Read Ebook: Boscobel Or The History of his Sacred Majesties most Miraculous Preservation After the Battle of Worcester 3. Sept. 1651 by Blount Thomas

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In this black tribunal there sate, as judges, these persons, and under these titles:

The Earl of Lauderdail with divers others were carryed prisoners to Windsor castle, where they continued many years.

The Lord Talbot, hasted towards his fathers house at Longford neer Newport, where being arriv'd, he convey'd his horse into a neighbours barn, but was immediately pursued by the rebels, who found the horse saddled, and by that concluded my Lord to be not far off, so that they search'd Langford house narrowly, and some of them continued in it four or five dayes; during all which time my Lord was in a close place in one of the outhouses, almost stifl'd for want of air, and had infallibly perish'd for want of food, had he not been once relieved in the dead of night, and with much difficulty by a servant; yet his Lordship thought it a great providence, even by these hardships, to escape the fury of such enemies, who sought the destruction of the nobility, as well as of their king.

The Scotch cavalry were soon after totally dispersed, and most of them taken by the rebels and country people in Cheshire, Lancashire, and parts adjacent.

Thus was this royal army totally subdued, thus dispersed; and if in this so important affair any of the Scottish commanders were treacherous at Worcester, they have a great account to make for the many years miseries that ensued thereby to both nations, under the tyrannical government of Cromwell.

Mr. Huddleston goes home forthwith, takes John with him and acquaints Mr. Whitgreave with the businesse, who freely resolved to venture all, rather than such a person should miscarry.

As soon as it was day Mr. Whitgreave sent William Walker with my Lords horses to his neighbour Col. John Lane of Bentley near Walsal, South-East from Mosely about four miles, and wished Walker to acquaint the Colonel, that they were the horses of some eminent person about the king, whom he could better secure than his horses: The Col. willingly receives the horses, and sends word to Mr. Whitgreave to meet him that night in a close not far from Mosely, in order to the tender of farther service to the owner of the horses, whose name neither the Colonel nor Mr. Whitgreave then knew.

His Majesty had not been long gon, but the Lord Wilmot sent John Penderel from Mr. Whitegreaves to Whiteladies, to know in what security the king was, John returned and acquainted my Lord that his Majesty was marched from thence; Hereupon my Lord began to consider which way himself should remove with safety.

Col. Lane, having secured my Lords horses, and being come to Mosely according to appointment on Friday night, was brought up to my Lord by Mr. Whitgreave, and acquainted him, that his sister Mrs. Jane Lane had by accident procured a pass from some commander of the rebels, for her self and a man to goe to Bristol to see her sister, then near her time of lying in; and freely offer'd, if his Lordship thought fit, he might make use of it, which my Lord seem'd inclinable to accept; and on Saturday night was conducted by Col. Lanes man to the Col. house at Bentley, his Lordship then and not before discovering his name to Mr. Whitgreave, and giving him many thanks for so great a kindnesse in so imminent a danger.

During his Majesties stay in the barn, Mr. Woolf had often conference with him about his intended journey, and in order thereto took care by a trusty servant to inform himself more particularly of those guards upon Seavern, and had certain word brought him, that not only the bridges were secured, but all the passage-boats seized on; insomuch as he conceived it very hazardous for his Majesty to prosecute his design for Wales, but rather to go to Boscobel-house, being the most retired place for concealment in all the country, and to stay there till an opportunity of a further safe conveyance could be found out; which advice his Majesty inclined to approve: And thereupon resolv'd for Boscobel the night following; in the mean time his hands not appearing sufficiently discoloured, suitable to his other disguise, Mrs. Woolf provided walnut-tree leaves, as the readiest expedient for that purpose.

The day being over, his Majesty adventured to come again into the house, where having for some time refreshed himself, and being furnished with conveniences for his journey, he with his faithful guide Richard about eleven of the clock at night, set forth towards Boscobel.

Richard having acquainted the Col. that the king was in the wood, the Col. with William and Richard goe presently thither to give their attendance, where they found his Majesty sitting on the root of a tree, who was glad to see the Col. and came with them into the house, and did there eat bread and cheese heartily, and William Penderels wife made his Majesty a posset, of thin milk and small beer, and got ready some warm water to wash his feet, not onely extreme dirty, but much galled with travail.

The Col. pull'd off his Majesties shoos, which were full of gravel, and stockens which were very wet, and there being no other shoos in the house that would fit his Majesty, the good wife put some hot embers in those to dry them, whilst his Majesties feet were washing and his stockens shifted.

Being thus a little refreshed, the Col. perswaded his Majesty to go back into the wood where the Colonel made choice of a thick leafed oak, into which William and Richard help'd both the King and the Col. and brought them such provision as they could get, with a cushion for his Majesty to sit on; In this oak they continued most part of that day, and the Col. humbly desired his Majesty to seat himself as easily as he could in the tree, and rest his head on the Colonels lap, who was watchfull that his Majesty might not fall; and in this posture his Majesty slumber'd away some part of the day, and bore all these hardships and afflictions with incomparable patience.

