Page:Guy Fawkes, or, The history of the gunpowder plot.pdf/15

Rh Soon after Fawkes’ return from Flanders, the Parliament was further prorogued from October to the 5th of November. These repeated prorogations alarmed the conspirators, and them to fear that their project was suspected. Their alarms, however, having been discovered to be groundless, Catesby purchased horses, arms, and powder, and, under the presence of making levies for the Archduke in Flanders, assembled friends who might be armed in the country when the first blow was struck. As considerable sums of money were necessary for these purposes, it was proposed to admit into the confederacy three wealthy men—Sir Everard Digby, of Tilton and Drytoke, in Rutlandshire, who was then only twenty-four years of age; Ambrose Rookwood, of Coldham Hall, in Stanningfield, Suffolk; and Francis Tresham, of Rushton, in Northamptonshire, the two first intimate friends, and the last a near relation of Catesby. These gentlemen were afterwards sworn in.

The particulars of what took place at the communication of the plot to Tresham by Catesby are unknown; however, he at first deemed to agree to it cordially, and undertook to furnish £2000 towards the promotion of the scheme. The sincerity of Tresham seems to nave been always suspected by some of the conspirators; and probably nothing but the temptation of the great wealth of which he had lately become possessed upon his father’s death, and his devotion to the Catholic religion, would have induced them to consent to his reception amongst them. He was known to be mean, treacherous, and unprincipled; and his character must have been fully understood by Catesby,