Account of the Gunpowder-Plot. 1781. No, Sir," replied the hufband, "there is not any; you have enabled us to difcharge all demands upon us. People in our circumstances cannot find credit, beCafe they want it." My mafter would then have gone for a coach, but the daughter infifted on faving him that trouble: upon which he put the whole family, into it and walked away before them to their new lodging. It is impoffible to defcribe what thefe poor people felt when they faw the provifion he had made for their reception. The father, in particular, could not bear it ; but, fink ing into a chair, "This is too much!" fa'd he, as foon as a flood of tears had given vent to the fullness of his heart; "this is too much. Support me, gracious Heaven! who has fent this beft of men to my relief; fupport me, under the weight of obligations which the prefervation of thefe alone (looking round upon his wife and children) could induce me to accept."-Then addreffing himself to my mafter, "My heart is not unthankful," continued he;" but gratitude in such excefs as mine, where there is no profpect of ever making a return, is the fevereft pain." My mafter, who fought none, attempt ed often to give the conversation another turn; but finding that they could speak or think of nothing elfe as yet, he took his leave, promifing to come the next day, when their minds fhould be better fettled, to confult what more was in his power to ferve them, having firft privately taken an opportunity to flip a couple of guineas into the daughter's hand, to avoid the putting the delicacy of her father and mother to farther pain. ཉ Account of the Gunpowder Plot, from Mrs. met with from the conduct of James. remitted into England, for carrying on plots against government. The intended execution of one that had been machinating near a year and half, was haftened, or rather fixed, from fome foverities the fect had fuffered, in confequence of an act in their disfavour, which had paffed the laft feflion of parliament. Determined on vengeance, fome of the most enthufiaftic of the body confpired under Garnet, the fuperior of the Jeluits, who had been the manager of their cabals, to deftroy with one blow the moft powerful of their enemies. The design was against the king and parliament; and the plan fo far executed, that thirty fix barrels of gunpowder were, by means of the confpirators, lodged in fome vaults under the houfe of lords, to be fired on the first day of their meeting, when the king was to harangue, and the queen and prince of Wales had propofed to have been prefent. After the explofion, the rest of the royal family were to be feized by the confpirators; and Elizabeth, James's youngest child, to be declared queen, under a protector of their own choofing. The vaults had been hired by Percy, a near relation of the earl of Northumberland, under the pretence of a lodgment for a great number of faggots, which covered the tremendous de- pofit. The fifth of November, which was the day afligned for the meeting of parliament, drew nigh. Exalted were the hopes of the confpirators; but a fatal affurance of fuccefs, united to private affection, drew from one of the party an indifcretion, which happily defeated the well concerted plan. On the 26th of October, the lord Monteagle, whofe father had been a great fufferer in the reign of Elizabeth, for his affection to Popery, received the following letter. "Out of the love I bear fome of your friends, I have a care of your prefervation: therefore I would advife you, as you tender your lite, to devife fome excufe to fhift off your attendance at this parliament, for God and man have concurred to pu nifh the wickednefs of this time. And think not flightly of this advertisement, but retire yourself into your own country, where you for though there be no appearance of any ftir, yet I fay they hall receive a terrible blow this parliament, and yet they fhall not fee who hurts them. This counfel is not to be condemned, because it may do you good, and can do you no harm, for the danger is paft, fo foon as you have Monteagle carried this letter to Cecil, then earl of Salisbury, who either did, or pretended to think little of it; and the affair was dropped, till the king, who had been fometime at Royston *, returned to town. On re-canvafling the letter, the gunpowder was fcented. Moft authors attribute this to the fagacious timidity of James §. He was fond of the reputation of this discovery, and¡ publicly affumed it. have burned the letter t. I hope God on the fight of the rack, confeffed the will give you grace to make a good ufe whole plot, with the names and quality of it, to whole holy protection I commend of the confpirators. On this arrett, the you." criminals that remained in London, fled into Warwickshire, where their confederates were pofted, to feize