Book: Digitalized by Google.
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, or the Powder Treason, as
it was known at the time, was a failed attempt by a group
of provincial English Catholics, under the leadership of Guy
Fawkes, to kill King James I of England, his family, and most
of the Protestant aristocracy in a single attack, by blowing
up the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening on 5
November 1605. It was believed that the Spanish Crown and
the Jesuits were also involved. A Catholic English Lord who
had received a letter warning him not to go to the Houses
of Parliament discovered the conspiracy. The cellars were
investigated and gunpowder meant to be used in the attempt
was found. The conspirators and their leader were tried and
taken to Westminster, to the actual scene of the intended
crime, where they were to be hanged, drawn and quartered.
On November 5th each year, people in the United Kingdom celebrate
the failure of the plot on what is known as Guy Fawkes Night.
Facts of this historical event are told in this book
written in Dutch, "Staatkundige Historie" (published
in many parts by the bookseller Bernadus van Mourik (1734-1784).
Apparently discovery of the plot also brought relief in the
Netherlands. There was a farthing minted in honour of King
James (Jacobus). There is a nice image of this coin in the
book. On the farthing is the Hebrew tetragrammaton; the translation
of the tetragrammaton in this old book is "Jehova".
