a palace and the prosperities of 
 the world, to the shipwreck of his conscience and the 
 destruction of his soul." Having only when he completed 
 his minority professed the Catholic religion, he became 
 deeply concerned at its fallen state, and his whole 
 thoughts were bent upon its restoration. This change in 
 feeling was occasioned chiefly, if not altogether, by Gar- 
 net, by whom his conversion had been accomplished. 
 
 Sir Everard Digby was richly attired in a black velvet 
 doublet, with sleeves slashed with white satin, and wore 
 a short mantle of the same material, similarly lined. He 
 had the enormous trunk hose, heretofore mentioned as 
 the distinguishing peculiarity of the costume of the 
 period, and wore black velvet shoes, ornamented with 
 white roses. An ample ruff encircled his throat. His 
 hat was steeple-crowned, and somewhat broader in the 
 leaf than was ordinarily worn, and shaded with a plume 
 of black feathers. His hair was raven black, and he wore 
 a pointed beard, and mustaches. His figure was tall and 
 stately, and his features grave and finely formed. 
 
 By this time the group had been joined by the others, 
 and a friendly greeting took place. Guy Fawkes was 
 presented by Catesby to Sir William Radcliffe and Sir 
 Everard Digby. To Garnet he required no introduction, 
 and Father Oldcorne was known to all. After a little 
 further conversation, the party adjourned to the house, 
 which belonged to a Welsh Catholic gentleman, named 
 Griffiths, who, though absent at the time, had surrendered 
 it to the use of Sir Everard Digby and his friends.
 
 114 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 On their entrance, Yiviana was introduced by her father 
 to Lady Digby, who presided as hostess, and welcomed 
 her with great cordiality. She was then conducted to 
 her own room, where she was speedily joined by Sir 
 William ; and they remained closeted together till sum- 
 moned to the principal meal of the day. At the table, 
 which was most hospitably served, Viviana found, in 
 addition to her former companions, a large assemblage, to 
 most of whom she was a stranger, consisting of Anne 
 Vaux, Mr. Brooksby and his wife, Ambrose Rookwood, 
 two brothers named Winter, two Wrights, Francis Tres- 
 ham, — persons of whom it will be necessary to make 
 particular mention hereafter, — and several others, in all 
 amounting to thirty. 
 
 The meal over, the company dispersed, and Viviana 
 and her father, passing through an open window, wan- 
 dered forth upon a beautiful and spreading lawn, and 
 thence under the shade of the beech-trees. They had not 
 been long here, anxiously conferring on recent events, 
 when they perceived Garnet and Catesby approaching. 
 
 " Father, dear father ! " cried Viviana, hastily, " I was 
 about to warn you ; but I have not time to do so now. 
 Some dark and dangerous plot is in agitation to restore 
 our religion. Mr. Catesby is anxious to league you with 
 it. Do not — do not yield to his solicitations ! " 
 
 "Fear nothing on that score, Viviana," replied Sir 
 William, " I have already perplexities enow, without add- 
 ing to them." 
 
 " I will leave you, then," she replied. And, as soon as 
 the others came up, she made some excuse for withdraw- 
 ing, and returned to the house. The window of her 
 chamber commanded the avenue, and from it she watched 
 the group. They remained for a long time pacing up 
 and down, in earnest conversation. By and by, they 
 were joined by Oldcorne and Fawkes. Then came a 
 third party, consisting of the Winters and Wrights ; 
 and, lastly, Sir Everard Digby and Tresham swelled the 
 list.
 
 THE PILGRIMAGE. 115 
 
 The assemblage was then harangued by Catesby, and 
 the most profound attention paid to his address. Viviana 
 kept her eye fixed upon her father's countenance, and 
 from its changing expression inferred what effect the 
 speech produced upon him. At its conclusion, the as- 
 semblage separated in little groups ; and she perceived, 
 vnth great uneasiness, that Father Garnet passed his arm 
 through that of her father, and led him away. Some 
 time elapsed, and neither of them reappeared. 
 
 " My warning was in vain ; he has joined them ! " she 
 exclaimed. 
 
 " No, Viviana ! " cried her father's voice behind her. 
 " I have not joined them. Nor shall I do so." 
 
 " Heaven be praised I " she exclaimed, flinging her arms 
 around his neck. 
 
 Neither of them were aware that they were overheard 
 by Garnet, who had noiselessly followed Sir William into 
 the room, and muttered to himself, " For all this, he shall 
 join the plot, and she shall wed Catesby." 
 
 He then coughed slightly, to announce his presence ; 
 and, apologizing to Viviana for the intrusion, told her he 
 came to confess her previously to the celebration of mass, 
 which would take place that evening, in a small chapel in 
 the house. Wholly obedient to the command of her 
 spiritual advisers, Viviana instantly signified her assent ; 
 and, her father having withdrawn, she laid open the in- 
 most secrets of her heart to the Jesuit. Severely repro- 
 bating her love for a heretic, before he would give her 
 absolution. Garnet enjoined her, as a penance, to walk 
 barefoot to the holy well on the morrow, and to make a 
 costly offering at the shrine of the saint. Compliance 
 being promised to his injunction, he pronounced the abso- 
 lution, and departed. 
 
 Soon after this, mass was celebrated by Garnet, and the 
 sacrament administered to the assemblage. 
 
 An hour before daybreak, the party again assembled in 
 the chapel, where matins were performed ; after which, 
 the female devotees, who were clothed in snow-white
 
 116 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 woolen robes, with wide sleeves and hoods, and having 
 large black crosses woven in front, retired for a short 
 time, and reappeared, with their feet bared, and hair un- 
 bound. Each had a large rosary attached to the cord 
 that bound her waist. 
 
 Catesby thought Viviana had never appeared so lovely 
 as in this costume ; and as he gazed at her white and 
 delicately formed feet, her small rounded ankles, her dark 
 and abundant tresses falling in showers almost to the 
 ground, he became more deeply enamored than before. 
 His passionate gaze was, however, unnoticed, as the object 
 of it kept her eyes steadily fixed on the ground. Lady 
 Digby, who was a most beautiful woman, scarcely ap- 
 peared to less advantage ; and, as she walked side by side 
 with Viviana in the procession, the pair attracted uni- 
 versal admiration from all who beheld them. 
 
 Everything being at last in readiness, and the order of 
 march fully arranged, two youthful choristers, in sur- 
 plices, chantmg a hymn to Saint Winifred, set forth. 
 They were followed by two men bearing silken banners, 
 on one of which was displayed the martyrdom of the 
 saint whose shrine they were about to visit, and on the 
 other a lamb carrying a cross ; next came Fathers Old- 
 corne and Fisher, each sustaining a large silver crucifix ; 
 next. Garnet alone, in the full habit of his order ; next, 
 the females, in the attire before described, and walking 
 two and two ; next, Sir Everard Digby and Sir William 
 Radcliffe ; and lastly, the rest of the pilgrims, to the 
 number of fourteen. These were all on foot. But at the 
 distance of fifty paces behind them rode Guy Fawkes and 
 Catesby, at the head of twenty well-armed and well- 
 mounted attendants, intended to serve as a guard in case 
 of need. 
 
 In such order, this singular procession moved forward 
 at a slow pace, taking its course along a secluded road 
 leading to the ridge of hills extending from the neighbor- 
 hood of Wrexham to Mold, and from thence, in an almost 
 unbroken chain, to Holywell.
 
 THE PILGRIMAGE. Hf 
 
 Along these heights, whence magnificent views were 
 obtained of the broad estuary of the Dee and the more 
 distant ocean, the train proceeded without interruption ; 
 and though the road selected was one seldom traversed, 
 and through a country thinly peopled, still, the rumor of 
 the pilgrimage having gone abroad, hundreds were sta- 
 tioned at different points to behold it. Some expressions 
 of disapprobation were occasionally manifested by the 
 spectators ; but the presence of the large armed force 
 effectually prevented any interference. 
 
 Whenever such a course could be pursued, the proces- 
 sion took its way over the sward. Still the sufferings of 
 the females were severe in the extreme; and before 
 Viviana had proceeded a mile, her white, tender feet were 
 cut and bruised by the sharp flints over which she 
 walked ; every step she took leaving a bloody print be- 
 hind it. Lady Digby was in little better condition. But 
 such was the zeal by which they, in common with all the 
 other devotees following them, were animated, that not a 
 single murmur was uttered. 
 
 Proceeding in this way, they reached at midday a 
 small stone chapel on the summit of the hill overlooking 
 Plas-Newydd, where they halted, and devotions being 
 performed, the females bathed their lacerated limbs in a 
 neighboring brook, after which they were rubbed with a 
 cooling and odorous ointment. Thus refreshed, they 
 again set forward, and halting a second time at Plas-Isaf, 
 where similar religious ceremonies were observed, they 
 rested for the day at a lodging prepared for their recep- 
 tion in the vicinity of Mold. 
 
 The night being passed in prayer, early in the morn- 
 ing they commenced their march in the same order as 
 before. When Viviana first set her feet to the ground, 
 she felt as if she were treading on hot iron, and the pain 
 was so excruciating, that she could not repress a cry. 
 
 " Heed not your sufferings, dear daughter," observed 
 Garnet, compassionately ; " the waters of the holy foun- 
 tain will heal the wounds both of soul and body."
 
 llg GtJY FAWKEg. 
 
 Overcoming her agony by a powerful effort, she con- 
 trived to limp forward ; and the whole party was soon 
 after in motion. Halting for two hours at Pentre-Terf yn, 
 and again at Skeviog, the train, towards evening, reached 
 the summit of the hill overlooking Holywell, at the foot 
 of which could be seen the ruins of Basingwerk Abbey, 
 and the roof of the ancient chapel erected over the sacred 
 spring. At this sight, those who were foremost in the 
 procession fell on their knees ; and the horsemen dis- 
 mounting, imitated their example. An earnest supplica- 
 tion to Saint Winifred was then poured forth by Father 
 Garnet, in which all the others joined, and a hymn in 
 her honor chanted by the choristers. 
 
 Their devotions ended, the whole train arose, and 
 walked slowly down the steep descent. As they entered 
 the little town, which owes its name and celebrity to the 
 miraculous spring rising within it, they were met by a 
 large concourse of people, who had flocked from Flint 
 and the other neighboring places to witness the cere- 
 monial. Most of the inhabitants of Holywell, holding 
 their saintly patroness in the deepest veneration, viewed 
 this pilgrimage to her shrine as a proper tribute of re- 
 spect, while those of the opposite faith were greatly im- 
 pressed by it. As the procession advanced, the crowd 
 divided into two lines to allow it passage, and many fell 
 on their knees imploring a blessing from Garnet, which 
 he in no instance refused. When within a hundred yards 
 of the sacred well, they were met by a priest, followed by 
 another small train of pilgrims. A Latin oration havhig 
 been pronounced by this priest, and replied to in the 
 same language by Garnet, the train was once more put iu 
 motion, and presently reached the ancient fabric built over 
 the sacred fountain. 
 
 The legend of Saint Winifred is so well known, that it 
 is scarcely necessary to repeat it. For the benefit of the 
 uninformed, however, it may be stated that she flourished 
 about the middle of the seventh century, and was the 
 daughter of Thewith, one of the chief lords of Wales.
 
 THE PILGRIMAGE. 119 
 
 Devoutly educated by a monk named Beuno, who after- 
 wards received canonization, slie took the veil, and re- 
 tired to a small monastery (the ruins of which still exist), 
 built by her father near the scene of her subsequent 
 martyrdom. Persecuted by the addresses of Caradoc, 
 son of Alan, Prince of Wales, she fled from him to avoid 
 his violence. He followed, and inflamed by fury at 
 her resistance, struck off her head. For this atrocity, 
 the earth instantly opened and swallowed him alive, 
 while from the spot where the head had fallen gushed 
 forth a fountain of unequaled force and purity, pro- 
 ducing more than a hundred tons a minute. The bottom 
 of this miraculous well is strewn with pebbles streaked 
 with red veins, in memory of the virgin saint from whose 
 blood it sprung. On its margin grows an odorous moss, 
 while its gelid and translucent waters are esteemed a 
 remedy for many disorders. Winifred's career did not ter- 
 minate with her decapitation. Resuscitated by the pray- 
 ers of Saint Beuno, she lived many years a life of the utmost 
 sanctity, bearing, as a mark of the miracle performed 
 in her behalf, a narrow crimson circle round her throat. 
 Passing the chapel adjoining the well, built in the 
 reign of Henry the Seventh by his mother, the pious 
 Countess of Richmond, the pilgrims came to the swift 
 clear stream rushing from the well. Instead of ascend- 
 ing the steps leading to the edifice built over the spring, 
 they plunged into the stream, and crossing it entered the 
 structure by a doorway on the further side. Erected by 
 the Countess of Richmond at the same period as the 
 chapel, this structure, quadrangular in form, and of great 
 beauty, consists of light clustered pillars and moldings, 
 supporting the most gorgeous tracery and groining, the 
 whole being ornamented with sculptured bosses, pendent 
 capitals, fretwork, niches, and tabernacles. In the midst 
 is a large stone basin, to receive the water of the fountain, 
 around which the procession now grouped, and as soon as 
 all were assembled, at the command of Father Garnet 
 they fell on their knees.
 
 120 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 It was a solemn and striking siglit to see this large 
 group prostrated around that beautiful fountain, and 
 covered by that ancient structure, — a toucliing thing to 
 hear the voice of prayer mingling with the sound of the 
 rushing water. After this, they all arose. A hymn was 
 then chanted, and votive offerings made at the shrine of 
 the saint. The male portion of the assemblage then fol- 
 lowed Garnet to the chapel, where further religious rites 
 were performed, while the female devotees, remaining 
 near the fountain, resigned themselves to the care of 
 several attendants of their own sex, who, having bathed 
 their feet in the water, applied some of the fragrant moss 
 above described to the wounds ; and, such was the faith 
 of the patients, or the virtue of the application, that 
 in a short time they all felt perfectly restored, and able to 
 join their companions in the chapel. In this way the 
 evening was spent ; and it was not until late that the7 
 finished their devotions, and departed to the lodgings 
 provided for them in the town. 
 
 Impressed with a strange superstitious feeling, which 
 he could scarcely acknowledge to himself, Guy Fawlvcs 
 determined to pass the night near the well. Accordingly, 
 without communicating his intention to his companions, 
 he threw a small knapsack over his shoulder, containing 
 a change of linen, and a few articles of attire, and pro- 
 ceeded thither. 
 
 It was a brilliant moonlight night, and, as the radiance, 
 streaming through the thin clustered columns of the struc- 
 ture, lighted up its fairy architecture, and fell upon the 
 clear cold waves of the fountain, i-evealing the blood- 
 streaked pebbles beneath, the effect was inexpressibly 
 beautiful. So charmed was Guy Fawkes by the sight, 
 that he remained for some time standing near the edge of 
 the basin, as if fascinated by the marvelous spring that 
 boiled up and sparkled at his feet. Resolved to try the 
 efficacy of the bath, he threw off his clothes and plunged 
 into it. The water was cold as ice ; but on emerging 
 from it he felt wonderfully refreshed. Having dressed
 
 THE PILGRIMAGE. 121 
 
 himseK, he wrapped his cloak around him, and, throwing 
 himself on the stone floor, placed the knapsack under 
 his head, and grasping a petronel in his right hand, to be 
 ready in case of a surprise, disposed himself to slumber. 
 Accustomed to a soldier's couch, he soon fell asleep. 
 He had not long closed his eyes when he dreamed that 
 from out of the well a female figure, slight and unsubstan- 
 tial as the element from which it sprang, arose. It was 
 robed in what resembled a nun's garb ; but so thin and 
 vapory, that the very moonlight shone through it. From 
 the garments of the figure, as well as from the crimson 
 circle round its throat, he knew that it must be the patro- 
 ness of the place, the sainted Winifred, that he beheld. 
 He felt no horror, but the deepest awe. The arm of the 
 figure was raised, — its benignant regards fixed upon him, 
 —and, as soon as it gained the level of the basin, it glided 
 towards him.
 
 122 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE VISIOIS". 
 
 Before daybreak on the following morning, Garnet, who 
 had been engaged in earnest conference with Catesby 
 during the whole of the night, repaired to the sacred spring 
 for the purpose of bathing Avithin it, and performing his 
 solitary devotions at the shrine of the saint. On ascending 
 the steps of the structure, he perceived Guy Fawkes 
 kneeling beside the fountain, apparently occupied in 
 prayer ; and, being unwilling to disturb him, he paused. 
 Finding, however, after the lapse of a few minutes, that 
 he did not move, he advanced towards him, and was 
 about to lay his hand upon his shoulder, when he was 
 arrested by the very extraordinary expression of his 
 countenance. His lips were partly open, but perfectly 
 motionless, and his eyes, almost startiifg from their 
 sockets, were fixed upon the boiling waters of the spring. 
 His hands were clasped, and his look altogether was 
 that of one whose faculties were benumbed by awe or 
 terror. 
 
 Aware of the fanatical and enthusiastical character of 
 Fawkes, Garnet had little doubt that, by keeping long 
 vigil at the fountain, he had worked himself into such a 
 state of over-excitement as to imagine he beheld some 
 preternatural appearance ; and it was with some curiosity 
 that he awaited the result. Glancing in the same direc- 
 tion, his eye rested upon the bottom of the well, but he 
 could discern nothing except the glittering and blood- 
 streaked pebbles, and the reflection of the early sunbeams 
 that quivered on its steaming surface. At length, a convul- 
 sion passed over the frame of the kneeler, and heaving a 
 deep sigh he arose. Turning to quit the spring, he con- 
 fronted Garnet, and demanded, in a low yoice — •
 
 tHE VISION. 123 
 
 " Have you likewise seen the vision, father ? " 
 
 Garnet made no reply, but regarded him steadfastly. 
 
 " Has the blessed Winifred api)eared to you, I say ? " 
 continued Fawkes. 
 
 " No," answered Garnet ; "I am but just come hither. 
 It is for you, my son, — the favored of heaven, — for whom 
 such glorious visions are reserved. I have seen nothing. 
 How did the saint manifest herself to you ? " 
 
 " In her earthly form," replied Fawkes ; " or rather, I 
 should say, in the semblance of the form she bore on 
 earth. Listen to me, father. I came hither last night to 
 make my couch beside the fountain. After plunging into 
 it, I felt myself marvelously refreshed, and disposed my- 
 self to rest on that stone. Scarcely had my eyes closed 
 when the saintly vision appeared to me. Oh ! father, it 
 was a vision of seraphic beauty, such as the eye of man 
 hath seldom seen ! " 
 
 " And such only as it is permitted the elect of Heaven 
 to see," observed Garnet. 
 
 "Alas! father," rejoined Guy Fawkes, " I can lay little 
 claim to such an epithet. Nay, I begin to fear that I 
 have incurred the displeasure of Heaven." 
 
 " Think not so, my son," replied Garnet, uneasily. 
 " Relate your vision, and I will interpret it to you." 
 
 " Thus then it was, father," returned Fawkes. *' The 
 figure of the saint arose from out the well, and gliding 
 towards me laid its finger upon my brow. My eyes 
 opened, but I was as one oppressed with a nightmare, un- 
 able to move. I then thought I heard my name pro- 
 nounced by a voice so wondrously sweet that my senses 
 were quite ravished. Fain would I have prostrated my- 
 self, but my limbs refused their office. Neither could I 
 speak, for my tongue was also enchained." 
 
 "Proceed, my son," observed Garnet; I am curious to 
 know what ensued." 
 
 " Father," replied Guy Fawkes, " if the form I beheld 
 was that of Saint Winifred, — and that it was so, I can- 
 not doubt, — the enterprise on which we are engaged will
 
 154 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 fail. It is not approved by Heaven. The vision warned 
 me to desist." 
 
 " You cannot desist, my son," rejoined Garnet, sternly. 
 " Your oath binds you to the project." 
 
 " True," replied Fawkes ; " and I have no thought of 
 abandoning it. But I am well assured it will not be suc- 
 cessful." 
 
 " Your thinking so, my son, will be the most certain 
 means of realizing your apprehensions," replied Garnet, 
 gravely. " But let me hear the exact words of the spirit. 
 You may have misunderstood them." 
 
 " I cannot repeat them precisely, father," replied 
 Fawkes ; " but I could not misapprehend their import, 
 which was the deepest commiseration for our forlorn and 
 fallen church, but a positive interdiction against any at- 
 tempt to restore it by bloodshed. ' Suffer on,' said the 
 spirit ; ' bear the yoke patiently, and in due season God 
 Avill avenge your wrongs, and free you from oppression. 
 You are thus afflicted that your faith may be purified. 
 Bat if 5'ou resort to violence, you will breed confusion, 
 and injure, not serve, the holy cause on which you are 
 embarked.' Such, father, was the language of the saint. 
 It was uttered in a tone so tender and sympathizing, that 
 every word found an echo in my heart, and I repented 
 having pledged myself to the undertaking. But, when I 
 tell you that she added that all concerned in the conspir- 
 acy should perish, perhaps you may be deterred from pro- 
 ceeding further." 
 
 " Never ! " returned Garnet. " Nor will I suffer any 
 one engaged in it to retreat. What matter if a few perish, 
 if the many survive ? Our blood will not be shed in vain, 
 if the true religion of God is restored. Nay, as strongly 
 as the blessed Winifred herself resisted the impious rav- 
 isher, Caradoc, will I resist all inducements to turn aside 
 from my purpose. It may be that the enterprise will 
 fail. It may be that we shall perish. But if we die thus, 
 we shall die as martyrs, and our deaths will be highly 
 profitable to the Catholic religion."
 
 THE VISION. 125 
 
 " I doubt it," observed Fawkes. 
 
 " My son," said Grarnet, solemnly, " I have ever looked 
 upon you as one destined to be the chief agent in the great 
 work of redemption. I have thought that, like Judith, 
 you were chosen to destroy the Holofernes who oppresses 
 us. Ha-^ing noted in you a religious fervor, and resolu- 
 tion admirably fitting you for the task, I thought, and 
 still think you expressly chosen by Heaven for it. But, 
 if you have any misgiving, I beseech you to withdraw 
 from it. I will absolve you from your oath ; and, enjoin- 
 ing you only to strictest secrecy, will pray you to depart 
 at once, lest your irresolution should be communicated to 
 the others." 
 
 " Fear nothing from me, father," rejoined Fawkes. " I 
 have no irresolution, no wavering, nor shall any engaged 
 with us be shaken by my apprehension. You have asked 
 me what I saw and heard, and I have told you truly. 
 But I will speak of it no more." 
 
 " It will be well to observe silence, my son," answered 
 Garnet ; " for though you, like myself, are unnerved, its 
 effect on others might be injurious. But you have not 
 yet brought your relation to an end. How did the figure 
 disappear ? " 
 
 " As it arose, father," replied Fawkes. " Uttering in a 
 sweet but solemn voice, which yet rings in my ears, the 
 words, ' Be warned ! ' it glided back to the fountain, 
 whose waves as it approached grew still, and gradually 
 melted from my view." 
 
 " But when I came hither, you appeared to be gazing 
 at the spring," said Garnet. " What did you then be- 
 hold?" 
 
 " My first impulse on awakening about an hour ago," 
 replied Fawkes, " was to prostrate myself before the foun- 
 tain, and to entreat the intercession of the saint, who had 
 thus marvelously revealed herself to me. As I prayed, 
 methought its clear lucid waters became turbid, and turned 
 to the color of blood." 
 
 " It is a type of the blood of slaughtered brethren of
 
 126 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 our faith, which has been shed by our opijressors," re- 
 joined Garnet. 
 
 " Rather of our own, which shall be poured forth in this 
 cause," retorted Fawkes. " No matter. I am prepared to 
 lose the last drop of mine." 
 
 " And I," said Garnet ; " and, I doubt not, like those holy 
 men who have suffered for their faith, that we shall both 
 win a crown of martyrdom." 
 
 " Amen ! " exclaimed Fawkes. " And you think the 
 sacrifice we are about to offer will prove acceptable to 
 God?" 
 
 "I am convinced of it, my son," answered Garnet. 
 " And I take the sainted virgin, from whose blood this mar- 
 velous spring was produced, to witness that I devote my- 
 self unhesitatingly to the project, and that I firmly believe 
 it will profit our church." 
 
 As he spoke, a singular circumstance occurred, which did 
 not fail to produce an impression on both parties, — es- 
 pecially Guy Fawkes. A violent gust of wind, apparent- 
 ly suddenly aroused, whistled through the slender columns 
 of the structure, and catching the surface of the water 
 dashed it in tiny waves against their feet. 
 
 "The saint is offended," observed Fawkes. 
 
 "It would almost seem so," replied Garnet, after a 
 pause. " Let us proceed to the chapel, and pray at her 
 shrine. We will confer on this matter hereafter. Mean- 
 time, swear to me that you will observe profound secrecy 
 respecting this vision." 
 
 " I swear," replied Guy Fawkes. 
 
 At this moment, another and more violent gust agitated 
 the fountain. 
 
 " We will tarry here no longer," said Garnet. " I am 
 not proof against these portents of ill." 
 
 So saying, he led the way to the chapel. Here they 
 were presently joined by several of the female devotees, 
 including Viviana, Anne Vaux, and Lady Digby. Matins 
 were then said, after which various offerings were made 
 at the shrine of the saint. Lady Digby presented a small
 
 THE VISION. 127 
 
 tablet set in gold, representing on one side the martyrdom 
 of Saint Winifred, and on the other the Salutation of our 
 Lady. Anne Vaux gave a small enameled cross of gold ; 
 Viviana a girdle of the same metal, with a pendant sustain- 
 ing a small Saint John's head surrounded with pearls. 
 
 "Mine will be a poor soldier's offering," said Guy 
 Fawkes, approaching the shrine, which was hung around 
 with the crutches, staves, and bandages of those cured 
 by the healing waters of the miraculous spring. " This 
 small silver scallop-shell, given me by a pilgrim, who died 
 in my arms near the chapel of Saint James of Compostella, 
 in Spain, is the sole valuable I possess." 
 
 " It will be as acceptable as a more costly gift, my son," 
 replied Garnet, placing it on the shrine. 
 
 Of all the offerings then made, that silver scallop-shell 
 is the only one preserved.
 
 128 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 On Viviana's return from her devotions, she found her 
 father in the greatest perturbation and alarm. The old 
 steward, Heydocke, who had ridden express from Ordsall 
 Hall, had just arrived bringing word that the miserable 
 fate of the pursuivant and his crew had aroused the 
 whole country ; that officers, attended by a strong force, 
 and breathing vengeance, were in pursuit of Sir William 
 Radcliffe and his daughter ; that large suras were offered 
 for the capture of Guy Fawkes and Father Oldcorne ; 
 that most of the servants were imprisoned ; that he 
 himself had escaped with great difficulty ; and that, to 
 sum up this long catalogue of calamities. Master Hum- 
 phrey Chetham was arrested, and placed in the New Fleet. 
 " In short, my dear young mistress," concluded the old 
 man, " as I have just observed to Sir "William, all is over 
 with us, and there is nothing left but the grave." 
 
 " What course have you resolved upon, dear father," 
 inquired Viviana, turning anxiously to him. 
 
 " I shall surrender myself," he answered. " I am guilty 
 of no crime, and can easily clear myself from all imputa- 
 tion." 
 
 " You are mistaken," she replied. " Do not hope for 
 justice from those who know it not. But, while the 
 means of escape are allowed you, avail yourself of them." 
 
 " No, Viviana," replied Sir William Radclifte, firmly ; 
 "my part is taken. I shall abide the arrival of the 
 officers. For you, I shall entrust you to the care of Mr. 
 Catesby." 
 
 " You cannot mean this, dear father," she cried, with a 
 look of distress. " And, if you do, I will never consent 
 to such an arrangement."
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 120 
 
 " Mr. Catesby is strongly attached to you, child," re- 
 plied Sir William, « and will watch over your safety as 
 carefully as I could do myself." 
 
 " He may be attached to me," rejoined Viviana, 
 "though I doubt the disinterestedness of his love. But 
 nothing can remove my repugnance to him. Forgive me, 
 therefore, if, in this one instance, I decline to obey your 
 commands. I dare not trust myself with Mr. Catesby." 
 
 " How am I to understand you ? " inquired Sir Wil- 
 liam. 
 
 " Do not ask me to explain, dear father," she answered, 
 "but imagine I must have good reason for what I say. 
 Since you are resolved upon surrendering yourself, I 
 will go into captivity with you. The alternative is less 
 dreadful than that you have proposed." 
 
 " You distract me, child," cried the knight, rising and 
 pacing the chamber in great agitation. " I cannot bear 
 the thought of your imprisonment. Yet if I fly, I ap- 
 pear to confess myself guilty." 
 
 " If your worship will entrust Mistress Viviana with 
 me," interposed the old steward, " I will convey her 
 whithersoever you direct, — will watch over her day and 
 night, — and, if need be, die in her defense." 
 
 " Thou wert ever a faithful servant, good Ileydocke," 
 rejoined Sir William, extending his hand kindly to him, 
 " and art as true in adversity as in prosperity." 
 
 " Shame to me if I were not," replied Heydocke, press- 
 ing the knight's fingers to his lips and bathing them in 
 his tears. " Shame to me if I hesitated to lay down my 
 life for a master to whom I owe so much." 
 
 " If it is your pleasure, dear father," observed Viviana, 
 " I will accompany Master Heydocke ; but I would far 
 rather be permitted to remain with you." 
 
 " It would avail nothing," replied Sir William, " we 
 should be separated by the officers. Retire to your 
 chamber, and prepare for instant departure ; and, in the 
 meanwhile, I will consider what is best to be done." 
 
 "Your worship's decision must be sx^eedy," observed
 
 130 GUY FAVfKES. 
 
 Heydocke ; " I had only a few hours' start of the officers. 
 They will be here ere long." 
 
 " Take this purse," replied Sir "William, " and hire 
 three of the fleetest horses you can procure, and station 
 yourself at the outskirts of the town, on the road to Saint 
 Asaph. You understand." 
 
 " Perfectly," replied Heydocke. And he departed to 
 execute his master's commands, while Viviana withdrew 
 to her own chamber. 
 
 Left alone, the knight was perplexing himself as to 
 where he should shape his course when he was inter- 
 rupted by the sudden entrance of Catesby and Garnet. 
 
 " We have just met your servant. Sir William," said 
 the former, " and have learned the alarming intelligence he 
 has brought." 
 
 " What is your counsel in this emergency, father ? " 
 said Rad cliff e, appealing to Garnet. 
 
 " Flight, — instant flight, my son," was the answer. 
 
 " My counsel is resistance," said Catesby. " We are 
 here assembled in large numbers, and are well armed. 
 Let us await the arrival of the ofiacers, and see whether 
 they will venture to arrest you." 
 
 " They will arrest us all, if they have force sufficient to 
 do so," replied Garnet ; " and there are many reasons, as 
 you well know, why it is desirable to avoid any disturb- 
 ance at present." 
 
 " True," replied Catesby. " What say you then," he 
 continued, addressing Radcliffe, " to our immediate return 
 to Holt, where means may be found to screen you till this 
 storm is blowTi over ? " 
 
 " Sir William having assented to the proposal, Catesby 
 instantly departed to acquaint the others, and, as soon as 
 preparations could be made, and horses procured, the 
 whole party composing the pilgrimage quitted Holywell, 
 and, ascending the hill at the back of the town, took the 
 direction of Mold, where they arrived, having ridden at a 
 swift pace, in about half an hour. From thence they 
 proceeded, without accident or interruption, to the mansion
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 131 
 
 they had recently occupied near Holt. On reaching it, 
 all the domestics were armed, and certain of their number 
 stationed at the different approaches to the house to give 
 the alarm in case of the enemy's appearance. But as 
 nothing occurred during the night, the fears of Sir 
 William and his friends began in some degree to sub- 
 side. 
 
 About noon, on the following day, as Guy Fawkes, who 
 ever since the vision at Saint Winifred's Well had 
 shunned all companionship, walked forth beneath the 
 avenue alone, he heard a light step behind him, and, turn- 
 ing, beheld Viviana. Gravely bowing, he was about to 
 pursue his course, when quickening her pace she was 
 instantly by his side. 
 
 " I have a favor to solicit," she said. 
 
 " There is none I would refuse you," answered Fawkes, 
 halting ; " but, though I have the will, I may not have the 
 power to grant your request." 
 
 " Hear me, then," she replied, hurriedly. " Of all my 
 father's friends — of all who are here assembled, you are 
 the only one I dare trust, — the only one from whom I can 
 hope for assistance." 
 
 " I am at once flattered and perplexed by your words, 
 Viviana," he rejoined; "nor can I guess whither tiiey 
 tend. But speak freely. If I cannot render you aid, I 
 can at least give you counsel." 
 
 " I must premise, then," said Viviana, " that I am aware 
 from certain obscure hints let fall by Father Oldcorne, 
 that you, Mr. Catesby, and others are engaged in a dark 
 and dangerous conspiracy." 
 
 "Viviana Radcliffe," returned Guy Fawkes, sternly, 
 "you have once before avowed your knowledge of this 
 plot. I will not attempt disguise with you. A project 
 is in agitation for the deliverance of our fallen church ; 
 and, since you have become acquainted with its existence 
 — no matter how — you must be bound by an oath of 
 secrecy, or," and his look grew darker, and his voice 
 (Sterner, " I will not answer for your life."
 
 132 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 « I will willingly take the oath, on certain conditions,'* 
 said Viviana. 
 
 " You must take it unconditionally," rejoined Fawkes. 
 