on the perfon of Elizabeth, fo foon as they fhould hear of the fuccefs of the project. There they made a vigorous defence, but were all taken, except three, who were killed in the ruggle; viz. Catcfby, esteemed to be the inventor of the plot, Thomas Percy, and Robert Wright. Thefe following were convicted of treafon, and executed; Sir Everard Digby, Guido Fawles, Robert and Thomas Winter, John Grant, Ambrofe Rookwood, Robert Keys, Thomas Bates, Eiqrs; and Garnet, the Tapes rior of the Jefuits. Francis Troham was conviЯed likewife, but died of a Pagury in prifon. The night before the meeting of parliament, officers were fent to fearch the vaults under the houfe of lords; on removing the faggots the gunpowder was difcovered. Guido Fawkes, under the difguife of Percy's fervant, was found lurking about the place, was taken, and N T E S. Rapin relates that both James and his minifters were puzzled at the fentence, "For the danger is palt, as foon as you have burned the letter." Cecil ridiculed is as the incongruity of a fool or a madmaan; and James thought it referred to the quick exccution of the blow. The obvious fenfe of the words is, that if the -letter was burned, the receiver could not incur danger from the advice. *While the king was at Royston, he devoted himielf fo entirely to hunting, that be forbad his minifters to disturb his pleafures with any bufinefs, faying, "His hunting was neceflary to the state; it was good for his health, and his health was cccilary to the state." Thefe huntings were great nuifances; they are taken notice of as fuch, in a letter from Matthew Hutton, archbishop of York, to viscount Cranbourn. "I could with," writes this prelate," that there were lefs wafting of treasure of the realm, and more modera tion of the lawful exercife of hunting, both that the poor man's cora may be lefs Spoiled, and other his majesty's fubjects more fpared." Winavood's Mem. Vol. 11. p. 40. There are fome authorities which say, that Cecil had before received the intima tion of the intended plot from France, and the manner in which it was to be executed. Cecil owns, in a letter to Cornwallis, the whole affair was difcovered, before the letter was shewn to James. Winwood's Mem. Vol. II. p. 172. Guido Fawkes was an officer in the Spanish fervice. He was fent for from Flanders by the confpirators, as a man of tried refolution and zeal for the Roman Catholic faith. Two catholic Lids, Mordaunt and Sturton, were fired, one, ten thoufand, and the other Ax then and pounds. The earl of Northumberland fuffered the fevere penalty of thirty thoufand pounds, and was detained in prifon for fiveral years, because he had admitted Percy into the number of gentlemen penfioners, without having exacted the requifite oaths. Thefe were the arbitrary fentences of the star-chamber. The lord Monteagle was rewarded with an eftate of two hundred pounds a year, and a penfion of five hundred pounds. as The parliament met on the 9th of November. James's fpeech on the occafion of the plot, is perhaps as remarkable the occafion itfelf, the whole of it being, according to the genius of the orator, uncommonly prolix. I thall only give the most striking paffages. "And now I must crave a little pardon of you (that since kings are, in the word God itfelf, ftiled Gods, as being his vicegerents on earth, and fo adorned with fome (parkles of divinity) to compare forme of the works of God, the great king, towards the whole and general world, to fome of his works towards me, and this little world of my dominions." He then draws a comparison between the deftruction of the world by water, the falvation of Noah, the deftruction of the world by fire, and the falvation of the faithful, with his own dangers and efcapes, in the Gowrie and gunpowder confpiracies. He diftinguishes the general fort of deaths which mankind may fuffer: "For by three dif ferent forts, in general, may mankind be put to death. The first, by other men and reafonable creatures, which is leaft cruel, for then both defence of men against men may be expected; and likewife who knows what pity God may fir up 1781. Defcription of the Land of Promife. up in the hearts of the actors at the very inftant? befides the many ways and means whereby men may cfcape in fuch a prefent fury. And the fecond way, more cruel than that, is by animal and unreasonable creatures? for, as they have lefs pity than men, fo it is a greater horror and more unnatural for men to deal with them; but yet with them both refiftance may avail, and alfo fome pity may be had, as was in the lions, in whole den Daniel was thrown, or that thankful lion, that had the Roman flave in his mercy. But the third, the most cruel and unmerciful of all, is the deftruction by infenfible and iranimate things; and amongst them all the most cruel are the two elements of