The History of England from the
Invasion of Julius Cæsar to the Revolution of 1688

David Hume

Chapter 46, Footnote #10
More on the letter sent to Monteagle


Some historians have imagined that the king had secret intelligence of the conspiracy, and that the letter to Monteagle was written by his direction, in order to obtain the praise of penetration in discovering the plot. But the known facts refute this supposition. That letter, being commonly talked of, might naturally have given an alarm to the conspirators and made them contrive their escape. The visit of the lord chamberlain ought to have had the same effect. In short, it appears that nobody was arrested or inquired after for some days till Fawkes discovered the names of the conspirators. We may infer, however, from the letter in Winwood's Memorials, vol. ii. p. 171, that Salisbury's sagacity led the king in his conjectures, and that the minister, like an artful courtier, gave his master praise of the whole discovery.


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Histeng, Chapter 46 Reign of James 1.