GUNPOWDER PLOT

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1938, Page 24

GUNPOWDER PLOT

"Spare a copper for the old guy!" It is the eve of Guy Fawkes's Day in London. The family go out to buy fireworks with their uncle, and the next morning go with him to . the Tower to see the cell in which Guy Fawkes was imprisoned,' and "Little Ease," the torture chamber. Dick takes home a small piece of mortar that crumbles from the cell wall. After a wonderful show of fireworks in the garden that 'evening;, he sleeps ..with it under his pillow. Did he dream.' .■;■-. ? This is the introduction to ; "The Fifth of November," by L. A. G. Strong, published by Dent. The author has made a thrilling historical romance out of the famous Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Catesby\and his confederates meet at Lambeth and ' Guy .Fawkes is brought to them, recommended as a trustworthy man of extreme courage. They rent ■ a house next door to the Parliament House, and start work on mining through the thick walls of the cellars in which to store the gunpowder ind fuel. For over eighteen months he work' goes on. Fear and suspense •orment them perpetually, until -the •Umax is reached at midnight,'on the lay before Parliament is due to reassemble and-the fuse is laid—November the Fifth. : ', • : ; ; , .' :

Rafael Sabatini comes of a musical family.1 His father and mother were both prominent opera singers, the former being a -elebrated teriorand singing master who was knighted for his services to music. During a visit to New York, Rafael Sabatini was approached ;by "a texi driver, who said: "It is a'great pleasure to "be driving you, Mr. Sabatini/ I-used to hear your father sing at La Scala in Milan."