water and fire, and of thofe two the fire is the moft mercilefs. When the letter was thewed to me by my secretary, wherein a general obfcure advertisement was given of fome dangerous blow at this time, I did upon the inftant interpret and apprehend fome dark phrafes therein, Contrary to the ordinary grammar conftruction of them, and (in another fort, than I am fure any divine or lawyer in any univerfity would have taken them) to be meant by this horrible form of blowing us all up by powder; and thereupon ordered fearch to be made, whereby the matter was discovered, and the man apprehended. It refteth now that I fhould inform you what is to be done hereafter upon the occafion of this horrible accident. As for your parts, that are my faithful and loving fubjects of all degrees, I know that your hearts are fo burnt up with zeal in this errand, and your tongues fo ready to utter your dutiful affection, and your hands and feet fo bent to concur in the execution thereof (for which, as I need not to four you, fo can I not but praise you for the fame) as it may very well be poffible, that the zeal of your hearts may make fome of you in your fpeeches rafhly to blame fuch as may be innocent of the attempt." He then excufes the papifts in general, and fays, "That many papists laying their only truft upon Chrift, and his merits, at their lift breath, may and often times are faved; detefting in that point, and thinking the cruelty of puritans worthy the fire, that will admit no falvation to the papits." He charges them, "not to think that any foreign princes had a band in the phot, but to speak and think of them very reverently." In the conclufion of this long speech are inftructions to the parliament, of the nature of their office, that they are not to be too buty in propofing new laws, but to confalt on those which are propofed by the Macaulay's Hift. vol I. p. 24 to 3. Defcription of the Land of Promife. Addreffed to all Danglers on Great Men. T was on the first day of April laft, goupon on board the good ship Expectation, Captain Courtley commander, which fet fail directly for the Land of Promife. After we had paffed the Cape of Good Hope, we fleered towards the Fortunate Islands, and with a fair wind, foon arrived at the end of our voyage, and put into port. We were all along very much deceived with respect to the distance: for when we thought ourfelves clofe upon the coaft, we found by our foundings that we were yet a great way off land; and the utmoft fpeed we could make scarce brought us nearer.— Nothing indeed could be more enchanting than the profpects we fill had before our eyes of this country afar off; the mountains feemed to be covered with gold, the viles to gliften with precious ftones, the trees to be laden with the richeft fruit, and the rivers to flow with milk and honey. The breezes which blew towards us wafted the most refreshing fwects; nor could we perceive the least cloud in the ferene fky, but the fun fhone continually with a moft dazzling luftre. In short, every thing tempted us to advance with an appearance of uninterrupted joy and happiness. As foon as we had landed, I found the inhabitants in a perpetual burry of bufinef, running to and fro, regardless of every body but themfelves, and wearing the face of care and importance. There was a prodigious crowd fill pufhing on towards the principal city, called Favour, the entrance to which was guarded by the strong gate of Intereft, and no body was allowed to go in by any other way. We faw many conftantly preffing forwards for admittance, yet fome of them betook themfelves to the fortrefs of Hope, where they waited for a more favourable opportunity. There are innumerable air-castles feattered all over this district, which the people are continually amuling themselves in building up and pulling down; but the greatest of all is the caftle of Vanity, from the ramparts of which are difplayed enfigns of blue, red, and green ribbons. Some few conducted by Pride, bent their ftops thither: but the moft part had their eyes fixed on the Grand Treasury, the accefs to which is ftrongly barricaded by Authority. Some finall portions of the wealth lodged in this repofitory are dealt out in the form of bribes, pensions, and fcret fervices; fervices; and the reft is divided among the chief keepers. In the heart of this country there is a very high promontory, called Ambition, on the top of which is feated the grand palace of Preferment. Numbers were feen daily labouring to climb up to it, but came tumbling down again, and were dashed upon the rocks of Disappointment. Some, indeed, who took the high-road of Dependency, got places therein, and others ftole into it through the bye-paths of Patrictifm. Thofe who afpired to the lofty pinnacle of Pover, endeavoured to turn others out, and put themselves