.56 General History of Bath. 



ing seem from Harington's letters to have been particularly 

 annoying to Her Majesty. 



In 1602 the Queen intended to pay another visit to Bath, 

 ■and it is amusing to read of the flutter the citizens were in. 

 They sent in hot haste to Chipping Sodbufy, Cirencester, 

 Bristol, Frome, Warminster, and Chippenham to get " paviors 

 against the Queen's cominge;" but, when her health prevented 

 the visit, the proposed work was indefinitely postponed. 



On the accession of James I.,. Sir Walter Raleigh and Lord 

 •Cobham were both at Bath, and there are indications that the 

 ■mysterious plots, " the Main " and perhaps " the Bye,'' were 

 in part concerted here. 



Proclamations were sent to Bath, amongst 

 ^""^ '^p-j^f °'"^'''' other places, for the arrest of those implicated 

 in the Gunpowder Plot, in which their persons 

 -were minutely and quaintly described. . Lord Harington 

 wrote to his cousin. Sir John Harington, that one of the 

 "traitors "hath confessed that he had many meetings at Bath 

 about this hellish design ;" and there was a good deal of 

 ■commotion in the city after the discovery, as the Chamber- 

 lain's accounts bear witness. 



A curious letter is extant, written by Lord Monteagle 

 from Bath. It was addressed to the conspirator Catesby, 

 and begs his presence in this city. The letter pontains 

 •some very curious references to "the elements of air and 

 fire," and to a great catastrophe to take place through 

 the agency of Catesby, by which Robert Cecil (" Robin ") 

 was to be injured. The date is " September." Now if this 

 letter could be proved to have been written in the year 

 of the plot, it would be important evidence to implicate 

 Monteagle. No year is mentioned on the letter, and 

 Monteagle was so frequently at Bath, and Catesby so often 



