Note 13 — Chapter I

This account is as follows. About a year after the accession of James I.,[13] when it began to be evident that the hopes of toleration at his hands, which the Catholics had entertained, were to be disappointed, Robert Catesby, a man of strong character, and with an extraordinary power of influencing others, bethought him in his wrath of this means whereby to take summary vengeance at once upon the monarch and the legislators, under whose cruelty he himself and his fellows were groaning. The plan was proposed to John Wright and Thomas Winter, who approved it. Faukes was brought over from the Low Countries, as a man likely to be of much service in such an enterprise. Shortly afterwards Percy joined them,[14] and somewhat later Keyes and Christopher Wright were added to their number.[15] All the associates were required to take an oath of secrecy,[16] and to confirm it by receiving Holy Communion.[17]