Page:Guy Fawkes, or, The history of the gunpowder plot.pdf/16

16 who was not only his near relation, but had been brought up with him, and had been engaged with him in several treasonable conspiracies. Father Greenway states, that Catesby afterwards repented that he had admitted Tresham into the confederacy; that from the moment of his introduction he mistrusted him; and that the most fearful forebodings, excited and supported by ominous dreams portending the failure of his scheme, took possession of his mind.

As the day of meeting of Parliament approached, it was finally determined that Fawkes should fire the mine with a slow match, which would allow him a quarter of an hour to escape. He was instantly to embark on board a vessel in the river, and to proceed to Flanders with the intelligence of what had been done. Sir Everard Digby was to assemble a number of Catholic gentlemen in Warwickshire on the 5th of November under pretence of a hunting party, and Percy was to seize the Prince of Wales, or the Duke of York if the Prince should go to the Parliament House with the King. One subject of discussion only arose, whether and how the Catholic Peers should be warned of their danger. Each conspirator had friends, if not relations among them; but the danger of communicating the project to so large a number of persons was considered so imminent, that they despaired of saving all of them; and it was concluded that no express notice should be given them, but only such persuasion, upon general grounds, as might deter them from attending. Many of the conspirators were averse to this advice, and angry at its adoption, and Tresham in particular, for his