Guy Fawkes, an English conspirator, born in Yorkshire, executed in London, Jan. 30, 1606. He was a soldier of fortune in the Spanish army in the Netherlands, when in 1604 the scheme of blowing up the parliament house, with the king, lords, and commons, was conceived by Robert Catesby, in revenge for the penal laws against Roman Catholics. Fawkes was admitted into the conspiracy, and returned to England in May of that year. Thomas Percy, one of the confederates, rented a house adjoining that in which parliament was to assemble, of which Fawkes, who was unknown in London, took possession as his servant, under the assumed name of Johnson. Parliament was soon after adjourned till Feb. 7, 1605, and on Dec. 11 preceding the conspirators met in the hired house of Percy, and began to xca-vate a mine. Seven men were thus occupied until Christinas eve, never appearing in the upper part of the house, while Fawkes kept constant watch above. Parliament was again prorogued from Feb. 7 to Oct. 3, and the conspirators therefore dispersed for a time, but completed their arrangements between Feb-ruarv and May. They hired a vault imme-diately below the house of lords, which had just been vacated by a dealer in coal, into Which they conveyed by night 36 barrels of powder, and covered them with fagots.

They again dispersed, Fawkes proceeding to Flanders to secure foreign cooperation. As money was needed, three wealthy gentlemen, Sir Everard Digby, Ambrose Rookwood, and Francis Tresh-am, were made privy to the plot. The meeting of parliament was again deferred to Nov. 5, and Fawkes was appointed to tire the mine. The conspiracy was detected by an anonymous letter entreating Lord Monteagle, a Roman Catholic peer, to absent himself from the parliament, and intimating a terrible danger. The letter resulted in a search on the night of Nov.

4, when Fawkes was seized just after issuing from the cellar, in which the powder was discovered. Matches and touchwood were found in his pockets. Brought before the king and council, he boldly avowed his purpose, but not even the rack could extort the names of his associates till they had appeared in arms. The failure of the plot was complete. Fawkes was arraigned, condemned, and executed, as were seven of his confederates, while others were tried separately. This conspiracy led to additional penal statutes against the Roman Catholics. The anniversary of the plot, Nov.

5, was long celebrated in England and New England by the boys carrying about an effigy of Guy Fawkes, which was finally burned. It was till recently a legal holiday in England.