1.詹姆士一世当政不到几个月，罗马天主教会就明显看到此人根本没有向他们示好的意思，也不会放宽那些沉重压在他们身上的法律。持这种想法的人当中，有一些人更绝望，他们开始对此念念不忘并起了报复之心。
2.其中一个叫罗伯特·盖茨比的人有了一个可怕的想法，这一想法可能引起的可怕罪行磬竹难书，甚至连我们的整个历史在篇幅上都无法与之相比。他的计划是在国会上院的地下放置大量黑火药，当国王在上院与国会上下两院成员一起时，所有人都将统统炸死。
3.盖茨比起初将他的方案告诉了一位名叫温特的老朋友，此人尚在军中服役；而温特又选了一个名叫盖伊（或叫盖德）·福克斯的人作为同伙，因为福克斯目睹过许多穷人惨不忍睹的生活，有着坚定不移的勇气。盖伊·福克斯一直被广泛公认为该犯罪团伙中的主犯。他胡须狰狞，头上的阔叶帽影影绰绰地在紧锁的眉头上方晃来晃去，一看就像什么都敢干的亡命之徒。后来，又有两个人加入这个三人阵营，之后，这项有预谋的犯罪计划就开始可怕地付诸实施了。
4.他们聚在伦敦旁边原野上一套孤零零的房子里，齐齐跪下并庄严宣誓：他们永远都不会将刚要听到的秘密说出去，在将要投身其中的伟大事业中恪尽职守、绝不退缩。随后，盖茨比将火药计划告诉了他们，接着他们又来到楼上，从神父手中接过圣餐，而这位神父事先就被告知不允许打听他们的动向。
5.他们当中的一个人在威斯敏斯特租了一套房子，假意说他这样做是为了离法院更近，因为他在法院上班。而他们选择这间房子的真正原因，实际上是因为它的后墙靠着国会大厦的墙壁。于是这帮阴谋家就能悄悄打通一条地道，人不知鬼不觉地进入国会大厦下面的地下室。他们在泰晤士河对岸的朗伯斯还有一处住房，并在那里秘密贮存了木材和火药，等到时机成熟就从河上运过来。
6.由于这个苏格兰暗杀小组成员居住在威斯敏斯特的房子里，因此眼下还不便于搞什么动作。不过，冬天来临时，他们就满怀热情地忙碌和准备起来了。为防止有人出去买食物会引人怀疑，他们在家里贮存了不少应当贮存的物品，如不易碎的鸡蛋、晒干的肉和馅饼，并决心靠这些东西来维持生活。他们还有许多火药和子弹，这样一来，万一被人发现，他们还能够战斗到底。
7.他们就这样以撬棍和铁镐为工具，在住所里光线昏暗的地下室里持续悄悄地工作着。盖伊·福克斯负责望风，看看有没有人走近，其他人一听到他发出的信号，就会全部停下工作，等警报解除之后再重新开始。
8.国会的解散使他们一段时间内停止了挖掘，当他们再次开始工作时，心里则充满焦虑和恐惧。有种幻觉特别让他们倍受困扰。他们以为自己听到地下深处一个大钟发出的隆隆声，直到一些圣水喷到他们扔在一旁的垃圾上，他们才有了继续工作的勇气。而当水喷出来之后，那声音似乎就停止了。
9.还有一种真实的声音也将他们吓得够呛，听到头顶上有一阵很沉闷的车轮声和杂乱的脚步声，他们的脸吓得苍白，因为他们已经挖到上院的地窖下面，自然就以为这种声音是前来抓捕或枪毙他们的人发出的。不过很快他们又听到福克斯的脚步声，他正匆忙向下走到他们工作的地方；看到福克斯那冷冰冰的脸上挂着一丝笑容，他们知道根本没理由害怕。
10.后来才知道，是一位做煤炭生意的商人租用了国会大厦的地下室，正要将存放的煤卖掉，以便搬到另一个地方去。商人的这件事刚做完（没有带来什么疑问），密谋者们就租下那间地下室，而原来一直在挖掘的那条地道则废弃不用。下一步是将36桶火药从河对岸运过来，这项工作也顺利完成，装火药的桶则藏在成堆的树枝和木材下面。
11.正当实施犯罪的时机日益临近时，一个身披斗篷的高个子男人在一个夜晚敲响了蒙特伊格尔爵士a的家门，向爵士递上一封信，便迅速消失在夜色里。这封到处都是神秘文字的信建议蒙特伊格尔远离国会开幕典礼现场。蒙特伊格尔爵士将信呈给内阁，而国王从“可怕的爆炸”和“写信者匿名”等词语中，猜到了其中蕴含的火药之义。
12.一直等到两院集会的前一天晚上，内阁成员们才派士兵前往国会大厦地下室，将看到的所有人都抓起来。福克斯上来看看有没有危险。当他刚将脑袋伸到门外，就被士兵们抓个正着。他们用绳子把他捆起来，带到国王那里。
13.在搜查他的时候，士兵们发现一只手表、一些引火的东西以及几根火柴，而在地下室，他们还发现了一个点亮的灯笼。但福克斯坚贞不屈，尽管被施以极为严酷的刑罚，他却除了他们已经知道的之外什么也不说。
14.这次抓捕毁掉了密谋者的全部希望，那些胆子最大的人仓惶逃到乡间一处房子，但在那里受到围攻。负隅顽抗期间，大量火药起火爆炸，将其中一些人活活烧死--这也是对那些企图用火药这种东西犯下重罪的人应有的惩罚。另一些人被当场击毙，但多数人则在圣保罗的教堂墓地里，被酷刑折磨而死。
a 蒙特伊格尔爵士：此人是罗马天主教的一位贵族，主谋者之一特里肖恩的妹夫。蒙特伊格尔自己也与该阴谋有牵连，有人认为，他是担心部分同伙可能会揭发他，才主动将信交上去，以便洗清自身嫌疑并表示对王室的忠心。
107
SIR WALTER RALEGH
沃尔特·罗利爵士
ague，sharp fever.
arrested，seised.
coloniser，founder of colonies.courtier，one who attends the court.desertions，men running away.expected，thought.
1.There is no name in English history which appears in so many various scenes as the name of Walter Ralegh.He was born in Devonshire，and educated at Oxford.After fighting as a soldier both in France and in the Netherlands，he entered on the career of a sailor and colonizer.But a lucky meeting with Queen Elizabeth on a muddy road，over the worst part of which he spread his cloak，that she might not soil her feet，introduced him to the brilliant banquet-rooms of the Court.