 " Hear me out," said Viviana. " Knowing that Mr. 
 Catesby and Father Garnet are anxious to induce my 
 father to join this conspiracy, I came hither to implore 
 you to prevent him from doing so." 
 
 " Were I even willing to do this, — which I am not," 
 replied Fawkes, " I have not the power. Sir William 
 Radcliffe would be justly indignant at any interference 
 on my part." 
 
 " Heed not that," replied Viviana. " You, I fear, are 
 linked to this fearful project beyond the possibility of 
 being set free. But he is not. Save him ! save him ! " 
 
 " I will take no part in urging him to join it," replied 
 Fawkes. " But I can promise nothing further." 
 
 " Then mark me," she returned ; " if further attempts 
 are made by any of your confederates to league him with 
 their plot, I myself will disclose all I know of it." 
 
 " Viviana," rejoined Fawkes, in a threatening tone, " I 
 again warn you that you endanger your life." 
 
 "I care not," she rejoined; " I would risk twenty lives, 
 if I possessed them, to preserve my father." 
 
 " You are a noble-hearted lady," replied Fawkes, unable 
 to repress the admiration inspired by her conduct ; " and 
 if I can accomplish what you desire, I will. But I see 
 not how it can be done." 
 
 " Everything is possible to one of your resolution," 
 replied Viviana. 
 
 " Well, well," replied Fawkes, a slight smile crossing 
 his rugged features ; " the effort at least shall be made." 
 
 " Thanks ! thanks ! " ejaculated Viviana ; and, over- 
 come by her emotion, she sank half-fainting into his 
 arms. 
 
 While he held her thus, debating within himself 
 whether he should convey her to the house. Garnet and 
 Catesby appeared at the other end of the avenue. Their 
 surprise at the sight was extreme ; nor was it less when
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 133 
 
 Viviana, opening her eyes as they drew near, uttered a 
 slight cry, and disappeared. 
 
 " This requires an explanation," said Catesby, glancing 
 fiercely at Fawkes. 
 
 "You must seek it, then, of the lady," rejoined the 
 latter, moodily. 
 
 "It will be easily explained, I have no doubt," inter- 
 posed Garnet. " Miss Radcliffe was seized with a mo- 
 mentary weakness, and her companion offered her 
 support." 
 
 « That will scarcely suffice for me," cried Catesby. 
 
 " Let the subject be dropped for the present," rejoined 
 Garnet, authoritatively. " More important matter claims 
 our attention. We came to seek you, my son," he con- 
 tinued, addressing Fawkes. " All those engaged in the 
 great enterprise are about to meet in a summer-house in 
 the garden." 
 
 " I am ready to attend you," replied Fawkes. " Will 
 Sir William Radcliffe be there ? " 
 
 "No," replied Garnet; "he has not yet joined us. 
 None will be present at this meeting but the sworn con- 
 spirators." 
 
 With this, the trio took their way towards the garden, 
 and proceeding along a wall edged with clipped yew- 
 trees, came to the summer-house, — a small circular build- 
 ing overrun with ivy and creepers, and ornamented in 
 front by two stone statues on pedestals. Here they 
 found Sir Everard Digby, Ambrose Rookwood, Francis 
 Tresham, Thomas and Robert Winter, John and Chris- 
 topher Wright, awaiting their arrival. 
 
 The door being closed and bolted. Garnet, placing him- 
 self in the midst of the assemblage, said, "Before we 
 proceed further, I will again administer the oath to all 
 present." Drawing from his vest a primer, and address- 
 ing Sir Everard Digby, he desired him to kneel, and 
 continued thus in a solemn tone, " You shall swear by 
 the Blessed Trinity, and by the sacrament you propose 
 to receive, never to disclose directly nor indirectly, by
 
 134 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 word or circumstance, the matter that shall be proposed 
 to you to keep secret, nor desist from the execution 
 thereof, until the rest shall give you leave." 
 
 " I swear," replied Digby, kissing the primer. 
 
 The oath was then taken in like manner by the others. 
 This done, Catesby was about to address the meeting, 
 when Tresham, glancing uneasily at the door, remarked, 
 " Are you assured we have no eavesdroppers ? " 
 
 " I will keep watch without," rejoined Fawkes, " if you 
 have any fears." 
 
 " It were better," replied Robert Winter. " We can- 
 not be too cautious. But if you go forth, you will not be 
 able to take part in the discussion." 
 
 " My part is to act, not talk," rejoined Fawkes, march- 
 ing towards the door. And shutting it after him, he 
 took up his position outside. 
 
 Upon this Catesby commenced a long and inflamma- 
 tory harangue, in which he expatiated with great elo- 
 quence and fervor on the wrongs of the Catholic party, 
 and the deplorable condition of their church. " It were 
 easy to slay the tyrant by whom we are oppressed," he 
 said, in conclusion ; " but his destruction would be small 
 gain to us. We must strike deeper, to hew down the 
 baneful stock of heresy. All our adversaries must perish 
 with him, and in such a manner as shall best attest the 
 vengeance of Heaven. Placed beneath the Parliament 
 House, a mine of powder shall hurl its heretical occupants 
 into the air, — nor shall any one survive the terrible 
 explosion. Are we all agreed to this plan ? " 
 
 All the conspirators expressed their assent, except Sir 
 Everard Digby. 
 
 " Before I give my concurrence to the measure," ob- 
 served the latter, "I would fain be resolved by Father 
 Garnet whether it is lawful to destroy some few of our 
 own faith with so many heretics." 
 
 " Unquestionably, my son," replied Garnet. " As in 
 besieging a city we have a right to kill all within it, 
 whether friends or enemies, so in this case we are justified
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 135 
 
 in destroying the innocent with the guilty, because tlieir 
 destruction will be advantageous to the Catholic cause." 
 
 " I am satisfied," replied Digby. 
 
 " As to the tyrant and apostate James," continued Gar- 
 net, "he is excommunicated, and his subjects released 
 from their allegiance. I have two breves sent over by 
 his holiness Pope Clement VIII. three years ago, one 
 directed to the clergy, and the other to the nobility of 
 this realm, wherein, alluding to Queen Elizabeth, it is 
 expressly declared that, ' so soon as that miserable woman 
 should depart out of this life, none shall be permitted to 
 ascend the throne, how near soever in proximity of blood, 
 unless they are such as will not only tolerate the Catholic 
 faith, but in every way support it.' By this brief, James 
 is expressly excluded. He has betrayed, not supported 
 the Church of Rome. Having broken his word with us, 
 and oppressed our brethren more rigorously even than 
 his predecessor, the remorseless Elizabeth, he is unworthy 
 longer to reign, and must be removed." 
 
 " He must," reiterated the conspirators. 
 
 " The Parliament House being the place where all the 
 mischief done us has been contrived by our adversaries, 
 it is fitting that it should be the place of their chastise- 
 ment," remarked Catesby. 
 
 " Doubtless," rejoined Ambrose Rookwood. 
 
 " Yet if the blow we meditate should miscarry," ob- 
 served Thomas Winter, "the injury to the Catholic 
 religion will be so great, that not only our enemies, but 
 our very friends will condemn us." 
 
 " There is no chance of miscarriage, if we are true to 
 each other," returned Catesby, confidently. "And if I 
 suspected any one of treachery, I would plunge my swojd 
 into his bosom, were he my brother." 
 
 " You would do wrong to act thus on mere suspicion," 
 remarked Tresham, who stood near him. 
 
 " In a case like this, he who gives the slightest ground 
 for doubt would merit death," replied Catesby, sternly ; 
 "and I would slay him."
 
 136 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " ITum ! " exclaimed Tresham, uneasily. 
 
 "Mr. Catesby will now perhaps inform us what has 
 been done to carry the project into effect?" inquired Sir 
 Everard Digby. 
 
 " A small habitation has been taken by one of our con- 
 federates, Mr. Thomas Percy, immediately adjoining the 
 Parliament House," replied Catesby, " from the cellar of 
 which it is proposed to dig a mine through the wall of 
 the devoted building, and to deposit within it a sufficient 
 quantity of gunpowder and other combustibles to accom- 
 plish our purpose. This mine must be digged by our- 
 selves, as we can employ no assistants, and will be a 
 laborious and dangerous task. But I for one will cheer- 
 fully undertake it." 
 
 "And I," said the elder Wright. 
 
 " And I," cried several others. 
 
 " Supposing the mine digged, and the powder de- 
 posited," observed Ambrose Rookwood, "whose hand 
 will fire the train ? " 
 
 " Mine 1 " cried Guy Fawkes, throwing open the door. 
 As soon as he had spoken, he retired and closed it after 
 him. 
 
 " He will keep his word," remarked Garnet. " He is of 
 a nature so resolute that he would destroy himself with 
 the victims rather than fail. Catiline was not a bolder 
 conspirator than Guy Fawkes." 
 
 " Well, gentlemen," observed Catesby, " we are now at 
 the latter end of July. All must be ready against the 
 meeting of Parliament in November." 
 
 "There is some likelihood, I hear, that the meeting of 
 the house will be prorogued till February," remarked 
 Tresham. 
 
 " So much the better," rejoined Catesby, " it will give 
 us more time for preparation." 
 
 " So much the worse, I think," cried Ambrose Rook- 
 wood, " Delays are ever dangerous, and doubly danger- 
 ous in a case like ours." 
 
 " I urn far from desiring to throw any impediment in
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 137 
 
 the way of our design," observed Sir Everard Digby, " but 
 I would recommend, before we proceed to this terrible 
 extremity, that one last effort should be made to move 
 the King in our behalf." 
 
 " It is useless," replied Catesby. " So far from tolera- 
 tion, he meditates severer measures against us ; and, I am 
 well assured, if Parliament is allowed to meet, such laws 
 will be passed as will bring all of us within premunire. 
 No, no. We have no hope from James, nor his minis- 
 ters." 
 
 " Nor yet from France or Spain," observed Thomas 
 Winter. "In my conference with the Constable Velasco 
 at Bergen, I received assurance of the good-will of Philip 
 towards us, but no distinct promise of interference in our 
 behalf. The Archduke Albert is well disposed, but he 
 can render no assistance. We must depend upon our- 
 selves." 
 
 " Ay, marry, must we," replied Catesby, " and fortunate 
 is it that we have devised a plan by which we can accom- 
 plish our purpose unaided. We only require funds to 
 follow up with effect the blow we shall strike." 
 
 " My whole fortune shall be placed at your disposal," 
 replied Sir Everard Digby. 
 
 " Part of mine has already been given," said Tresham, 
 " and the rest shall follow." 
 
 " Would I had aught to peril in the matter except my 
 life," said Catesby. " I would throw everything upon the 
 stake." 
 
 " You do enough in venturing thus much, my son," 
 rejoined Garnet. "To you the whole conduct of the 
 enterprise is committed." 
 
 " I live for nothing else," replied Catesby, " and if I 
 see it successful, I shall have lived long enough." 
 
 " Cannot Sir William Radcliffe be induced to join us ? " 
 asked Rookwood. " He would be an important acqui- 
 sition, and his wealth would prove highly 8er\iceable." 
 
 " I have sounded him," answered Catesby. " But he 
 appears reluctant."
 
 138 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 « Be not satisfied with one attempt," urged Christopher 
 Wright. " The jeopardy in which he now stands may 
 make him cliange his mind." 
 
 " I am loth to interrupt the discussion," returned Garnet, 
 " but I think we liave tarried here long enough. We will 
 meet again at midnight, when I hope to introduce Sir 
 William Radcliffe to you as a confederate." 
 
 The party then separated, and Garnet went in search 
 of the knight. 
 
 Ascertaining that he was in his own chamber, he pro- 
 ceeded thither, and found him alone. Entering at once 
 upon the subject m hand. Garnet pleaded his cause with 
 so much zeal that he at last wrung a reluctant consent 
 from the listener. Scarcely able to conceal his exulta- 
 tion, he then proposed to Sir William to adjourn with 
 him to the private chapel in the house, where, having 
 taken the oath, and received the sacrament upon it, he 
 should forthwith be introduced to the conspirators, and 
 the whole particulars of the plot revealed to him. To 
 this the knight, with some hesitation, agreed. As they 
 traversed a gallery leading to the chapel, they met 
 Viviana. For the first time in his life Radcliffe's gaze 
 sank before his daughter, and he would have passed her 
 without speaking had she not stopped him. 
 
 " Father ! dear father ! " she cried, " I know whither 
 you are going — and for what purpose. Do not — do not 
 join them." 
 
 Sir William Radcliffe made no reply, but endeavored 
 gently to push her aside. 
 
 She would not, however, be repulsed, but prostrating 
 herself before him, clasped his knees, and besought him 
 not to proceed. 
 
 Making a significant gesture to Sir William, Garnet 
 walked forward. 
 
 " Viviana," cried the knight, sternly, " my resolution is 
 taken. I command you to retire to your chamber." 
 
 So saying, he broke from her, and followed Garnet. 
 Clasping her hands to her brow, Viviana gazed for a mo-
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 139 
 
 merit with a frenzied look after him, and then rushed 
 from the gallery. 
 
 On reaching the chapel, Sir William, who had been 
 much shaken by this meeting, was some minutes in 
 recovering his composure. Garnet employed the time in 
 renewing his arguments, and with so much address that 
 he succeeded in quieting the scruples of conscience which 
 had been awakened in the knight's breast by his 
 daughter's warning. 
 
 " And now, my son," he said, " since you have deter- 
 mined to enroll your name in the list of those sworn to 
 deliver their church from oppression, take this primer in 
 your hand, and kneel down before the altar, while I ad- 
 minister the oath which is to unite you to us." 
 
 Garnet then advanced towards the altar, and Sir Wil- 
 liam was about to prostrate himself upon a cushion be- 
 side it, when the door was suddenly thrown open, and 
 Guy Fawkes strode into the chapel. 
 
 " Hold ! " he exclaimed, grasping Radcliffe's right arm, 
 and fixing his dark glance upon him; "you shall not 
 take that oath." 
 
 " What mean you ? " cried Garnet, who, as well as the 
 knight, was paralyzed with astonishment at this intru- 
 sion. " Sir William Radcliffe is about to join us." 
 
 " I know it," replied Fawkes ; " but it may not be. He 
 has no heart in the business, and will lend it no efficient 
 assistance. We are better without him, than with him." 
 
 As he spoke, he took the primer from the knight's 
 hand, and laid it upon the altar. 
 
 " This conduct is inexplicable," cried Garnet, angrily. 
 " You will answer for it to others, as well as to me." 
 
 "I will answer for it to all," replied Guy Fawkes. 
 "Let Sir William Radcliffe declare before me, and before 
 Heaven, that he approves the measure, and I am content 
 he should take the oath." 
 
 " I cannot belie my conscience by saying so," replied 
 the knight, who appeared agitated by conflicting emo- 
 tions.
 
 140 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " Yet you have promised to join us," cried Garnet, re- 
 proachfully, 
 
 " Better break that promise than a solemn oath," re- 
 joined Guy Fawkes, sternly. " Sir William Radcliffe, 
 there are reasons why you should not join this conspiracy, 
 Examine your inmost heart, and it will tell you what 
 they are." 
 
 " I understand you," replied the knight. 
 
 " Get hence," cried Garnet, unable to control his indig- 
 nation, " or I will pronounce our Church's most terrible 
 malediction against you." 
 
 " I shall not shrink from it, father," rejoined Fawkes, 
 humblj'', but firmly, " seeing I am acting rightly." 
 
 " Undeceive yourself, then, at once," returned Garnet, 
 " and learn that you are thwarting our great and holy 
 purpose." 
 
 " On the contrary," replied Fawkes, " I am promoting 
 it, by preventing one from joining it who will endanger 
 its success." 
 
 " You are a traitor ! " cried Garnet, furiously. 
 
 " A traitor ! " exclaimed Guy Fawkes, his eye blazing 
 with fierce luster, though his voice and demeanor were 
 unaltered, — " I, who have been warned thrice, — twice by 
 the dead, — and lastly by a vision from heaven, yet still 
 remain firm to my purjjose, — I, who have voluntarily em- 
 braced the most dangerous and difficult part of the enter- 
 prise, — I, who would suffer the utmost extremity of tor- 
 ture, rather than utter a word that should reveal it, — a 
 traitor ! No, father, I am none. If you think so, take 
 this sword and at once put an end to your doubts." 
 
 There was something so irresistible in the manner of 
 Guy Fawkes, that Garnet remained silent. 
 
 " Do with me what you please," continued Fawkes ; 
 " but do not compel Sir William Radcliffe to join the 
 conspiracy. He will be fatal to it," 
 
 " No one shall compel me to join it," replied the 
 knight, 
 
 " Perhaps it is better thus," returned Garnet, after a
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 141 
 
 pause, during which he was buried in reflection. " I will 
 urge you no further, my son. But before you depart you 
 must swear not to divulge what you have just learnt." 
 
 "Willingly," replied the knight. 
 
 "There is another person who must also take that 
 oath," said Guy Fawkes, "having accidentally become 
 acquainted with as much as yourself." 
 
 And stepping out of the chapel, he immediately after- 
 wards returned with Viviana. 
 
 " You will now understand why I would not allow Sir 
 "William to join the conspiracy," he observed to Garnet. 
 
 "I do," replied the latter, gloomily. 
 
 The oath administered, the knight and his daughter 
 quitted the chapel, accompanied by Guy Fawkes. Viviana 
 was profuse in her expressions of gratitude, nor was her 
 father less earnest in his acknowledgments. 
 
 A few hours after this, Sir William Radcliffe informed 
 Sir Everard Digby that it was his intention to depart 
 immediately, and, though the latter attempted to dis- 
 suade him by representing the danger to which he would 
 be exposed, he continued inflexible. The announcement 
 surprised both Catesby and Garnet, who were present 
 when it was made, and added their entreaties to those of 
 Digby — but without effect. Catesby's proposal to serve 
 as an escort was likewise refused by Sir William, who 
 said he had no fears, and when questioned as to his 
 destination, he returned an evasive answer. This sudden 
 resolution of the knight coupled with his refusal to join 
 the plot, alarmed the conspirators, and more than one 
 expressed fears of treachery. Sir Everard Digby, how- 
 ever, was not of the number, but asserted that Radcliffe 
 Avas a man of the highest honor, and he would answer 
 for his secrecy with his life. 
 
 "Will you answer for that of his daughter ? " demanded 
 Tresham. 
 
 " I will," replied Fawkes. 
 
 "To put the matter beyond a doubt," observed Catesby, 
 « I will set out shortly after him, and follow him unob*
 
 142 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 served till he halts for the night, and ascertain whether 
 he stops at any suspicious quarter." 
 
 "Do so, my son," replied Garnet. 
 
 "It is needless," observed Sir Everard Digby ; "but do 
 as you please." 
 
 By this time, Radcliffe's horses being brought round by 
 Ileydocke, he and his daughter took a hasty leave of their 
 friends. When they had been gone a few minutes, Cates- 
 by called for his steed ; and, after exchanging a word or 
 two with Garnet, rode after them. He had proceeded 
 about a couple of miles along a cross-road leading to Nant- 
 wich, which he learnt from some cottagers was the route 
 taken by the party before him, when he heard the tramp 
 of a horse in the rear, and, turning at the sound, beheld 
 Guy Fawkes. Drawing in the bridle, he halted till the 
 latter came up, and angrily demanded on what errand he 
 was ben 
 
 " My errand is the same as your own," replied Fawkes. 
 " I intend to follow Sir William Radcliffe, and, if need be, 
 defend him." 
 
 Whatever Catesby's objections might be to this com- 
 panionship, he did not think fit to declare them, and, 
 though evidently much displeased, suffered Guy Fawkes 
 to ride by his side without opposition. 
 
 Having gained the summit of the mountainous range 
 extending from Malpas to Tottenhall, whence they beheld 
 the party whose course they were tracking enter a narrow 
 lane at the foot of the hill, Catesby, fearful of losing sight 
 of them, set spurs to his steed. Guy Fawkes kept close 
 beside him, and they did not slacken their pace until they 
 reached the lane. 
 
 Having proceeded along it for a quarter of a mile, they 
 were alarmed by the sudden report of firearms, followed 
 by a loud shriek, which neither of them doubted was 
 uttered by Viviana. Again dashing forward, on turning a 
 corner of the road, they beheld the party surrounded by 
 half-a-dozen troopers. Sir William Radcliffe had shot one 
 ()f his assailants, and, assisted by Heydocke, was defend,-
 
 THE CONSPIRATORS. 143 
 
 ing himself bravely against the others. "With loud shouts, 
 Catesby and Guy Fawkes galloped towards the scene of 
 strife. But they were too late. A bullet pierced the 
 knight's brain ; and he no sooner fell, than, regardless of 
 himself, the old steward flung away his sword, and threw 
 himself, with the most j)iteous lamentations, on the body. 
 
 Viviana, meanwhile had been compelled to dismount, 
 and was in the hands of the troopers. On seeing her 
 father's fate, her shrieks were so heart-piercing, that even 
 her captors were moved to compassion. Fighting his way 
 towards her, Catesby cut down one of the troopers, and 
 snatching her from the grasp of the other, who was terri- 
 fied by the furious assault, placed her on the saddle beside 
 him, and striking spurs into his charger at the same mo- 
 ment, leapt the hedge, and made good his retreat. 
 
 This daring action, however, could not have been ac- 
 complished without the assistance of Guy Fawkes, who 
 warded off with his rapier all the blows aimed at him 
 and bis lovely charge. While thus engaged, he received 
 a severe cut on the head, which stretched him senseless 
 and bleeding beneath his horse's feet.
 
 144 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE PACKET. 
 
 On recovering from the effects of the wound he had re- 
 ceived from the trooper, Guy Fawkes found himself 
 stretched upon a small bed in a cottage, with Viviana and 
 Catesby watching beside him, A thick fold of linen was 
 bandaged round his head, and he Avas so faint from the 
 great effusion of blood he had sustained, that, after gazing 
 vacantly around him for a few minutes, and but imjjerfect- 
 ly comprehending what he beheld, his eyes closed, and he 
 relapsed into insensibility. Restoratives being applied, he 
 revived in a short time, and, in answer to his inquiries 
 how he came thither, was informed by Catesby that he 
 had been left for dead by his assailants, who, contenting 
 themselves with making the old steward prisoner, had 
 ridden off in the direction of Chester. 
 
 " What has become of Sir William Radcliffe ? " asked 
 the wounded man in a feeble voice. 
 
 Catesby raised his finger to his lips, and Fawkes learnt 
 the distressing nature of the question he had asked by the 
 agonizing cry that burst from Viviana. Unable to control 
 her grief, she withdrew, and Catesby then told him that 
 the body of Sir William Radcliffe was lying in an adjoin- 
 ing cottage, whither it had been transported from the 
 scene of the conflict ; adding that it was Viviana's earnest 
 desire that it should be conveyed to Manchester to the 
 family vault in the Collegiate Church ; but that he feared 
 her wish could not be safely complied with. A messen- 
 ger, however, had been despatched to Holt; and Sir 
 Everard Digby, and Fathers Garnet and Oldcorne, were 
 momentarily expected, when some course would be de- 
 cided upon for the disposal of the unfortunate knight's 
 remains,
 
 THE PACKET. I45 
 
 " Poor Viviana ! " groaned Fawkes. " She has now no 
 protector." 
 
 "Rest easy on that score," rejoined Catesby. "She 
 shall never want one while I live." 
 
 The wounded man fixed his eyes, now blazing with red 
 and unnatural light, inquiringly upon him, but he said 
 nothing. 
 
 " I know what you mean," continued Catesby ; " you 
 think I shall wed her, and you are in the right. I shall. 
 The marriage is essential to our enterprise ; and the only 
 obstacle to it is removed." 
 
 Fawkes attempted to reply, but his parched tongue re- 
 fused its office. Catesby arose, and carefully raising his 
 head, held a cup of water to his lips. The sufferer eager- 
 ly drained it, and would have asked for more ; but seeing 
 that the request would be refused, he left it unuttered. 
 
 " Have you examined my wound ? " he said, after a 
 pause. 
 
 Catesby answered in the affirmative. 
 
 " And do you judge it mortal ? " continued Fawkes. 
 " Not that I have any fear of Death. I have looked him 
 in the face too often for that. But I have somewhat on 
 my mind which I would fain discharge before my earthly 
 pilgrimage is ended." 
 
 " Do not delay it then," rejoined the other. " Knowing 
 I speak to a soldier, and a brave one, I do not hesitate to 
 tell you your hours are numbered." 
 
 " Heaven's will be done ! " exclaimed Fawkes, in a tone 
 of resignation. " I thought myself destined to be one of 
 the chief instruments of the restoration of our holy relig- 
 ion. But I find I was mistaken. When Father Garnet 
 arrives, I beseech you let me see him instantly. Or, if he 
 should not come speedily, entreat Miss Radcliffe to grant 
 me a few moments in private." 
 
 " Wliy not unburthen yourself to me ? " returned 
 Catesby, distrustfully. " In your circumstances I should 
 desire no better confessor than a brother soldier, — no 
 other crucifix than a sword-hilt."
 
 146 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 "Nor I," rejoined Fawkes. " But this is no confession 
 I am about to make. What I have to say relates to 
 others, not to myself." 
 
 " Indeed ! " exclaimed Catesby. " Then there is the 
 more reason why it should not be deferred. I hold it my 
 duty to tell you that the fever of your wound will, in all 
 probability, produce delirium. Make your communication 
 while your senses remain to you. And whatever you 
 enjoin shall be rigorously fulfilled." 
 
 " Will you swear this ? " cried Fawkes, eagerly. But 
 before an answer could be returned, he added, in an 
 altered tone, " No, — no, — it cannot be." 
 
 " This is no time for anger," rejoined Catesby, sternly, 
 " or I should ask whether you doubt the assurance I have 
 given you ? " 
 
 " I doubt nothing but your compliance with my re- 
 quest," returned Fawkes. " And oh ! if you hope to be 
 succored at your hour of need, tell Miss Radcliife I 
 desire to speak with her." 
 
 "The message will not need to be conveyed," said 
 Viviana, who had noiselessly entered the room ; " she is 
 here." 
 
 Guy Fawkes turned his gaze in the direction of the 
 voice; and, notwithstanding his own deplorable condi- 
 tion, he was filled with concern at the change wrought in 
 her appearance by the terrible shock she had undergone. 
 Her countenance was as pale as death, — her eyes, from 
 which no tears would flow, as is ever the case with the 
 deepest distress, were glassy and lusterless, — her luxuri- 
 ant hair hung in disheveled masses over her shoulders, 
 — and her attire was soiled and disordered. 
 
 " You desire to speak with me," she continued, advanc- 
 ing towards the couch of the wounded man. 
 
 « It must be alone," he replied. 
 
 Viviana glanced at Catesby, who reluctantly arose, and 
 closed the door after him. " We are alone now," she said. 
 
 " Water 1 water ! " gasped the sufferer, " or I perish." 
 His request being complied with, he continued in a low
 
 THE PACKET. I47 
 
 solemn voice, " Viviana, you have lost the dearest friend 
 you had on earth, and you will soon lose one who, if he 
 had been spared, would have endeavored, as far as he 
 could, to rej^air the loss. I say not this to aggravate 
 your distress, but to prove the sincerity of my regard. 
 Let me conjure you, with my dying breath, not to wed 
 Mr. Catesby." 
 
 " Fear it not," replied Viviana. " I would rather en- 
 dure death than consent to do so." 
 
 " Be upon your guard against him, then," continued 
 Fawkes. " When an object is to be gained, he suffers 
 few scruples to stand in his way." 
 
 *' I am well aware of it," replied Viviana ; " and on the 
 arrival of Sir Everard Digby, I shall place myself under 
 his protection." 
 
 " Should you be driven to extremity," said Fawkes, 
 taking a small packet from the folds of his doublet, 
 " break open this ; it will inform you what to do. Only 
 promise me you will not have recourse to it till all other 
 means have failed." 
 
 Viviana took the packet, and gave the required prom- 
 ise. 
 
 " Conceal it about your person, and guard it carefully," 
 continued Fawkes ; " for you know not when you may 
 require it. And now, having cleared my conscience, I 
 can die easily. Let me have your prayers." 
 
 Viviana knelt down by the bedside, and poured forth 
 the most earnest supplications in his behalf. 
 
 " Perhaps," she said, as she arose, " and it is some con- 
 solation to think so, — you may be saved by death from 
 the commission of a great crime, which would forever 
 have excluded you from the joys of heaven." 
 
 " Say rather," cried Guy Fawkes, whose brain began to 
 wander, " which would have secured them to me. Others 
 will achieve it ; but I shall have no share in their glory, 
 or their reward." 
 
 " Their reward will be perdition in this world and in 
 the next," rejoined Viviana. " I repeat, that though I
 
 148 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 deeply deplore your condition, I rejoice in your delivery 
 from this sin. It is better — far better — to die thius, than 
 by the hands of the common executioner." 
 
 " What do I see ? " cried Guy Fawkes, trying to raise 
 himself, and sinking back again instantly upon the pillow. 
 " Elizabeth Orton rises before me. She beckons me after 
 her — I come ! — I come ! " 
 
 " Heaven pity him I " cried Viviana. " His senses have 
 left him 1 " 
 
 " She leads me into a gloomy cavern," continued 
 Fawkes, more wildly ; " but my eyes are like the wolf's, 
 and can penetrate the darkness. It is filled with barrels 
 of gunpowder. I see them ranged in tiers, one above 
 another. Ah ! I know where I am now. It is the vault 
 beneath the Parliament House. The King and his nobles 
 are assembled in the hall above. Lend me a torch, that I 
 may fire the train, and blow them into the air. Quick 1 
 quick ! I have sworn their destruction, and will keep my 
 oath! What matter if I perish with them ? Give me the 
 torch, I say, or it will be too late. Is the powder damp 
 that it will not kindle ? And see ! the torch is expiring— 
 it is gone out ! Distraction ! — to be baffled thus ! Why 
 do you stand and glare at me Avith your stony eyes ? Who 
 are those with you ? Fiends ! — no ! they are armed men. 
 They seize me — they drag me before a grave assemblage. 
 What is that hideous engine? The rack ! — Bind me on 
 it — break every limb — ye shall not force me to confess — 
 ha ! ha I I laugh at your threats — ha ! ha ! " 
 
 " Mother of mercy ! release him from this torture ! " 
 cried Viviana. 
 
 " So ! ye have condemned me," continued Fawkes, " and 
 will drag me to execution. Well, well, I am prepared. 
 But what a host is assembled to see me ! Ten thousand 
 faces are turned towards me, and all with one abhorrent 
 bloodthirsty expression. And what a scaffold ! Get it 
 done quickly, thou butcherly villain. The rope is twisted 
 round my throat in serpent folds. It strangles me — 
 ahl"
 
 THE PACKET. 149 
 
 « Horror ! " exclaimed Viviana. « I can listen to thig 
 no longer. Help, Mr. Catesby, help 1 " 
 
 " The knife is at my breast — it pierces my flesh my 
 
 heart is torn forth— I die I I die 1 " And he uttered a 
 dreadful groan. 
 
 "What has happened?" cried Catesby, rushing into 
 the room. « Is he dead ? " 
 
 " I fear so," replied Viviana ; « and his end has been a 
 fearful one." 
 
 «No — no," said Catesby; "his pulse still beats— but 
 fiercely and feverishly. You had better not remain here 
 longer, Miss RadclLffe. I will watch over him. All will 
 soon be over." 
 
 Aware that she could be of no further use, Viviana cast 
 a look of the deepest commiseration at the sufferer, and 
 retired. The occupant of the cottage, an elderly female, 
 had surrendered all the apartments of her tenement, ex- 
 cept one small room, to her guests, and she was therefore 
 undisturbed. The terrible event which had recently oc- 
 curred, and the harrowing scene she had just witnessed, 
 were too much for Viviana, and her anguish was so in- 
 tense, that she began to fear her reason was deserting her. 
 She stood still, — gazed fearfully around, as if some secret 
 danger environed her, — clasped her hands to her temples, 
 and found them burning like hot iron, — and, then, 
 alarmed at her own state, knelt down, prayed, and wept. 
 Yes ! she wept, for the first time, since her father's de- 
 struction, and the relief afforded by those scalding tears 
 was inexpressible. 
 
 From this piteous state she was aroused by the tramp 
 of horses at the door of the cottage, and the next moment 
 Father Garnet presented himself. 
 
 " How uncertain are human affairs ! " he said, after 
 a sorrowful greeting had passed between them. " I 
 little thought, when we parted yesterday, we should 
 meet again so soon, and under such afflicting circum- 
 stances." 
 
 «It is the will of Heaven, father," replied Viviana,
 
 150 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " and we must not murmur at its decrees, but bear our 
 chastening as we best may." 
 
 " I am happy to find vqu in such a comfortable frame of 
 mind, dear daughter, I feared the effect of the shock upon 
 your feelings. But I am glad to find you bear up against 
 it so well." 
 
 " I am surprised at my own firmness, father," replied 
 Viviana, " But I have been schooled in affliction. I have 
 no tie left to bind me to the world, and shall retire from 
 it, not only without regret, but with eagerness." 
 
 « Say not so, dear daughter," replied Garnet. " You 
 have, I trust, much happiness in store for you ; and when 
 the sharpness of your aifliction is worn off, you will view 
 your condition in a more cheering light." 
 