into their room; but this is a very tottering fituation; for during my fhort ftay among them, I faw feveral thrown down, and thofe very perfons advanced whom they had before served in the fame manner. I can fay very little as to the religion profelfed in the Land of Promife-diffimula tion and hypocrify being openly practifed among them. The fect of Independents is entirely unknown to them, nor have they any Freethinkers. Indeed there is fearce any one has an opinion of his own, but (according to the ftrist fubordination obferved among them) the inferior borrows his fentiments from the fuperior. This is very remarkable in two Houses, as they are called, where almost every one fpeaks as he is ordered. As to their manners, they are exceeding polite and complaifant. You are fure to receive a fmile, a fqueeze of the hand, a nod, or a bow, from every body you addrefs yourself to. They are always mighty glad to fee you, are your very humble fervants, profefs the highest efteem for you, are ready to do you any fervice, and you may command them: but their memory is, unhappily, very fhort, and fometimes they forget they ever knew their moft intimate acquaintance. They are particularly fond of procraftination, and to-morrow is a word continually in their mouths, but they are unwilling to do any thing to day. Their hearts and their tongues are at a very great distance, and you must generally interpret what they fay by the rule of con trary. Through the midde of this country runs along the fmooth river of Attendance, whole tide is very even and gentle. The people are conftantly rowing down the tream; but fometimes it happens, that being quite spent, and unable to fteer their barks propeily, they are overwhelmed in the gulph of Defpondency, or fwallowed up in the quickfands of Despair. BRITISH and IRISH BIOGRAPHY. The Life of Matthew Prior. Pand statefaan, was the lon of Mr. RIOR (Matthew), an eminent poet George Prior, a citizen and joiner of London, where he was born on the 21ft of July, 1664. His father dying while he was very young, he was left to the care of an uncle, who was a vintner near Charingcrofa, and who behaved to him with the tendernefs of a parent. He had him educated at Weftminiter-school, after which he took him home, intending to bring him up to his own business. However, he fill profecuted the study of the claflics at his leiture hours, and particularly his favourite Horace; on which account he was foon taken notice of by the polite company who reforted to his uncle's house. One day,' when the earl of Dorset and several other perfons of rank were at this tavern, the difcourfe turned upon the Odes of Horace, and the company being divided in their fentiments about a paflage in that poet, one of the gentlemen faid, "I find we are not like to agree in our criticifms; but if I am not mistaken, there is a young fellow in the houte who is able to fet us all right:" upon which he named Mr. Prior, who was immediately fent for, and delired to give his opinion of Horace's meaning in the ode under debate. This he did with great modeity, and fo much to the fatisfaction of the company, that the earl of Dorfet determined to remove him from the station he was in to one more agreeable to his genius, and accordingly procured him to be fent to St. John's college in Cambridge, where he at length became fellow of that college. During his refidence in the univerfity, he contracted an intimate friendship with Charles Montague, afterwards earl of Halifax, with whom he joined in writing a very humorous piece, entitled, The Hind and Panther tranfverfed to the Story of the Country Moute and the City Moufe, in anfwer to Mr. Dryden's poem called the Hind and Panther. Upon the Revolution Mr. Prior was brought to court by his great patron the earl of Dorfet, and in 1690 was made fecretary to the earl of Berkeley, plenipotentiary for king William and queen Mary in the congrefs at the Hague. He was afterwards appointed fecretary to the caris of Pen broke and Jerfey, and Sir Jofeph Wiliamfon, amb fladors and plenipotentiaries at the treaty of Rylwick in 1597; as he was likewife in 1698 to the earl of Portland, ambaffador to the court of France. While he was in that kingdom, one of the officers of the French king's houfhold, fhewing him the royal apartments at Versailles, and particularly the paintings of Le Brun, in which are reprefented the victories of Lewis XIV. afked him whether king William's actions were alfo to be feen in his palace? No, Sir," answered 66 The Life of William Prynne. 