€62 E N G I 
terminated the laft of the EngUlh fovereigns of the lioufe 
of Tudor. For the writings and literary character of this 
princefs, fee p. 476, of this volume. 
From the ACCESSION of the HOUSE of STUART, 
to the ABDICATION of the THRONE by 
JAMES II. 
The crown of England palled, with the utmoft tranquil¬ 
lity, from the family of Tudor to that of Stuart, in the 
perfon of James I. of England, and Sixth of Scotland. 
This monarch, the only iflue of the unfortunate Mary 
queen ot Scots, came to the throne with the univerfal 
approbation of all orders of the Hate ; as in his perfon 
were united every claim that either defcent, bequeft, or 
parliamentary fanction, could confer. He had every rea- 
fon, therefore, to anticipate a happy reign ; and he was 
taught, from his infancy, that his prerogative was un. 
controulable, and his right tranfmitted from Heaven. 
Thefe fentiments he took.no care to conceal; and even 
publifhed them in many parts of thofe works which he 
had written before he left Scotland. But he was rather 
miftaken in the fpirit of the times. New fyftems of go¬ 
vernment, and new ideas of liberty, had been rapidly 
Healing in with the reformation. In confequence of the 
pirogrefs of knowledge, and a familiar acquaintance with 
the governments of antiquity, the old Gothic forms be¬ 
gan to melt away, and an emuUition took place to imitate 
the freedom of Greece and Rome. The fevere though 
popular government of Elizabeth had confined this rifing 
fpirit within narrow bounds; but when a new fovereign 
and a new family appeared, lefs dreaded and lefs'refped:- 
ed by the people, fymptoms of a more free and indepen¬ 
dent genius began to diftinguifli the character of the 
nation. 
James, on his acceftion to the throne of England, with 
a miftaken idea of making himfelf popular, conferred the 
honour of knighthood on no fewer than two hundred and 
thirty-feven perlons; among whom his Scottifh courtiers 
were thought by the envious to have been too liberally 
noticed. But though his countrymen (hared a part of 
thefe honours, yet juftice (hould be done the king, by 
acknowledging that he left almoft all the great offices of 
the date in the hands he found them. Among thefe, 
Cecil, created earl of Salifbury, who had been fo aftive 
in the laft reign, was continued prime-minifter and chief 
counfellor. But it w'as not fo with lord Grey, lord Cob- 
ham, and fir Walter Raleigh, who had been Cecil’s af- 
fociates. They, on the contrary, felt the weight of the 
king’s difpleafure, and were difmifled their employments. 
Thefe three illuftrious perfonages feemed to be marked 
out for peculiar indignation ; for fhortly after they were 
accufed of entering into a confpiracy againft the king; 
neither the prqofs of which, nor its aims, have ever 
reached pofterity. They were all condemned to the 
fcaffold ; but had their fentence mitigated by the king. 
Cobhavn and Grey were pardoned, after they had laid 
their heads on the block. Raleigh was reprieved, and 
at large for many years, but at laft fullered for this of¬ 
fence, which was never proved. 
Though James and his parliament were conftantly at va¬ 
riance in their endeavours to fettle the rights of the peo¬ 
ple, and the prerogatives of the crown, yet his juftice and 
clemency were very apparent in the toleration which he 
gave to the teachers of different religions throughout the 
kingdom. The minds of the people had long been irritated 
againft one another, and each party perfecuted the other, as 
it happened to prevail; it was expected, therefore, that 
James would ftrengthen the hands of the proteftants, and 
that the catholics and fedtaries (hould find no protedlion. 
