The only history worth reading is that written at the time of which it treats, the history of what was done and seen heard out of the mouths of men who did and saw. One fresh draught of such history is worth more than a thousand volumes of abstracts, and reasonings, and suppositions, and theories; and I believe that as we get wiser we shall take little trouble about the history of nations who have left no distinct records of themselves, but spend our time only in the examination of the faithful documents which, in any period of the world, have been left, either in the form of art or literature, portraying the scenes or recording the events, which in those days were actually passing before the eye of men'- RUSKIN

STORIES

FROM THE

STATE PAPERS.

43

THE GUNPOWDER PLOT.

Almighty God, who hast in all ages shewed thy Power and Mercy in the miraculous and gracious deliverances of thy Church, and in the protection of righteous and religious Kings and States professing thy holy and eternal truth, from the wicked conspiracies, and malicious practises of all the enemies thereof: We yield thee our unfeigned thanks and praise, for the wonderful and mighty deliverance of our gracious Sovereign King James the First, the Queen, the Prince, and all the Royal Branches, with the Nobility, Clergy, and Commons of England, then assembled in Parliament, by Popish treachery appointed as sheep to the slaughter, in a most barbarous and savage manner, beyond the examples of former ages. From this unnatural conspiracy, not our merit, but thy mercy; not our foresight, but thy providence delivered us: And therefore not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name be ascribed all honour and glory, in all Churches of the saints, from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.-Prayer for the happy deliverance of King James the First and the Three Estates of England.

AT the accession of James I. the condition of the Roman Catholics in England was one of galling restrictions, spiteful intolerance, and constant persecution. Under Mary the Protestants were the martyrs of the State; under Elizabeth the reaction set in, and the Papists had to reap the whirlwind they had sown during the preceding reign. The

crop was an evil one, and as the unhappy son of an oppressed faith had to eat its bitter food, he had every reason to admit that his lines had not fallen in pleasant places. On all sides the Papist was the object of State inspection and irritating control. He dared not confess to his priest or bend the knee to the Host in his own temples; whilst if he failed to attend a Protestant place of worship on the Sabbath, he was liable to a fine of twenty pounds for every month during which he had absented himself. If he were a priest and attempted to say mass, he could be punished by a forfeiture of two hundred marks and a year's imprisonment. Indeed, such a man had no right at all to enjoy English hospitality. By a statute passed in 1585 it was enacted that 'all Jesuits, seminary and other priests ordained since the beginning of the Queen's reign should depart out of the realm within forty days after that session of Parliament; and that all such priests or other religious persons ordained since the said time should not come into England or remain there under the pain of suffering death, as in case of treason;' it was also declared that all persons receiving or assisting such priest should be guilty of capital felony.' The Papist who refused to bow down in the house of Rimmon-or, in other words, attend the Sunday services in a Protestant church--was branded as a 'recusant,' and on persisting in his refusal was forced to quit the kingdom; if he dared to return without leave, he laid himself open to execution as a felon, without benefit of clergy. It is true that these harsh laws were not always put into operation, yet no Papist ever felt himself safe from becoming one day