 « Impossible ! " she cried, mournfully. " Hope is wholly 
 extinct in my breast. But I will not contest the point. 
 Is not Sir Everard Digby with you ? " 
 
 " He is not, daughter," replied Garnet, " and I will ex- 
 plain to you wherefore. Soon after your departure yes- 
 terday, the mansion we occupied at Holt was attacked by 
 a band of soldiers, headed by Miles Topcliffe, one of the 
 most unrelenting of our persecutors ; and though they 
 were driven off with some loss, yet, as there was every 
 reason to apprehend they would return with fresh force. 
 Sir Everard judged it prudent to retreat ; and accordingly 
 he and his friends, with all their attendants, except those 
 he has sent with me, have departed for Buckingham- 
 shire." 
 
 " Where, then, is Father Oldcorne ? " inquired Viviana. 
 
 « Alas ! daughter," rejoined Garnet, " I grieve to say 
 he is a prisoner. Imprudently exposing himself during 
 the attack, he was seized and carried off' by Topcliffe and 
 his myrmidons." 
 
 " How true is the saying that misfortunes never come 
 single!" sighed Viviana. "I seem bereft of all I hold 
 dear." 
 
 " Sir Everard has sent four of his trustiest servants 
 with me," remarked Garnet. " They are well armed, and
 
 THE PACKET. 151 
 
 will attend you wherever you choose to lead them. He 
 has also furnished me with a sum of money for your 
 use." 
 
 "He is most kind and considerate," replied Viviana. 
 "And now, father," she faltered, "there is one subject 
 which it is necessary to speak upon ; and, though I shrink 
 from it, it must not be postponed." 
 
 " I guess what you mean, daughter," said Garnet, 
 sympathizingly ; " you allude to the interment of Sir 
 William Radcliffe. Is the body here ? " 
 
 "It is in an adjoining cottage," replied Viviana in a 
 broken voice. " I have already expressed my wish to Mr. 
 Catesby to have it conveyed to Manchester, to our family 
 vault." 
 
 "I see not how that can be accomplished, dear 
 daughter," replied Garnet ; " but I will confer with Mr. 
 Catesby on the subject. " Where is he ? " 
 
 " In the next room, by the couch of Guy Fawkes, who 
 is dying," said Viviana. 
 
 " Dying ! " echoed Garnet, starting. " I heard he was 
 dangerously hurt, but did not suppose the wound would 
 prove fatal. Here is another grievous blow to the good 
 cause." 
 
 At this moment the door was opened by Catesby. 
 
 " How is the sufferer ? " asked Garnet. 
 
 " A slight change for the better appears to have taken 
 place," answered Catesby. " His fever has in some degree 
 abated, and he has sunk into a gentle slumber." 
 
 " Can he be removed with safety ? " inquired Garnet ; 
 " for, I fear, if he remains here, he will fall into the hands 
 of Topcliffe and his crew, who are scouring the country 
 in every direction." And he recapitulated all he had just 
 stated to Viviana. 
 
 Catesby was for some time lost in reflection. 
 
 " I am fairly perplexed as to what course it will be best 
 to pursue," he said. " Dangers and difficulties beset us 
 on every side. I am inclined to yield to Viviana's request^ 
 and proceed to Manchester."
 
 152 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 « That will be rushing into the very face of danger,'* 
 observed Garnet. 
 
 " And, therefore, may be the safest plan," replied Cates- 
 by. " Our adversaries will scarcely suspect us of so des- 
 perate a step." 
 
 " Perhaps you are in the right, my son," returned 
 Garnet, after a moment's reflection. "At all events, I 
 bow to your judgment." 
 
 " The plan is too much in accordance with my own 
 wishes to meet with any opposition on my part," observed 
 Viviana. 
 
 "Will you accompany us, father?" asked Catesby; 
 "or do you proceed to Gothurst?" 
 
 " I will go with you, my son. Viviana will need a pro- 
 tector. And, till I have seen her in some place of safety, 
 I will not leave her." ^ 
 
 " Since we have come to this determination," rejoined 
 Catesby, " as soon as the needful preparations can be made, 
 and Guy Fawkes has had some hours' repose, we will set 
 out. Under cover of night we can travel with security ; 
 and, by using some exertion, may reach Ordsall Hall, 
 whither, I presume, Viviana would choose to proceed, in 
 the first instance, before daybreak." 
 
 " I am well mounted, and so are my attendants," re- 
 plied Garnet ; " and, by the provident care of Sir Everard 
 Digby, each of them has a led horse with him." 
 
 "That is well," said Catesby. "And now, Viviana, 
 may I entreat you to take my place for a short time by 
 the couch of the sufferer. In a few hours everything 
 shall be in readiness." 
 
 He then retired with Garnet, while Viviana proceeded 
 to the adjoining chamber, where she found Guy Fawkes 
 still slumbering tranquilly. 
 
 As the evening advanced, he awoke, and appeared much 
 refreshed. While he was speaking, Gai-net and Catesby 
 approached his bedside, and he seemed overjoyed at the 
 sight of the former. The subject of the journey being 
 mentioned to him, he at once expressed his ready compli-
 
 THE PACKET. I53 
 
 ance with the arrangement, and only desired that the last 
 rites of his church might be performed for him before he 
 set out. 
 
 Garnet informed him that he had come for that very- 
 purpose ; and as soon as they were left alone, he pro- 
 ceeded to the discharge of his priestly duties, confessed 
 and absolved him, giving him the viaticum and the ex- 
 treme unction. And, lastly, he judged it expedient to 
 administer a powerful opiate, to lull the pain of his wound 
 on the journey. 
 
 This done, he summoned Catesby, who, with two of 
 the attendants, raised the couch on which the wounded 
 man was stretched, and conveyed him to the litter. So 
 well was this managed, that Fawkes sustained no injury, 
 and little inconvenience, from the movement. Two strong 
 country vehicles had been procured ; the one containing 
 the wounded man's litter, the other the shell, which had 
 been hastily put together, to hold the remains of the 
 unfortunate Sir William Radcliffe. Viviana being placed 
 in the saddle, and Catesby having liberally rewarded the 
 cottagers who had afforded them shelter, the little caval- 
 cade was put in motion. In this way they journeyed 
 through the night; and shaping their course through 
 Tarporley, Northwich, and Altringham, arrived at day- 
 break in the neighborhood of Ordsall HalL
 
 154 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE ELIXIR. 
 
 On beholding the well-remembered roof and gables of 
 the old mansion peeping from out the grove of trees in 
 which it was embosomed, Viviana's heart died away 
 within her. The thought that her father, who had so 
 recently quitted it in the full enjoyment of health, and of 
 every worldly blessing, should be so soon brought back a 
 corpse, was almost too agonizing for endurance. Reflect- 
 ing, however, that this was no season for the indulgence 
 of grief, but that she was called upon to act with firm- 
 ness, she bore up resolutely against her emotion. 
 
 Arrived within a short distance of the Hall, Catesby 
 caused the little train to halt under the shelter of the 
 trees, while he rode forward to ascertain that they could 
 safely approach it. As he drew near, everything pro- 
 claimed that the hand of the spoiler had been there. 
 Crossing the drawbridge, he entered the court, which 
 bore abundant marks of the devastation recently com- 
 mitted. Various articles of furniture, broken, burnt, or 
 otherwise destroyed, were lying scattered about. The 
 glass in the windows was shivered ; the doors forced 
 from their hinges ; the stone-copings of the walls pushed 
 off; the flower-beds trampled upon; the moat itself was 
 in some places choked up with rubbish, while in others 
 its surface was covered with floating pieces of timber. 
 
 Led by curiosity Catesby proceeded to the spot where 
 the stables had stood. Nothing but a heap of blackened 
 ruins met his gaze. Scarcely one stone was standing on 
 another. The appearance of the place was so desolate 
 and disheartening, that he turned away instantly. Leav- 
 ing his horse in a shed, he entered the house. Here, again, 
 he encountered fresh ravages. The oak-panels and skirt-
 
 THE ELIXIR. 155 
 
 ing-boards were torn from the walls ; the ceilings pulled 
 down ; and the floor lay inch-deep in broken plaster and 
 dust. On ascending to the upper rooms, be found the 
 same disorder. The banisters of the stairs were broken ; 
 the bedsteads destroyed ; the roof partially untiled. 
 Every room was thickly strewn with leaves torn from 
 valuable books, ^vith fragments of apparel, and other 
 articles, which the searchers not being able to carry off 
 had wantonly destroyed. 
 
 Having contemplated this scene of havoc for some time, 
 with feelings of the bitterest indignation, Catesby de- 
 scended to the lowest story; and, after searching ineffect- 
 ually for the domestics, was about to depart, when, turn- 
 ing suddenly, he perceived a man watching him from an 
 adjoining room. Catesby instantly called to him ; but, 
 seeing that the fellow disregarded his assurances, and 
 was about to take to his heels, he drew his sword, and 
 threatened him with severe punishment if he attempted 
 to fly. Thus exhorted, the man — who was no other than 
 the younger Heydocke — advanced towards him ; and 
 throwing himself at his feet, begged him in the most pit- 
 eous terms to do him no injury. 
 
 "I have already told you I am a friend," replied 
 Catesby, sheathing his sword. 
 
 " Ah ! Mr. Catesby, is it you I behold ? " cried Martin 
 Heydocke, whose fears had hitherto prevented him from 
 noticing the features of the intruder. "What brings 
 your worship to this ill-fated house ? " 
 
 " First let me know if there is any enemy about ? " re- 
 plied Catesby. 
 
 " None that I am aware of," rejoined Martin. " Hav- 
 ing ransacked the premises, and done all the mischief they 
 could, as you perceive, the miscreants departed the day 
 before yesterday, and I have seen nothing of them since, 
 though I have been constantly on the watch. The only 
 alarm I have had was that occasioned by your worship 
 just now." 
 
 " Are you alone here ? " demanded Catesby.
 
 156 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " No, your worship," answered Martin. " There are 
 several of the servants concealed in a secret passage 
 under the house. But they are so terrified by what has 
 lately happened, that they never dare show themselves, 
 except during the night-time." 
 
 « I do not wonder at it," replied Catesby. 
 
 " And now may I inquire whether your worship brings 
 any tidings of Sir William Radcliffe and Mistress 
 Viviana ? " rejoined Martin. " I hope no ill has befallen 
 them. My father, old Jerome Ileydocke, set out to Holy- 
 well a few days ago, to apprise them of their danger, and 
 I have not heard of them since." 
 
 « Sir William Radcliffe is dead," replied Catesby. 
 "The villains have murdered him. Your father is a 
 prisoner." 
 
 " Alas ! alas ! " cried the young man, bursting into 
 tears ; " these are fearful times to live in. What will 
 become of us all ? " 
 
 " We must rise against the oppressor," replied Catesby, 
 sternly. " Bite the heel that tramples upon us." 
 
 " We must," rejoined JMartin. " And if my poor arm 
 could avail, it should not be slow to strike." 
 
 " Manfully resolved ! " cried Catesby, who never lost an 
 opportunity of gaining a proselyte. " I will point out to 
 you a way by which you may accomplish what you desire. 
 But we will talk of this hereafter. Hoard up your 
 vengeance till the fitting moment for action arrives." 
 
 He then proceeded to explain to the young man, who 
 was greatly surprised by the intelligence, that Viviana 
 was at hand, and that the body of Sir William had been 
 brought thither for interment in the family vault at the 
 Collegiate Church. Having ascertained that there was a 
 chamber, which, having suffered less than the others, 
 might serve for Viviana's accommodation, Catesby re- 
 turned to the party. 
 
 A more melancholy cavalcade has been seldom seen 
 than now approached the gates of Ordsall Hall. First 
 rode Viviana, in an agony of tears, for her grief had by
 
 THE ELIXIR. 157 
 
 this time become absolutely uncontrollable, with Catesby 
 on foot, leading her horse. Next came Garnet, greatly 
 exhausted and depressed; his eyes cast dejectedly on the 
 ground. Then came the litter, containing Guy Favvkes; 
 and, lastly, the vehicle with the body of Sir William Rad- 
 cliffe. On arriving at the gate, Viviana was met by two 
 female servants, whom Martin Heydocke had summoned 
 from their hiding-places; and, as soon as she had dis- 
 mounted, she was supported, for she was scarcely able to 
 walk unaided, to the chamber destined for her reception. 
 This done, Catesby proceeded, with some anxiety, to super- 
 intend the removal of Fawkes, who was perfectly insensible. 
 His wound had bled considerably during the journey ; 
 but the effusion had stopped when the faintness su- 
 pervened. He was placed in one of the lower rooms till 
 a sleeping-chamber could be prepared for him. The last 
 task was to attend to the remains of the late unfortunate 
 possessor of the mansion. By Catesbj^'s directions a large 
 oak table, once occupying the great hall, was removed to 
 the Star Chamber, already described as the principal 
 room of the house ; and, being securely propped up, — for, 
 like the rest of the furniture, it had been much damaged 
 by the spoilers, though, being of substantial material, it 
 offered greater resistance to their efforts, — the shell con- 
 taining the body was i^laced upon it. 
 
 " Better he should lie thus," exclaimed Catesby, when 
 the melancholy office was completed, " than live to wit- 
 ness the wreck around him. Fatal as are these occur- 
 rences," he added, pursuing the train of thought suggested 
 by the scene, "they are yet favorable to my purpose. 
 The only person who could have prevented my union 
 with Viviana Radcliffe — her father — lies there. Who 
 would have thought when she rejected my proposal a few 
 days ago, in this verv room, how fortune would conspire 
 — and by what dark and inscrutable means — to bring 
 it about ! Fallen as it is, this house is not yet fallen so 
 low, but I can reinstate it. Its young mistress mine, 
 her estates mine, — for she is now inheritress of all her
 
 168 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 father's possessions, — the utmost reach of my ambition 
 were gained, and all but one object of my life — for which 
 I have dared so much, and struggled so long — achieved ! " 
 
 " What are you thinking of, my son ? " asked Garnet, 
 who had watched the changing expression of his somber 
 countenance, — "what are you thinking of?" he said, 
 tapping him on the shoulder. 
 
 "Of that which is never absent from my thoughts, 
 father — the great design," replied Catesby ; " and of the 
 means of its accomplishment, which this sad scene 
 Siiggests." 
 
 " I do not understand you, my son," rejoined the 
 other. 
 
 " Does not Radcliffe's blood cry aloud for vengeance ? " 
 continued Catesby ; " and think you his child will be deaf 
 to the cry ? No, father, she will no longer tamely submit 
 to wrongs that would steel the gentlest bosom, and 
 make fi/m the feeblest arm, but will go hand and heart 
 with us in our project. Viviana must be mine," he added, 
 altering his tone, " ours, I should say, — for, if she is mine, 
 all the vast possessions that have accrued to her by her 
 father's death shall be devoted to the furtherance of the 
 mighty enterprise." 
 
 " I cannot think she will refuse you now, my son," re- 
 plied Garuet. 
 
 " She shall not refuse me, father," rejoined Catesby. 
 " The time is gone by for idle wooing." 
 
 " I will be no party to forcible measures, my son," re- 
 turned Garnet, gravely. " As far as persuasion goes, I 
 will lend you every assistance in my power, but nothing 
 further." 
 
 " Persuasion is all that will be required, I am assured, 
 father," answered Catesby, hastily, perceiving he had 
 committed himself too far. " But let us now see what 
 can be done for Guy Fawkes." 
 
 " Would there was any hope of his life ! " exclaimed 
 Garnet, sighing deeply. " In losing him, we lose the 
 bravest of our band."
 
 THE ELIXIR. 159 
 
 " We do," returned Catesby. « And yet he has been 
 subject to strange fancies of late." 
 
 " He has been appalled, but never shaken," rejoined 
 Garnet. " Of all our number, you and he were the only 
 two upon whom I could rely. When he is gone, you 
 will stand alone." 
 
 Catesby made no reply, but led the way to the chamber 
 where the wounded man lay. He had regained his con- 
 sciousness, but was too feeble to speak. After such re- 
 storatives as were at hand had been administered, Catesby 
 was about to order a room to be fitted up for him, when 
 Viviana, whose anxiety for the sufferer had overcome her 
 affliction, made her appearance. On learning Catesby's 
 intentions, she insisted upon Fa wkes being removed to the 
 room allotted to her, which had not been dismantled like 
 the rest. Seeing it was in vain to oppose her, Catesby 
 assented, and the sufferer was accordingly carried thither, 
 and placed within the bed — a large antique piece of fur- 
 niture, hung with faded damask curtains. The room was 
 one of the oldest in the house, and at the further end 
 stood a small closet, approached by an arched doorway, 
 and fitted up with a hassock and crucifix, which, strange 
 to say, had escaped the ravages of the searchers. 
 
 Placed within the couch, Guy Fa wkes began to ramble 
 as before about the conspiracy ; and fearing his ravings 
 might awaken the suspicion of the servants, Catesby 
 would not suffer any of them to come near him, but ar- 
 ranged with Garnet to keep watch over him by turns. 
 By degrees, he became more composed ; and, after dozing 
 a little, opened his eyes, and, looking round, inquired 
 anxiously for his sword. At first, Catesby, who was 
 alone with him at the time, hesitated in his answer, but 
 seeing he appeared greatly disturbed, he showed him that 
 his hat, gantlets, and rapier were lying by the bedside. 
 
 "I am content," replied the wounded man, smiling 
 faintly ; " that sword has never left my side, waking or 
 sleeping, for twenty years. Let me grasp it once more — 
 perhaps for the last time."
 
 X60 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 Catesby handed him the weapon. He looked at it for a 
 few moments, and pressed the blade to his lips. 
 
 « Farewell, old friend ! " he said, a tear gathering in his 
 eye, " farewell ! Catesby," he added, as he resigned the 
 weapon to him, " I have one request to make. Let my 
 sword be buried with me." 
 
 " It shall," replied Catesby, in a voice suffocated by 
 emotion, for the request touched him where his stern 
 nature was most accessible ; " I will place it by you my- 
 self." 
 
 "Thanks!" exclaimed Fawkes. And soon after this, 
 he again fell into a slumber. 
 
 His sleep endured for some hours ; but his breathing 
 grew fainter and fainter, so that at the last it was scarcely 
 perceptible. A striking change had likewise taken place 
 in his countenance, and these signs convinced Catesby 
 he had not long to live. While he was watching him 
 with great anxiety, Viviana appeared at the door of the 
 chamber, and beckoned him out. Noiselessly obeying 
 the summons, and following her along the gallery, he 
 entered a room where he found Garnet. 
 
 " I have called you to say that a remedy has been sug- 
 gested to me by Martin Heydocke," observed Viviana, 
 « by which I trust Guy Fawkes may yet be saved." 
 
 " How ? " asked Catesby, eagerly. 
 
 " Doctor Dee, the warden of Manchester, of whom you 
 must have heard," she continued, " is said to possess an 
 elixir of such virtue, that a few drops of it will snatch 
 him who drinks them from the very jaws of death." 
 
 " I should not have suspected you of so much credulity, 
 Yiviana," replied Catesby ; " but grant that Doctor Dee 
 possesses this marvelous elixir — which for my own part 
 I doubt — how are we to obtain it ? " 
 
 " If you will repair to the college, and see hun, I doubt 
 not he will give it you," rejoined Viviana. 
 
 Catesby smiled incredulously. 
 
 " I have a claim upon Doctor Dee," she persisted, " which 
 I have never enforced. I will now use it. Show him
 
 THE ELIXIR. 161 
 
 this token," she continued, detaching a small ornament 
 from her neck ; " tell him you bring it from me, and I am 
 sure he will comply with your request." 
 
 "Your commands shall be obeyed, Viviana," replied 
 Catesby ; " but I frankly confess I have no faith in the 
 remedy." 
 
 " It is at least worth the trial, my son," observed Garnet. 
 " Doctor Dee is a wonderful person, and has made many 
 discoveries in medicine, as in other sciences, and this 
 marvelous specific may, for aught we know, turn out no 
 imposture." 
 
 " If such is your opinion," replied Catesby, " I will set 
 out at once. If it is to be tried at all, it must be without 
 delay. The poor sufferer is sinking fast." 
 
 "Go then," cried Viviana, "and heaven speed your mis- 
 sion ! If you could prevail upon Doctor Dee to visit the 
 wounded man in person, I should prefer it. Besides, I 
 have another request to make of him — but that will do 
 hereafter. Lose not a moment now." 
 
 " I will fly on the wings of the wind," replied Catesby. 
 " Heaven grant that when I return the object of our so- 
 licitude may not be past all human aid ! " 
 
 With this, he hurried to an outbuilding in which the 
 horses were placed, and choosing the strongest and fleet- 
 est from out their number, mounted, and started at full 
 gallop in the direction of Manchester ; nor did he relax 
 his speed until he reached the gates of the ancient College. 
 Hanging the bridle of his smoking steed to a hook in the 
 wall, he crossed the large quadrangular court ; and finding 
 the principal entrance open, passed the lofty room now 
 used as the refectory, ascended the flight of stone stairs 
 that conducts the modern visitor to the library, and was 
 traversing the long galleries communicating with it, and 
 now crowded with the learning of ages, bequeathed by 
 the benevolence of his rival, Humphrey Chetham, when 
 he encountered a grave but crafty-looking personage, in 
 a loose brown robe and Polish cap, who angrily demanded 
 his business.
 
 102 GtTY FAWKES. 
 
 Apologizing for the intrusion, Catesby was about to 
 explain, when a small oak door near them was partly- 
 opened, and an authoritative voice, from within, ex- 
 claimed, " Do not hinder him, Kelley. I know his busi- 
 ness, and will see him." 
 
 The seer made no further remark, but pointing to the 
 door, Catesby at once comprehended that it was Dee's 
 voice he had heard ; and, though somewhat startled by 
 the intimation that he was expected, entered the room. 
 He found the Doctor surrounded by his magical apparatus, 
 and slowly returning to the chair he had just quitted. 
 
 Without looking behind him to see whom he addressed, 
 Dee continued, "I have just consulted my show-stone, 
 and know why you are come hither. You bring a token 
 from Viviana Radcliffe." 
 
 "I do," replied Catesby, in increased astonishment. 
 « It is here." 
 
 " It is needless to produce it," replied Dee, still keep- 
 ing his back towards him. « I have seen it already. 
 Kelley," he continued, " I am about to set out for Ord- 
 sail Hall immediately. You must accompany nie." 
 
 " Amazement ! " cried Catesby. " Is the purpose of my 
 visit then really known to your reverence ? " 
 
 " You shall hear," rejoined Dee, facing him. " You have 
 a friend who is at the point of death, and having heard 
 that I possess an elixir of wonderful eflQcacy, are come in 
 quest of it." 
 
 " True," replied Catesby, utterly confounded. 
 
 "The name of that friend," pursued Dee, regarding 
 him fixedly, « is Guy Fawkes,— your own, Robert Cates- 
 by." 
 
 " I need no more to convince me, reverend sir," re- 
 joined Catesby, trembling, in spite of himself, " that all I 
 have heard of your wonderful powers falls far short of 
 the truth." 
 
 " You are but just in time," replied Dee, bowing gravely, 
 in acknowledgment of the compliment. " Another hour, 
 and it would have been too late."
 
 THE ELIXIR. 163 
 
 *' Then you think he will live ! " cried Catesby, eagerly. 
 
 " I am sure of it," replied Dee, " provided " 
 
 " Provided what ? " interrupted Catesby. " Is there 
 aught I can do to ensure his recovery ? " 
 
 " No," replied Dee, sternly. " I am debating within 
 myself whether it is Avorth while reviving him for a more 
 dreadful fate." 
 
 " What mean you, reverend sir ? " asked Catesby, a 
 shade passing over his countenance. 
 
 " You understand my meaning, and therefore need no 
 explanation," replied Dee. " Return to Ordsall Hall, and 
 tell Miss Radcliffe I will be there in an hour. Bid her 
 have no further fear. If the wounded man breathes when 
 I arrive, I will undertake to cure him. Add further, that 
 I know the other request she desires to make of me, and 
 that it is granted before it is asked. Farewell, sir, for a 
 short time." 
 
 On reachmg the court, Catesby expanded his chest, 
 shook his limbs, and exclaimed, " At length, I breathe 
 freely. The atmosphere of that infernal chamber smelt 
 so horribly of sulphur that it almost stifled me. Well, if 
 Doctor Dee has not dealings with the devil, man never 
 had! However, if he cures Guy Fawkes, I care not 
 whence the medicine comes from." 
 
 As he descended Smithy Bank, and was about to cross 
 the old bridge over the Irwell, he perceived a man riding 
 before him, who seemed anxious to avoid him. Struck 
 by this person's manner, he urged his horse into a quicker 
 pace, and being better mounted of the two, soon overtook 
 him, when to his surprise he found it was Martin Hey- 
 docke. 
 
 "What are you doing here, sirrah?" he demanded. 
 
 *'I have been sent by Mistress Viviana with a message 
 to Mr. Humphrey Chetham," replied the young man, in 
 great confusion. 
 
 " Indeed ! " exclaimed Catesby, angrily. " And how 
 dared you convey a message to him, without consulting 
 me on the subject?"
 
 164 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " I was not aware you were my master," replied Martin, 
 sulkily. " If I owe obedience to any one, it is to Mr. 
 Chethara, whose servant I am. But if Mistress Viviana 
 gives me a message to deliver, I will execute her com- 
 mands, whoever may be pleased or displeased." 
 
 " I did but jest, thou saucy knave," returned Catesby, 
 who did not desire to offend hira. " Here is a piece of 
 money for thee. Now, if it be no secret, what was Miss 
 Radcliffe's message to thy master ? " 
 
 " I know not what her letter contained," replied Martin ; 
 « but his answer was, that he would come to the hall at 
 midnight." 
 
 " It is well I ascertained this," thought Catesby, and he 
 added aloud, " I understood your master had been arrested 
 and imprisoned." 
 
 " So he was," replied Martin ; " but he had interest 
 enough with the Commissioners to Dvocure his liberation." 
 
 " Enough," replied Catesby ; and striking spurs into his 
 charger, he dashed off. 
 
 A quarter of an hour's hard riding brought him to the 
 hall, and, on arriving there, he proceeded at once to the 
 wounded man's chamber, where he found Viviana and 
 Garnet. 
 
 "Have you succeeded in your errand?" cried the 
 former, eagerly. " Will Doctor Dee come, or has he sent 
 the elixir ? " 
 
 " He will bring it himself," replied Catesby. 
 
 Viviana uttered an exclamation of joy, and the sound 
 appeared to reach the ears of the sufferer, for he stirred, 
 and groaned faintly. 
 
 " Doctor Dee desired me to tell you," continued Cates- 
 by, drawing Viviana aside, and speaking in a low tone, 
 " that your other request was granted." 
 
 Viviana looked surprised, and as if she did not clearly 
 understand him. 
 
 "Might he not refer to Humphrey Chetham?" re- 
 marked Catesby, somewhat maliciously. 
 
 « Ah I you have learnt from Martin Heydocke that I
 
 THE ELlxm. 165 
 
 have written to him," returned Viviana, blushing deeply. 
 " What I was about to ask of Doctor Dee had no refer- 
 ence to Humphrey Chetham. It was to request permis- 
 sion to privately inter my father's remains in our family 
 vault in the Collegiate Church. But how did he know I 
 had any request to make ? " 
 
 " That passes my comprehension," replied Catesby, 
 " unless he obtained his mformation from his familiar 
 spirits." 
 
 Shortly after this, Doctor Dee and Kelley arrived at the 
 hall. Catesby met them at the gate, and conducted thcDi 
 to the wounded man's chamber. Coldly saluting Garnet, 
 whom he eyed with suspicion, and bowing respectfully to 
 Viviana, the Doctor slowly advanced to the bedside. He 
 gazed for a short time at the wounded man, and folded 
 his arms thoughtfully upon his breast. The eyes of the 
 sufferer were closed, and his lips slightly apart, but no 
 breath seemed to issue from them. His bronzed com- 
 plexion had assumed the ghastly hue of death, and his 
 strongly-marked features had become fixed and rigid. 
 His black hair, stiffened and caked with blood, escaped 
 from the bandages around his head, and hung in elf locks 
 on the pillow. It was a piteous spectacle ; and Doctor 
 Dee appeared much moved by it. 
 
 " The worst is over," he muttered : " why recall the 
 spirit to its wretched tenement?" 
 
 " If you can save him, reverend sir, do not hesitate," 
 implored Viviana. 
 
 " I am come hither for that purpose," replied Dee ; 
 " but I must have no other witness to the experiment n^ 
 except yourself, and my attendant Kelley." 
 
 " I do not desire to be present, reverend sir," replied 
 Viviana ; " but I will retire into that closet, and pray that 
 your remedy may prevail." 
 
 " My prayers for the same end shall be offered in the 
 adjoining room," observed Garnet ; and taking Catesby's 
 arm, who seemed spellbound by curiosity, he dragged 
 him away.
 
 IQQ GUY FAWKES. 
 
 The door closed, and Viviana withdrew into tlie closet, 
 where she knelt down before the crucifix. Doctor Dee 
 seated himself on the bedside ; and taking a gourd-shaped 
 bottle, filled with a clear sparkling liquid, from beneath 
 his robe, he raised it to his eyes with his left hand, while 
 he placed his right on the wrist of the wounded man. In 
 this attitude he continued for a few seconds, while Kelley, 
 with his arms folded, likewise kept his gaze fixed on the 
 phial. At the expiration of that time, Dee, who had ap- 
 parently counted the pulsations of the sufferer, took out 
 the glass stopper from the bottle, the contents of which 
 diffused a pungent odor around ; and wetting a small 
 piece of linen with it, applied it to his temples. He then 
 desired Kelley to raise his head, and poured a few drops 
 down his throat. This done, he waited a few minutes, 
 and repeated the application. 
 
 " Look ! " he cried to Kelley. " The elixir already be- 
 gins to operate. His chest heaves. His limbs shiver. 
 That flush upon the cheek, and that dampness upon the 
 brow, denote that the animal heat is restored. A third 
 draught will accomplish the cure." 
 
 "I can already feel his heart palpitate," observed 
 Kelley, placing his hand on the patient's breast. 
 
 "Heaven be praised!" ejaculated Viviana, who had 
 suspended her devotions to listen. 
 
 « Hold him tightly," cried Dee to his assistant, " while 
 I administer the last draught. He may injure himself 
 by his struggles." 
 
 Kelley obeyed, and twined his arms tightly round the 
 wounded man. And fortunate it was that the precaution 
 was taken, for the elixir was no sooner poured down his 
 throat than his chest began to labor violently, his eyes 
 opened, and, raising himself bolt-upright, he struggled 
 violently to break from the hold imposed upon him. 
 This he would have effected, if Dee had not likewise lent 
 his aid to prevent him. 
 
 "This is, indeed, a wonderful sight!" cried Viviana, 
 who had (quitted the closet, and now gazed on, in awe
 
 THE ELIXIR. 1(57 
 
 and astonishment. " I can never be sufficiently thankful 
 to you, reverend sir." 
 
 " Give thanlcs to Ilim to whom alone they are due," re- 
 plied Dee. " Summon your friends. They may now 
 resume their posts. My task is accomplished." 
 
 Catesby and Garnet being called into the room, could 
 scarcely credit their senses when they beheld Guy Fawkes, 
 who by this time had ceased struggling, reclining on 
 Kelley's shoulder, and, except a certain wildness in the 
 eye and cadaverousness of hue, looking as he was wont 
 to do.
 
 168 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE COLLEGIATE CHUECH AT MANCHESTER. 
 
 Bidding Kelley remain with Guy Fawkes, Doctor Dee 
 signified to Viviana that he had a few words to say to 
 her in private before his departure, and leading the way 
 to an adjoining room, informed her that he was aware of 
 her desire to have her father's remains interred in tlie 
 Collegiate Church, and that, so far from opposing her in- 
 clinations, he would willingly accede to them, only rec- 
 ommending as a measure of prudence that the ceremonial 
 should be performed at night, and with as much secrecy 
 as possible. Viviana thanked him in a voice of much 
 emotion for his kindness, and entirely acquiesced in his 
 suggestion of caution. At the same time, she could not 
 help expressing her surprise that her thoughts should be 
 known to him. " Though, indeed," she added, " after the 
 wonderful exhibition I have just witnessed of your power, 
 I can scarcely suppose that any limits are to be placed 
 to it." 
 
 " Few things are hidden from me," replied Dee, with a 
 gratified smile ; " even the lighter matters of the heart, in 
 which I might be supposed to take little interest, do not 
 altogether elude my observation. In reference to this, 
 you will not, I am sure, be offended with me, Viviana, if 
 I tell you I have noticed with some concern the attach- 
 ment that has arisen between you and Humphrey 
 Chetham." 
 
 Viviana uttered an exclamation of surprise, and a deep 
 blush suffused her pallid cheeks. 
 
 " I am assuming the privilege of an old man with you, 
 Viviana," continued Dee, in a graver tone, "and I may 
 add, of an old friend, — for your lamented mother was one
 
 THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH AT MANCkESTER. 169 
 
 of my dearest and best friends, as you perchance called 
 to mind, when you sent me to-day, by Mr. Catesby, the 
 token I gave her years ago. You have done unwisely in 
 inviting Humphrey Chetham to come hither to-night." 
 
 " How so ? " she faltered. 
 
 " Because, if he keeps his appointment, fatal conse- 
 quences may ensue," answered Dee. " Your message has 
 reached the ears of one from whom, — most of all, — you 
 should have concealed it." 
 
 " Mr. Catesby has heard of it, I know," replied Vivian a. 
 " But you do not apprehend any danger from him ? " 
 
 " He is Chetham's mortal foe," rejoined Dee, " and will 
 slay him, if he finds an opportunity." 
 
