cept the possibility that
his death might have been convenient to the Government, and the fact
that they allowed his wife and servant to be with him in his last
illness goes far to disprove this improbable accusation.

The authorities were now engaged in lively pursuit of the new track
which Fawkes had indicated to them. A house in Enfield Chase where
Garnet was or might be found, was too appetising a dainty to be lightly
resigned. On the 23rd, they obtained a full confession from Thomas
Winter, and the actual name of White Webbs. From this moment White
Webbs became their Ultima Thule of hope and expectation.

A poor and mean revenge was taken on the dead Catesby and Percy. Their
bodies were exhumed, and beheaded, and their heads set on the pinnacles
of the Houses of Parliament. The spectators noticed with superstitious
terror that blood flowed from Percy's wound. The authorities seem to
have regarded Percy as the head and front of the conspiracy; they term
him "the arch-traitor." But by the testimony of both Fawkes and Winter,
Catesby was the original deviser of the Gunpowder Plot.

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Note 1. Excerpts from Burghley Papers, Additional Manuscript 6178,
folios 58, 184.--Lady Northumberland was Dorothy Devereux, daughter of
Walter Earl of Essex and Lettice Knolles, and sister of the famous
Robert Earl of Essex, in whose rebellion so many Romanists took part.
Poor Lord Northumberland, if innocent, paid dearly for his relationship
to his "wretched cousin," being fined 30,000 pounds, which in 1613 was
commuted to 11,000 pounds. He borrowed 12,000 pounds from Peter Vanlore
to discharge the fine, and repaid half of it within a year.

Note 2. The most comical item of this assumption of virtue is the
reason, as given by himself, for Mr Rookwood's riding on in advance at
this juncture. "Seeing that he was so well horsed as he was--he having
fifteen or sixteen good bourses--he meant not to adventure himself in
stealing of any!"

Note 3. "At Holbeach, I demanded of Mr Percy and the rest, _being most
of them asleep_, what they meant to do." (Letter of John Winter,
Gunpowder Plot Book, article 110.)

Note 5. For this shot one of the Sheriff's men, named John Streete,
received 2 shillings per day up to 1627.

CHAPTER TEN.

THE CHAIN OF OUR SINS.

"When on the problems of the past
A flood of light has come;
When we see the evil t