Editing Gunpowder Plot (section)

===Flight===
As news of "John Johnson's" arrest spread among the plotters still in London, most fled northwest, along [[Watling Street]]. Christopher Wright and Thomas Percy left together. Rookwood left soon after, and managed to cover 30&nbsp;miles in two hours on one horse. He overtook Keyes, who had set off earlier, then Wright and Percy at [[Little Brickhill]], before catching Catesby, John Wright, and Bates on the same road. Reunited, the group continued northwest to Dunchurch, using horses provided by Digby. Keyes went to Mordaunt's house at [[Drayton, Northamptonshire|Drayton]]. Meanwhile, Thomas Wintour stayed in London, and even went to Westminster to see what was happening. When he realised the plot had been uncovered, he took his horse and made for his sister's house at Norbrook, before continuing to [[Huddington Court]].{{efn|[[Robert and Thomas Wintour|Robert Wintour]] inherited [[Huddington Court]] near [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], along with a small fortune. The building became a refuge for priests, and secret Masses were often celebrated there.<ref name="Fraserpp5961"/>}}<ref name="Fraserpp203206">{{Harvnb|Fraser|2005|pp=203–206}}</ref>

{{Quote box
| quote = On the 5th of November we began our Parliament, to which the King should have come in person, but refrained through a practise but that morning discovered. The plot was to have blown up the King at such time as he should have been set on his Royal Throne, accompanied with all his Children, Nobility and Commoners and assisted with all Bishops, Judges and Doctors; at one instant and blast to have ruin'd the whole State and Kingdom of England. And for the effecting of this, there was placed under the Parliament House, where the king should sit, some 30&nbsp;barrels of powder, with good store of wood, faggots, pieces and bars of iron.
| source = Extract of a letter from Sir Edward Hoby ([[Gentleman of the Bedchamber]]) to Sir Thomas Edwards, Ambassador at Brussells {{sic}}<ref>{{Harvnb|Nichols|1828|p=584}}</ref>
| align = left
| width = 33%
}}

The group of six conspirators stopped at [[Ashby St Ledgers]] at about 6&nbsp;pm, where they met Robert Wintour and updated him on their situation. They then continued on to Dunchurch, and met with Digby. Catesby convinced him that despite the plot's failure, an armed struggle was still a real possibility. He announced to Digby's "hunting party" that the King and Salisbury were dead, before the fugitives moved west to Warwick.<ref name="Fraserpp203206"/>

In London, news of the plot was spreading, and the authorities set extra guards on the [[London Wall|city gates]], closed the ports, and protected the house of the Spanish Ambassador, which was surrounded by an angry mob. An arrest warrant was issued against Thomas Percy, and his patron, the Earl of Northumberland, was placed under house arrest.<ref name="Fraserp226">{{Harvnb|Fraser|2005|p=226}}</ref> In "John Johnson's" initial interrogation he revealed nothing other than the name of his mother, and that he was from [[Yorkshire]]. A letter to Guy Fawkes was discovered on his person, but he claimed that name was one of his aliases. Far from denying his intentions, "Johnson" stated that it had been his purpose to destroy the King and Parliament.{{efn|As King James put it, Fawkes intended the destruction "not only&nbsp;... of my person, nor of my wife and posterity also, but of the whole body of the State in general".<ref>{{Harvnb|Stewart|2003|p=219}}</ref>}} Nevertheless, he maintained his composure and insisted that he had acted alone. His unwillingness to yield so impressed the King that he described him as possessing "a Roman resolution".<ref>{{Harvnb|Fraser|2005|pp=207–209}}</ref>{{Clear}}