 "You alarm me," she cried. "I will speak to Mr. 
 Catesby on the subject, and entreat him, as he values my 
 regard, to offer no molestation to his fancied rival." 
 
 " Fancied rival 1 " echoed Dee, raising his brows con- 
 temptuously. " Do you seek to persuade me that you do 
 not love Humphrey Chetham ? " 
 
 " Assuredly not," replied Viviana. " I freely acknowl- 
 edge my attachment to him. It is as strong as my aver- 
 sion to Mr Catesby. But the latter is aware that the 
 suit of his rival is as hopeless as his own." 
 
 " Explain yourself, I pray you ? " said Dee. 
 
 " My destiny is the cloister, — and this he well knows," 
 she rejoined. "As soon as my worldly affairs can be 
 arranged, I shall retire to the English nunnery at 
 Brussels, where I shall vow myself to Heaven." 
 
 " Such is your present intention," replied Dee. " But 
 you will never quit your own country." 
 
 " What shall hinder me ? " asked Viviana, uneasily. 
 
 " Many things," returned Dee. " Amongst others, this 
 meeting with your lover." 
 
 " Call him not by that name, I beseech you, reverend 
 sir," she rejoined. " Humphrey Chetham will never be 
 other to me than a friend." 
 
 " It may be," answered Dee. " But your destiny is not 
 the cloister."
 
 170 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 « For what am I reserved, then ? " demanded Viviana, 
 trembling. 
 
 *' All I dare tell you," he returned, " all it is needful 
 for you to know, is, that your future career is mixed up 
 with that of Guy Fawkes. But do not concern j^ourself 
 about what is to come. The present is sufficient to claim 
 your attention." 
 
 " True," replied Viviana ; " and my first object shall be 
 to despatch a messenger to Humphrey Chetham to pre- 
 vent him from coming hither." 
 
 " Trouble yourself no further on that score," returned 
 Dee. "I will convey the message to him. As regards 
 the funeral, it must take place without delay. I will be 
 at the south porch of the church with the keys at mid- 
 night, and Robert Burnell, the sexton, and another assist- 
 ant on whom I can depend, shall be in attendance. Though 
 it is contrary to my religious opinions and feelings to 
 allow a Romish priest to perform the service, I will not 
 interfere with Father Garnet. I owe your mother a deep 
 debt of gratitude, and will pay it to her husband and her 
 child." 
 
 " Thanks ! — in her name, thanks ! " cried Viviana, in a 
 voice suffocated by emotion. 
 
 " And now," continued Dee, " I would ask you one 
 further question. My art has made me acquainted that 
 a plot is hatching against the King and his Government 
 by certain of the Catholic party. Are you favorable to 
 the design ? " 
 
 " I am not," replied Viviana, firmly. " Nor can you 
 regard it with more horror than myself." 
 
 " I was sure of it," returned Dee. " Nevertheless, I am 
 glad to have my supposition confirmed from your own 
 mouth." 
 
 With this, he moved towards the door, but Viviana 
 arrested his departure. 
 
 " Stay, reverend sir," she cried with a look of great un- 
 easiness ; " if you are in possession of this dread secret, 
 the lives of my companions are in your power. You will
 
 THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH AT MANCHESTER. 171 
 
 not betray them. Or, if you deem it your duty to reveal 
 the plot to those endangered by it, you will give its con- 
 trivers timely warning." 
 
 " Fear nothing," rejoined Dee. " I cannot, were I so 
 disposed, interfere with the fixed purposes of fate. The 
 things revealed by my familiar spirits never pass my lips. 
 They are more sacred than the disclosures made to a priest 
 of your faith at the confessional. The bloody enterprise 
 on which these zealots are bent will fail. I have warned 
 Fawkes ; but my warning, though conveyed by the lips of 
 the dead, and by other means equally terrible, was un- 
 availing. I would warn Catesby and Garnet, but they 
 would heed me not. Viviana Radcliff e," he continued, in 
 a solemn voice, " you questioned me just now about the 
 future. Have you courage to make the same demand 
 from your dead father ? If so, I will compel his corpse to 
 answer you." 
 
 " Oh ! no — no," cried Viviana, horror-stricken ; " not 
 for worlds would I commit so impious an act. Gladly as 
 I would know what fate has in store for me, nothing 
 should induce me to purchase the knowledge at so dread- 
 ful a iH'ice." 
 
 " Farewell, then," rejoined Dee. " At midnight, at the 
 south porch of the Collegiate Church, I shall expect you." 
 
 So saying, he took his departure ; and, on entering the 
 gallery, he perceived Catesby hastily retreating. 
 
 " Aha ! " he muttered. " We have had a listener here. 
 Well, no matter. What he has heard may prove service- 
 able to him," 
 
 He then returned to the chamber occupied by Guy 
 Fawkes, and finding he had dropped into a deep and 
 tranquil sleep, motioned Kelley, who was standing by the 
 bedside watching his slumbers with folded arms, to follow 
 him, and bowing gravely to Garnet quitted the hall. 
 
 As he crossed the court, on his way to the drawbridge, 
 Catesby suddenly threw himself in his path, and laying 
 his hand upon his sword, cried in a menacing voice, — 
 *' Doctor Dee, neither you nor your companion shall quit
 
 1^2 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 the hall till you have solemnly sworn not to divnlge aught 
 pertaining to the plot, of which you have so mysteriously 
 obtained information." 
 
 «Is this my recompense for rescuing your comrade 
 from the jaws of death, sir ? " replied Dee, sternly. 
 
 « The necessity of the case must plead its excuse," re- 
 joined Catesby. " My own safety, and the safety of those 
 leagued with me, require that I should be peremptory in 
 my demand. Did I not owe you a large debt of gratitude 
 for your resuscitation of Guy Fawkes, I would have in- 
 sured your secrecy with your life. As it is, I will be con- 
 tent with your oath." 
 
 " Fool ! " exclaimed Dee, « stand aside or I ^vill compel 
 you to do so." 
 
 « Think not to terrify me by idle threats," returned 
 Catesby. " I willingly acknowledge your superior skill, 
 —as, indeed, I have good reason to do,— in the science of 
 medicine ; but I have no faith in your magical tricks. A 
 little reflection has shown me how the knowledge I at 
 first thought so wonderful was acquired. You obtained 
 it by means of Martin Heydocke, who, mounted on a 
 swift steed, reached the College before me. He told you 
 of the object of my visit,— of Viviana's wish to have her 
 father interred in the Collegiate Church, — of her message 
 to Humphrey Chetham. You were, therefore, fully pre- 
 pared for my arrival, and at first, I must confess, com- 
 pletely imposed upon me. Nay, had I not overheard 
 your conversation just now with Viviana, I might have 
 remained your dupe still. But your allusion to Chetham's 
 visit awakened my suspicions, and, on reconsidering the 
 matter, the whole trick flashed upon me." 
 
 " What more ? " demanded Dee, his brow lowering, and 
 his eyes sparkling with rage. 
 
 " Thus much," returned Catesby. " I have your secret, 
 and you have mine. And though the latter is the more 
 important, inasmuch as several lives hang upon it, whereas 
 a conjurer's worthless reputation is alone dependent on 
 the other, yet both must be kept. Swear, then, not to
 
 THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH AT MANCHESTER. 173 
 
 reveal the plot, and in my turn I will take any oath you 
 choose to dictate not to disclose the jugglery I have de- 
 tected." 
 
 " I will make no terms with you," returned Dee ; " and 
 if I do not reveal your damnable plot, it is not from con- 
 sideration of you or your associates, but because the hour 
 for its disclosure is not yet arrived. When full proof of 
 your guilt can be obtained, then rest assured it will be 
 made known, — though not by me. Not one of your 
 number shall escape — not one." 
 
 Catesby again laid his hand upon his sword, and seemed 
 from his looks to be meditating the destruction of the 
 Doctor and his assistant. But they appeared wholly un- 
 concerned at his glances. 
 
 " What you have said concerning Martin Heydocke is 
 false — as false as your own foul and bloody scheme," 
 pursued Dee. " I have neither seen, nor spoken with 
 him." 
 
 " But your assistant, Edward Kelley, has," retorted 
 Catesby, " and that amounts to the same thing." 
 
 " For the third and last time I command you to stand 
 aside," cried Dee, in a tone of concentrated anger. 
 
 Catesby laughed aloud. 
 
 " What if I refuse ? " he said, in a jeering voice. 
 
 Doctor Dee made no answer ; but, suddenly drawing a 
 small phial from beneath his robe, cast its contents in his 
 opponent's face. Blinded by the spirit, Catesby raised 
 his hand to his eyes, and while in this condition a thick 
 cloth was thrown over his head from behind, and, despite 
 his resistance, he was borne off, and bound with a strong 
 cord to an adjoining tree. 
 
 Half an hour elapsed, during which he exhausted his 
 fury in vain outcries for assistance, and execrations and 
 menaces against Dee and his companion. At the expira- 
 tion of that time, hearing steps approaching, he called 
 loudly to be released, and was answered by the voice of 
 Martin Heydocke. 
 
 " What ! is it your worship I behold ? " cried Martin,
 
 174 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 in a tone of affected commiseration. " Mercy on us ! 
 what has happened ? Have the rascally searchers been 
 here again ? " 
 
 " Hold your peace, knave, and unbind me," rejoined 
 Catesby, angrily. " I shrewdly suspect," he added, as his 
 commands were obeyed, and the cord twined around his 
 arms unfastened, and the cloth removed, — " I shrewdly 
 suspect," he said, fixing a stern glance upon Martin, 
 which effectually banished the smile from his demure 
 countenance, " that you have had some share in this busi- 
 ness." 
 
 "What I, your worship?" exclaimed Martin. "Not 
 the slightest, I assure you. It was by mere chance I 
 came this way, and, perceiving some one tied to a tree, 
 was about to take to my heels, when, fancying I recog- 
 nized your worship's well-formed legs, I ventured for- 
 ward." 
 
 "You shall become more intimately acquainted with 
 my worship's boots, rascal, if I find my suspicions cor- 
 rect," rejoined Catesby. " Have you the effrontery to 
 tell me you have never seen this rope and this cloth be- 
 fore ? " 
 
 " Certes, I have, your worship," replied Martin. " May 
 the first hang me, and the last serve as my winding- 
 sheet, if I speak not the truth ! Ah, now I look again," 
 he added, pretending to examine them, " it must be a 
 horse-cloth and halter from the stable. Peradventure, I 
 havte seen them." 
 
 " That I will be sworn you have, and used them too," 
 rejoined Catesby. " I am half inclined to tie you to the 
 tree in my place. But where is your employer ? — where 
 is Doctor Dee ? " 
 
 " Doctor Dee is not my employer," answered Martin, 
 "neither do I serve him. Mr. Humphrey Chetham, as I 
 have already told your worship, is my master. As to the 
 Doctor, he left the hall some time since. Father Garnet 
 thought you had accompanied him on tlie road. I have 
 seen nothing of him. Of a truth I have not,"
 
 THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH AT MANCHESTER. 175 
 
 Catesby reflected a moment, and then strode towards 
 the hall, while Martin, with a secret smile, picked up the 
 halter and cloth, and withdrew to the stable. 
 
 Repairing to the chamber of the wounded man, Catesby 
 found Garnet seated by his couch, and related what had 
 occurred. The Jesuit listened with profound attention 
 to the recital, and on its conclusion observed, — 
 
 " I am sorry you have offended Doctor Dee, my son. 
 He might have proved a good friend. As it is, you have 
 made him a dangerous enemy." 
 
 " He was not to be trusted, father," returned Catesby. 
 " But if you have any fears of him, or Kelley, I will 
 speedily set them at rest." 
 
 " No violence, my son," rejoined Garnet. " You will 
 only increase the mischief you have already occasioned. 
 I do not think Dee will betray us. But additional cir- 
 cumspection will be requisite. Tarry here while I confer 
 with Viviana on this subject. She has apparently some 
 secret influence with the Doctor, and may be prevailed 
 upon to exert it in our behalf." 
 
 It was long before Garnet returned. When he reap- 
 peared, his looks convinced Catesby that the interview 
 had not proved satisfactory. 
 
 " Your imprudence has placed us in a perilous posi- 
 tion, my son," he observed, " Viviana refuses to speak 
 to Doctor Dee on the subject, and strongly reprobates 
 your conduct." 
 
 Catesby's brow lowered. 
 
 " There is but one course to pursue," he muttered, 
 rising ; " our lives or his must be sacrificed. I will act 
 at once." 
 
 "Hold!" exclaimed Garnet authoritatively. "Wait 
 till to-morrow ; and, if aught occurs in the interim to 
 confirm your suspicions, do as you think proper. I will 
 not oppose you." 
 
 " If I forbear so long," returned Catesby. " It will not 
 be safe to remain here." 
 
 "I will risk it," said Garnet, "and I counsel you
 
 176 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 to do the same. You will not leave Yiviana at this 
 strait." 
 
 " I have no such thoughts," replied Catesby. " If I go, 
 she goes too." 
 
 " Then it will be in vain, I am sure, to endeavor to in- 
 duce her to accompany you till her father is interred," 
 observed Garnet. 
 
 " True," replied Catesby ; " I had forgotten that. We 
 shall meet the hoary juggler at the church, and an op- 
 portunity may occur for executing my purpose there. 
 Unless he will swear at the altar not to betray us, he 
 shall die by my hand." 
 
 " An oath in such a case would be no security, my 
 son," returned Garnet ; " and his slaughter and that of 
 his companion would be equally inefficacious, and greatly 
 prejudicial to our cause. If he means to betray us, he 
 has done so already. But I have little apprehension. I do 
 not think him well affected towards the government, and I 
 cannot but think, if you had not thus grossly insulted him, 
 he would have favored rather than opposed our design. 
 If he was aware of the plot, and adverse to it, what need 
 was there to exert his skill in behalf of our dying friend, 
 who, but for him, would have been, ere this, a lump of 
 lifeless clay ? No, no, my son. You are far too hasty in 
 your judgment. Nor am I less surprised at your in- 
 justice. Overlooking the great benefit conferred upon us, 
 because some trifling scheme has been thwarted, you 
 would requite our benefactor by cutting his throat." 
 
 "Your rebuke is just, father," returned Catesby. "I 
 have acted heedlessly. But I will endeavor to repair 
 my error." 
 
 " Enough, my son," replied Garnet. " It will be advis- 
 able to go well armed to the church to-night, for fear 
 of a surprise. But I shall not absent myself on that 
 account." 
 
 "Nor I," rejoined Catesby. 
 
 The conversation was then carried on, on other topics, 
 when they were interrupted by the entrance of Yiviana,
 
 *HE COLLEGIATE CHURCH AT MANCHESTER. 17f 
 
 who came to consult them about the funeral. It was 
 arranged — since better could not be found — that the 
 vehicle used to bring thither the body of the unfortunate 
 knight should transport it to its last home. No persua- 
 sions of Garnet could induce Viviana to relinquish the 
 idea of attending the ceremony ; and Catesby, though he 
 affected the contrary, secretly rejoiced at her determina- 
 tion. 
 
 Night came, and all was in readiness. Viviana to the 
 last indulged a hope that Humphrey Chetham would ar- 
 rive in time to attend the funeral with her ; but, as he 
 did not appear, she concluded he had received Doctor 
 Dee's warning. Martin Heydocke was left in charge of 
 Guy Fawkes, who still continued to slumber deeply, and, 
 when within half an hour of the appointed time, the train 
 set out. 
 
 They were all well mounted, and proceeded at a slow 
 pace along the lane skirting the west bank of the Irwell. 
 The night was profoundly dark ; and, as it was not 
 deemed prudent to carry torches, some care was requisite 
 to keep in the right road. Catesby rode first, and was 
 followed by Garnet and Viviana, after whom came the 
 little vehicle containing the body. The rear was brought 
 up by three of the servants sent by Sir Everard Digby ; 
 a fourth acting as driver of the sorry substitute for a 
 hearse. Not a word was uttered by any of the party. 
 In this stealthy manner was the once-powerful and 
 wealthy Sir William Radcliffe, the owner of the whole 
 district through which they were passing, conveyed to the 
 burial-place of his ancestors ! 
 
 In shorter time than they had allowed themselves for 
 the journey, the melancholy cavalcade reached Salford 
 Bridge, and crossing it at a quick pace, as had been pre- 
 viously arranged by Catesby, arrived without molestation 
 or notice (for no one was abroad in the town at that hour) 
 at the southern gate of the Collegiate Church, where, it 
 may be remembered, Guy Fawkes had witnessed the 
 execution of the two seminary priests, and on the spikes
 
 178 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 of which their lieads and dismembered bodies were now 
 fixed. An old man here presented himself, and, unlock- 
 ing the gate, informed them he was Robert Burnell, the 
 sexton. The shell was then taken out, and borne on the 
 shoulders of the servants towards the church, Burnell 
 leading the way. Garnet followed ; and as soon as Cates- 
 by had committed the horses to the care of the driver 
 of the carriage, he tendered his arm to Viviana, who could 
 scarcely have reached the sacred structure unsupported. 
 
 Doctor Dee met them at the church porch, as he had 
 appointed, and, as soon as they had passed through it, 
 the door was locked. Addressing a few words in an 
 undertone to Viviana, but not deigning to notice either 
 of her companions, Dee directed the bearers of the body 
 to follow him, and proceeded towards the choir. 
 
 The interior of the reverend and beautiful fane was 
 buried in profound gloom, and the feeble light diffused 
 by the sexton's lantern only made the darkness more 
 palpable. On entering the broad and noble nave nothing 
 could be seen of its clustered pillars, or of the exquisite 
 pointed arches, enriched with cinquefoil and quatrefoil, 
 enclosing blank shields, which they supported. Neither 
 could its sculptured cornice; its clerestory windows ; its 
 upper range of columns, supporting demi-angels playing 
 on musical instruments ; its molded roof crossed by 
 transverse beams, enriched in tlie interstices with sculp- 
 tured ornaments, be distinguished. Most of these archi- 
 tectural glories were invisible ; but the very gloom in 
 which they were shrouded was imposing. As the dim 
 light fell upon pillar after pillar as they passed, revealing 
 their moldings, piercing a few feet into tlie side aisles, 
 and falling upon the grotesque heads, the embattled orna- 
 ments and grotesque tracery of the arches, the effect was 
 inexpressibly striking. 
 
 Nor were the personages inappropriate to the somber 
 scene. The reverend figure of Dee, with his loose flow- 
 ing robe and long white beard ; the priestly garb and 
 grave aspect of Garnet ; the soldiei'-like bearing of Gates-
 
 THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH AT MANCHESTER. 179 
 
 by, his armed heel and rapier-point clanking upon the 
 pavement ; the drooping figure of Viviana, whose features 
 were buried in her kerchief, and wliose sobs were 
 distinctly audible ; the strangely-fashioned coffin, and the 
 attendants by whom it was borne ; — all constituted a sin- 
 gular, and, at the same time, deeply-interesting picture. 
 
 Approaching the magnificent screen terminating the 
 nave, they passed through an arched gateway within it, 
 and entered the choir. The west-end of this part of the 
 church was assigned as the burial-place of the ancient and 
 honorable family, the head of which was about to be 
 deposited within it, and was designated from the circum- 
 stance, the "Radclifte chancel." A long slab of gray 
 marble, in which a brass plate, displaying the armorial 
 bearings of the Radcliffes, was inserted, had been re- 
 moved, and the earth thrown out of the cavity beneath 
 it. Kelley, who had assisted in making the excavation, 
 was standing beside it, leaning on a spade, with a lantern 
 at his feet. He drew aside as the funeral train ap- 
 proached, and the shell was deposited at the edge of the 
 grave. 
 
 Picturesque and striking as was the scene in the nave, 
 it fell far short of that now exhibited. The choir of the 
 Collegiate Church at Manchester may challenge compari- 
 son with any similar structure. Its thirty elaborately- 
 carved stalls, covered with canopies of the richest taber- 
 nacle work, surmounted by niches, moldings, pinnacles, 
 and perforated tracery, and crowned with a richly-sculp- 
 tured cornice ; its side aisles, with their pillars and 
 arches ; its molded ceiling rich m the most delicate and 
 fairy tracery ; its gorgeous altar-screen of carved oak ; 
 and its magnificent eastern window, then filled with 
 stained glass, form a coup-cVcBil of almost unequaled 
 splendor and beauty. Few of these marvels could now 
 be seen. But such points of the pinnacles and hanging 
 canopies of the stalls, of the fa9ades of the side aisles, and 
 of the fretted roof, as received any portion of the light, 
 came in with admirable effect.
 
 180 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " All is prepared, you perceive," observed Dee to 
 Viviana. " I will retire while the ceremony is performed." 
 And gravely inclining his head, he passed through an 
 arched door in the south aisle, and entered the chapter- 
 house. 
 
 Garnet was about to proceed with the service appointed 
 by the Romish Church for the burial of the dead, when 
 Viviana, uttering a loud cry, would have fallen, if Catesby 
 had not flown to her assistance, and borne her to one 
 of the stalls. Recovering her self-possession the next 
 moment, she entreated him to leave her; and while the 
 service proceeded, she knelt down and prayed fervently 
 for the soul of the departed. 
 
 Placing himself at the foot of the body, Garnet sprinkled 
 it with holy water, which he had brought with him in a 
 small silver consecrated vessel. He then recited the D& 
 Profundis, the Miserere^ and other antiphons and prayers ; 
 placed incense in a burner, which he had likewise brought 
 with him, and having lighted it, bowed reverently towards 
 the altar, sprinkled the body thrice with holy water, at 
 the sides, at the head, and the feet ; and then walking 
 round it with the incense-burner, dispersed its fragrant 
 odor over it. This done, he recited another prayer, pro- 
 nounced a solemn benediction over the place of sepulture, 
 and the body was lowered into it. 
 
 The noise of the earth falling upon the shell aroused 
 Viviana from her devotions. She looked towards the 
 grave, but could see nothing but the gloomy group around 
 it, prominent among which appeared the tall figure of 
 Gatesby. The sight was too much for her, and, unable to 
 control her grief, she fainted. Meanwhile, the grave was 
 rapidly filled, all lending their aid to the task ; and noth- 
 ing was wanting but to restore the slab to its original 
 position. By the united efforts of Catesby, Kelley, and 
 the sexton, this was soon accomplished, and the former, 
 unaware of what had happened, was about to proceed to 
 Viviana, to tell her all was over, when he was arrested by
 
 THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH AT MANCHESTER. 181 
 
 a loud knocking at the church door, accompanied by a 
 clamorous demand for admittance. 
 
 " We are betrayed ! " exclaimed Catesby. " It is as I 
 suspected. Take care of Viviana, father. I will after 
 the hoary impostor, and cleave his skull ! Extinguish the 
 lights — quick ! quick ! " 
 
 Garnet hastily complied with these injunctions, and the 
 choir was plunged in total darkness. He then rushed to 
 the stalls, but could nowhere find Viviana. He called 
 her by name, but received no answer, and was continuing 
 his fruitless search, when he heard footsteps approaching, 
 and the voice of Catesby exclaimed, 
 
 " Follow me with your charge, father." 
 
 " Alas ! my son, she is not here," replied Garnet. " I 
 have searched each stall as carefully as I could in the 
 dark. I fear she has been spirited away." 
 
 " Impossible ! " cried Catesby. And he ran his hand 
 along the row of sculptured seats, but without success. 
 " She is indeed gone ! " he exclaimed distractedly. " It 
 was here I left her — nay, here I beheld her at the 
 very moment the lights were extinguished. Viviana 1 — 
 Viviana ! " 
 
 But all was silent. 
 
 " It is that cursed magician's handiwork I " he con- 
 tinued, striking his forehead in despair. 
 
 " Did you find him ? " demanded Garnet. 
 
 « No," replied Catesby. " The door of the chapter- 
 house was locked inside. The treacherous villain did 
 well to guard against my fury." 
 
 " You provoked his resentment, my son," rejoined 
 Garnet. " But this is not a season for reproaches. Some- 
 thing must be done. Where is Kelley ? " 
 
 At the suggestion, Catesby instantly darted to the spot 
 where the seer had stood. He was not there. He then 
 questioned the servants, whose teeth were chattering 
 with fright, but they had neither heard him depart, nor 
 could tell anything about him ; and perceiving plainly 
 from their trepidation that these men would lend no aid,
 
 182 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 even if they did not join the assailants, he returned to 
 communicate his apprehension to Garnet. 
 
 During all this time the knocking and vociferations at 
 the door had continued with increased violence, and re- 
 verberated in hollow peals along the roof and aisles of 
 the church. 
 
 The emergency was a fearful one. Catesl)y, however, 
 had been too often placed in situations of peril, and was 
 too constitutionally brave, to experience much uneasiness 
 for himself ; but his apprehensions lest Garnet should be 
 captured, and the sudden and mysterious disappearance of 
 Viviana almost distracted him. Persuading himself she 
 might have fallen to the ground, or that he had overlooked 
 the precise spot where he had left her, he renewed his 
 search, but with no better success than before ; and he 
 was almost beginning to believe that some magic might 
 have been practised to cause her disappearance, when it 
 occurred to him that she had been carried off by Kelley. 
 
 " Fool that I was, not to think of that before ! " he ex- 
 claimed. " I have unintentionally aided their project by 
 extinguishing the lights. But now that I am satisfied she 
 is gone, I can devote my whole energies to the preserva- 
 tion of Garnet. They shall not capture us so easily as 
 they anticipate." 
 
 With this, he approached the priest, and grasping his 
 hand drew him noiselessly along. They had scarcely 
 passed through the arched doorway in the screen, and 
 set foot within the nave, when the clamor without ceased. 
 The next moment a thundering crash was heard ; the 
 door burst open, and a number of armed figures bearing 
 torches, with drawn swords in their hands, rushed with 
 loud vociferations into the church. 
 
 " We must surrender, my son," cried Garnet. " It will 
 be useless to contend against that force." 
 
 " But we may yet escape them," rejoined Catesby. And 
 glancing hastily round he perceived a small open door in 
 the wall at the right, and pointing it out to the priest, 
 hurried towards it.
 
 THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH AT MANCHESTER. 18S 
 
 On reaching it, they found it communicated with a flight 
 of stone steps, evidently leading to the roof. 
 
 " Saved ! saved ! " cried Catesby, triumphantly. " Mount 
 first, father. I will defend the passage." 
 
 The pursuers, who saw the course taken by the fugi- 
 tives, set up a loud shout, and ran as swiftly as they could 
 in the same direction, and by the time the latter had 
 gained the door they were within a few yards of it. 
 Garnet darted up the steps ; but Catesby lingered to 
 make fast the door, and thus oppose some obstacle to the 
 hostile party. His efforts, however, were unexpectedly 
 checked, and, on examination, he found it was hooked 
 to the wall at the back. Undoing the fastening, the door 
 swung to, and he instantly bolted it. Overjoyed at his 
 success, and leaving his pursuers, who at this moment 
 arrived, to vent their disappointment in loud menaces, he 
 hastened after Garnet. Calling loudly to him, he was 
 answered from a small dark chamber on the right, into 
 which the priest had retreated. 
 
 " We have but prolonged our torture," groaned Garnet. 
 "I can find no outlet. Our foes will speedily force an 
 entrance, and we must then fall into their hands." 
 
 " There must be some door opening upon the roof, 
 father," rejoined Catesby. " Mount as high as you can, 
 and search carefully. I will defend the stairs, and will 
 undertake to maintain my post against the whole rout." 
 
 Thus urged. Garnet ascended the steps. After the 
 lapse of a few minutes, during which the thundering at 
 the door below increased, and the heavy blows of some 
 weighty implement directed against it, were distinctly 
 heard, he cried, 
 
 " I have found a door, but the bolts are rusty — I cannot 
 move them." 
 
 " Use all your strength, father," shouted Catesby, who 
 having planted himself with his drawn sword at an ad- 
 vantageous point, was listening with intense anxiety to 
 the exertions of the assailing party. " Do not relax your 
 efforts for a moment."
 
 184 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " It is in vain, my son," rejoined Garnet, in accents of 
 despair. " My hands are bruised and bleeding, but tlie 
 bolts stir not." 
 
 "Distraction ! " cried Catesby, gnashing his teeth with 
 rage. " Let me try." 
 
 And he was about to hasten to the priest's assistance, 
 when the door below was burst open with a loud crash, 
 and the assailants rushed up the steps. The passage was 
 so narrow that they were compelled to mount singly, and 
 Catesby's was scarcely a vain boast when he said he could 
 maintain his ground against the whole host. Shouting to 
 Garnet to renew his efforts, he prepared for the assault. 
 Reserving his petronels to the last, he trusted solely to 
 his rapier, and leaning against the newel, or circular 
 column round which the stairs twined, he was in a great 
 measure defended from the weapons of his adversaries, 
 while they were completely exposed to his attack. The 
 darkness, moreover, in which he was enveloped offered 
 an additional protection, whereas the torches they car- 
 ried made his mark certain. As soon as the foremost of 
 the band came within reach, Catesby plunged his sword 
 into his breast, and pushed him back with all liis force 
 upon his comrades. The man fell heavily backwards, 
 dislodging the next in advance, who in his turn upset his 
 successor, and so on, till the whole band was thrown into 
 confusion. A discharge of firearms followed ; but, shel- 
 tered by the newel, Catesby sustained no injury. At 
 this moment, he was cheered by a cry from Garnet that 
 he had succeeded in forcing back the bolts, terror having 
 supplied him with a strength not his own ; and, making 
 anotlier sally upon his assailants, amid the disorder that 
 ensued, Catesby retreated, and rapidly tracking the steps, 
 reached the door, through which the priest had already 
 passed. "When within a short distance of the outlet, 
 Catesby felt, from the current of fresh air that saluted 
 him, that it opened upon the roof of the church. Nor 
 was he deceived. A few steps placed him upon the leads, 
 where he found Garnet.
 
 THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH AT MANCHESTER. 185 
 
 " It is you, my son," cried the latter, on beholding him ; 
 « I thought from the shouts you had fallen into the 
 hands of the enemy." 
 
 " No, Heaven be praised ! I am as yet safe, and trust 
 to deliver you out of their hands. Come with me to the 
 battlements." 
 
 " The battlements ! " exclaimed Garnet. " A leap from 
 such a height as that were certain destruction." 
 
 "It were so," replied Catesby, dragging him along. 
 " But trust to me, and you shall yet reach the ground ' 
 uninjured." 
 
 Arrived at the battlements, Catesby leaned over them, 
 and endeavored to ascertain what was beneath. It was 
 still so dark that he could scarcely discern any objects but 
 those close to him, but as far as he could trust his vision, he 
 thought he perceived a projecting building some twelve 
 or fourteen feet below ; and calling to mind the form of 
 the church, which he had frequently seen and admired, he 
 remembered its chantries, and had no doubt but it was the 
 roof of one of them that he beheld. If he could reach it, 
 the descent from thence would be easy, and he imme- 
 diately communicated the idea to Garnet, who shrank 
 aghast from it. Little time, however, was allowed for 
 consideration. Their pursuers had already scaled the 
 stairs, and were springing one after another upon the 
 leads, uttering the most terrible threats against the de- 
 stroyer of their comrade. Hastily divesting himself of his 
 cloak, Catesby clambered over the battlements, and, im- 
 pelled by fear. Garnet threw off his robe, and followed his 
 example. Clinging to the grotesque stone water-spouts 
 which projected below the battlements, and placing the 
 points of his feet upon the arches of the clerestory win- 
 dows, and thence upon the mullions and transom bars, 
 Catesby descended in safety, and then turned to assist 
 his companion, who was quickly by his side. 
 
 The most difficult and dangerous part of the descent 
 had yet to be accomplished. They were now nearly 
 thirty feet from the ground, and the same irregularities
 
 186 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 in the walls which had favored them in the upper struc- 
 ture did not exist in the lower. But their present 
 position, exposed as it was to their pursuers, who, 
 having reached the point immediately overhead, were 
 preparmg to fire upon them, was too dangerous to allow 
 of its occupation for a moment, and Garnet required no 
 urging to make him clamber over the low embattled par- 
 apet. Descending a flying buttress that defended an 
 angle of the building, Catesby, who was possessed of 
 great strength and activity, was almost instantly upon 
 the ground. Garnet was not so fortunate. Missing his 
 footing, he fell from a considerable height, and his groans 
 proclaimed that he had received some serious injury. 
 Catesby instantly flew to him, and demanded, in a tone of 
 the greatest anxiety, whether he was much hurt. 
 
 « My right arm is broken," gasped the sufferer, raising 
 himself with difficulty. "What other injuries I have 
 sustained I know not ; but every joint seems dislocated, 
 and my face is covered with blood. Heaven have pity on 
 
 me!" 
 
 As he spoke, a shout of exultation arose from the hos- 
 tile party, who, having heard Garnet's fall, and the groans 
 that succeeded it, at once divined the cause, and made 
 sure of a capture. A deep silence followed, proving that 
 they had quitted the roof, and were hastening to secure 
 their prey. 
 
 Aware that it would take them some little time to de- 
 scend the winding staircase, and traverse the long aisle of 
 the church, Catesby felt certain of distancing them. But 
 he could not abandon Garnet, who had become insensible 
 from the agony of his fractured limb, and, lifting him 
 carefully in his arms, he placed him upon his shoulder, 
 and started at a swift pace towards the further extrem- 
 ity of the churchyard. 
 
