Page:Guy Fawkes, or, The history of the gunpowder plot.pdf/20

20 the concurrence of several of the Privy Council, that the cellar should that night be minutely searched. In order, however, not to excite premature alarm, they employed Sir Thomas Kneyet a magistrate in Westminster, (who had been a gentleman of the Privy Chamber in the late Queen’s time, and still held the, same office.) to superintend a complete search of all the houses and cellars in the neighbourhood, under the pretence of looking for some stuff and hangings in the keeping of Whineard, the keeper of the King’s wardrobe, which had been missing ever since the death of the late Queen.

Meanwhile, the visit of Lord Mounteagle and the Lord Chamberlain had been quite sufficient to alarm the vigilance of Fawkes. He went out to inform Percy of what had happened, but returned himself to his dangerous post; fully determined, as he afterwards declared, to have blown up the house on the first appearance of danger, and so to have perished together with those who might come to apprehend him.

Shortly before midnight, on the eve of the celebrated 5th of November, Sir Thomas Knevet, accompanied by a sufficient number of assistants, repaired secretly and suddenly to the house. A t the moment of their arrival, Fawkes was stepping out of the door, dressed and booted, having, as he afterwards said, just then ended his work. He was stayed, and Sir Thomas Knevet proceeded to examine the cellar, where he found thirty-six barrels of gunpowder under the billets, in casks and hogsheads. Upon this discovery, Fawkes was seized, and bound hand and foot; a watch, together with slow matches and touchwood, were found upon his