to attend the said Percy, and also a litter to convey him to London. His Majesty is extremely anxious to keep him alive, as he hopes to wring from him all the details of the Plot, for up to now he has been considered the leader.' This extract, from a source above suspicion, proves the absurdity of the Jesuit fable that Percy was killed by orders of Lord Salisbury, and reveals that he was, as I have stated, considered, at first, by the Government to have been the leader among the conspirators. A CHAPTER X ROBERT WINTER'S ADVENTURES LTHOUGH, as I have more than once hinted above, Robert Winter was pro bably the least important of the Gunpowder conspirators, the original account of his escape from Holbeach, and his subsequent adventures before falling into the hands of his enemies, is so interesting, and savours so much of a romance, that a précis of the 'true historicall Declaration' of his Flight and Escape' is well worth notice here. The two fugitives, Robert Winter and Stephen Lyttleton, left Holbeach immediately after the explosion of the gunpowder. That they must have exercised considerable ingenuity in getting away there can be little doubt; but, perhaps, during the confusion caused by the disaster, their retreat was rendered easier. Robert Catesby, luckily for them, was hors de combat; had this not been the case, he would certainly have handled both delinquents very roughly, for he was not the man to tolerate so flagrant a case of desertion from his little force at the eleventh hour. 1 Vide Harl. MSS. 360, pp. 103-108. The deserters left the house separately, but met in a wood about half a mile or more away, and after being first at their wits' end to know where to go, decided to make for Hagley, the beautiful residence of Muriel Lyttleton. To do this, they had not only to make a considerable détour, in order to avoid the forces of the sheriffs, but had also to cross the river Stour, much swollen by the recent rain. Proceeding towards Rowley Regis, in Staffordshire, they besought refuge from one Pelborough, a farmer, and tenant of the Lyttletons. Notwithstanding the risk, he willingly agreed to put them up, and provided them with food and clothing. Here they continued for over a week, hidden in a loft over one of the farmer's barns. From this farm they removed at night to that of another tenant of the Lyttletons, rented by a man named Perkes, whose house was close to Hagley Park. Here they lay hidden in a barn for about seven weeks. At the end of this time, suspecting that their retreat was, or would soon be, known, they went, at the invitation of Humphrey Lyttleton, to lodge in Hagley House itself. Arriving at Hagley in the middle of the night, Humphrey Lyttleton elected-in order to obtain food the more easily for the fugitives—to acquaint John Fynwood, his cook, with the news of their presence. The cook promised faithfully not to betray his master's guests, and agreed to supply them secretly with food, whenever necessary, |