This is the
text of the
Monteagle Letter, Sent to
William Parker, 4th
Baron Monteagle, on 26
October,
1605. It, of course, is in the
public domain.It is
thought to have been penned by
Robert Catesby, but it is not
certain.
My lord out of the love i beare to some of youere frends i have a caer of youer preseruacion therfor i would advyse yowe as yowe tender youer lyf to devys some excuse to shift of youer attendance at this parleament for god and man hath concurred to punishe the wickednes of this tyme and think not slightlye of this advertisment but retyre youre self into youre contri wheare yowe may expect the event in safti for thowghe theare be no appearance of anni stir yet i saye they shall receyve a terrible blowe this parleament and yet they shall not seie who hurts them this cowncel is not to be contemned because it may do yowe good and can do yowe no harme for the dangere is passed as soon as yowe have burnt the letter and i hope god will give yowe the grace to mak good use of it to whose holy proteccion i comend yowe.
This second letter was sent by
Baron Monteagle to
King James VI/I, to warn him of the
GunPowder Plot, or
Catesby's Conspiracy as it has come to be known.
To the King his most excellent Maiestye
Most gracious Soveraine - Your maiestyes tender and fatherly love over me, In admonishinge me heartofore, to seake resolution In matter of religion, geves me both occasion, and Incouragement, as humbly to thanke your maiestye for this care of my soules good, so to crave leave of gevinge into you maiestyes hand this accompt, that your wisdome, seinge the course and end of my proceadings, might rest assured that by the healp of god, I will live and dye, In that religion which I have nowe resolved to profes.
It may please you maiestye therefor to knowe, that I was breed upp In the Romish religion and walked in that, because I knew no better, so have I not sodainly or lightly made the chaunge, which nowe I desire to be seane In, for I speake, Sir, as befor him that shall Judg my soule, I have by prair, for god his gidance, and with vowes to him, to walk in that light he would shew me, and by my longe carefull and diligent readinge, and conference with lerned men, on both sides, and impartiall examination of their profes and argumentes, come to discerne the Ignorance I was formerly wrapped In, as I nowe wonder that ether my self, or any other of common understandinge, showld bee so blynded, as to Imbrace that gods trewth, which I nowe perseyue to be grounded uppon so weake foundations. And as I never could digest all poyntes therin, wherof not few seamed to bee made for gaine and ambition, of the papacye, so nowe I fynde that the hole frame and bodye of that religion (wherin they oppose us) difereth from the platforme, which god him self hath recorded In the holy scriptures, and hath In length of tyme, by the Ignorance and deceiptfulness of men, bene peaced together, and is nowe maintayned by factious obsinancye, and certain coulerable pretences, sich as the wittes and learninge of men, are able to cast uppon any humaine errors, which they list to uphowld. Nether have I left any thinge I doubted of untried or unresolued, becawse I did Intend and desire to so take up the trewthe of god, once discouered to me, as never to suffer yt to bee questioned any more In my owne concienc. And In all this, Sir, I protest to your maiestye, before almightye god, I have simply and only propounded to my self the trew seruise of god, and saluation of my own soule, Not gaine, not honor, no not that which I doe most highly valew, your maiestyes fauour, or better opinion of me. Nether on the other side am I affraid of the censures on men whether of the partye I have abandoned, or of others which I shall Incur by this alteration, howldinge yt contentment Innough to my self, That god hath in mercye enlightened my mynde to see his sacred trewth, with desire to serue...
And rest, your majesties most loyall and obedient servant W. Mownteagle.