Page:Public School History of England and Canada (1892).djvu/95

 that James was wedded to the Church as it stood, many Puritans determined to leave their native land and find a home where they could worship God as they pleased. Among others that left was a small congregation under the leadership of their pastor, John Robinson, and an Elder, William Brewster. It first went to Amsterdam and Leyden and then in 1620 came back to England, whence it took passage in a little vessel called the “Mayflower” for the shores of North America. This little band of 120 souls landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, and, after suffering great privations for many years, founded a flourishing colony, which was the beginning of the New England States.

4. Gunpowder Plot.—If the Puritans were disappointed. in James, much more were the Roman Catholics. The relief that they expected did not come; on the other hand, Parliament made the laws more severe against them, and James began to banish their priests, and to fine them for not attending the English Church services. The result was that a few desperate men, headed by one Robert Catesby, formed a plot to blow up Parliament while it was being opened, kill the king and members of Parliament, and then seize one of the younger members of the royal family and place him on the throne. To carry out this plot gunpowder was stored in barrels in a vault or cellar under the House of Lords, and a man named Guy Fawkes was entrusted with the task of setting fire to it at the proper time. Fortunately one of the conspirators did not wish his brother-in-law, who was in Parliament, to be killed, and sent him a warning note not to attend. This led to inquiries being made, and a search taking place the evening before Parliament was to be opened, November 5th, 1605, Guy Fawkes was found concealed in the cellar, and the whole plot was exposed. The conspirators tried to escape, but most of them were seized and put to death. The result of this wicked and foolish plot was that the laws were made still more cruel and oppressive against Roman Catholics.

5. Crown and Parliament.—Very soon James began to disagree with his Parliaments. He insisted on his right to collect taxes and place duties on goods without consent of Parliament; and to please his favourites and put money in his treasury, he revived the monopolies which had been given up by Elizabeth. Nearly every