 At the period of this history, the western boundary of 
 the Collegiate Church was formed by a precipitous sand- 
 stone rock of great height, the base of which was washed 
 by the watery of the Irwell, while its summit was
 
 THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH AT MANCHESTER. Ig7 
 
 guarded by a low stone wall. In after years, a range of 
 small habitations was built upon this spot, but they have 
 been recently removed, and the rock having been low- 
 ered, a road now occupies their site. Nerved by des]De- 
 ration, Catesby, who was sufficiently well acquainted with 
 the locality to know whither he was shaping his course, 
 determined to hazard a descent, which, under calmer 
 circumstances, he would have deemed wholly impracti- 
 cable. His pursuers, who issued from the church porch a 
 few seconds after he had passed it, saw him hurry towards 
 the low wall edging the precipice, and encumbered as he 
 was with the priest, vault over it. Not deeming it possible 
 he would dare to spring from such a height, they darted 
 after him. But they were deceived, and could scarcely 
 credit their senses when they found him gone. By the 
 light of their torches they perceived him shooting down 
 the almost perpendicular side of the rock, and the next 
 moment a hollow plunge told that he had reached the 
 water. They stared at each other in mute astonishment. 
 
 "Will you follow him, Dick Haughton?" observed 
 one, as soon as he had recovered his speech. 
 
 "Not I," replied the fellow addressed. "I have no 
 fancy for a broken neck. Follow him thyself if thou hast 
 a mind to try the soundness of thy pate. I warrant that 
 rock will put it to the proof." 
 
 "Yet the feat has just been done, and by one burthened 
 with a wounded comrade into the bargain," remarked the 
 first speaker. 
 
 " He must be the devil, that's certain," rejoined Haugh- 
 ton ; " and Doctor Dee himself is no match for him." 
 
 " He has the Devil's luck, that's certain," cried a third 
 soldier. " But, hark ! he is swimming across the river. 
 We may yet catch him on the opposite bank. Come 
 along, comrades." 
 
 With this, they rushed out of the churchyard ; made 
 the best of their way to the bridge ; and crossing it, flew 
 to the bank of the river, where they dispersed in every 
 direction, in search for the fugitive. But they could not 
 discover a trace of him or his wounded companion.
 
 188 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER XYII. 
 
 THE RENCOUNTER. 
 
 Catesby himself could scarcely tell how he accom- 
 plished his hair-breadth escape. Reckless almost of the 
 result, he slided down the rock, catching at occasional 
 irregularities as he descended. The river was of great 
 depth at this point, and broke the force of his fall. On 
 rising, he struck out a few yards, and suffered himself to 
 be carried down the stream. He had never for one mo- 
 ment relinquished his hold of Garnet, and being an 
 admirable swimmer, found little difSculty in sustaining 
 him with one arm, while with the other he guided his 
 course in the water. In this way he reached the shore 
 in safety, about a hundred yards below the bridge, by 
 which means he avoided his pursuers, who, as has just 
 been stated, searched for him above it. 
 
 After debating with himself for a short time as to what 
 course he should pursue, he decided upon conveying Gar- 
 net to the Hall, where he could procure restoratives and 
 assistance ; and though he was fully sensible of the 
 danger of this plan, not doubting the mansion would be 
 visited and searched by his pursuers before morning, yet 
 the necessity of warning Guy Fawkes outweighed every 
 other consideration. Accordingly, again shouldering the 
 priest, who, though he had regained his sensibility, was 
 utterly unable to move, he commenced his toilsome march ; 
 and being frequently obliged to pause and rest himself, 
 more than an hour elapsed before he reached his destina- 
 tion. 
 
 It was just growing light as he crossed the drawbridge, 
 and seeing a horse tied to a tree, and the gate open, he 
 began to fear the enemy had preceded him. Full of mis- 
 giving, he laid Garnet upon a heap of straw in an out-
 
 THE RENCOUNTER. 1S9 
 
 building, and entered the house. He found no one below, 
 though he glanced into each room. He then noiselessly 
 ascended the stairs, with the intention of proceeding to 
 Guy Fawkes's chamber. 
 
 As he traversed the gallery, he heard voices in one of 
 the chambers, the door of which was ajar, and pausing to 
 listen, distinguished the tones of Viviana. Filled with 
 astonishment, he was about to enter the room to inquire 
 by what means she had reached the Hall, when he was 
 arrested by the voice of her companion. It was that of 
 Humphrey Chetham. Maddened by jealousy, Catesby's 
 first impulse was to rush into the room, and stab his 
 rival in the presence of his mistress. But he restrained 
 his passion by a powerful effort. 
 
 After listening for a few minutes intently to their con- 
 versation, he found that Chetham was taking leave, and 
 creeping softly down-stairs, stationed himself in the hall, 
 through which he knew his rival must necessarily pass. 
 Chetham presently appeared. His manner was dejected; 
 his looks downcast ; and he would have passed Catesby 
 without observing him, if the latter had not laid his hand 
 upon his shoulder. 
 
 " Mr. Catesby ! " exclaimed the young merchant, start- 
 ing as he beheld the stern glance fixed upon him. " I 
 thought " 
 
 " You thought I was a prisoner, no doubt," interrupted 
 Catesby, bitterly. " But you are mistaken. I am here 
 to confound you and your juggling and treacherous 
 associate." 
 
 " I do not understand you," replied Chetham. 
 
 " I Avill soon make myself intelligible," retorted Cates- 
 by. " Follow me to the garden." 
 
 " I perceive your purpose, Mr. Catesby," replied Chet- 
 ham, calmly ; " but it is no part of my principles to ex- 
 pose my life to ruffianly violence. If you choose to lay 
 aside this insolent demeanor, which is more befitting an 
 Alsatian bully than a gentleman, I will readily give you 
 .such explanation of my conduct as will fully content you,
 
 190 GtTY FAWKES. 
 
 and satisfy you that any suspicions you may entertain of 
 me are unfounded." 
 
 " Coward ! " exclaimed Catesby, striking him. " I want 
 no explanation. Defend yourself, or I will treat you \vith 
 still greater indignity." 
 
 " Lead on, then," cried Chetham : " I would have 
 avoided the quarrel if I could. But this outrage shall 
 not pass unpunished." 
 
 As they quitted the hall, Viviana entered it ; and, 
 though she was greatly surprised by the appearance of 
 Catesby, his furious gestures left her in no doubt as to 
 his purpose. She called to him to stop. But no atten- 
 tion was paid by either party to her cries. 
 
 On gaining a retired spot beneath the trees, Catesby, 
 without giving his antagonist time to divest himself of 
 the heavy horseman's cloak with which he was encum- 
 bered, and scarcely to draw his sword, assaulted him. 
 The combat was furious on both sides, but it was evident 
 that the young merchant was no match for his adversary. 
 He maintained his ground, however, for some time with 
 great resolution ; but, being hotly pressed, in retreating 
 to avoid a thrust, his foot caught in the long grass, and 
 he fell. Catesby would have passed his sword through 
 his body, if it had not been turned aside by another 
 weapon. It was that of Guy Fawkes, who, followed by 
 Martin Heydocke, had staggered towards the scene of 
 strife, reaching it just in time to save the life of Hum- 
 phrey Chetham. 
 
 " Heaven be praised ! I am not too late 1 " he ex- 
 claimed. " Put up your blade, Catesby ; or, turn it 
 against me."
 
 Guy Fawkes was just in time to prevent Catesby running his sword 
 through Chetham. Page 190. Guy Fawkes
 
 THE EXPLANATION. I9I 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE EXPLANATION'. 
 
 Uttering an exclamation of rage, Catesby turned 
 fiercely upon Fawkes, and for a moment appeared dis- 
 posed to accept his invitation to continue the combat 
 with him. But as he regarded the other's haggard feat- 
 ures, and perceived in them the traces of his recent 
 struggle with death — as he saw he was scarcely able to 
 wield the blade he opposed against him — his wrath 
 changed to compassion, and he sheathed his sword. By 
 this time, Humphrey Chetham had sprung to his feet, and 
 picking up his fallen weapon, stood on his defense. But 
 finding that Catesby meditated no further hostilities, he 
 returned it to the scabbard. 
 
 " I owe my life to you," he said to Guy Fawkes, in a 
 tone of deep gratitude. 
 
 " You owe it to Viviana Radcliffe, not to me," returned 
 Fawkes feebly, and leaning upon his sword for support. 
 " Had it not been for her cries, I should have known noth- 
 ing of this quarrel. And I would now gladly learn what 
 has occasioned it." 
 
 " So would I," added Chetham ; " for I am as ignorant 
 as yourself how I have offended Mr. Catesby." 
 
 " I will tell you, then," returned Catesby, sternly. 
 " You were a party to the snare set for us by Doctor Dee, 
 from which I narrowly escaped with life, and Father 
 Garnet at the expense of a broken limb." 
 
 " Is Garnet hurt ? " demanded Fawkes, anxiously. 
 
 " Grievously," replied Catesby ; " but he is not out of 
 the reach of his enemies, of whom," he added, pointing 
 to Chetham, " one of the most malignant and treacherous 
 now stands before you." 
 
 *' I am quite in the dark as to what has happened,"
 
 192 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 observed Fawkes, " having only a few minutes ago been 
 roused from my slumbers by the shrieks of Viviana, who 
 entreated me to come and separate you. But I cannot 
 believe Humphrey Chetham so treacherous as you repre- 
 sent him." 
 
 " So far from having any enmity towards Father 
 Garnet," observed Chetham, " my anxious desire was to 
 preserve him ; and with that view, I was repairing to Doctor 
 Dee, when I encountered Mr. Catesby in the hall, and be- 
 fore I could offer any explanation, I was forced by his 
 violence and insults into this combat." 
 
 " Is this the truth, Catesby ? " asked Fawkes. 
 
 " Something near it," rejoined the latter ; " but perhaps 
 Mr. Chetham will likewise inform you by whose agency 
 Viviana was transported hither from the Collegiate 
 Church ? " 
 
 " That inquiry ought rather to be made of the lady 
 herself, sir," rejoined Chetham, coldly. "But, as lam 
 assured she would have no objection to my answering it, 
 I shall not hesitate to do so. She was conveyed hither 
 by Kelley and an assistant, who departed as soon as 
 their task was completed." 
 
 " Indeed ! " exclaimed Catesby between his ground 
 teeth. " But how chanced it, sir, that you arrived here so 
 opportunely ? " 
 
 " I might well refuse to answer a question thus inso- 
 lently put," rejoined Chetham. " But to prevent further 
 misunderstanding, I will tell you, that I came by 
 Viviana's invitation at midnight ; and, ascertaining from 
 my servant, Martin Heydocke, whom I found watching 
 by the couch of Guy Fawkes, the melancholy business on 
 which she was engaged, I determined to await her return, 
 which occurred about an hour afterwards, in the manner 
 I have just related." 
 
 " I was in the courtyard when Mistress Viviana was 
 brought back," interposed Martin Heydocke, who was 
 standing at a respectful distance from the group ; " and, 
 after Kelley had delivered her to my charge, I heard him
 
 THE EXPLAJSTATION. 193 
 
 observe in an undertone to his companion, ' Let us ride 
 back as fast as we can, and see what they have done with 
 the prisoners.' " 
 
 " They made sure of their prey before it was captured," 
 observed Catesby, bitterly. " But we have disappointed 
 them. Dee and his associate may yet have reason to 
 repent their perfidy." 
 
 " You will do well not to put yourself again in their 
 power," observed Humphrey Chethara. " If you will be 
 counseled by me, you and Guy Fawkes will seek safety 
 in instant flight." 
 
 " And leave you with Viviana ? " rejoined Catesby, 
 sarcastically. 
 
 « She is in no present danger," replied Chetham. 
 " But, if it is thought fitting or desirable, I will remain 
 with her." 
 
 " I do not doubt it," returned Catesby, with a sneer ; 
 " T)ut it is neither fitting nor desirable. And, hark ye, 
 young sir, if you have indulged any expectations with 
 regard to Viviana Radcliffe, it is time you were unde- 
 ceived. She will never wed one of your degree, nor of 
 your faith." 
 
 " I have her own assurance she will never wed at all," 
 replied Chetham, in an offended tone. " But had she not 
 crushed my hopes by declaring she was vowed to a con- 
 vent, no menaces of yours, who have neither right nor 
 title thus to interfere, should induce me to desist from 
 my suit." 
 
 " Either resign all pretensions to her hand, or prepare 
 to renew the combat," cried Catesby, fiercely. 
 
 "No more of this," interposed Guy Fawkes. "Let us 
 return to the house, and adjust our differences there." 
 
 " I have no further business here," observed Humphrey 
 Chetham. " Having taken leave of Viviana," he added, 
 with much emotion, " I do not desire to meet her again." 
 
 " It is well, sir," rejoined Catesby : " yet, stay ! — you 
 mean us no treachery ? "
 
 194 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 "If you suspect me, I will remain," replied Humphrey 
 Chetham. 
 
 "On no account," interposed Guy Fawkes. "I will 
 answer for him with my life." 
 
 " Perhaps, when I tell you I have procured the libera- 
 tion of Father Oldcorne," returned Chetham, " and have 
 placed him in security in Ordsall cave, you will admit 
 that you have done me wrong." 
 
 " I have been greatly mistaken in you, sir, I must own," 
 observed Catesby, advancing towards him, and extending 
 his hand. But Humphrey Chetham folded his arms upon 
 his breast, and bowing coldly, withdrew. He was fol- 
 lowed by Martin Heydocke, and presently afterwards the 
 tramp of his horse's feet was heard crossing the draw- 
 bridge.
 
 THE DISCOVERY. 195 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE DISCOVERY. 
 
 Tendering his arm to Fawkes, who was almost too 
 feeble to walk unsupported, Catesby led him slowly to the 
 Hall. On reaching it, they met Viviana, in a state bor- 
 dering upon distraction, but her distress was speedily 
 relieved by their assurances that the young merchant had 
 departed unhurt, — a statement immediately afterwards 
 confirmed by the entrance of Martin Heydocke, charged 
 with a message from his master to her. Without com- 
 municating his design to the others, and, indeed, almost 
 shunning Viviana, Catesby proceeded to the outbuilding 
 where he had deposited Garnet. He found him in great 
 pain, and praying fervently to be released from his suf- 
 fering. 
 
 " Do not despair, father," said Catesby, in as cheerful a 
 tone as he could assume, " the worst is over. Viviana is 
 in safety. Father Oldcorne has escaped, and is within a 
 short distance of us, and Guy Fawkes is fully able to un- 
 dertake a journey of any distance. You are our sole con- 
 cern. But I am assured, if you will allow me to exercise 
 the slight surgical skill I possess in your behalf, that you 
 will be able to accompany us." 
 
 " Do with me what you please, my son," groaned Gar- 
 net. " But, if my case is as desperate as I believe it, I 
 entreat you not to bestow any further care upon me, and, 
 above all, not to expose yourself to risk on my account. 
 Our enemies are sure to pursue us, — and what matter 
 if I am captured ? They will wreak their vengeance on 
 a worthless carcass, — for such I shall soon be. But it 
 would double the anguish I now endure, if you and 
 Fawkes were to fall into their hands, Go, then, and
 
 196 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 leave me here to perish. My dying moments will be 
 cheered by the conviction that the great enterprise — for 
 whicli alone I desire to live — will not be unaccomplished." 
 
 " There is no need to leave you, father," replied Catesby, 
 " nor shall any consideration induce me to do so, till I 
 have rendered you every aid that circumstances will per- 
 mit." 
 
 " My son," replied Garnet, faintly, " the most efficacious 
 balm you can apply will be the certainty that you are in 
 safety. You say Viviana is here. Fly with Fawkes, and 
 leave me to her care." 
 
 " She must go with us," observed Catesby, uneasily. 
 
 " Not so, my soii," returned Garnet ; " her presence will 
 only endanger you. She must not go. And you must 
 abandon all hopes of an union with her." 
 
 " I would as soon abandon the great design itself," 
 returned Catesby, moodily. 
 
 "If you persist in this, you will ruin it," rejoined Gar- 
 net. " Think of her no more. Bend your thoughts ex- 
 clusively on the one grand object, and be what you are 
 chosen to be, the defender and deliverer of our holy 
 Church." 
 
 " I would gladly act as you advise me, father," replied 
 Catesby ; " but I am spellbound by this maiden." 
 
 " This is idle from you, my son," replied Garnet, re- 
 proachfully. " Separate yourself from her, and you will 
 soon regain your former mastery over yourself." 
 
 " Well, well, father," rejoined Catesby, " the effort, at 
 least, shall be made. But her large possessions, which 
 would be so useful to our cause, and which, if I wedded 
 her, would be wholly devoted to it, — think of what we 
 lose, father." 
 
 " I have thought of it, my son," replied Garnet ; " but 
 the consideration does not alter my opinion : and if I 
 possess any authority over you, I strictly enjoin you not 
 to proceed farther in the matter. Viviana never can be 
 yours." 
 
 '' She shall be, nevertheless," muttered Catesby, " and
 
 THE DISCOVERY. 197 
 
 before many hours have elapsed, — if not by her own free 
 ■will, by force. I have ever shown myself obedient to 
 your commands, father," he added aloud, "and I shall 
 not transgress them now." 
 
 « Heaven keep you in this disposition, my dear son ! " 
 exclaimed Garnet, with a look of distrust : " and let me 
 recommend you to remove yourself as soon as possible 
 out of the way of temptation." 
 
 Catesby muttered an affirmative, and taking Garnet in 
 his arms, conveyed him carefully to his own chamber, 
 and placing him on a couch, examined his wounds, which 
 were not so serious as either he or the sufferer imagined, 
 and with no despicable skill — for the experiences of a 
 soldier's life had given him some practice — bandaged his 
 broken arm, and fomented his bruises. 
 
 This done. Garnet felt so much easier, that he entreated 
 Catesby to send Viviana to him, and to make prepa- 
 rations for his own immediate departure. Feigning 
 acquiescence, Catesby quitted the room, but with no in- 
 tention of complying with the request. Not a moment 
 he felt must be lost if he would execute his dark design, 
 and, after revolving many wild expedients, an idea oc- 
 curred to him. It was to lure Viviana to the cave where 
 Father Oldcorne was concealed ; and he knew enough of 
 the pliant disposition of the latter to be certain he would 
 assent to his scheme. No sooner did this plan occur to 
 him than he hurried to the cell, and found the priest, as 
 Chetham had stated. As he had foreseen, it required 
 little persuasion to induce Oldcorne to lend his assistance 
 to the forced marriage, and he only feared the decided 
 opposition they should encounter from Viviana. 
 
 "Fear nothing, then, father," said Catesby; "in this 
 solitary spot no one will hear her cries. Whatever re- 
 sistance she may make, perform the ceremony, and leave 
 the consequences to me." 
 
 « The plan is desperate, my son," returned Oldcorne, 
 " but so are our fortunes. And, as Viviana will not hear 
 reason, we have no alternative. You swear that if you
 
 198 GUY FA^VKES. 
 
 are once wedded to her, all her possessions shall be de- 
 voted to the furtherance of the great cause." 
 
 « All, father— I swear it," rejoined Catesby, fervently. 
 
 « Enough," replied Oldcorne. " The sooner it is done, 
 the better." 
 
 It was then agreed between them that the plan least 
 likely to excite suspicion would be for Oldcorne to pro- 
 ceed to the Hall, and under some plea prevail upon Viviana f- 
 to return with him to the cave. Acting upon this arrange- 
 ment, they left the cell together, shaping their course 
 under the trees to avoid observation; and while Old- 
 corne repaired to the Hall, Catesby proceeded to the 
 stable, and saddling the only steed left, rode back to the 
 cave, and concealing the animal behind the brushwood, 
 entered the excavation. Some time elapsed before the 
 others arrived, and as in his present feverish state of 
 mind moments appeared ages, the suspense was almost 
 intolerable. At length, he heard footsteps approaching, 
 and, with a beating heart, distinguished the voice of 
 Viviana. The place was buried in profound darkness; 
 but Oldcorne struck a light, and set fire to a candle in a 
 lantern. The feeble glimmer diffused by it was not suf- 
 ficient to penetrate the recesses of the cavern ; and Cates- 
 by, who stood at the farther extremity, was completely 
 sheltered from observation. 
 
 « And now, father," observed Viviana, seating herself 
 with her back towards Catesby, upon the stone bench 
 once used by the unfortunate prophetess, " I would learn 
 the communication you desire to make to me. It must 
 be something of importance since you would not disclose 
 it at the Hall." 
 
 « It is, daughter," replied Oldcorne, who could scarcely 
 conceal his embarrassment. " I have brought you hither 
 where I am sure we shall be uninterrupted, to confer 
 with you on a subject nearest my heart. Your lamented 
 father being taken from us, I, as his spiritual adviser, 
 aware of his secret wishes and intentions, conceive my- 
 self entitled to assume his place."
 
 THE DISCOVERY. 199 
 
 " I consider you in the light of a father, dear sir," re- 
 plied Viviana, " and will follow your advice as implicitly 
 as I would that of him I have lost." 
 
 " Since I find you so tractable, child," returned Old- 
 corne, reassured by her manner, " I will no longer hesi- 
 tate to declare the motive I had in bringing you hither. 
 You will recollect that I have of late strongly opposed 
 your intention of retiring to a convent." 
 
 " I know it, father," interrupted Viviana ; " but " 
 
 " Hear me out," continued Oldcorne ; " recent events 
 have strengthened my disapproval of the step. You are 
 now called upon to active duties, and must take your 
 share in the business of life, — must struggle and suffer 
 like others, — and not shrink from the burthen imposed 
 upon you by Heaven." 
 
 "I do not shrink from it, father," replied Viviana; 
 « and if I were equal to the active life you propose, I 
 would not hesitate to embrace it, but I feel I should sink 
 under it." 
 
 " Not if you had one near you who could afford you 
 that support which feeble woman ever requires," returned 
 Oldcorne. 
 
 " What mean you, father ? " inquired Viviana, fixing 
 her dark eyes full upon him. 
 
 " That you must marry, daughter," returned Oldcorne, 
 *' unite yourself to some worthy man, who will be to you 
 what I have described." 
 
 " And was it to tell me this that you brought me here ? " 
 asked Viviana, in a slightly offended tone. 
 
 " It was, daughter," replied Oldcorne ; " but I have not 
 yet done. It is not only needful you should marry, but 
 your choice must be such as I, who represent your father, 
 and have your welfare thoroughly at heart, can approve." 
 
 '' You can find me a husband, I doubt not ? " remarked 
 Viviana, coldly. 
 
 " I have already found one," returned Oldcorne : " a 
 gentleman suitable to you in rank, religion, years, — for 
 your husband should be older than yourself, Viviana."
 
 200 GtUY FAWKES. 
 
 " I will not affect to misunderstand you, father," she 
 replied ; "you mean Mr. Catesby." 
 
 " You have guessed aright, dear daughter," rejoined 
 Oldcorne. 
 
 " I thought I had made myself sufficiently intelligible 
 on this point before, father," she returned. 
 
 " True," replied Oldcorne ; " but you are no longer, as 
 I have just labored to convince you, in the same position 
 you were when the subject was formerly discussed." 
 
 "To prevent further misunderstanding, father," re- 
 joined Viviana, " I now tell you, that in whatever posi- 
 tion I may be placed, I will never, under any circum- 
 stances, wed Mr. Catesby." 
 
 " What are your objections to him, daughter ? " asked 
 Oldcorne. 
 
 " They are numberless," replied Viviana ; " but it is 
 useless to particularize them. I must pray you to 
 change the conversation, or you will compel me to quit 
 you." 
 
 " Nay, daughter, if you thus obstinately shut your ears 
 to reason, I must use very different language towards you. 
 Armed with parental authority, I shall exact obedience to 
 my commands." 
 
 " 1 cannot obey you, father," replied Viviana, bursting 
 into tears, — " indeed, indeed I cannot. My heart, I have 
 already told you, is another's." 
 
 " He who has robbed you of it is a heretic," rejoined 
 Oldcorne, sternly, " and therefore your union with him 
 is out of the question. Promise me you will wed Mr. 
 Catesby, or, in the name of your dead father, I will in- 
 voke a curse upon your head. Promise me, I say." 
 
 " Never," replied Viviana, rising. " My father would 
 never have enforced my compliance, and I dread no curse 
 thus impiously pronounced. You are overstepping the 
 bounds of your priestly office, sir. Farewell." 
 
 As she moved to depart, a strong grasp was laid on her 
 arm, and turning, she beheld Catesby. 
 
 " You here, sir ? " she cried, in great alarm.
 
 THE DISCOVERY. 2Ul 
 
 " Ay," replied Catesby. " At last you are in my power, 
 Viviana." 
 
 " I would, fain misunderstand you, sir," she rejoined, 
 trembling ; " but your looks terrify me. You mean no 
 violence ? " 
 
 "I mean that Father Oldcorne shall wed us, — and that 
 too without a moment's delay," replied Catesby, sternly. 
 
 « Monster ! " shrieked Viviana, " you will not, — dare 
 not commit this foul offense. And if you dare. Father 
 Oldcorne will not assist you. Ah ! what means that sign ? 
 I camiot be mistaken in you, father ? You cannot be act- 
 ing in concert with this wicked man ? Save me from 
 him ! — save me." 
 
 But the priest kept aloof, and taking a missal from his 
 vest, hastily turned over the leaves. Viviana saw that 
 her appeal to him was vain. 
 
 " Let me go ! " she shrieked, struggling with Catesby. 
 « You cannot force me to wed you whether I will or not ; 
 and I will die rather than consent. Let me go, I say ? 
 Help ! — help ! " And she made the cavern ring with her 
 screams. 
 
 " Heed her not, father," shouted Catesby, who still held 
 her fast, " but proceed with the ceremony." 
 
 Oldcorne, however, appeared irresolute, and Viviana 
 perceiving it, redoubled her cries. 
 
 " This will be no marriage, father," she said, " even if 
 you proceed with it. I will protest against it to all the 
 world, and you will be deprived of your priestly office for 
 your share in so infamous a transaction." 
 
 "You will think otherwise anon, daughter," replied 
 Oldcorne, advancing towards them with the missal in his 
 hand. 
 
 " If it be no marriage," observed Catesby, significantly, 
 « the time will come when you may desire to have the 
 ceremony repeated." 
 
 " Mr. Catesby," cried Viviana, altering her manner, as 
 if she had taken a sudden resolution, « one word before 
 you proceed with your atrocious purpose, which must end
 
 202 GUY FAWKES, 
 
 in misery to us all. There are reasons why you can never 
 wed me." 
 
 " Ha ! " exclaimed Catesby, starting. 
 
 " Is it so, my son ? " asked Oldcorne, uneasily. 
 
 " Pshaw ! " exclaimed Catesby. " She knows not what 
 she says. Proceed, father." 
 
 " I have proofs that will confound you," cried Viviana, 
 breaking from him. And darting towards the light, she 
 took from her bosom the packet given her by Guy Fawkes, 
 and tore it open. A letter was within it, and a minia- 
 ture. 
 
 Opening the letter, she cast her eye rapidly over its 
 contents, and then looking up, exclaimed in accents of de- 
 lirious joy, " Saved ! saved ! Father Oldcorne, this man 
 is married already." 
 
 Catesby, who had watched her proceedings in silent as- 
 tonishment, and was now advancing towards her, recoiled 
 as if a thunderbolt had fallen at his feet. 
 
 " Can this be true ? " cried the priest, in astonishment. 
 
 " Let your own eyes convince you," rejoined Viviana, 
 handing him the letter. 
 
 "I am satisfied," returned Oldcorne, after he had 
 glanced at it. " We have both been spared the commis- 
 sion of a great crime. Mr. Catesby, it appears from this 
 letter that you have a wife living in Spain." 
 
 " It is useless to deny it," replied Catesby. " But, as 
 you were ignorant of the matter, the offense (if any) 
 would have lain wholly at my door ; nor should I have 
 repented of it, if it had enabled me to achieve the object I 
 have in view." 
 
 " Thank Heaven it has gone no further ! " exclaimed 
 Oldcorne. "Daughter, I humbly entreat your forgive- 
 ness." 
 
 " How came that packet in your possession ? " de- 
 manded Catesby fiercely of Viviana. 
 
 " It was given me by Guy Fawkes," she replied. 
 
 " Guy Fawkes ! " exclaimed Catesby. " Has he be- 
 trayed his friend ? "
 
 THE DISCOVERY. 203 
 
 « He has proved himself yovir best friend, by prevent- 
 ing you from committing a crime, which would have 
 entailed wretchedness on yourself and me," returned 
 Viviana. 
 
 " I have done with him, and with all of you," cried 
 Catesby, with a fierce glance at Oldcorne. " Henceforth, 
 pursue your projects alone. You shall have no further 
 assistance from me. I will serve the Spaniard. English- 
 men are not to be trusted." 
 
 So saying, he rushed out of the cavern, and seeking his 
 horse, mounted him, and rode off at full speed. 
 
 " How shall I obtain your forgiveness for my conduct 
 in this culpable affair, dear daughter?" said Oldcorne, 
 with an imploring look at Viviana. 
 
 " By joining me in thanksgivings to the Virgin for my 
 deliverance," repUed Viviana, prostrating herself before 
 the stone cross. 
 
 Oldcorne knelt beside her, and they continued for some 
 time in earnest prayer. They then arose, and quitting 
 the cave, proceeded to the Hall.
 
 204 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE DEPARTURE FROM THE HALL. 
 
 Guy Fawkes was as much surprised to hear of the 
 sudden departure of Catesby as he was concerned at the 
 cause ; but he still thought it probable he would return. 
 In this expectation, however, he was disappointed. The 
 day wore on, and no one came. The uncertainty in 
 which Fawkes was kept, added to his unwillingness to 
 leave Garnet, still detained him, in spite of the risk he 
 ran, at the Hall ; and it was only when urged by Viviana 
 that he began seriously to reflect whither he should bend 
 his steps. Towards evening. Garnet was so much better, 
 that he was able to sit up, and he passed some hours in 
 conference with Oldcorne. 
 
 " If I do not suffer a relapse," he observed to the latter, 
 "I will set out with Guy Fawkes to-morrow, and we will 
 proceed by easy stages to London." 
 
 " I cannot but approve your resolution," returned Old- 
 corne ; " for though so long a journey may be inconve- 
 nient, and retard your recovery, yet every hour you re- 
 main here is fraught with additional peril. I will accom- 
 pany you. We shall both be safer in the capital ; and 
 perhaps Viviana, now she will be no longer exposed to 
 the persecutions of Catesby, will form one of the party." 
 
 " I should not wonder," replied Garnet. " I shall be 
 deeply concerned if Catesby has really abandoned the 
 enterprise. But I cannot think it. I did all I could to 
 dissuade him from prosecuting this union, knowing how 
 hopeless it was, and little thinking he would be rash 
 enough to seek to accomplish it by force, or that he would 
 find an assistant in you." 
 
 " Say no more about it, father, I entreat you," rejoined 
 Oldcorne. " The scheme failed, as it deserved to do j and
 
 When Garnet reached the door of the chamber, he saw Viviana on her 
 knees before Guy Fawkes. Page 205. Guy Fawkes
 
 THE DEPARTURE FROM THE HALL. 205 
 
 I sincerely repent the share I was induced by Catesby's 
 artful representations to take in it. If we have lost our 
 leader we have still Guy Fawkes, who is a host in him- 
 self, and as true as the steel that hangs by his side." 
 
 " We cannot spare Catesby," replied Garnet. " With 
 many faults, he has one redeeming quality, courage. I 
 am not sorry he has been thwarted in his present scheme, 
 as if he returns to us, as I doubt not he will, it will fix 
 his mind steadily on the one object, which should be ever 
 before it. Give me your arm, father. I am glad to find 
 I can walk, though feebly. That is well," he added, as 
 they emerged upon the gallery ; " I shall be able to reach 
 Viviana's chamber without further assistance. Do you 
 descend, and see that Martin Heydocke is on the watch." 
 
 In obedience to the injunctions of his superior, Old- 
 corne went in search of Martin Heydocke, who had been 
 stationed in the courtyard to give timely notice of any 
 hostile approach ; but not finding him there, he proceeded 
 towards the drawbridge. Garnet, meanwhile, had reached 
 the door of Viviana's chamber, which was slightly ajar, 
 and he was about to pass through it, when he perceived 
 that she was on her knees before Guy Fawkes, whom she 
 was addressing in the most passionate terms. The latter 
 was seated at a table, with his head upon his hand, in a 
 thoughtful posture. Surprised at the sight, and curious 
 to hear what Viviana could be saying, Garnet drew back 
 to listen. 
 
 " When you quit this house," were the first words that 
 caught the listener's ear, " we shall never meet again ; 
 and oh ! let me have the consolation of thinking that, in 
 return for the devoted attachment you have shown me, 
 and the dangers from which you have preserved me, I 
 have preserved you from one equally imminent. Catesby, 
 from whatever motive, has abandoned the conspiracy. 
 Do you act likewise, and the whole dreadful scheme will 
 fall to the ground." 
 
 " Catesby cannot abandon it," replied Fawkes. " He is 
 bound hj ties that no human power can sunder. And,
 
 206 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 however he may estrange himself from us now, when the 
 time for action arrives, rest assured he will not be 
 absent." 
 
 " It may be so," replied Viviana ; " but I deny that the 
 oath either he or you have taken is binding. The deed 
 you have sworn to do is evil, and no vow, however sol- 
 emnly pronounced, can compel you to commit crime. 
 Avoid this sin — avoid further connection with those who 
 would work your undoing, and do not stain your soul 
 with guilt from which it will never be cleansed." 
 
