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twenty persons, confessed themselves to Hammond, a priest, received
absolution from him, and partook of the sacrament together, and then, with
their followers and servants, proceeded to Lord Windsor's house, at Hewell,
from whence they took a great quantity of armour and weapons. They then
passed into Staffordshire, and by night reached the house of Stephen
Littleton, called Holbeach house, about two miles from Stourbridge. By this
time the whole country was raised in pursuit of the rebels; and a large
party, under the direction of Sir Richard Walshe, high sheriff of
Worcestershire, early on Friday morning arrived at Holbeach house. The
party in the house--consisting of Catesby, Percy, Sir E. Digby, Robert,
John, and Thomas Wintour, Grant Rookewood, the two Wrights, Stephen
Littleton, and their servants,--finding their condition now to be
desperate, determined to fight resolutely to the last, treating the summons
to surrender with contempt, and defying their pursuers. A singular
accident, however, put an end to all conference between the parties. Some
gunpowder, which the conspirators had provided for their defence, proving
damp, they had placed nearly two pounds in a pan near the fire to dry; and
a person incautiously raking together the fading embers, a spark flew into
the pan, ignited the powder, which blew up with a great explosion,
shattered the house, and severely maimed Catesby, Rookewood, and Grant; but
the most remarkable circumstance was, that about sixteen pounds of powder,
in a linen bag, which was actually under the pan wherein the powder
exploded, was blown through the roof of the house, and fell into the
court-yard amongst the assailants, without igniting, or even bursting.

Sir R. Walshe then gave orders for a general assault to be made upon the
house; and, in the attack that followed, Thomas Wintour, going into the
court-yard, was the first who was wounded, having received a shot in the
shoulder, which disabled him; the next was Mr. Wright, and after him the
younger Wright, who were both killed; Rookewood was then wounded. Catesby,
now seeing all was lost, and their condition totally hopeless, exclaimed to
Thomas Wintour, "Tom, we will die together." Wintour could only answer by
pointing to his disabled arm, that hung useless by his side, and as they
were speaking, Catesby and Percy were struck dead at the same instant, and
the rest then surrendered themselves into the hands of the sheriff.

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