2.Ralegh，having received a grant of land，went on an expedition to America，aexplorers，persons who search for new lands.
misfortunes，ill successes；troubles.
operations，doings；measures.
pageants，shows.
reproaches，blame；censures.
RALEGH SPREADING HIS CLOAK FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH.
and founded the colony of Virginia.
Three plants-tobacco，maize，and the
potato-were introduced into Europe by the explorers on their return.
b
3.We find Ralegh also in Ireland，visiting the poet Spenser，and cultivatingthe acres which he had received in the conquered province of Munster.But he did not stay there，for there was great work to be done at home.The Armadaa Virginia.-One of the United States of America；south of Chesapeake Bay.
b Spenser，Edmund，one of England’s greatest poets，author of The Faerie Queene；born 1553；died 1598.
was about to sail，and men like him could not be spared.And when it came into the English Channel，he had a glorious share in the operations which ended in its total defeat.
4.He fell in love with one of Elizabeth‘s maids of honour，and was put in prison by the jealous Queen.There，and in his quiet country-house among the trees of Sherborne in Dorsetshire，to which he retired after his releaseafrom confinement，he planned a voyage to the region of the Orinoco，wherehe expected to find gold and diamonds in great abundance.This voyage he actually made soon afterwards；but having been restored to favour at Court，he did not carry out his idea of colonizing Guiana.He spent his time in wearing magnificent dresses，and attending the splendid pageants for which the time was noted.
5.When Elizabeth died，the misfortunes of Ralegh began to increase.Disliking King James，he was accused of setting on foot a plot to dethrone the Scotsman，who was no favourite with his new people.For this he was brought to trial at Winchester，was convicted，and was sent to prison.
6.This confinement of nearly fifteen years （1603-1618）in the Tower proved to be the period of his life which produced his greatest fame.For he began in his cell to write a book called The History of the World，and with the aid of friends he carried it on to a considerable length.
7.But he did not lose the hope of getting out of prison.Choosing a favourable time，he sent a friend to tell a courtier about a gold mine in Guiana which he had discovered during his visit to that country some years before.This courtier told the King，who set Ralegh free on the understanding that the royal treasury was to receive the great bulk of what was found.
c