 " You seek in vain to move me," replied Guy Fawkes, 
 firmly. " My purpose is unalterable. The tempest that 
 clears away the pestilence destroys many innocent lives, 
 but it is not the less wholesome on that account. Our 
 unhappy land is choked with the pestilence of heresy, 
 and must be freed from it, cost what it will, and suffer 
 who may. The wrongs of the English Catholics imper- 
 atively demand redress ; and, since it is denied us, we 
 must take it. Oppression can go no farther ; nor endur- 
 ance hold out longer. If this blow be not struck we shall 
 have no longer a religion. And how comes it, Viviana, 
 that you, a zealous Catholic, whose father perished by 
 these very oppressors, and who are yourself in danger 
 from them, can seek to turn me from my purpose ? " 
 
 " Because I know it is wrongful," she replied. " I have 
 no desire to avenge the death of my slaughtered father, 
 still less to see our religion furthered by the dreadful 
 means you propose. In his own due season, the Lord 
 will redress our wrongs." 
 
 " The Lord has appointed me one of the ministers of 
 liis vengeance," cried Fawkes, in a tone of enthusiasm. 
 
 " Do not deceive yourself," returned Viviana, " it is not 
 by Heaven, but by the powers of darkness, that you are 
 incited to this deed. Do not persevere in this fatal 
 course," she continued, clasping her hands together, and 
 gazing imploringly in his face, "do not — do not ! " 
 
 Guy Fawkes continued in the same attitude as before,
 
 THE DEPARTURE FROM THE HALL. 207 
 
 with his gaze turned upwards, and apparently lost in 
 thought. 
 
 " Have I no power to move you ? " cried Viviana, her 
 eyes streaming with tears. 
 
 " None whatever," replied Guy Fawkes, firmly. 
 
 " Then you are lost," she rejoined. 
 
 " If it is Heaven's will, I am," answered Fawkes ; " but 
 at least I believe I am acting rightly." 
 
 " And rest assured you are so, my son," cried Garnet, 
 throwing open the door, and stepping into the room. "I 
 have overheard your conversation, and I applaud your 
 resolution." 
 
 " You need have no fears of me, father," replied Fawkes. 
 " I do not lightly undertake a project ; but once embarked 
 in it nothing can turn me aside." 
 
 " In this case your determination is wisely formed, my 
 son," returned Garnet ; " and if Viviana will ever give 
 me an opportunity of fully discussing the matter, I am 
 sure I can satisfy her you are in the right." 
 
 " I will discuss it with you whenever you think proper," 
 she replied. " But no arguments will ever convince me 
 that your project is approved by Heaven." 
 
 " Let it pass now, daughter," rejoined Garnet ; " enough 
 has been said on the subject. I came hither to tell Guy 
 Fawkes, that if our enemies permit us to pass the night 
 without molestation (as Heaven grant they may !) I think 
 I shall be strong enough to set out with him to-morrow, 
 when I propose we should journey together to London." 
 
 " Agreed," replied Fawkes. 
 
 " Father Oldcorne will accompany us," pursued Garnet. 
 
 " And I, too, will go with you, if you will permit me," 
 said Viviana. " I cannot remain here ; and I have no 
 further fears of Mr. Catesby. Doctor Dee told me my 
 future fate was strangely mixed up with that of Guy 
 Fawkes. I know not how it may be, but I will not 
 abandon him while there is a hope to cling to." 
 
 " Viviana Radcliffe," rejoined Guy Fawkes, coldly, 
 « deeply as I feel the interest you take in me, I think it
 
 208 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 right to tell you that no efforts you can use will shake 
 me from my purpose. If I live, I will execute my de- 
 sign." 
 
 " While I live, I will urge you to it," remarked Garnet. 
 
 "And while J live, I will dissuade you from it," added 
 Viviana. " "We shall see who will obtain the victory." 
 
 " We shall," replied Garnet, smiling confidently. 
 
 " Hear me further," continued Viviana ; " I do not 
 doubt that your zeal is disinterested ; yet still, your mode 
 of life, and the difficulties in which you are placed, may 
 not unnaturally influence your conduct. That this may 
 no longer be the case, I here place part of my fortune at 
 your disposal. I require little or nothing myself. But 
 I would, if possible, save one to whom I owe so much, 
 and whom I value so much, from desti'uction." 
 
 " I fully appreciate your generosity— to give it its light- 
 est term — Viviana," returned Guy Fawkes, in a voice of 
 deep emotion. " Under any circumstances I should re- 
 ject it — under the present, I do so the more positively, 
 because the offer, kind as it is, seems to imply that my 
 poverty leads me to act contrary to my principles. Gold 
 has no power over me: I regard it as dross; and when 
 I could easily have won it, I neglected the opportunity. 
 As no reward would ever induce me to commit an action 
 my conscience disapproved, so none will deter me from a 
 purpose which I regard as my duty." 
 
 " Enough," replied Viviana, sadly. " I will no longer 
 question your motives, or oppose your plan, but will pray 
 Heaven to open your eyes to the truth." 
 
 " Your conduct is in all respects worthy of you, daugh- 
 ter," observed Garnet, kindly. 
 
 " You have rejected one offer," continued Viviana, look- 
 ing at Fawkes ; " but I trust you will not decline that I 
 am about to propose to you." 
 
 " What is it ? " asked Fawkes, in some surprise. 
 
 "It is that I may be permitted to regard you as a 
 father," replied Viviana, with some hesitation. " Having 
 lost my own father, I feel I need some protector, and I
 
 THE DEPARTURE FROM THE HALL. 209 
 
 would gladly make choice of you, if you will accept the 
 office." 
 
 " I willingly accede to your request, and am much flat- 
 tered by it, Viviana," replied Fawkes. " I am a homeless 
 man, and a friendless, and the affection of such a being 
 as yourself will fill up the only void in my heart. But I 
 am wedded to the great cause. I can never be more to 
 you than a father." 
 
 " Kay, I ask nothing more," she replied, blushing deeply. 
 
 " Having thus arranged the terms upon which we 
 shall travel," observed Garnet, with a smile, " nothing is 
 needed but to prepare for our journey. We start early 
 to-morrow morning." 
 
 " I shall be ready at daybreak," replied Viviana. 
 
 "And I am ready now," added Guy Fawkes. "In my 
 opinion, we run great risk in remaining here another 
 night. But be it as you will." 
 
 At this moment they were interrupted by the entrance 
 of Father Oldcorne, who with a countenance of great 
 alarm informed them he could nowhere find Martin 
 Heydocke. 
 
 " Do you suspect any treachery on his part ? " asked 
 Garnet of Viviana. 
 
 "I have always found him trustworthy," she answered ; 
 "and his father was my father's oldest servant. I can- 
 not think he would betray us. At the same time, I must 
 admit his disappearance at this juncture looks suspicious." 
 
 "If my strength were equal to it," returned Guy 
 Fawkes, "I would keep watch throughout the night; 
 but that might prevent me from accompanying you to- 
 morrow. My advice, I repeat, is — to set out at once." 
 
 This opinion, however, was overruled by Garnet and 
 Viviana, who did not think the danger so urgent, and 
 attributed the absence of JMartin Heydocke to some un- 
 important cause. Guy Fawkes made no further remon- 
 strance, and it was agreed they should start, as originally 
 proposed, at daybreak. 
 
 The party then separated, and Viviana wandered alone
 
 210 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 over the old house, taking a farewell, which she felt 
 would be her last, of every familiar object. Few things 
 were as she had known them, but even in their present 
 forlorn state they were dear to her ; and the rooms she 
 trod, though dismantled, were the same she had occupied 
 in childhood. 
 
 There is no pang more acute to a sensitive nature than 
 that occasioned by quitting an abode or spot endeared by 
 early recollections and associations, to which we feel a 
 strong presentiment we shall never return. Viviana 
 experienced this feeling in its full force, and she lingered 
 in each room as if she had not the power to leave it. Her 
 emotions at length became so overpowering, that to 
 relieve them she strolled forth into the garden. Here, 
 new objects awakened her attention, and recalled happier 
 times with painful distinctness. Twilight was fast deep- 
 ening, and, viewed through this dim and softened 
 medium, everything looked as of old, and produced a 
 tightening and stifling sensation in her breast, that noth- 
 ing but a flood of tears could remove. 
 
 The flowers yielded forth their richest scents, and the 
 whole scene was such as she had often beheld it in times 
 long ago, when sorrow was wholly unknown to her. Per- 
 fumes, it is well known, exercise a singular influence over 
 the memory. A particular odor will frequently call up 
 an event and a long train of circumstances connected 
 with the time when it was first inhaled. Without being 
 aware whence it arose, Viviana felt a tide of recollections 
 pressing upon her, v/hich she would have willingly re- 
 pressed, but which it was out of her power to control. 
 Her tears flowed abundantly, and at length, with a heart 
 somewhat lightened of its load, she arose from the bench 
 on which she had thrown herself, and proceeded along a 
 walk to gather a few flowers as memorials of the place. 
 
 In this way, she reached the further end of the garden, 
 and was stooping to pluck a spray of some fragrant shrub, 
 when she perceived the figure of a man behind a tree 
 at a little distance from her. From his garb, which was
 
 THE DEPARTURE FROM THE HALL. 211 
 
 that of a soldier, she instantly knew he was an enemy, 
 and, though greatly alarmed, she had the courage not to 
 scream, but breaking off the branch, she uttered a careless 
 exclamation, and slowly retraced her steps. She half 
 expected to hear that the soldier was following her, and 
 prepared to start off at full speed to the house ; but, 
 deceived by her manner, he did not stir. On reaching 
 the end of the walk, she could not resist the inclination 
 to look back, and, glancing over her shoulder, perceived 
 the man watching her. But as she moved, he instantly 
 withdrew his head. 
 
 Her first step on reaching the house was to close and 
 fasten the door ; her next to hasten to Guy Fawkes's 
 chamber, where she found him, together with Garnet and 
 Oldcorne. All three were astounded at the intelligence, 
 agreeing that an attack was intended, and that a large 
 force was, in all probability, concealed in the garden, 
 awaiting only the arrival of night to surprise and seize 
 them. The disappearance of the younger Heydocke was 
 no longer a mystery. He had been secured and carried 
 oft' by the hostile party, to prevent him from giving the 
 alarm. The emergency was a fearful one, and it excited 
 consternation amongst all except Guy Fawkes, who 
 preserved his calmness. 
 
 " I foresaw we should be attacked to-night," he said, 
 " and I am therefore not wholly unprepared. Our only 
 chance is to steal out unobserved ; for resistance would be 
 in vain, as their force is probably numerous, and I am as 
 helpless as an infant, while Father Garnet's broken arm 
 precludes any assistance from him. The subterranean 
 passage leading from the oratory to the further side of 
 the moat having been stopped up by the pursuivant and 
 his band, it will be necessary to cross the drawbridge, 
 and as soon as it grows sufficiently dark, we must make 
 the attempt. We have no horses, and must trust to our 
 own exertions for safety. Catesby would now be invalu- 
 able. It is not his custom to desert his friends at the 
 season of their greatest need."
 
 212 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " Great as is my danger," observed Viviana, " I would 
 rather, so far as I am concerned, that he were absent, than 
 owe my preservation to him. I have no fears for my- 
 self." 
 
 " And my only fears are for you," rejoined Fawkes. 
 
 Half an hour of intense anxiety was now passed by the 
 party. Garnet was restless and uneasy. Oldcorne be- 
 trayed his agitation by unavailing lamentations, by listen- 
 ing to every sound, and by constantly rushing to the win- 
 dows to reconnoiter, until he was checked by Fawkes, who 
 represented to him the folly of his conduct. Viviana, 
 though ill at ease, did not allow her terror to appear, but 
 endeavored to imitate the immovable demeanor of Guy 
 Fawkes, who always became more collected in proportion 
 to the danger by which he was threatened. 
 
 At the expiration of the time above mentioned, it had 
 become quite dark, and desiring his companions to follow 
 him, Guy Fawkes drew his sword, and grasping Viviana's 
 hand, led the way down-stairs. Before opening the door, 
 he listened intently, and, hearing no sound, issued cau- 
 tiously forth. The party had scarcely gained the center 
 of the court, when a call ver was discharged at them, which, 
 though it did no damage, served as a signal to the rest 
 of their foes. Guy Fawkes, who had never relinquished 
 his hold of Viviana, now pressed forward as rapidly as 
 his strength would permit, and the two priests followed. 
 But loud shouts were raised on the drawbridge, and it was 
 evident it was occupied by the enemy. 
 
 Uncertain what to do, Guy Fawkes halted, and was 
 about to return to the house, when a shout from behind told 
 him their retreat was intercepted. In this dilemma there 
 was nothing for it but to attempt to force a passage across 
 the drawbridge, or to surrender at discretion ; and though 
 Guy Fawkes would not at other seasons have hesitated to 
 embrace the former alternative, he knew that his strength 
 was not equal to it now. 
 
 While he was internally resolving not to yield himself 
 with life, and supportiDg Viviana, who clung closely to
 
 THE DEPARTURE FROM THE HALL. 213 
 
 him, the clatter of hoofs was heard rapidly approaching 
 along the avenue, and presently afterwards two horse- 
 men galloped at full speed toward the drawbridge. The 
 noise had likewise attracted the attention of the enemy ; 
 who, apprehensive of a rescue, prepared to stop them. 
 But the tremendous pace of the riders rendered this im- 
 possible. A few blows were exchanged, a few shots fired, 
 and they had crossed the drawbridge. 
 
 " Who goes there ? " shouted Guy Fawkes, as the horse- 
 men approached him. 
 
 " It is the voice of Guy Fawkes," cried the foremost, 
 whose tones proclaimed it was Catesby. " They are here," 
 he cried, reining in his steed. 
 
 " Where is Viviana ? " vociferated his companion, who 
 was no other than Humphrey Chetham. 
 
 " Here — here," replied Guy Fawkes. 
 
 With the quickness of thought, the young merchant 
 was by her side, and in another moment she was placed 
 on the saddle before him, and borne at a headlong pace 
 across the drawbridge. 
 
 " Follow me," cried Catesbj^ "I will clear a passage 
 for you. Once across the drawbridge, you are safe. A 
 hundred yards down the avenue, on the right, you will 
 find a couple of horses tied to a tree. Quick ! quick ! " 
 
 As he spoke, a shot whizzed past his head, and a tu- 
 multuous din in the rear told that their pursuers were close 
 upon them. Striking spurs into his steed, Catesby dashed 
 forward, and dealing blows right and left, cleared the 
 drawbridge of its occupants, many of whom leaped into 
 the moat to escape his fury. His companions were close 
 at his heels, and got over the bridge in safety. 
 
 " Fly !— fly ! " cried Catesby, — " to the horses — the 
 horses ! I will check all pursuit." 
 
 So saying, and while the others flew towards the avenue, 
 he faced his opponents, and making a desperate charge 
 upon them, drove them backwards. In this conflict, 
 though several shots were fired, and blows aimed at him 
 on all sides, he sustained no injury, but succeeded in de-
 
 214 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 fending the bridge sufficiently long to enable his friends 
 to mount. 
 
 He then rode off at full speed, and found the party 
 waiting for him at the end of the avenue. Father Old- 
 corne was seated on the same steed as his superior. After 
 riding with them upwards of a mile, Humphrey Chetham 
 dismounted, and resigning his horse to Viviana, bade her 
 farewell, and disappeared. 
 
 " And now to London ! " cried Catesby, striking into a 
 road on the right, and urging his steed to a rapid pace. 
 
 " Ay, to London ! — to the Parliament House ! " echoed 
 Fawkes, following him with the others. 
 
 END OP THE FIRST BOOK,
 
 THE LAJNDING OF THE POWDER. 215 
 
 ISooU tbc Scconb* 
 
 THE DISCOVERY. 
 
 The next point to be considered is the means to compass and work 
 these designs. These means were most cruel and damnable ;— by- 
 mining, and by thirty-six barrels of powder, having crows of iron, 
 stones, and wood, laid upon the barrels, to have made the breach the 
 greater. Lord ! what a wind, what a fire, what amotion and commo- 
 tion of earth and air would there have been ! — Sir Ediuard Cok&s 
 Sv^GCli on the Trial of the Conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE LANDING OF THE POWDEE. 
 
 TowAEDs the close of the sixth day after their depart- 
 ure from Ordsall Hall, the party approached the capital. 
 The sun was setting as they descended Highgate Hill, 
 and the view of the ancient, and then most picturesque 
 city, was so enchanting, that Viviana, who beheld it for 
 the first time, entreated her companions to pause for a 
 few minutes to allow her to contemplate it. From the 
 spot where they halted, the country Avas completely open 
 to Clerkenwell, and only a few scattered habitations lay 
 between them and the old gray ramparts of the city, with 
 their gates and fortifications, which were easily discernible 
 even at that distance. Above them rose the massive 
 body and central tower of Saint Paul's cathedral, — a
 
 216 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 structure far surpassing that which has succeeded it, — 
 while amid the innumerable gables, pointed roofs, and 
 twisted chimneys of the houses sprang a multitude of 
 lesser towers and spires, lending additional beauty to the 
 scene. Viviana was enraptured, and, while gazing on the 
 prospect, almost forgot her sorrows. Guy Fawkes and 
 Catesby, who were a little in advance of the others, 
 turned their gaze westward, and the former observed to 
 his companion, 
 
 " The sun is setting over the Parliament House. The 
 sky seems stained with blood. It looks portentous of 
 what is to follow." 
 
 " I would gladly behold the explosion from this hill, or 
 from yon heights," replied Catesby, pointing towards 
 Hampstead. " It will be a sight such as man has seldom 
 seen." 
 
 " I shall never live to witness it ! " exclaimed Guy 
 Fawkes, in a melancholy tone. 
 
 " What ! still desponding ? " returned Catesby, re- 
 proachfully. " I thought, since you had fully recovered 
 from your wound, you had shaken off your fears." 
 
 " You misunderstand me," replied Fawkes. " I mean 
 that I shall perish with our foes." 
 
 " Why so ? " cried Catesby. " There will be plenty of 
 time to escape after you have fired the train." 
 
 " I shall not attempt it," rejoined Fawkes, in a somber 
 voice. " I will abide the result in the vault. If I perish, 
 it will be a glorious death." 
 
 " Better live to see the regeneration of our faith, and 
 our restoration to our rights," rejoined Catesby. " But 
 we will speak of this hereafter. Here comes Garnet." 
 
 " Where do you propose we should lodge to-night ? " 
 asked the latter, riding up. 
 
 " At the house at Lambeth, where the powder is de- 
 posited," returned Catesby. 
 
 " Will it be safe ? " asked Garnet, uneasily. 
 
 " We shall be safer there than elsewhere, father," 
 replied Catesby. " If it is dark enough to-night, Fawkes
 
 THE LANDING OF THE POWDER. 217 
 
 and I will remove a portion of the powder. But we are 
 losing time. We must pass through the city before the 
 gates are closed." 
 
 In this suggestion Garnet acquiesced, and calling to 
 Viviana to follow them, — for, since his late atrocious 
 attemj)t, Catesby had not exchanged a word or look with 
 her, but during the whole of the journey kept sedulously 
 aloof, — the whole party set forward, and proceeding at a 
 brisk pace, soon reached the walls of the city. Passing 
 through Cripplegate, they shaped their course towards 
 London Bridge. Viviana was filled with astonishment at 
 all she saw : the multitude and magnificence of the shops, 
 compared with such as she had previously seen ; the 
 crowds in the streets, — for even at that hour they were 
 thronged ; the varied dresses of the passengers — the 
 sober garb of the merchant, contrasting with the showy 
 cloak, the preposterous ruff, swelling hose, plumed cap, 
 and swaggering gait of the gallant or the ruffler; the 
 brawls that were constantly occurring: the number of 
 signs projecting from the dwellings ; all she witnessed or 
 heard surprised and amused her, and she would willingly 
 have proceeded at a slower pace to indulge her curiosity, 
 had not her comj)anions urged her onward. 
 
 As they were crossing Eastcheap, in the direction of 
 Crooked Lane, a man suddenly quitted the footpath, and, 
 rushing towards Garnet, seized his bridle, and cried, 
 
 " I arrest you. You are a Romish priest." 
 
 " It is false, knave," returned Garnet. " I am as good 
 a Protestant as thyself, and am just arrived with my 
 companions from a long journey." 
 
 " Your companions are all rank Papists," rejoined the 
 stranger. " You yourself are Father Garnet, superior of 
 the Jesuits, and, if I am not deceived, the person next you 
 is Father Oldcorne, also of that order. If I am wrong 
 you can easily refute the charge. Come with me to the 
 council. If you refuse, I will call assistance from the 
 passengers." 
 
 Garnet saw he was lost if he did not make an immediate
 
 218 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 effort at self-preservation, and resolving to be beforehand 
 with his assailant, he shouted at the top of his voice, 
 
 " Help ! help ! my masters. This villain would rob me 
 of my purse." 
 
 " He is a Romish priest," vociferated the stranger. « I 
 call upon you to assist me to arrest him." 
 
 While the passengers, scarcely knowing what to make 
 of these contradictory statements, flocked round them, 
 Guy Fawkes, who was a little in advance of Catesby, rode 
 back, and seeing how matters stood, instantly drew a 
 petronel, and with the butt-end felled the stranger to the 
 ground. Thus liberated, Garnet struck spurs into his 
 steed, and the whole party dashed off at a rapid pace. 
 Shouts were raised by the bystanders, a few of whom 
 started in pursuit, but the speed at which the fugitives 
 rode soon bore them out of danger. 
 
 By this time they had reached London Bridge, and 
 Viviana, in some degree recovered from the fright caused 
 by the recent occurrence, ventured to look around her. 
 She could scarcely believe she was crossing a bridge, so 
 completely did the tall houses give it tlie appearance of 
 a street ; and, if it had not been for occasional glimpses 
 of the river caught between the openings of these lofty 
 habitations, she would have thought her companions had 
 mistaken the road. As they approached the ancient gate- 
 way (afterwards denominated Traitor's Tower), at the 
 Southwark side of the bridge, she remarked with a 
 shudder the dismal array of heads garnishing its spikes, 
 and pointing them out to Fawkes, cried, 
 
 " Heaven grant yours may never be amongst the 
 number ! " 
 
 Fawkes made no answer, but dashed beneath the low 
 and gloomy arch of the gate. 
 
 Striking into a street on the right, the party skirted 
 the walls of Saint Saviour's Church, and presently drew 
 near the Globe theater, above which floated its banner. 
 Adjoining it was the old Bear-garden — the savage in- 
 mates of which made themselves sufficiently audible.
 
 THE LANDING OF THE POWDER. 219 
 
 Garnet hastily pointed out the first-mentionecl place of 
 amusement to Viviana as they passed it, and her reading 
 having made her well acquainted with the noble dramas 
 produced at that unpretendmg establishment — little better 
 than a barn in comparison with a modern playhouse, — 
 she regarded it with deep interest. Another theater — 
 the Swan — speedily claimed her attention ; and, leaving 
 it behind, they came upon the open country. 
 
 It was now growing rapidly dark, and Catesby, turning 
 off into a narrow lane on the right, shouted to his com- 
 panions to keep near him. The tract of land they were 
 traversing was fiat and marshy. The air was damp and 
 unwholesome — for the swamp had not been drained as in 
 later times, — and the misty exhalations arising from it 
 added to the obscurity. Catesby, however, did not relax 
 his pace, and his companions imitated his example. An- 
 other turn on the right seemed to bring them still nearer 
 the river, and involved them in a thicker fog. 
 
 All at once Catesby stopped, and cried, 
 
 " We should be near the house. And yet this fog 
 perplexes me. Stay here while I search for it." 
 
 " If you leave us, we shall not readily meet again," re- 
 joined Fawkes. 
 
 But the caution was unheeded, Catesby having already 
 disappeared. A few moments afterwards, Fawkes heard 
 the sound of a horse's hoofs approaching him ; and, think- 
 ing it was Catesby, he hailed the rider. 
 
 The horseman made no answer, but continued to ad- 
 vance towards them. 
 
 Just then the voice of Catesby was heard at a little 
 distance, shouting, " I was right. It is here." 
 
 The party then hastened in the direction of the cry, 
 and perceived through the gloom a low building, before 
 the door of which Catesby, who had dismounted, was 
 standing. 
 
 " A stranger is amongst us," observed Fawkes, in an 
 undertone, as he rode up. 
 
 " Where is he ? " demanded Catesby, hastily.
 
 220 Ginr FAWKES. 
 
 " Here," replied a voice. " But, fear nothing. I am a 
 friend." 
 
 "I must have stronger assurance than that," replied 
 Catesby. " Who are you ? " 
 
 " Robert Keyes," replied the other. " Do you not know 
 my voice ? " 
 
 "In good truth I did not," rejoined Catesby ; "and you 
 have spoken just in time. Your arrival is most opportune. 
 But what brings you here to-night ? " 
 
 " The same errand as yourself, I conclude, Catesby," 
 replied Keyes. " I came here to see that all was in safety. 
 But, who have you with you ? " 
 
 " Let us enter the house, and you shall learn," replied 
 Catesby. 
 
 With this, he tapped thrice at the door in a peculiar 
 manner, and presently alight was seen through the win- 
 dows, and a voice from witliin demanded who knocked. 
 
 " Your master," replied Catesby. 
 
 Upon this, the door was instantly unbarred. After a 
 hasty greeting between Catesby and his servant, whom 
 he addressed as Thomas Bates, tlie former inquired 
 whether aught had occurred during his absence, and was 
 answered that, except an occasional visit from Mr. Percy, 
 one of the conspirators, no one had been near the house ; 
 everything being in precisely the same state he had 
 left it. 
 
 " That is well," replied Catesby. " Now, then, to dis- 
 pose of the horses." 
 
 All the party having dismounted, their steeds were led 
 to a stable at the back of the premises by Catesby and 
 Bates, while the others entered the house. It was a 
 small, mean-looking habitation, standing at a short dis- 
 tance from the river-side, on the skirts of Lambeth Marsh, 
 and its secluded situation and miserable appearance sel- 
 dom induced any one to visit it. On one side was a deep 
 muddy sluice communicating with the river. Within, it 
 possessed but slight accommodation, and only numbered 
 four apartments. One of the best of these was assigned
 
 THE LANDING OF THE POWDER. £21 
 
 to Yiviana, and she retired to it as soon as it could be 
 prepared for her reception. Garnet, who still carried his 
 arm in a sling, but who was in other respects almost re- 
 covered from his accident, tendered every assistance in 
 his power, and would have remained with her, but she 
 entreated to be left alone. On descending to the lower 
 room, he found Catesby, who, having left Bates in care 
 of the horses, produced such refreshments as they had 
 brought with them. These were scanty enough ; but a 
 few flasks of excellent wine which they found within the 
 house made some amends for the meager repast. Viviana 
 was solicited by Guy Fawkes to join them ; but she de- 
 clined, alleging that she was greatly fatigued, and about 
 to retire to rest. 
 
 Their meal ended, Catesby proposed that they should 
 ascertain the condition of the powder, as he feared it 
 might have suffered from being so long in the vault. 
 Before making this examination, the door was carefully 
 barred ; the shutters of the windows closed ; and Guy 
 Fawkes placed himself as sentinel at the door. A flag 
 beneath the grate, in which a fire was never kindled, was 
 then raised, and disclosed a flight of steps leading to a 
 vault beneath. Catesby having placed a light in a lan- 
 tern, descended with Keyes ; but both Garnet and Old- 
 corne refused to accompany them. 
 
 The vault was arched and lofty, and, strange to say, 
 for its situation, dry — a circumstance owing, in all prob- 
 ability, to the great thickness of the walls. On either side 
 were ranged twenty barrels filled with powder ; and at 
 the further end stood a pile of arms, consisting of pikes, 
 rapiers, demi-lances, petronels, calivers, corselets, and 
 morions. Removing one of the barrels from its station, 
 Catesby forced open the lid, and examined its contents, 
 which he found perfectly dry and uninjured. 
 
 " It is fit for use," he observed, with a significant smile, 
 as he exhibited a handful of the powder to Keyes, who 
 stood at a little distance with the lantern; "if it will 
 keep as well in the cellar beneath the Parliament House,
 
 222 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 our foes will soon be nearer heaven than they would 
 ever be if left to themselves." 
 
 "When do you propose to transport it across the 
 river?" asked Keyes. 
 
 " To-night," replied Catesby, "It is dark and foggy, 
 and fitting for the purpose. Bates ! " he shouted ; and at 
 the call his servant instantly descended. " Is the wherry 
 at her moorings ? " 
 
 " She is, your worship," replied Bates. 
 
 " You must cross the river instantly, then," rejoined 
 Catesby, " and proceed to the dwelling adjoining the Par- 
 liament House, which we hired from Ferris. Here is the 
 key. Examine the premises, — and bring word whether 
 all is secure." 
 
 Bates was about to depart, when Keyes volunteering 
 to accompany him, they left the house together. Having 
 fastened down the lid of the cask, Catesby summoned 
 Fawkes to his assistance, and by his help as many barrels 
 as could be safely stowed in the boat were brouglit out of 
 the vault. More than two hours elapsed before Bates re- 
 turned. He was alone, and informed them that all was 
 secure, but that Keyes had decided on remaming where 
 he was, — it being so dark and foggy, that it was scarcely 
 possible to cross the river. 
 
 "I had some difficulty in landing," he added, " and got 
 considerably out of my course. I never was out on so 
 dark a night before." 
 
 " It is the better for us," rejoined Catesby. " We shall 
 be sure to escape observation." 
 
 In this opinion Guy Fawkes concurred, and they pro- 
 ceeded to transport the powder to the boat, which was 
 brought up the sluice within a few yards of the door. 
 This done, and the barrels covered with a piece of tar- 
 paulin, they embarked, and Fawkes, seizing an oar, pro- 
 pelled the skiiC along the narrow creek. 
 
 As Bates had stated, the fog was so dense that it was 
 wholly impossible to steer correctly, and Fawkes was 
 therefore obliged to trust to chance as to the course he
 
 THE LANDING OF THE POWDER. 223 
 
 took. However, having fully regained his strength, he 
 rowed with great swiftness, and, as far as he could judge, 
 had gained the raid-stream, when, before he could avoid 
 it, he came in violent contact with another boat, overset- 
 ting it, and plunging its occupants in the stream. 
 
 Disregarding the hints and even menaces of Catesby, 
 who urged him to proceed, Fawkes immediately lay upon 
 his oars, and, as the water was perfectly smooth, suc- 
 ceeded, without much difficulty, in extricating the two 
 men from their perilous situation. Their boat having 
 drifted down the stream, could not be recovered. The 
 chief of these personages was profuse in his thanks to 
 his deliverers, whom he supposed were watermen, and 
 they took care not to undeceive him. 
 
 " You may rely upon my gratitude," he said ; " and 
 when I tell you I am the Earl of Salisbury, you will be 
 satisfied I have the means of evincing it." 
 
 " The Earl of Salisbury ! " exclaimed Catesby, who was 
 seated by Fawkes, having taken one of the oars. " Is it 
 possible ? " 
 
 " I have been on secret state business," replied the 
 Earl, " and did not choose to employ my own barge. I 
 was returning to Whitehall, when your boat struck against 
 mine." 
 
 "It is our bitterest enemy," observed Catesby, in an 
 undertone, to Fawkes. "Fate has delivered him into 
 our hands." 
 
 " What are you about to do ? " demanded Fawkes, ob- 
 serving that his companion no longer pulled at the oar. 
 
 "Shoot him," replied Catesby. "Keep still, while I 
 disengage my petronel." 
 
 " It shall not be," returned Fawkes, laying a firm grasp 
 upon his arm. " Let him perish with the others." 
 
 " If we suffer him to escape now, we may never have 
 such a chance again," rejoined Catesby. " I will shoot 
 him." 
 
 " I say you shall not," rejoined Fawkes. " His hour is 
 not yet come."
 
 224 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " "What are you talking about, my masters ? " demanded 
 the Earl, who was shivering in his wet garments, 
 
 "Nothing," replied Catesby, hastily. "I will throw 
 him overboard," he whispered to Fawkes. 
 
 " Again I say, you shall not," replied the latter. 
 
 " I see what you are afraid of," cried the Earl. " You 
 are smugglers. You have got some casks of distilled 
 Avaters on board, and are afraid I may report you. Fear 
 nothing. Land me near the palace, and count upon my 
 gratitude." 
 
 " Our course lies in a different direction," replied 
 Catesby, sternly. " If your lordship lands at all, it must 
 be where we choose." 
 
 "But I have to see the King to-night. I have some 
 important papers to deliver to him respecting the Pa- 
 pists," replied Salisbury. 
 
 " Indeed ! " exclaimed Catesby. " We must, at least, 
 have those papers," he observed, in a whisper, to 
 Fawkes. 
 
 " That is a different affair," replied Fawkes. " They 
 may prove serviceable to us." 
 
 "My lord," observed Catesby, "by a strange chance 
 you have fallen into the hands of Catholics. You will be 
 pleased to deliver these papers to us." 
 
 " Ah ! villains, would you rob me ? " cried the Earl. 
 « You shall take my life sooner." 
 
 " We will take both, if you resist," replied Catesby, in 
 a menacing tone. 
 
 " Nay, then," returned Salisbury, attempting to draw 
 his sword, " we will see who Avill obtain tlie mastery. 
 "VVe are equally matched. Come on ; 1 fear you not." 
 
 But the waterman who had rowed the Earl was not of 
 equal courage with his employer, and refused to take part 
 in the conflict. 
 
 " It Avill be useless to contend with us," cried Catesby, 
 relinquishing the oar to Fawkes, and springing forward. 
 " I must have those papers," he added, seizing the Earl 
 'b^ the throatj " or I will throw you overboar4."
 