9 1781. anfwered Mr. Prior," the monuments of my muter's actions are to be feen every where but in his own houfe." In 1697 he was made fecretary of tiate for Ireland, and in 1700 was appointed one of the commillioners of trade and plantations, upon the refignation of Mr. Locke. He was likewife chofen member of parliament for Eat-Grinftead in Sulfex. In 1711 he was made one of the commiffioners of the cuftoms, and fent minifter plenipotentiary into France, for negotiating a peace with that kingdom: but the year after king George I. came to the throne, he was recalled from France, and, upon his arrival in Erland, was taken up by a warrant from the houfe of commons, and foon after to archbishop Laud, on his rigorous ter rictly examined, by a committee of the privy-council. Robert Walpole, Efq; then moved the houfe of commons for an impeachment against him, and he was orderedicto close cuftody: but though he was one of the perfons excepted out of the act of grace, which paffed in 1717, he was at the clofe of that year difcharged from he confinement. He spent the remainder of his days in tranquillity and retirement, chicy at his eftate at Downhall in Effex; and died at the earl of Oxford's feat at Wimpole in Cambridgeshire, the 18th of September, 1721. He was interred according to his defire in Westminster-abbey, where an elegant monument is erected to his memory. Upon a raifed altar is Prior's bust, on one fide of which stands the figure of the mufe Thalia, with a flute inter hand, and on the other the hiftoric mute with her book shut. Over the buft is a handfome pediment, on the afcending fides of which are two boys, one holding an hour-glafs run out, the other a torch revered. On the apex of the pediment 8 an urn, and on the bafe is a Latin inription, written by Dr. Robert Friend, mater of Westminfter-school. Tower of London; and being profecuted in the ftar-chamber, was fentenced to pay a fine of 5cool. to the king; to be expelled the univerfity of Oxford, and the fociety of Lincoln's-Inn; to be degraded from his profeffion of the law; to ftand twice in the pillory, firft in Palace-Yard, Westminster, and three days after in Cheapfide, and in each place to lose an ear; to have his book called Hiftrio Mallise publicly burnt before his face by the hands of the hangman; and to undergo perfetual imprisonment. After this fentence was executed, which was in May 1634, he was remanded to prifon, and on the 11th of June following wrote a fevere let Mr. Prior's poems, which are deferved. ly admired, were collected by himself, and pablished in one volume folie, with an ele. pant dedication to the late duke of Doriet; and after his death fome more of his poctical pieces came out in 12mo. The Life of William Prynne. PRYNNE (William) a voluminous writer in the reigns of Charles I. and II. was born at Swainfwick, near Bath, in Somerfet hire, in the year 1600, and educated at Oriel college in Oxford. Thence he removed to Lincoln's-inn, where he fuded the law, and was fucceflively made burifter, bencher, and reader: but publihing in 1532 a work entitled Hio Matix, written against plays, mafques, bilis, and other entertainments of that kad, he was committed prifoner to the Hib. Mag. Jan. 1781. proceedings against him, and the fentence in the ftar-chamber, when that prelate acquainting the king with this proceeding, his majefty commanded the archbishop to refer it to Noy, the attorney-general. Noy fent for Prynne, and demanding whether he wrote the letter, Prynne defired to fee it, and having got it into his poffeffion, tore it to pieces, and threw it out of the window, which prevented a farther profecution. He afterwards publifhed feveral books, particularly one entitled News from Ipfwich, in which he feverely reflected on archbishop Laud, and fome other prelates; for which, on the 1th of June, 1637, he was fentenced in the ftar chamber to pay 5ocol, to lose all that remained of his ears in the pillory, to be branded on both cheeks with the letters S. L. for a fchifmatical libeller, and to be perpetually imprisoned in Caernarvon-caftle. On the 30th of the fame month, the first part of this rigorous fentence was put into execution in Palace-yard, Weftminfier, and on the 27th of July he began his journey towards Caernarvon-cafe, whence he was in January following removed to Mount-Orgueil caule, in the Isle of Jersey. However, an order was at length inlued out by the houfe of commons, the 7th of November, 1640, for his releafement from prison; and on the 28th of the fame month he entered London in triumph, attended by a vait concourie of people on horfeback and on foot, who welcomed him with all poffible expreflions of joy. After thefe fufferings Mr. Prynne was elected member of parliament for Newport in Cornwall, when he opposed the bifhops, and particularly archbishop Laud, both in his fpeeches and writings, and was one of the chief managers of that pr late's trial. He was alio one of the p liamentary visitors of the university of O ford: he warmly oppofed the Indepe he dents; promoted the king's intereft, in a long speech infed upon the fatisf |