November the 5th in this part of the world usually means World War Three breaks out overhead. For several days now some have been practising their part in this conflagration. Nightly, explosions not required for sleep purposes have been heard all around. Some from the better houses appear keen to do this annually, indeed, they even do this for less important events such as birthdays, holidays and upsetting the neighbours day also. Tonight I expect an onslaught from several directions as various organised parties attempt to break the sound barrier. There is hope that being midweek this would lessen, however, those inserting cheap but overpriced rockets into empty milk bottles before standing well back will pretend this is the weekend and let go on all sides.
Maybe it's time to ban fireworks from general sale.
The reason for the needless mayhem, harmful to dogs and cats everywhere, is a commemoration of the action of one Guido Fawkes, on the night of November the 5th 1605.
Guido was born Guy Fawkes in York in 1570, a time of change in England. Since Henry VIII had fallen out with Rome England had become protestant, some thing which upset the pope and English Catholics greatly. Elizabeth I had allowed protestant superiority to some extent, though she herself liked the fancy Catholic services and music. Under King James VI & I Catholics priests were forced out of the country and attendance at Church became mandatory. Failing to attend could therefore be seen as treasonable.
With this as a background Guys protestant father died when he was 8 years old and his mother married again to a recusant catholic. Recusants, as you know, were Catholics who refused to attend the Church of England services. Guy converted to Catholic himself and went to Europe to fight for Spain against the reformation in the Low Countries. Clearly an able soldier and once James was established on the throne Guy attempted to disestablish him. Travelling to Spain, who had been at war with England, note Scotland took no part in this foreign war, Scotland was going through a popular reformation at the time, Guy failed to get support from Spain who signed a peace treaty with James.
This upset the Catholic hierarchy.
So, Guy, now called Guido, an Italicised version of his name he took as he considered it gave him a touch of class, met one Robert Catesby, and he had already partook of a failed plot in 1601. At the 'Dog and Duck' near the Strand in London, a plotters gathering took place. Catesby, Fawkes, Thomas Winter, John Wright and Thomas Percy gathered to prepare a coup. Most were members of the Catholic gentry, people of wealth and influence, now suffering some degree of injury due to their Catholic faith. The majority of such did not participate in rebellion, possibly aware of the cost, and hoping some some toleration in due course. Others quietly gave support.
Altogether 13 men joined in a plan to remove King James the VI & I, the Queen, the protestant Lords, nobles and MPs gathered for the opening of Parliament in the House of Lords.
Parliament was completely different in those days. The buildings were an assortment of rooms, storehouse and taverns, and passages, making it easy to store barrels under the room used for by the Lords. 36 barrels of gunpowder, available after the end of the Spanish war, were stored by an unknown workman called John Johnson, a servant of Percy's. He was of course Guido Fawkes.
One Lord Monteagle, a former Catholic, received a letter with a strong injunction to make excuses to avoid the opening as 'For God and man has concurred to punish the wickedness of this time...they shall receive a terrible blow this parliament yet they shall not see who hurts them.' Monteagle, though sympathetic to Catholics, was no fool. He took the letter to the Earl of Salisbury, James man.
The King ordered a search made of the undercroft where indeed they came across Fawkes. However, while noticing the firewood stored there they did not see the barrels under the wood. The King ordered a new search the next night, the 5th, and a proper search discovered both the barrels and the fuses on Guido Fawkes.
A warrant was issued for Percy's arrest, and torture eventually revealed the names of other plotters. Percy and Catesby made for the Midlands where they hoped to rouse a rebellion. This failed and they made a last stand at Holbeach House, where both were wounded, dying later from their injuries. The others were soon arrested and tried.
It is no surprise that all were found guilty and sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered.
Luckily, the neck broke on the weakened body of Fawkes so he missed the delight of enduring the rest of this very English punishment. He was nevertheless dismembered and spread about the kingdom.
Celebrations began in London after the event, and during January 1606 a Law was passed for church services to offer public thanks for the 5th of November, attendance was mandatory.
Interestingly, Fawkes was not mentioned much in early sermons or literature. This was always an attack on the pope and popery. It appears that Fawkes became popular during the 1800s when some may have seen him as a kind of folk hero. Today, most see him as just a guy, burnt on a local bonfire, where potatoes are roasted, fireworks entertain the children, dogs and cats terrified, and houses are burnt down by careless people. No one cares about popery, most do not know the real story, or it is a vague tale in the back of the mind. And there is not one person the land who ever desires to blow up parliament today, no, not one...