 THE LANDING OF THE POWDER. 225 
 
 " I am mistaken in you," returned Salisbury ; " you are 
 no common mariner." 
 
 " It matters not wlio or wliat I am," rejoined Catesby, 
 fiercely. " Your papers, or you die." 
 
 Finding it in vain to contend with his opponent, the 
 Earl was fain to yield, and reluctantly produced a packet 
 from his doublet, and delivered it to him. 
 
 " You will repent this outrage, villain," he said. 
 
 "Your lordship will do well to recollect you are still in 
 my power," rejoined Catesby. "One thrust of my sword 
 will wipe off some of the injuries you have inflicted on 
 our suffering party." 
 
 "I have heard your voice before," cried Salisbury; 
 " you shall not escape me." 
 
 " Your imprudence has destroyed you," retorted Cates- 
 by, clutching the Earl's throat more tightly, and shorten- 
 ing his sword, with the intent to plunge it into his breast. 
 
 " Hold ! " exclaimed Fawkes, grasping his arm, and 
 preventing the blow. " I have already said you shall not 
 slay him. You are in possession of his papers. What 
 more would you have ? " 
 
 "His life," replied Catesby, struggling to liberate his 
 arm. 
 
 " Let him swear not to betray us," rejoined Fawkes. 
 « If he refuses, I will not stay your hand." 
 
 " You hear what my companion says, my lord," cried 
 Catesby. "Will you swear to keep silence as to what 
 has just occurred ? " 
 
 After a moment's hesitation, Salisbury assented, and 
 Catesby relinquished his grasp. 
 
 During this time, the boat had drifted considerably 
 down the stream, and, in spite of the darkness, Catesby 
 noticed with some uneasiness that they were approach- 
 ing more than one vessel. The Earl of Salisbury also 
 perceived this, and raised a cry for help, but was in- 
 stantly checked by Catesby, who took a seat beside him, 
 and placing the point of his rapier at his breast, swore he 
 would stab him if he made any further clamor.
 
 22f) GUY FAWKES. 
 
 The threat, and the dangerous propinquity of his enemy, 
 effectually silenced the Earl, and Catesby directed Fawkes 
 to make for the shore as quickly as he could. His in- 
 junctions were obeyed, and Fawkes plied the oars with 
 so much good-will, that in a few minutes the wherry 
 struck against the steps, which projected far into the 
 water, a little to the right of the Star Chamber, precisely 
 on the spot where Westminster Bridge now stands. 
 
 Here the Earl and his companion were allowed to 
 disembark, and they had no sooner set foot on land than 
 Guy Fawkes pushed off the boat, and rowed as swiftly as 
 he could towards the center of the stream. He then de- 
 manded of Catesby whether he should make for the Par- 
 liament House, or return, 
 
 " I scarcely know what to advise," replied Catesby. 
 " I do not think the Earl will attempt pursuit. And yet 
 I know not. The papers we have obtained may be 
 important. Cease rowing for a moment, and let us 
 listen." 
 
 Guy Fawkes complied, and they listened intently, but 
 could only hear the rippling of the current against the 
 sides of the skiff. 
 
 " We have nothing to fear," observed Catesby. " He 
 will not pursue us, or he camiot find a boat." 
 
 As he spoke, the glimmer of torches was visible on 
 the shore, and the plunge of oars into the water con- 
 vinced him his opinion was erroneous. 
 
 " What course shall we take ? " inquired Fawkes. 
 
 " I care not," replied Catesby, sullenly. " If I had had 
 my own way, this would not have happened." 
 
 " Have no fears," replied Fawkes, rowing swiftly down 
 the stream. " We shall easily escape." 
 
 " We will not be taken alive," returned Catesby, seat- 
 ing himself on one of the barrels, and hammering against 
 the lid with the butt-end of his petronel. " I will sooner 
 blow us all to perdition than he shall capture us." 
 
 "You are right," replied Fawkes. "By my patron, 
 Snint James, he is taking the same course as ourselves."
 
 THE LANDING OF THE POWDER. 227 
 
 « Well, let him board us," replied Catesby. " I am 
 ready for him." 
 
 " Do as you think proper if the worst occurs," returned 
 Fawkes. " But, if we make no noise, I am assured we 
 shall not be perceived." 
 
 With this he ceased rowing, and suffered the boat to 
 drop down the stream. As ill-luck would have it, it 
 seemed as if the hostile bark had struck completely into 
 their track, and, aided by the current, and four sturdy 
 rowers, was swiftly approaching. 
 
 " The Earl will be upon us in a few minutes," replied 
 Catesby. " If you have any prayers to offer, recite them 
 quickly, for I swear I will be as good as my word." 
 
 " I am ever prepared for death," replied Fawkes. " Ha ! 
 we are saved ? " 
 
 This last exclamation was occasioned by his remarking 
 a large barge, towards which they were rapidly drifting. 
 
 " What are you about to do ? " cried Catesby. — " Leap 
 on board and abandon the skiff, together with its con- 
 tents ? " 
 
 "No," replied Fawkes ; " sit still, and leave the rest to 
 me." 
 
 By this time, they had approached the barge, which 
 was lying at anchor, and Guy Fawkes, grasping at a 
 boat-hook, fixed it in the vessel as they passed, and drew 
 their own boat close to its side — so close, in fact, that it 
 could not be distinguished from it. 
 
 The next moment, the chase came up, and they dis- 
 tinctly perceived the Earl of Salisbury seated in the stern 
 of the boat, holding a torch. As he approached the barge, 
 he held the light towards it ; but the skiff being on the 
 off-side, entirely escaped notice. When the chase had 
 got to a sufficient distance to be out of hearing, the fugi- 
 tives rowed swiftly in the contrary direction. 
 
 Not judging it prudent to land, they continued to ply 
 the oars, until fatigue compelled them to desist, and they 
 had placed some miles between them and their pursuers. 
 
 " Long before this, the Earl must have given up the
 
 228 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 chase," observed Catesby. " We must return before day- 
 break, and either land our powder near the Parliament 
 House, or take it back to the vault at Lambeth," 
 
 " We shall run equal risk either way," replied Fawkes, 
 " and, having ventured thus far, we may as well go 
 through with it. I am for landing at Westminster." 
 
 " And I," rejoined Catesby. " I do not like giving up 
 a project when I have once undertaken it." 
 
 " You speak my sentiments exactly," returned Fawkes. 
 " Westminster be it." 
 
 After remaining stationary for about an hour, they 
 rowed back again, and, aided by the stream, in a short 
 time reached their destination. The fog had in a great 
 degree cleared off, and day began to break as they ap- 
 proached the stairs leading to the Parliament House. 
 Though this was not what they desired, inasmuch as the 
 light added to the risk they would have run in landing 
 the powder, it enabled them to ascertain that no one was 
 on the watch. 
 
 Running swiftly in towards a sort of wharf, protected 
 by a roofed building, Catesby leapt ashore, and tied the 
 skiff to a ring in the steps. He then desired Fawkes to 
 hand out the powder as quickly as he could. The order 
 was promptly obeyed, and in a few minutes several barrels 
 were on the strand. 
 
 " Had you not better fetch Keyes to help us, while I 
 get out the rest ? " observed Fawkes. 
 
 Catesby assented, and hurrying to the house, found 
 Keyes, who was in great alarm about them. He instantly 
 accompanied the other to the wharf, and by their united 
 efforts the powder was expeditiously and safely removed.
 
 Fawkes and Catesby soon had the powder safely on the wharf. Paj^e 228. 
 
 Guy Fawkes
 
 THE TRAITOR. £29 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE TRAITOK. 
 
 The habitation, to which the powder was conveyed, 
 adjoined, as has ah-eady been stated, the Parhament House, 
 and stood at the soutliwest corner of that structure. It 
 was a small building, two stories high, with a little garden 
 attached to it, surrounded by lofty walls, and belonged 
 to Whinneard, the keeper of the royal wardrobe, by whom 
 it was let to a person named Ferris. From the latter it 
 was hired by Thomas Percy, one of the conspirators, and 
 a relative of the Earl of Xorthumberland, — of whom it 
 will be necessary to speak more fully hereafter, — for the 
 purpose to which it was now put. 
 
 Having bestowed the barrels of powder carefully in 
 the cellar, and fastened the door of the house and the 
 garden-gate after them, the trio returned to the boat, and 
 rowed back to Lambeth, where they arrived without 
 being noticed. They then threw themselves upon the 
 floor, and sought some repose after their fatigue. 
 
 It was late in the day before they awoke. Garnet 
 and Oldcorne had been long astir ; but Viviana had not 
 quitted her chamber. Catesby's first object was to ex- 
 amine the packet he had obtained from the Earl of Salis- 
 bury, and, withdrawing to a corner, he read over the 
 papers one by one carefully. 
 
 Guy Fawkes watched his countenance as he perused 
 them, but he asked no questions. Many of the docu- 
 ments appeared to have little interest, for Catesby tossed 
 them aside with an exclamation of disappointment. At 
 length, however, a small note dropped from the bundle. 
 Catesby picked it up, opened it, and his whole expression 
 changed. His brow grew contracted j and, springing to
 
 230 GtJY FAWKES. 
 
 his feet, he uttered an ejaculation of rage, crying, " It is 
 as I suspected. We have traitors among us." 
 
 " Whom do you suspect ? " cried Fawkes. 
 
 " Tresham ! " cried Catesby, in a voice of thunder, — 
 « the fawning, wily, lying Tresham. Fool that I was to 
 league him with us." 
 
 " He is your own kinsman," observed Garnet. 
 
 " He is," replied Catesby ; " but were he my own 
 brother he should die. Here is a letter from him to Lord 
 Mounteagle, which has found its way to the Earl of Salis- 
 bury, hinting that a plot is hatching against the state, 
 and offering to give him full information of it." 
 
 "Traitor! false, perjured traitor ?" cried Fawkes. "He 
 must die." 
 
 " He shall fall by my hand," rejoined Catesby. " Stay I 
 a plan occurs to me. He cannot be aware that this letter 
 is in ray possession. I will send Bates to bid him come 
 hither. We will then charge him with his criminality, 
 and put him to death." 
 
 " He deserves severe punishment, no doubt," replied 
 Garnet ; " but I am unwilling you should proceed to the 
 last extremities with him." 
 
 "There is no alternative, father," replied Catesby. 
 " Our safety demands his destruction." 
 
 Garnet returned no answer, but bowed his head sor- 
 rowfully upon his breast. Bates was then despatched 
 to Tresham ; and preparations were made by the three 
 lay conspirators for executing their fell design. 
 
 It was agreed, that on his arrival, Tresham should be 
 seized and disarmed, and after being interrogated by 
 Catesby touching the extent of his treachery, should be 
 stabbed by Guy Fawkes. This being resolved upon, it 
 became a question how they should act in the interim. 
 It w^as possible that, after the loss of his papers, some 
 communication might take place between the Earl of 
 Salisbury and Lord Mounteagle, and through the latter 
 with Tresham. Thus prepared, on the arrival of Bates, 
 Tresham, seeing through their design, iiistead of accom-
 
 THE TRAITOR. 231 
 
 panying liira, might give information of their retreat to 
 the officers. The contingency was by no means improb- 
 able ; and it was urged so strongly by Garnet, that Cates- 
 by began to regret his precipitancy in sending the mes- 
 sage. Still, his choler was so greatly roused against 
 Tresham, that he resolved to gratify his vengeance at 
 any risk. 
 
 "If he betrays us, and brings the officers here, we 
 shall kiiow how to act," he remarked to Fawkes. " There 
 is that below which \vill avenge us on them all." 
 
 " True," replied Fawkes. " But I trust we shall not be 
 obliged to resort to it." 
 
 Soon after this. Bates returned with a message from 
 Tresham, stating that he would be at the rendezvous at 
 nightfall, and that he had important disclosures to make 
 to them. He desired them, moreover, to observe the 
 utmost caution, and not to stir abroad. 
 
 " He may, perhaps, be able to offer an explanation of 
 his conduct," observed Keyes. 
 
 " Impossible," returned Catesb5^ " But he shall not 
 die without a hearing." 
 
 " That is all I desire," returned Keyes. 
 
 While the others were debating upon the interro- 
 gations they should put to Tresham, and further ex- 
 amining the Earl of Salisbury's papers. Garnet repaired 
 to Viviana's chamber, and informed her what was about 
 to take place. She was filled with consternation, and 
 entreated to be allowed to see Guy Fawkes for a few 
 moments alone. Moved by her supplications. Garnet 
 complied, and presently afterwards Fawkes entered the 
 room. 
 
 " You have sent for me, Viviana," he said. " What 
 would you ? " 
 
 " I have just heard you are about to put one of your 
 companions to death," she replied. " It must not be." 
 
 " Viviana Radcliffe," returned Fawkes, " by your own 
 desire you have mixed yourself up with my fortunes. I 
 ■svill not now discuss the prudence of the step you have
 
 232 (JUY FAWKES. 
 
 taken. But I deem it necessary to tell you, once for all, 
 that any attempts to turn me from the line of conduct I 
 have marked out to myself will fail. Tresham has be- 
 trayed us, and he must pay the penalty of his treason." 
 
 " But not with his life," replied Viviana. " Do you not 
 now perceive into what enormities this fatal enterprise 
 will lead you ? It is not one crime alone that you are 
 about to commit, but many. You constitute yourselves '; 
 judges of your companion, and without allowing him to 
 defend himself, take his life. Disguise it as you may, it is 
 assassination — cold-blooded assassination." 
 
 " His life is justly forfeited," replied Guy Fawkes, 
 sternly. " When he took the oath of secrecy and fidelity 
 to our league, he well knew what the consequences would 
 be if he violated it. He has done so. He has compromised 
 our safety. Nay, he has sold us to our enemies, and 
 nothing shall save him." 
 
 "If this is so," replied Viviana, "how much better 
 would it be to employ the time now left in providing for 
 your safety, than in contriving means of vengeance upon 
 one, who will be sufficiently punished for his baseness by 
 his own conscience. Even if you destroy him, you will 
 not add to your own security, while you will commit a 
 foul and needless crime, equal, if not exceeding in atrocity 
 that you seek to punish." 
 
 " Viviana," replied Fawkes, in an angry tone, " in an 
 evil hour, I consented to your accompanying me. I now 
 repent my acquiescence. But, having passed my word, I 
 cannot retract. You waste time, and exhaust my pa- 
 tience and your own by these unavailing supplications. 
 When I embarked in this enterprise, I embraced all its 
 dangers, all its crimes if you will, and I shall not shrink 
 from them. The extent of Tresham's treachery is not yet 
 known to us. There may be — and God grant it ! — ex- 
 tenuating circumstances in his conduct that may save his 
 life. But, as the case stands at present, his offense ap- 
 pears of that dye that nothing can wash it out but his 
 blood."
 
 THE TRAITOR. 233 
 
 And he turned to depart. 
 
 " When do you expect this wretched man ? " asked 
 Viviana, arresting him. 
 
 " At nightfall," replied Fawkes. 
 
 " Oh ! that there were any means of warning him of his 
 danger ! " she cried. 
 
 "There are none," rejoined Fawkes, fiercely, — "none 
 that you can adopt. And I must lay my injunctions upon 
 you not to quit your chamber." 
 
 So saying, he retired. 
 
 Left alone, Viviana became a prey to the most agoniz- 
 ing reflections. Despite the strong, and almost unac- 
 countable interest she felt in Guy Fawkes, she began to 
 repent the step she had taken in joining him, as calculated 
 to make her a party to his criminal conduct. But this 
 feeling was transient, and was succeeded by a firmer de- 
 termination to pursue the good work she had undertaken. 
 
 " Though slight success has hitherto attended my ef- 
 forts," she thought, " that is no reason why I should relax 
 them. The time is arrived when I may exert a beneficial 
 influence over him ; and it may be, that what occurs to- 
 night will prove the first step towards complete triumph. 
 In any case, nothing shall be wanting to prevent the com- 
 mission of the meditated atrocity." 
 
 With this, she knelt down and prayed long and fer- 
 vently, and arose confirmed and strengthened in her 
 resolution. 
 
 Meanwhile, no alteration had taken place in the pur- 
 poses of the conspirators. Night came, but with it came 
 not Tresham. Catesby, who, up to this time had managed 
 to restrain his impatience, now arose, and signified his 
 intention of going in search of him, and was with difii- 
 culty prevented from carrying his threat into execution 
 by Guy Fawkes, who represented the folly and risk of 
 such a course. 
 
 " If he comes not before midnight, we shall know what 
 to think, and how to act," he observed ; " but till then let 
 us remain tranquil."
 
 234 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 Keyes and the others addmg their persuasions to those 
 of Fawkes, Catesby sat sullenly down, and a profound 
 silence ensued. In this way, some hours were passed, 
 when, just at the stroke of midnight, Viviana descended 
 from her room, and appeared amongst them. Her coun- 
 tenance was deathly pale; and she looked anxiously around 
 the assemblage. All, however, with the exception of 
 Fawkes, avoided her gaze. 
 
 " Is he come ? " she exclaimed at length. " I have 
 listened intently, but have heard nothing. You cannot 
 have murdered him. And yet your looks alarm me. 
 Father Garnet, answer me, — is the deed done ? " 
 
 " No, my daughter," replied Garnet, sternly. 
 
 " Then he has escaped ! " she cried joyfully. " You 
 expected him at nightfall." 
 
 " It is not yet too late," replied Fawkes, in a somber 
 tone ; " his death is only deferred." 
 
 " Oh ! do not say so," she cried, in a voice of agony. 
 " I hoped you had relented." 
 
 At this moment a peculiar knock was heard at the door. 
 It was thrice repeated, and the strokes vibrated, though 
 with different effect, through every bosom. 
 
 " He is here," cried Catesby, rising. 
 
 "Viviana, go to your chamber," commanded Guy 
 Fawkes, grasping her hand, and leading her towards the 
 stairs. 
 
 But she resisted his efforts, and fell on her knees. 
 
 " I will not go," she cried, in a supplicating tone, " un- 
 less you will spare this man's life." 
 
 " I have already told you my fixed determination," re- 
 joined Fawkes, fiercely. " If you will not retire of your 
 own free will, I must force you." 
 
 "If you attempt it, I will scream, and alarm your 
 victim," she replied. "Mr. Catesby," she added, "have 
 my prayers, my entreaties, no weight with you ? Will 
 you not grant me his life ? " 
 
 " No ! " replied Catesby, fiercely. " She must be 
 silenced," he added, with a significant look at Fawkes.
 
 THE TRAITOR. 235 
 
 " She shall," replied the latter, drawing his poniard. 
 « Viviana ! " he continued, in a voice, and with a look 
 that left no doubt as to his intentions, " do not compel me 
 to be your destroyer." 
 
 As he spoke, the knocking was repeated, and Viviana 
 uttered a prolonged and piercing cry. Guy Fawkes raised 
 his weapon, and was about to strike, but his resolu- 
 tion failed him, and his arm dropped nerveless to his 
 side. 
 
 " Your better angel has conquered ! " she cried, clasping 
 his knees. 
 
 While this was passing, the door was thrown open by 
 Catesby, and Tresham entered the room. 
 
 " What means this outcry ? " he asked, looking round 
 in alarm. " Ah ! what do I see ? Viviana Radcliffe 
 here ! Did she utter the scream ? " 
 
 « She did," replied Viviana, rising, " and she hoped to 
 warn you by it. But you were led on by your fate." 
 
 " Warn me from what ? " ejaculated Tresham, starting. 
 " I am among friends." 
 
 " You are among those who have resolved upon your 
 death," replied Viviana. 
 
 « Ah ! " exclaimed Tresham, making an effort to gain 
 the door, and draw his sword. 
 
 In both attempts, however, he was foiled, for Catesby 
 intercepted him, while Fawkes and Keyes flung them- 
 selves upon him, and binding his arms together with a 
 sword-belt, forced him into a chair. 
 
 "Of what am I accused?" he demanded, in a voice 
 tremulous with rage and terror. 
 
 " You shall learn presently," replied Catesby. And he 
 motioned to Fawkes to remove Viviana. 
 
 " Let me remain," she cried, fiercely. " My nature is 
 changed, and is become as savage as your own. If blood 
 must be spilt, I will tarry to look upon it." 
 
 " This is no place for you, dear daughter," interposed 
 Garnet. 
 
 "Nor for you either, father," retorted Viviana, bitterly ;
 
 236 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " unless you will act as a minister of Christ, and prevent 
 this violence." 
 
 " Let her remain, if she will," observed Catesby. " Her 
 presence need not hinder our proceedings." 
 
 So saying, he seated himself opposite Tresham, while 
 the two priests placed themselves on either side. Guy 
 Fawkes took up a position on the left of the prisoner, with 
 his drawn dagger in his hand, and Keyes, stationed him- 
 self near the door. The unfortunate captive regarded 
 them with terrified glances, and trembled in every limb. 
 
 "Thomas Tresham," commenced Catesby, in a stern 
 voice, "you are a sworn brother in our plot. Before I 
 proceed further, I will ask you what should be his punish- 
 ment who violates his oath, and betrays his confederates ? 
 We await your answer ? " 
 
 But Tresham remained obstinately silent. 
 
 " I will tell you, since you refuse to speak," continued 
 Catesby. " It is death — death by the hands of his asso- 
 ciates." 
 
 " It may be," replied Tresham ; " but I have neither 
 broken my oath, nor betrayed you." 
 
 " Your letter to Lord Mounteagle is in my possession," 
 replied Catesby. " Behold it 1 " 
 
 " Perdition ! " exclaimed Tresham. " But you will not 
 slay me? I have betrayed nothing. I have revealed 
 nothing. On my soul's salvation, I have not ! Spare me ! 
 spare me ! and I will be a faithful friend in future. I have 
 been indiscreet — I own it — but nothing more. I have 
 mentioned no names. And Lord Mounteagle, as you well 
 know, is as zealous a Catholic as any now present." 
 
 " Your letter has been sent to the Earl of Salisbury," 
 pursued Catesby, coldly. " It was from him I obtained 
 it." 
 
 " Then Lord Mounteagle has betrayed me," returned 
 Tresham, becoming pale as death. 
 
 " Have you nothuig further to allege ? " demanded 
 Catesby. As Tresham made no answer, he turned to the 
 others, and said, " Is it your judgment he should die ? "
 
 THE TRAITOR. 237 
 
 All, except Yiviana, answered in the affirmative. 
 
 " Tresham," continued Catesby, solemnly, " prepare to 
 meet your fate like a man. And do you, father," he added 
 to Garnet, " proceed to shrive him." 
 
 " Hold ! " cried Viviana, stepping into the midst of 
 them, — " hold ! " she exclaimed, in a voice so authoritative, 
 and with a look so commanding, that the whole assem- 
 blage were awe-stricken, " If you think to commit this 
 crime with impunity, you are mistaken. I swear by 
 everything sacred, if you take this man's life, I will go 
 forth instantly, and denounce you all to the Council. 
 You may stare, sirs, and threaten me, but you shall find I 
 will keep my word." 
 
 " We must put her to death too," observed Catesby, in 
 an undertone to Fawkes, "or we shall have a worse 
 enemy left than Tresham." 
 
 " I cannot consent to it," replied Fawkes. 
 
 « If you mistrust this person, why not place him in 
 restraint?" pursued Viviana. "You will not mend 
 matters by killing him." 
 
 « She says well," observed Garnet ; " let us put him in 
 some place of security." 
 
 " I am agreed," replied Fawkes. 
 
 " And I," added Keyes. 
 
 " My judgment, then, is overruled," rejoined Catesby. 
 « But I will not oppose you. We will imprison him in 
 the vault beneath this chamber." 
 
 « He must be without light," said Garnet. 
 
 "And without arms," added Keyes. 
 
 " And without food," muttered Catesby. " He has only 
 exchanged one death for another." 
 
 The flag was then raised, and Tresham thrust into the 
 vault, after which it was restored to its former position. 
 
 " I have saved you from the lesser crime," cried Viviana 
 to Guy Fawkes ; " and, Avith Heaven's grace, I trust to 
 preserve you from the greater ! "
 
 238 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER ni. 
 
 THE ESCAPE PREVENTED. 
 
 ViviANA having retired to her chamber, apparently to 
 rest, a long and anxious consultation was held by the con- 
 spirators as to the next steps to be pursued. Garnet was 
 of opinion that, as the Earl of Salisbury was aware of a 
 conspiracy against the state being on foot among the 
 Catholics, their project ought to be deferred, if not alto- 
 gether abandoned. 
 
 " We are sure to be discovered," he said. " Arrests 
 without end will take place. And such rigorous measures 
 will be adopted by the Earl, such inquiries instituted, that 
 all will infallibly be brought to light. Besides, we know 
 not what Tresham may have revealed. He denies having 
 betrayed our secret, but no credit can be attached to his 
 assertions." 
 
 « Shall we examine him again, father," cried Catesby, 
 " and wring the truth from him by threats or torture ? " 
 
 " No, my son," replied Garnet ; " let him remain where 
 he is till morning. A night of solitary confinement, added 
 to the stings of his own guilty conscience, is likely to pro- 
 duce a stronger effect upon him than any torments we 
 could inflict. He shall be interrogated strictly to-mor- 
 row, and, I will answer for it, will make a full confession. 
 But even if he has revealed nothing material, there exists 
 another and equally serious ground of alarm, I allude to 
 your meeting with the Earl on the river. I should be the 
 last to counsel bloodshed. But if ever it could be justi- 
 fied, it might have been so in this case." 
 
 " I would have slain him if I had had my own way," 
 returned Catesby, with a fierce and reproachful look at 
 Fawkes. 
 
 " If I have done wrong, I will speedily repair my error,"
 
 THE ESCAPE PREVENTED. 239 
 
 observed the latter. " Do you desire his death, father ? 
 and will you absolve me from the deed ? " he added, turn- 
 ing to Garnet. 
 
 " It is better as it is," replied Garnet, making a gesture 
 in the negative. " I would not have our high and holy 
 purpose stained by common slaughter. The power that 
 delivered him into your hands, and stayed them, no doubt 
 preserved him for the general sacrifice. My first fear 
 was lest, having noticed the barrels of powder within the 
 l)oat, he might have suspected your design. But I am 
 satisfied his eyes were blinded, and his reason benighted, 
 so that he could discern nothing." 
 
 " Such was my own opinion, father," replied Fawkes. 
 "Let us observe the utmost caution, but proceed at all 
 hazards with the enterprise. If we delay, we fail." 
 
 " Right," returned Catesby ; " and for that counsel I 
 forgive you for standing between me and our enemy." 
 
 Upon this, it was agreed that if nothing occurred in the 
 interim, more powder should be transported to the habi- 
 tation in Westminster on the following night,— that 
 Fawkes and Catesby., who might be recognized by Salis- 
 bury's description, should keep close house during the 
 day, — and that the rest of the conspirators should be 
 summoned to assist in digging the mine. Prayers were 
 then offered up by the two priests for their preservation 
 from peril, and for success in their enterprise; after 
 which, they threw themselves on benches or seats, and 
 courted slumber. All slept soundly except Fawkes, who, 
 not being able to close his eyes, from an undefinable ap- 
 prehension of danger, arose, and cautiously opening the 
 door, kept watch outside. 
 
 Shortly afterwards, Viviana, who had waited till all 
 was quiet, softly descended the stairs, and, shading her 
 light, gazed timorously round. Satisfied she was not ob- 
 served, she glided swiftly and noiselessly to the fireplace, 
 and endeavored to raise the flag. But it resisted all her 
 efforts, and she was a^^out to abandon the attempt in 
 despair, when she perceived a bolt on one side, that bad
 
 240 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 escaped her notice. Hastily withdrawing it, she experi- 
 enced no furtlier difficulty. The stone revolved on hinges 
 like a trap-door, and lifting it, she hurried down the steps. 
 
 Alarmed by her approach, Tresham had retreated to 
 the further end of the vault, and snatching up a halbert 
 from the pile of weapons, cried in a voice of desperation — ■ 
 
 " Stand off ! I am armed, and have severed my bonds. 
 Off, I say ! You shall not take me with life." 
 
 " Hush ! " cried Viviana, putting her finger to her lips, 
 " I am come to set you free." 
 
 " Do I behold an inhabitant of this world ? " cried Tres- 
 ham, crossing himself, and dropping the halbert, " or 
 some blessed saint ? Ah ! " he exclaimed, as she advanced 
 towards him, "it is Viviana Radcliffe — my preserver. 
 Pardon, sweet lady. My eyes were dazzled by the light, 
 and your sudden appearance and speech, — and I might 
 almost say looks, — made me think you were some super- 
 natural being come to deliver me from these bloody-mind- 
 ed men. Where are they ? " 
 
 "In the room above," she replied, in a whisj)er, — ■ 
 " asleep, — and if you speak so loud you will arouse them." 
 
 " Let us fly without a moment's delay," returned Tres- 
 ham, in the same tone, and hastily picking up a rapier and 
 a dagger. 
 
 "Stay!" cried Viviana, arresting him. "Before you 
 go, you must tell me what you are about to do." 
 
 " We will talk of that when we are out of this accursed 
 place," he replied. 
 
 " You shall not stir a footstep," she rejoined, placing 
 herself resolutely between him and the outlet, " till you 
 have sworn neither to betray your confederates, nor to do 
 them injury." 
 
 " May Heaven requite me, if I forgive them ! " cried 
 Tresham between his ground teeth. 
 
 "Remember! — you are yet in their power," she re- 
 joined. " One word from me, and they are at your side. 
 Swear! — and swear solemnly, or you do not quit this 
 spot,"
 
 THE Escape prevented. 241 
 
 Tresham gazed at her fiercely, and griped his dagger, 
 as if determined to free himself at any cost. 
 
 " Ah ! " she ejaculated, noticing the movement, " you 
 are indeed a traitor. You have neither sense of honor 
 nor gratitude, and I leave you to your fate. Attempt to 
 follow me, and I give the alarm." 
 
 " Forgive me, Viviana," he cried, abjectly prostrating 
 himself at her feet, and clinging to the hem of her dress. 
 *'I meant only to terrify you ; I would not injure you for 
 worlds. Do not leave me with these ruthless cut-throats. 
 They will assuredly murder me. Do not remain with 
 them yourself, or you will come to some dreadful end. 
 Fly with me, and I will place you beyond their reach — 
 will watch over your safety. Or, if you are resolved to 
 brave their fury, let me go, and I will take any oath you 
 propose. As I hope for salvation I will not betray them." 
 
 " Peace ! " cried Viviana, contemptuously. " If I set 
 you free, it is not to save you, but them." 
 
 " What mean you ? " asked Tresham, hesitating. 
 
 "Question me not, but follow," she rejoined, "and 
 tread softly, as you value your life." 
 
 Tresham needed no caution on this head, and as they 
 emerged from the trap-door in breathless silence, and he 
 beheld the figures of his sleeping foes, he could scarcely 
 muster sufiicient courage to pass through them. Motion- 
 ing him to proceed quickly, Viviana moved towards the 
 door, and to her surprise found it unfastened. Without 
 pausing to consider whence this neglect could arise, she 
 opened it, and Tresham, who trembled in every limb, and 
 walked upon the points of his feet, stepped forth. As he 
 crossed the threshold, however, a powerful grasp was laid 
 upon his shoulder, and a drawn sword presented to his 
 breast, while the voice of Fawkes thundered m his ear, 
 " Who goes there ? Speak, or I strike." 
 
 While the fugitive, not daring to answer, lest his 
 accents should betray him, endeavored vainly to break 
 away, Viviana, hearing the struggle, threw open the door, 
 and exclaimed, " It is Tresham. I set him free."
 
 242 G^UY FAWKES. 
 
 "You!" cried Fawkes, in astonishment. "Where- 
 fore?" 
 
 " In the hope that his escape would induce you to aban- 
 don your design, and seek safety in flight," she rejoined. 
 " But you have thwarted my purpose." 
 
 Fawkes made no reply, but thrust Tresham forcibly 
 into the house, and called to Catesby, who by this time 
 had been roused with the others, to close and bar the 
 door. The command was instantly obeyed, and as 
 Catesby turned, a strange and fearful group met his view. 
 In the midst stood Tresham, his haggard features and 
 palsied frame bespeaking the extremity of his terror. 
 His sword having been beaten from his grasp by Fawkes, 
 and his dagger wrested from him by Keyes, he was 
 utterly defenseless. Viviana had placed herself between 
 him and his assailants, and screening him from their 
 attack, cried — 
 
 " Despatch me. The fault is mine — mine only — and I 
 am ready to pay the penalty. Had I not released him, 
 he would not have attempted to escape. I am the right- 
 ful victim." 
 
 " She speaks the truth," gasped Tresham. " If she had 
 not offered to liberate me, I should never have thought 
 of flying. Would to Heaven I had never yielded to her 
 solicitations ! " 
 
 " Peace, craven hound ! " exclaimed Fawkes, furiously ; 
 « you deserve to die for your meanness and ingratitude, 
 if not for your treachery. And it is for this miserable 
 wretch, Viviana," he added, turning to her, " that you 
 would have placed your friends in such fearful jeopardy, 
 — it is for him, who would sacrifice you without scruple 
 to save himself, that you now offer your own life ? " 
 
 " I deserve your reproaches," she rejoined, in confusion. 
 
 "Had I not fortunately intercepted him," pursued 
 Fawkes, " an hour would not have elapsed ere he would 
 have returned with the officers; and we should have 
 changed this dwelling for a dungeon in the Tower, — 
 these benches for the rack."
 