But this monarch wifely obferved, that men (hould be 
punifited for actions, and not for opinions; a philanthropic 
and noble decifion, though it gave general diftutisfadtion ; 
but the univerfal complaint of every left was the beft ar¬ 
gument of his moderation towards all. Yet mild as was 
r A N D. 
this monarch’s difpofition towards religious feels, there 
was a projedl contrived in the very beginning of his reign 
for the re-eftablifhment of popery, which, were it not a 
fadl well known to all the world, could fcarcely be cre¬ 
dited by pofterity. This was tire gun-powder plot; than 
which a more horrid or terrible fcheme never entered 
into the human heart to conceive, and which (hews at 
once that the mod determined courage may be united 
with the mod execrable intentions. 
The Roman catholics, on the acceftion of James, ex¬ 
pected a renewal of the papal fupremacy, inafmuch as he 
was the only defeendant from Mary, a rigid catholic, and 
had (hewn great partiality to that religion in his youth. 
But they foon difeovered their miftake, and were fo en¬ 
raged and difappointed, that with the genuine fpirit of 
malicious bigotry, they formed a refolution of deftroying 
the king and both hoiifes of parliament at once. The 
fcheme was laid by Robert Catelby, a gentleman of a 
good family, who conceived that gun-powder might be 
fo placed under the parliament houfe, as to blow up the 
king and all the members at their firft meeting. He 
opened his intention to Thomas Percy, of the illuftrious 
houfe of Northumberland, who readily came into it. 
Thomas Winter was next let imo the fecret ; and he 
went over to Flanders in queft of Guy Fawkes, an engi¬ 
neer in the Spanifli fervice, with whole zeal and courage 
the confpirators were thoroughly acquainted. 
Every thing being concerted, and the confpirators hav¬ 
ing taken an oath of fecrecy, which they confirmed by 
receiving the facrament together, a houfe was hired in 
the name of Percy, adjoining that in which the parlia¬ 
ment aflembled ; and, finding that a cellar was to be let 
under the houfe of lords, they feized the opportunity of 
renting it; and, forming a communication between Per¬ 
cy’s houfe and it, depofited there thirty-fix barrels of 
gun-powder, which they covered with faggots and billet- 
wood. The doors of the vault were then boldly thrown 
open, to prevent any appearance of fufpicion; and no¬ 
thing remained, but to watch the opportunity of render¬ 
ing the horrible cataflrophe complete. 
The king, the queen, and prince Henry, were all ex- 
pedled to be prefent at the opening of parliament; but 
prince Charles, by reafon of his tender age, would ne- 
ceflarily be abfent, and him it was intended to aftaftinate. 
The princefs Elizabeth alone remained of the royal fa¬ 
mily whom papiftical vengeance had not devoted, and it 
was their intention to place her on the throne. Twenty 
confpirators had facredly kept this dreadful fecret nearly 
a year and a half; but the fame bigotry which had given 
rife to the plot, was diredled by the will of Providence 
to reveal it. A few days before the meeting of parlia¬ 
ment, lord Monteagle, who was a catholic, received the 
following letter from an unknown correfpondent : 
“ My lord, out of the love I bear to Come of your 
friends, I have a care of your prefervation. Therefore I 
would advife you, as you tender your life, to devife fome 
excufe to fhift off your attendance in this parliament. 
For God and man have concurred to punifti the wicked- 
nefs of this time. And think not (lightly of this adver- 
tifement; but retire yourlelf into your country, where 
you may expeft the event in fafety. For, though there 
be no appearance of any ftir, yet, I fay, they will receive 
a terrible blow this parliament, and yet they (hall not 
fee who hurts them. This counlel is not to be contemn¬ 
ed, becaufe it may do you good, and can do you no harm : 
for the danger is paft, as foon as you have burnt the let¬ 
ter. And I hope God will give you the grace to make 
good ufe of it, unto vvhofe holy protedlion 1 commend 
you.” 
This myfterious letter very little difconcerted the no¬ 
bleman to whom it was addrefted; but though he was 
inclined to think it a ridiculous attempt to frighten him, 
yet he judged it right to carry it to lord Salifbury, feere- 
tary of date. The noble fecrctary gave little attention 
t.Q 
