untill some three or four dayes before the session: at which tyme wee shewed his majestie the lettre, rather as a thing wee would not conceale, because it was of such a nature; then any way perswading him to geve any further credite to it, untill the place had bene visited. Whereupon his majestie (whoe hath a naturall habite to contemne all false feares, and a judgment soe strong as never to doubt any thing which is not well warranted by reason) concurred onely thus farre with us that, seeing such a matter was possible, that should bee done which might prevent all danger, or ells nothing at all. "Hereupon it was moved, that till the night before his cominge, nothinge should be done to interrupt any purpose of theirs that had such divellish practice, but rather to suffer them to goe on till the eve of the daye." The narrative proceeds to state, that for the better effecting of the discovery, sir Thomas Knevett was appointed to examine the suspected place, under a pretext of searching for stolen goods; and going about midnight, detected Johnson newly come out of the vault, and seized him. Sir Thomas then proceeded in his scrutiny; and having removed a quantity of wood, discovered the barrels of powder. The above letter is dated from the courte at Whitehall, November 9, 1605." There is a letter of much interest from sir Robert Cecil to sir John Harington in Nugæ Antiquæ, vol. i. which contains this striking observation," that a courtier has a hard task to prove his honesty, and yet not spoil bis fortune."] HENRY HOWARD, EARL OF NORTHAMPTON, YOUNGER Son of the famous earl of Surrey *, was said to be "the learnedest amongst the nobility, and the most noble amongst the learned." To these advantages of birth and education, were added the dignities of earl, knight of the garter, lord warden of the Cinqueports, governor of Dover castle (where he was buried3), one of the commissioners for the office of earl marshal, lord privy-seal, high steward of Oxford, and chancellor of Cambridge. He added himself the still nobler title of founder of three hospitals, at Greenwich in Kent, at Clun in Shropshire, and at Castle-rising [And brother to Thomas duke of Norfolk, who lost his life for his attachment to Mary queen of Scots. See vol. i. p. 323.] He died at the palace he had built at Charing-cross, now Northumberland-house; supposed to be raised with Spanish gold. Harris's Life of James I. p. 145. He gave the design for Audley Inn. Lloyd's Worthies, p. 780. [Nicholas Stone, master-mason to king James the first, agreed with Mr. Griffin to make a tomb for my lord of Northampton, and to set it in Dover-castle, "for the which," said he, "I had five hundred pounds well paid." Anecd. of Painting, vol. ii. p. 25.] in Norfolk. These topics of panegyric were sure not to be overlooked by our writers of genealogies, who winnow the characters of all mankind, and take due care not to lay up any of the chaff.-But what have our historians to say of this man! What a tale have they to tell of murder!-But it is necessary to take up his character a little higher. On his father's death he appears to have been left in very scanty circumstances; and though there is no doubt of his having parts, and very flexile ones too, they carried him no great lengths during the long reign of Elizabeth: in her successor's they produced tenfold. Antony Bacon (giving an account of a conference he had with his aunt about the Cecils) wishes for the genius of the lord Henry Howard, or that of Signor Perez, to assist him with the facility and grace which they had in relating their own actions. Lady Bacon', the severe and froward, but upright • Dugdale's Baronage, vol. ii. p. 27. [Lloyd says, that once being in London, he was fain to dine with the chair of duke Humphrey, that is, to go without his dinner, and to pass his meal-time in reading of books in the stationers' shops in St. Paul's churchyard. Lloyd's Statesmen, &c. p. 557.] • Bacon Papers, vol. ii. p. 132. 7 [Lady Bacon was one of the learned daughters of sir Anthony Cooke, and equally distinguished for her piety, prudence, |