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GUY FAWKES, OH
the co rrence of several of the Privy Council.,
tho* cellar should that night be minutely
.ed. In order, however, not to excite
.mature alarm, they employed Sir Thomas
Knevet, a magistrate in Westminster, (who
had been a gentleman of the Privy Chamber
in the late Queen’s time, and still held the
same office,) to superintend a complete search
of all the houses and cellars in the neighbour¬
hood, under the pretence of looking for some
stuff and hangings in the keeping of Whine-
ard, the keeper of the King’s wardrobe, which
had been missing ever since the death of the
late Queen.
Meanwhile, the visit of Lord Mounteagle and
the Lord Chamberlain had been quite sufficient
to alarm the vigilance of Fawkes. He went
out to inform Percy of what had happened, but
returned himself to his dangerous post; fully
determined, as he afterwards declared, to have
blown up the house on the first appearance of
danger, and so to have perished together with I
those who might come to apprehend him.
Shortly before midnight, on the eve of the
celebrated 5th of November, Sir Thomas Kne¬
vet, accompanied by a sufficient number of as¬
sistants, repaired secretly and suddenly to the
house. At the moment of their arrival, Fawkes
was stepping out of the door, dressed and boot¬
ed, having, as he afterwards said, just then
ended his work. He was stayed, and Sir Tho¬
mas Knevet proceeded to examine the cellar,
where he found thirty-six barrels of gunpowder
under the billets, in casks and hogsheads. Upon
this discovery, Fawkes was seized, and bound
hand and foot; a watch, together with slow I
matches and touchwood, were found upon his |

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