 THE ESCAPE PREVENTED. 243 
 
 « In pity stab me ! " cried Viviana, falling at his feet. 
 " But oh ! do not wound me with your words. I have 
 committed a grievous wrong ; but I was ignorant of the 
 consequences ; and, as I hope for mercy hereafter, my 
 sole motive, beyond compassion for this wretched man, 
 was to terrify you into relinquishing your dreadful pro- 
 ject." 
 
 " You have acted wrongfully, — very wrongfully, Vivi- 
 ana," interposed Garnet : " but since you are fully con- 
 vinced of your error, no more need be said. There are 
 seasons when the heart must be closed against compas- 
 sion, and when mercy becomes injustice. Go to your 
 chamber, and leave us to deal with this unhappy man." 
 
 " To-morrow you must quit us," observed Fawkes, as 
 she passed him. 
 
 " Quit you ! " she exclaimed, " I will never offend 
 again." 
 
 " I will not trust you," replied Fawkes, " unless — but 
 it is useless to impose restrictions upon you, which you 
 will not — perhaps, cannot observe." 
 
 " Impose any restrictions you please," replied Viviana. 
 " But do not bid me leave you." 
 
 " The time has come when we must separate," rejoined 
 Fawkes. " See you not that the course we are taking 
 is slippery with blood, and beset with perils which the 
 firmest of your sex could not encounter ? " 
 
 "I will encounter them nevertheless," replied Viviana. 
 "Be merciful," she added, pointing to Tresham, "and 
 mercy shall be shown you in your hour of need." And 
 she slowly withdrew. 
 
 While this was passing, Catesby addressed a few words 
 aside to Keyes and Oldcorne, and now stepping forward, 
 and fixing his eye steadily upon the prisoner, to note 
 the effect of his speech upon him, said — 
 
 " I have devised a plan by which the full extent of 
 Tresham's treachery can be ascertained." 
 
 « You do not mean to torture him, I trust? " exclaimed 
 Garnet, uneasily.
 
 244 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " No, father," replied Catesby. " If torture is inflicted 
 at all, it will be upon the mind, not the body." 
 
 " Then it will be no torture," observed Garnet. « State 
 your plan, my son," 
 
 "It is this," returned Catesby. "He shall write a 
 letter to Lord Mounteagle, stating that he has important 
 revelations to make to him, and entreating him to come 
 hither unattended." 
 
 " Here ! " exclaimed Fawkes. 
 
 « Here," repeated Catesby ; " and alone. We will con- 
 ceal ourselves in such manner that we may overhear what 
 passes between them, and if any attempt is made by the 
 villain to betray our presence, he shall be immediately 
 shot. By this means we cannot fail to elicit the truth." 
 
 " I approve your plan, my son," replied Garnet ; " but 
 who will convey the letter to Lord Mounteagle ? " 
 
 " I will," replied Fawkes. " Let it be prepared at once, 
 and the case will be thought the more urgent. I will 
 watch him, and see that he comes unattended, or give 
 you timely warning." 
 
 "Enough," rejoined Garnet. "Let writing materials 
 be procured, and I will dictate the letter." 
 
 Tresham, meanwhile, exhibited no misgiving ; but, on 
 the contrary, his countenance brightened up as the plan 
 was approved. 
 
 " My life will be spared if you find I have not deceived 
 you, will it not ? " he asked, in a supplicating voice. 
 
 "Assuredly," replied Garnet. 
 
 « Give me pen and ink, then," he cried, " and I will 
 write whatever you desire." 
 
 "Our secret is safe," whispered Catesby to Garnet. 
 « It is useless to test him further." 
 
 « I think so," replied Garnet. " Would we had made 
 this experiment sooner ! " 
 
 " Do not delay, I entreat you," implored Tresham. " I 
 am eager to prove my innocence." 
 
 " We are satisfied with the proof we have already ob- 
 tained^" returned Garnet.
 
 THE ESCAPE PREVENTED. ^45 
 
 Tresham dropped on his knees in speechless gratitude. 
 
 "We are spared the necessity of being your execu- 
 tioners, my son," pursued Garnet, "and I rejoice at it. 
 But I cannot acquit you of the design to betray us ; and 
 till you have unburthened your wliole soul to me, and 
 proved by severe and self-inflicted penance that you are 
 really penitent, you must remain a captive within these 
 walls." 
 
 "I will disguise nothing from you, father," replied 
 Tresham, " and will strive to expiate my offense by the 
 severest penance you choose to inflict." 
 
 " Do this, my son," rejoined Garnet ; « leave no doubt 
 of your sincerity, and you may be yet restored to the 
 place you have forfeited, and become a sharer in our great 
 enterprise." 
 
 " I will never trust him more," observed Fawkes. 
 
 " Nor I," added Keyes. 
 
 "Jwill," rejoined Catesby : "not that I have more 
 faith in him than either of you ; but I will so watch him 
 that he shall not dare to betray us. Nay, more," he added, 
 in an undertone, to Garnet, " I will turn his treachery to 
 account. He will be a useful spy upon our enemies." 
 
 «• If he can be relied on," observed Garnet. 
 
 "After this, you need have no fears," rejoined Catesby, 
 with a significant smile. 
 
 " The first part of your penance, my son," said Garnet, 
 addressing Tresham, "shall be to pass the night in 
 solitary vigil and prayer within the vault. Number your 
 transgressions, and reflect upon their enormity. Con- 
 sider not only the injury your conduct might have done 
 us, but the holy church of which you are so sinful a 
 member. Weigh over all this, and to-morrow I will 
 hear your confession ; when, if I find you in a state of 
 grace, absolution shall not be refused." 
 
 Tresham humbly bowed his head in token of acquies- 
 cence. He was then led to the vault, and the flag closed 
 over him, as before. This done, after a brief conversa- 
 tion, the others again. 'stretched themselves on the floor, 
 and sougiit repose.
 
 246 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE MINE. 
 
 Some days elapsed before the conspirators ventured 
 forth from their present abode. They had intended to 
 remove the rest of the powder without loss of time, but 
 were induced to defer their purpose on the representa- 
 tions of Tresham, who stated to Garnet, that in his opin- 
 ion they would run a great and needless risk. Before the 
 expiration of a week, Tresham's apparent remorse for his 
 perfidy, added to his seeming zeal, had so far reinstated 
 him in the confidence of his associates, that he was fully 
 absolved of his offense by Garnet ; and, after taking fresh 
 oaths of even greater solemnity than the former, was 
 again admitted to the league. Catesby, however, who 
 placed little faith in his protestations, never lost sight of 
 him for an instant, and, even if he meditated an escape, 
 he had no opportunity of effecting it. 
 
 A coldness, stronger on his side than hers, seemed to 
 have arisen between Viviana and Guy Fawkes. When- 
 ever she descended to the lower room, he withdrew on 
 some excuse ; and though he never urged her departure 
 by words, his looks plainly bespoke that he desired it. 
 Upon one occasion, she found him alone, — the others 
 being at the time witliin the vault. He was wlietting tlie 
 point of his dagger, and did not hear her approach, until 
 she stood beside him. He was slightly confused, and a 
 deep ruddy stain fluxshed his swarthy cheeks and brow ; 
 but he averted his gaze, and continued his occupation in 
 silence. 
 
 " Why do you shun me ? " asked Viviana, laying her 
 hand gently upon his shoulder. And, as he did not an- 
 swer, she repeated the question in a broken voice. Guy
 
 THE MINE. 247 
 
 Fawkes then looked up, and perceived that her eyes were 
 filled with tears. 
 
 "I shun you, Viviana, for two reasons," he replied 
 gravely, but kindly ; « first, because I would have no ties 
 of sympathy to make me cling to the world, or care for 
 it; and I feel that if I suffer myself to be interested 
 about you, this will not long be the case : secondly, and 
 chiefly, because you are constantly striving to turn me 
 from my fixed purpose ; and, though your efforts have 
 been, and will be unavailing, yet I would not be exposed 
 to them further." 
 
 « You fear me, because you think I shall shake your 
 resolution," she rejoined, with a forced smile. "But I 
 will trouble you no more. Nay, if you wish it, I will 
 go." 
 
 " It were better," replied Fawkes, in accents of deep 
 emotion, and taking her hand. « Painful as will be the 
 parting with you, I shall feel more easy when it is over. 
 It grieves me to the soul to see you — the daughter of the 
 proud, the wealthy Sir William Radcliffe— an inmate of 
 this wretched abode, surrounded by desperate men, whose 
 actions you disapprove, and whose danger you are com- 
 pelled to share. Think how it would add to my suffer- 
 ing if our plot — which Heaven avert — should be dis- 
 covered, and you be involved in it." 
 
 « Do not think of it," replied Viviana. 
 
 "I cannot banish it from my thoughts," continued 
 Fawkes. " I cannot reconcile it to my feelings that one 
 so young, so beautiful, should be thus treated. Dwelling 
 on this idea unmans me — unfits me for sterner duties. 
 The great crisis is at hand, and I must live only for it." 
 
 " Live for it, then," rejoined Viviana ; " but, oh ! let me 
 remain with you till the blow is struck. Something tells 
 me I may yet be useful to you — may save you." 
 
 " No more of this, if you would indeed remain," re- 
 joined Guy Fawkes, sternly. « Regard me as a sword 
 in the hand of fate, which cannot be turned aside, — as a 
 bolt launched from the cloud, and shattering all in its
 
 248 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 course, -whicli may not be stopped, — as something terrible, 
 exterminating, immovable. Regard me as this, and say 
 whether I am not to be shunned." 
 
 " No," replied Viviana ; " I am as steadfast as yourself. 
 I will remain." 
 
 Guy Fawkes gazed at her in surprise mixed with ad- 
 miration, and pressing her hand affectionately, said, 
 
 " I applaud your resolution. If I had a daughter, I 
 should wish her to be like you." 
 
 "You promised to be a father to me," she rejoined. 
 " How can you be so if I leave you ? " 
 
 " How can I be so if you stay ? " returned Fawkes, 
 mournfully. " No, you must indulge no filial tenderness 
 for one so utterly unable to requite it as myself. Fix 
 your thoughts wholly on Heaven. Pray for the restora- 
 tion of our holy religion — for the success of the great 
 enterprise — and haply your prayers may prevail." 
 
 " I cannot pray for that," she replied ; " for I do not 
 wish it success. But I will pray — and fervently — that 
 all danger may be averted from your head." 
 
 At this moment, Catesby and Keyes emerged from the 
 vault, and Viviana hurried to her chamber. 
 
 As soon as it grew dark, the remaining barrels of 
 powder were brought out of the cellar, and carefully 
 placed in the boat. Straw was then heaped upon them, 
 and the whole covered with a piece of tarpaulin, as upon 
 the former occasion. It being necessary to cross the 
 river more than once, the conduct of the first and most 
 hazardous passage was intrusted to Fawkes, and accom- 
 panied by Keyes and Bates, both of whom were well 
 armed, he set out a little before midnight. It was a clear 
 starlight night ; but as the moon had not yet risen, they 
 were under no apprehension of discovery. The few craft 
 they encountered, bent probably on some suspicious er- 
 rand like themselves, paid no attention to them ; and ply- 
 ing their oars swiftly, they shot under the low parapet 
 edging the gardens of the Parliament House, just as the 
 deep bell of the Abbey tolled forth the hour of twelve.
 
 THE MINE. 249 
 
 Keeping in the shade, they silently approached the stairs. 
 No one was there, not even a waterman to attend to the 
 numerous wherries moored to the steps;- and, without 
 losing a moment, tliey sprang ashore, and concealing the 
 barrels beneath their cloaks, glided like phantoms sum- 
 moned by the witching hour along the passage formed by 
 two high walls, leading to Old Palace Yard, and speedily 
 reached the gate of the habitation. In this way, and with 
 the utmost rapidity, the whole of the fearful cargo was 
 safely deposited in the garden ; and leaving the others to 
 carry it into the house, Guy Fawkes returned to the boat. 
 As he was about to push off, two persons rushed to the 
 stair-head, and the foremost, evidently mistaking him for 
 a waterman, called to him to take them across the river. 
 
 " I am no waterman, friend," replied Fawkes ; " and am 
 engaged on business of my own. Seek a wherry else- 
 where." 
 
 " By heaven ! " exclaimed the newcomer, in accents 
 of surprise, "it is Guy Fawkes. Do you not know me?" 
 
 "Can it be Humphrey Chetham?" cried Fawkes, 
 equally astonished. 
 
 " It is," replied the other. " This meeting is most 
 fortunate. I was in search of you, having somewhat of 
 importance to communicate to Viviana." 
 
 " State it quickly, then," returned Fawkes ; " I cannot 
 tarry here much longer." 
 
 "I will go with you," rejoined Chetham, springing into 
 the boat, and followed by his companion. "You must 
 take me to her." 
 
 " Impossible," cried Fawkes, rising angrily ; " neither 
 can I permit you to accompany me. I am busied about 
 my own concerns, and will not be interrupted." 
 
 " At least, tell me where I can find Viviana," persisted 
 Chetham. 
 
 " Not now— not now," rejoined Fawkes, impatiently. 
 « Meet me to-morrow night, at thi§ hour, in the Great 
 Sanctuary, at the farther side of the Abbey, and you 
 shaU learn all you desire to know."
 
 250 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " "Why not now ? " rejoined Chetham, earnestly. " You 
 need not fear me. I am no spy, and will reveal noth- 
 ing." 
 
 " But your companion ? " hesitated Fawkes. 
 
 " It is only Martin Heydocke," answered Chetham. 
 " He can keep a close tongue as well as his master." 
 
 « Well, sit down, then," returned Fawkes, sullenly. 
 " There will be less risk in taking them to Lambeth," he 
 muttered, "than in loitering here." And rowing with 
 great swiftness, he soon gained the center of the stream. 
 
 " And so," he observed, resting for a moment on his 
 oars, " you still cherish your attachment to Viviana, I see. 
 Xay, never start, man. I am no enemy to your suit, 
 though others may be. And if she would place herself 
 at my disposal, I would give her to you, — certain that it 
 would be to one upon whom her affections are fixed." 
 
 " Do you think any change likely to take place in her 
 sentiments towards me ? " faltered Chetham. " May I 
 indulge a hope ? " 
 
 " I would not have you despair," replied Fawkes. 
 " Because, as far as I have noticed, women are not apt 
 to adhere to their resolutions in matters of the heart ; 
 and because, as I have just said, she loves you, and I see 
 no reasonable bar to your union." 
 
 " You give me new life," cried Chetham, transported 
 with joy. " Oh ! that you, who have so much influence 
 with her, would speak in my behalf." 
 
 " Nay, you must plead your own cause," replied Fawkes. 
 "I cannot hold out much hope at present; for recent 
 events have cast a deep gloom over her spirit, and she 
 appears to be a prey to melancholy. Let this wear off, 
 and with one so young and so firm-minded it is sure to 
 do so, — and then your suit may be renewed. Urge it 
 when you may, you have my best wishes for success, and 
 shall have my warmest efforts to second you." 
 
 Humphrey Chetham murmured his thanks in accents 
 almost unintelligible from emotion, and Guy Fawkes con- 
 tinued,
 
 THE MINE. 251 
 
 " It would be dangerous for you to disembark with me ; 
 but when I put you ashore, I will point out the dwelling 
 at present occupied by Viviana. You can visit it as early 
 as you please to-morrow. You will find no one with her 
 but Father Oldcorne, and I need scarcely add, it will 
 gladden me to the heart to find on my return that she has 
 yielded to your entreaties." 
 
 " I cannot thank you," cried Chetham, warmly grasp- 
 ing his hand ; " but I hope to find some means of evinc- 
 ing my gratitude." 
 
 "Prove it by maintaining the strictest secresy as to 
 all you may see or hear, — or even suspect, — within the 
 dwelling you are about to visit," returned Guy Fawkes. 
 " Knowing that I am dealing with a man of honor, 1 re- 
 quire no stronger obligation than your word." 
 
 " You have it," replied Chetham, solemnly. 
 
 " Your worship shall have my oath, if you desire it," 
 remarked Martin Heydocke. 
 
 " No," rejoined Fawkes ; " your master will answer for 
 your fidelity." 
 
 Shortly after this, Guy Fawkes pulled ashore, and his 
 companions landed. After pointing out the solitary hab- 
 itation, which possessed greater interest in Humphrey 
 Chetham's eyes than the proud structures he had just 
 quitted, and extracting a promise that the young mer- 
 chant would not approach it till the morrow, he rode off, 
 and while the others proceeded to Lambeth in search of 
 lodging for the night, made the best of his way to the 
 little creek, and entered the house. 
 
 He found the other conspirators anxiously awaiting his 
 arrival, and the certainty afforded by his presence that 
 the powder had been landed in safety gave general satis- 
 faction. Preparations were immediately made for an- 
 other voyage. A large supply of provisions, consisting of 
 baked meat of various kinds, hard-boiled eggs, pasties, 
 bread, and other viands, calculated to serve for a week's 
 consumption, without the necessity of having recourse to 
 any culinary process, and which had been previously pro-
 
 252 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 cured with that view, together with a few flasks of wine, 
 occupied the place in the boat lately assigned to the pow- 
 der At the risk of overloading the vessel, they likewise 
 increased its burthen by a quantity of mining implements 
 — spades, pickaxes, augers, and wrenching irons. To 
 these were added as many swords, calivers, pikes, and 
 petronels, as the space left would accommodate. Garnet 
 and Catesby then embarked, — the former having taken 
 111 iffectionate farewell of Viviana, whom he committed, 
 with the strictest injunction to watch over her, to the 
 care of Father Oldcorne. Guy Fawkes lingered for a mo- 
 ment, doubting whether he should mention his rencounter 
 with Humphrey Clietham. He was the more undecided 
 from the deep affliction in which she was plunged. At 
 last, he determined upon slightly hinting at the subject, 
 and to be guided as to what he said further by the manner 
 in which the allusion was received. 
 
 " And you decide upon remaining here till we return, 
 Viviana ? " he said. 
 
 She made a sign in the affirmative. 
 
 " And you will see no one ? " 
 
 "No one," she answered. 
 
 " But, should any old friend find his way hither — 
 Humphrey Chetham, for instance — will you not receive 
 him ? " 
 
 " Why do you single out him ? " demanded Viviana, in- 
 quiringly. " Is he in London ? Have you seen him ? " 
 
 " I have," replied Guy Fawkes ; " I accidentally met 
 him to-night, and have shown him this dwelling. He will 
 come hither to-morrow." 
 
 " I wanted only this to make me thoroughly wretched," 
 cried Viviana, clasping her hands with anguish. " Oh 1 
 what unhappy chance threw him across your path ? Why 
 did you tell him I was here ? Why give him a hope that 
 I would see him ? But I will not see him. I will quit 
 this house rather than be exposed to the meeting." 
 
 " What means this sudden excitement, Viviana ? " cried 
 Guy Fawkes, greatly surprised by her agitation. " Why
 
 THE MINE. 253 
 
 should a visit from Humphrey Chetham occasion you un- 
 easiness ? " 
 
 " I know not," she answered, blushing deeply ; " but I 
 will not hazard it." 
 
 " I thought you superior to your sex," rejoined Fawkes, 
 " and should never have suspected you of waywardness or 
 caprice." 
 
 " You charge me with failings that do not belong to 
 me," she answered. " I am neither wayward nor capri- 
 cious ; but I would be willingly spared the pain of an 
 interview with one whom I thought I loved." 
 
 " Thought you loved ! " echoed Fawkes, in increased 
 astonishment. 
 
 " Ay, thought^'' repeated Viviana, " for I have since ex- 
 amined my heart, and find he has no place in it." 
 
 "You might be happy with him, Viviana," rejoined 
 Fawkes, reproachfully. 
 
 " I might have been," she replied, " had circumstances 
 favored our union. But.I should not be so now. Recent 
 events have wrought an entire change in my feelings. 
 Were I to abandon my resolution of retiring to a cloister, 
 — were I to return to the world, — and were such an event 
 possible as that Humphrey Chetham should conform to 
 the faith of Rome, — still, I would not — could not wed 
 him." 
 
 " I grieve to hear it," replied Fawkes. 
 
 " Would you have me wed him ? " she cried, in a slight- 
 ly mortified tone. 
 
 "In good sooth would I," replied Fawkes; "and I re- 
 peat my firm conviction you would be happier with him ' 
 than with one more highly born, and of less real worth." I 
 
 Viviana made no reply, and her head declined upon her 
 bosom. 
 
 " You will see him," pursued Fawkes, taking her hand, 
 «if only to tell him what you have just told me." 
 
 " Since you desire it, I will," she replied, fixing a look 
 of melancholy tenderness upon him ; " but it will cost me 
 a bitter laang."
 
 254 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " I would not tax you with it, if I did not think it need- 
 ful," returned Fawkes. " And now, farewell." " 
 
 " Farewell, — it may be, forever," replied Viviana, sadly. 
 
 " The boat is ready, and the tide ebbing," cried Catesby, 
 impatiently, at the door. " We shall be aground if you 
 tarry longer." 
 
 " I come," replied Fawkes. And, waving an adieu to 
 Viviana, he departed. 
 
 " Strange ! " he muttered to himself, as he took his way 
 to the creek. *' I could have sworn she was in love with 
 Humphrey Chetham. Who can have superseded him in 
 her regard ? Not Catesby, of a surety. 'Tis a perplexing 
 sex. The best are fickle. Heaven be praised ! I have 
 long been proof against their wiles." 
 
 Thus musing, he sprang into the skiff, and assisting 
 Catesby to push it into deep water, seized an oar, and 
 exerted himself stoutly to make up for lost time. The 
 second voyage was as prosperous as the first. A thick veil 
 of cloud had curtained the stars ; the steps were deserted 
 as before ; and the provisions, arms, and implements were 
 securely conveyed to their destination. 
 
 Thus far fortune seemed to favor their undertaking, 
 and Garnet, falling on his knees, offered up the most 
 fervent thanksgivings. Prayers over, they descended to 
 the cellar, and their first care was to seek out a place as 
 free from damp as possible, where the powder could be 
 deposited till the excavation, which it was foreseen would 
 be a work of time and great labor, was completed. A 
 dry corner being found, the barrels Avere placed in it, and 
 carefully concealed with billets of wood and coals, so as 
 to avert suspicion in case of search. This, with other 
 arrangements, occupied the greater part of the night, and 
 the commencement of the important undertaking was 
 deferred till the morrow, when an increase of their party 
 was anticipated. 
 
 Throughout the whole of the day no one stirred forth. 
 The windows were kept closed ; the doors locked ; and, 
 as no fires were lighted, the house had the ax3pearance of
 
 THE MINE. 255 
 
 being uninhabited. In the course of the morning they 
 underwent considerable alarm. Some mischievous urchins 
 having scaled the garden wall, one of them fell within it, 
 and his cries so terrified his playmates that they dropped 
 on the other side, and left him. The conspirators recon- 
 noitered the unhappy urchin, who continued his vocifera- 
 tions in a loud key, through the holes in the shutters, 
 uncertain what to do, and fearing that this trifling mis- 
 chance might lead to serious consequences, when the 
 subject of their uneasiness relieved them by scrambling 
 up the wall near the door, and so effecting a retreat. 
 With this exception, nothing material occurred till even- 
 ing, when their expected associates arrived. 
 
 The utmost caution was observed in admitting them. 
 The newcomers were provided with a key of the gar- 
 den-gate, but a signal was given and repeated before the 
 house-door was opened by Bates, to whom the office of 
 porter was entrusted. As soon as the latter had satisfied 
 himself that all was right, by unmasking a dark lantern, 
 and throAving its radiance upon the faces of the elder 
 Wright, Rookwood, and Percy, he stamped his foot thrice, 
 and the conspirators emerged from their hiding-places. 
 A warm greeting passed between the confederates, and 
 they adjourned to a lower chamber, adjoining the vault, 
 where the sound of their voices could not be overheard, 
 and where, while partaking of a frugal meal — for they 
 desired to eke out their store of provisions as long as pos- 
 sible — they discoursed upon their plans, and all that had 
 occurred since their last meeting. Nothing was said of the 
 treacher}^ of Tresham — his recent conduct, as already ob- 
 served, having been such as to restore him in a great degree 
 to the confidence of his companions. Percy, whose oflQce 
 as a gentleman-pensioner gave him the best opportunities 
 of hearing court- whispers and secrets, informed them it 
 was rumored that the Earl of Salisbury had obtained a 
 clue to some Catholic plot, whether their own he could 
 not say ; but it would seem from all that could be gathered, 
 that his endeavors to trace it out had been frustrated.
 
 25G GUY FAWKES. 
 
 " Where is Lord Mounteagle ? " demanded Catesby. 
 
 " At his mansion near Hoxton," replied Percy. 
 
 " Have you observed him much about the court of late, 
 or with the Earl of Salisbury ? " pursued Catesby. 
 
 " No, " replied Percy. " Yet now, I bethink me, I did 
 observe them together, and in earnest conversation about 
 a week ago. But Lord Mounteagle knows nothing of our 
 plot." 
 
 " Hum ! " exclaimed Catesby, shrugging his shoulders, 
 while significant looks were exchanged by the others, 
 and Tresham hung his head. "Lord Movmteagle may 
 not know that you or I, or Fawkes, or Rookwood, are 
 conspiring against the State ; but he knows that a plot is 
 hatching amongst our party. It is from him that the 
 Earl of Salisbury derived his information." 
 
 " Amazement ! " exclaimed Percy. 
 
 " A good Catholic, and betray his fellows ! " cried Rook- 
 wood : " this passes my comprehension. Are you sure 
 of it?" 
 
 " Unhappily we are so, my son," replied Garnet, gravely. 
 
 " We will speak of this hereafter," interposed Catesby. 
 " I have a plan to get his lordship into our power, and 
 make him serve our purposes in spite of himself. We 
 will outwit the crafty Salisbury. Can any one tell if 
 Tresham's sudden disappearance has been noticed." 
 
 "His household report that he is on a visit to Sir 
 Everard Digby, at Gothurst," replied Rookwood. " I 
 called at his residence yesterday, and was informed that 
 a letter had just been received from him dated from that 
 place. His departure, they said, was sudden, but his 
 letter fully accounted for it." 
 
 " The messenger who bore that letter had only to travel 
 from Lambeth," observed Catesby, smiling. 
 
 " So I conclude," returned Rookwood. 
 
 " And, now that our meal is ended, let us to work," 
 cried Fawkes, who had taken no part in the foregoing 
 conversation. « I will strike the first blow," he added, 
 rising and seizing a mattock.
 
 THE MINE. ^Sf 
 
 " Hold, my son ! " exclaimed Garnet, arresting him. 
 " The work upon which the redemption of our holy church 
 hangs must be commenced with due solemnity." 
 
 " You are right, father,'' replied Fawkes, humbly. 
 
 Headed by Garnet, bearing a crucifix, they then re- 
 paired to the vault. A silver chalice, filled with holy 
 water, was carried by Fawkes, and two lighted tapers by 
 Catesby. Kneeling do'wn before that part of the wall 
 against which operations were about to be directed, and 
 holding the crucifix towards it. Garnet commenced pray- 
 ing in a low but earnest tone, gradually raising his voice, 
 and increasing in fervor as he proceeded. The others 
 knelt around him, and the whole formed a strange and 
 deeply interesting group. The vault itself harmonized 
 with its occupants. It was of great antiquity ; and its 
 solid stone masonry had acquired a time-worn hoary tint. 
 In width it was about nine feet, and of corresponding 
 height, supported by a semicircular arch, and its length 
 was more than twenty feet. 
 
 The countenances of the conspirators showed that they 
 were powerfully moved by what was passing ; but next 
 to Garnet, Guy Fawkes exhibited the greatest enthusi- 
 asm. His ecstatic looks and gestures evinced the strong 
 effect produced upon his superstitious character by the 
 scene. Garnet concluded his prayer as follows : — 
 
 " Thus far, O Lord, we have toiled in darkness and in 
 difficulty ; but we have now arrived at a point where all 
 thy support is needed. Do not desert us, we beseech 
 thee,_ but let thy light guide us through these gloomy 
 paths. Nerve our arms, — sharpen our weapons, — and 
 crumble these hard and flinty stones, so that they may 
 yield to our efforts. Aid our enter^jrise, if thou approv- 
 est it, and it be really, as in our ignorance we believe it 
 to be, for the welfare of thy holy Church, and the con- 
 fusion of its enemies. Bear witness, O Lord, that we de- 
 vote ourselves wholly and entirely to this one end, — and 
 that we implore success only for thy glory and honor."
 
 258 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 With this he arose, and the following strains were 
 chanted by the whole assemblage : — 
 
 HYMN OF THE CONSPIRATORS. 
 
 The heretic and heathen, Lord, 
 Consume with fire, cut down with sword ; 
 The spoilers from thy temples thrust, 
 Their altars trample in the dust. 
 
 False princes and false priests lay low. 
 Their habitations till with woe. 
 Scatter them, Lord, with sword and flame. 
 And bring them utterly to shame. 
 
 Thy vengeful arm no longer stay. 
 Arise ! exterminate, and slay. 
 So shall thy fallen worship be 
 Restored to its prosperity. 
 
 This hymn raised the enthusiasm of the conspirators 
 to the highest pitch, and such was the effect produced 
 by it, as it rolled in sullen echoes along the arched roof 
 of the vault, that several of them drew their swords, and 
 crossed the blades, with looks of the most determined de- 
 votion to their cause. When it was ended. Garnet re- 
 cited other prayers, and sprinkled holy water upon the 
 wall, and upon every implement about to be used, be- 
 stowing a separate benediction on each. As he delivered 
 the pick-axe to Guy Fawkes, he cried in a solemn 
 voice — 
 
 " Strike, my son, in the name of the Most High, and 
 in behalf of our holy religion, — strike ! " 
 
 Guy Fawkes raised the weapon, and stimulated by ex- 
 citement, threw the whole strength of his arm into the 
 blow, A large piece of the granite was chipped off, but 
 the mattock snapped in twain. Guy Fawkes looked 
 deeply disconcerted, and Garnet, though he concealed his 
 emotion, was filled with dismay. 
 
 " Let me take your place," cried Keyes, advancing, as 
 Guy Fawkes retired.
 
 THE MINE. 259 
 
 Keyes was a powerful man, and exerting his energies, 
 he buried the point of the pickaxe so deeply in the mor- 
 tar, that he could not remove it unassisted. These un- 
 toward circumstances cast a slight damp upon their ar- 
 dor ; but Catesby, who perceived it, went more cau- 
 tiously to work, and in a short time succeeded with great 
 labor in getting out the large stone upon which the others 
 had expended so much useless exertion. The sight re- 
 stored their confidence, and as many as could work in 
 the narrow space joined him. But they found that their 
 task was much more arduous than they had anticipated. 
 More than an hour elapsed before they could loosen an- 
 other stone, and though they labored with the utmost 
 perseverance, relieving each other by turns, they had 
 made but a small breach when morning arrived. The 
 stones were as hard and unyielding as iron, and the 
 mortar in some places harder than the stones. 
 
 After a few hours' rest, they resumed their task. Still, 
 they made but small progress ; and it was not until the 
 third day that they had excavated a hole sufiiciently 
 wide and deep to admit one man within it. They 
 were now arrived at a compost of gravel and flint stones ; 
 and if they had found their previous task difficult, 
 what they had now to encounter was infinitely more so. 
 Their implements made little or no impression on this 
 unyielding substance, and though they toiled incessantly, 
 the work proceeded with disheartening slowness. The 
 stones and rubbish were conveyed at dead of night in 
 hampers into the garden, and buried. 
 
 One night, when they were laboring as usual, Guy 
 Fawkes, who was foremost in the excavation, thought he 
 heard the tolling of a bell within the wall. He instantly 
 suspended his task, and being convinced that he was not 
 deceived, crept out of the hole, and made a sign to the 
 others to listen. Each had heard the awful sound be- 
 fore ; but as it was partially drowned by the noise of the 
 pickaxe, it had not produced much impression upon 
 them, as they attributed it to some vibration in the wall,
 
 260 GUY FAWKES. 
 
 caused by the echo of the blows. But it was now dis- 
 tinctly audible — deep, clear, slow, — like a passing bell, — 
 but so solemn, so unearthly, that its tones froze the 
 blood in their veins. 
 
 They listened for a while in speechless astonishment, 
 scarcely daring to look at each other, and expecting each 
 moment that the building would fall upon them, and bury 
 them alive. The light of a single lantern placed upon an 
 upturned basket fell upon figures rigid as statues, and 
 countenances charged with awe. 
 
 "My arm is paralyzed," said Guy Fawkes, breaking 
 silence ; " I can work no more." 
 
 " Try holy water, father," cried Catesby. " If it pro- 
 ceeds from aught of evil, that will quell it." 
 
 The chalice containing the sacred lymph was brought, 
 and, pronouncing a solemn exorcism, Garnet sprinkled 
 the wall. 
 
 The sound immediately ceased. 
 
 " It is as I thought, father," observed Catesby ; " it is 
 the delusion of an evil spirit." 
 
 As he spoke, the tolling of the mysterious bell was 
 again heard, and more solemnly, — more slowly than be- 
 fore. 
 
 " Sprinkle the wall again, in Heaven's name, father," 
 cried Fawkes, crossing himself devoutly. " Avoid thee, 
 Sathanas ! " 
 
 Garnet complied, and throwing holy water upon the 
 stones, the same result followed. 
 
 END OF VOLUME OM'E,
 
 The conspirators listened in speechless astonishment to the deep, clear, 
 tones of the bell. Page 260. Guy Fawkes
 
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