The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-29
GUY FAWKEs.
Is He Like Everything Else I'm His
tory. a Myth.

Is He Like Everything Else I'm His
tory. a Myth
Mr.. William Hurlin of New Hampshire
writes to the Boston Transcript as fol-
lows:
Are there any historical facts which a
plain man is at liberty to believe? Or are
we to conclude that everything which has
been written as history is now to be set
down as fiction? 1 ask these questions be-
cause 1 see in your issue of Nov. 3 let
ter from Wentworth sparhawk, in which
he writes, THE whole story of the gun
powder plot looks to us now almost incred-
IDLE" and adds, Examples of such inven-
tons will readily occur to the reader"
and says still further, mo weight ought to
be given TO the alleged confessions OF
Fawkes," thus inumating that the truth
of the story depends on these confessions.
Sir Richard Baker wrote his Chronicle
Of the Kings of England" in 1641. only
thirtysix years after Che discovery of the
"gunpowder plot" and his book was so
popular that 1t passed through four edi-
tons in twentyfour years. ] have before
me stall later edition, published in 1854
and find in it a circumstantial account
of the discovery of the plot through a
warning letter sent by one of the conspira-
tors to his friend, Lord Monteagle, end
the statement that upon search being
made thirty-six barrels of powder were
found covered with wood under the Par
lament house in which the King was TO
open Parliament. and that Guy Fawkes
himself was found there with a tinder-
box and toueh-wood in his pocket And
the further fact Is stated of King James |
that mot to be unthankful to God for the
de!iverance, he caused the fifth Of NoveTn-
Der, being the day of the discovery. to be
kept holy. with prayers and thanksgiving
to God, which was then solemnly per-
formed, and hath been since, and Is likely
10 be forever to be continued" Now, turn
ing to THE Book Of Common Prayer" of
the Church of England. 1 find "a form
Of prayer with Thanksgiving to be used
yearly upon the fifth day Of November for
the happy deliverance Of King James ]"
etc.
] now return TO Hume's History of Eng
land" and find there another circumstan-
tial account OF the discovery Of the plot
with the statement that about midnight.
before the day Of The meeting Of Pariia-
ment, Fawkes was found al the door OF
the vault. in which the powder and wood
were found and that THE matches and
train were taken in Fawke's pockets"
| now pass to Green's History Of the
English People" and find again the same
statement about the discovery of the plot.
though much condensed with "the discov-
cry Of the cellar and of Guido Fawkes,
who was charged with its custody"
now turn 10 cyclopSdias, which I hap
pen to have in my possession. In the Pen
ny Cycopedia ! find long and circum-
stantial account of the plot ANA its dis
covery, and II It were veritable history.
and again the statement that about u
O'Clock on the night Of Nov. 4
Fawkes was seized aa he came ont Of the
cellar; matches and touchwood were found
upon his person. a dark lantern, with
lighted candle. stood behind the cellar
door, and under the fagots thlrty-slx
casks Of gunpowder." In Chambers Cv-
clopedia / again find the gunpowder plot
spoken Of as If 1t were o Veritable fact.
Eut il seems now that al these autbori-
ties are unreliable and that we must re-
gard the whole story as a myth: because
Mr.. Wentworth SparhaWk thinks ''fb..
whole story Of The glnpoWder Plot looks
10 ~ nov almost incredible. and FAR no.,
much like he numerous plots which wit
nesses snd me police have Invented or
fomented throughout English history