In the evening they returned to the house, where William Penderel acquainted his Majesty with the secret place, wherein the Earl of Derby had been secured, which his Majesty liked so well, that he resolved, whilst he staid there to trust onely to that, and go no more into the royal oake, as from hence it must be cal'd, where he could not so much as sit at ease.

This night the good wife provided some chickens for his Majesties supper, and a little pallet was put into the secret place for his Majesty to rest in; some of the brothers being continually upon duty, watching the avenues of the house and the road way, to prevent the danger of a surprize.

D. Parkes, in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1792, p. 893, says there is the following epitaph at White Ladies.

"Here lieth the Bodie of a friende the King did call Dame Joane--but now she is deceast & gone. Interred anno Do. 1669."

After supper Col. Carlis ask'd his Majesty what meat he would please to have provided for the morrow, being Sunday, his Majesty desired some mutton, if it might be had; But it was thought dangerous for William to goe to any market to buy it, since his neighbors all knew he did not use to buy such for his own dyet, and so it might beget a suspition of his having strangers at his house; But the Col. found another expedient to satisfy his Majesties desires; Early on Sunday morning he repairs to Mr. William Stauntons sheep cote, who rented some of Boscobel grounds, here he chose one of the best sheep, sticks him with his dagger, then sends Wil. for the mutton, who brings him home on his back.

On Sunday morning his Majesty got up early and near the secret place where he lay, had the convenience of a gallery to walk in, where he was observ'd to spend some time in his devotions, and where he had the advantage of a window, which surveid the road from Tong to Brewood; Soon after his Majesty coming down into the parlor his nose fell a bleeding, which put his poor faithful servants into a great fright, but his Majesty was pleased soon to remove it, by telling them, It often did so.

As soon as the mutton was cold, William cut it up and brought a leg of it into the parlor, his Majesty cal'd for a knife and a trencher, and cut some of it into collops and prick'd them with the knif's point, then cal'd for a frying pan and butter, and fry'd the collops himself, of which he ate heartily, Col. Carlis the while being but under cook, made the fire and turn'd the collops in the pan.

All this while the other brothers of the Penderels were in their several stations, either scouting abroad to learn intelligence, or upon some other service; but it so pleas'd God, that though the soldiers had some intelligence that his Majesty had been at Whiteladies, and none that he was gone thence, yet this house had not at all been searched during his Majesties aboad there, though that had several times, this perhaps the rather escaping, because the neighbors could truly inform none but poor servants to be here.

His Majesty, finding himself now in a hopefull security, spent some part of this Lords-day in a pretty arbor in Boscobel garden, which grew upon a mount, and wherein there was a stone table and seats about it. In this place he pass'd away some time in reading, and commended the place for its retiredness.

His Majesty, understanding by John Penderel, that the Lord Wilmot was at Mr. Whitgreaves, was desirous to let my Lord know where he was, and in what security.

To this end John Penderel was sent on Sunday morning to Mosely; But John, finding my Lord remov'd thence, was much troubled, and then acquainted Mr. Whitgreave and Mr. Huddleston, that his Majesty was return'd to Boscobel, and the disaccommodation he had there; whereupon they both resolve to goe with John to Bentley, where having gain'd him an access to my Lord, his Lordship design'd to attend the King that night at Mosely, and desired Mr. Whitgreave to meet his Lordship at a place appointed about 12 of the clock, And Mr. Huddleston to nominate a place where he would attend his Majesty about one of the clock, the same night.

Upon this intelligence my Lord made stay of Mrs. Jane Lanes journey to Bristoll, till his Majesties pleasure were known.

It was therefore concluded that his Majesty should ride upon Humphry Penderels mill-horse . The horse was taken up from grass, and accoutr'd not with rich trappings or furniture, befitting so great a king, but with a pittiful old saddle and a worse bridle.

When his Majesty was ready to take horse, Col. Carlis humbly took leave of him, being so well known in the country, that his attendance upon his Majesty would in all probability have prov'd rather a disservice than otherwise, however his hearty praiers were not wanting for his Majesties preservation.

His Majesties attire, as was before observ'd in part, was then a leather-doublet, a pair of green breeches, and a jump-coat of the same green, a pair of his own stockens with the tops cut off, because embroider'd, and a pair of stirrop stockens, which were lent him at Madely, a pair of old shoos, cut and slash'd to give ease to his feet, an old grey, greasy hat without a lyning, a noggen shirt, of the coursest linnen, his face and hands made of a reechy complexion, by the help of the walnut tree leaves.

Mr. Huddleston observing the coursness of his Majesties shirt to disease him much and hinder his rest, ask'd my Lord, if the King would be pleased to change his shirt, which his Majesty condescended unto, and presently put off his course shirt and put on a flexen one of Mr. Huddleston's who pul'd off his Majesties shoos and stockens, and put him on fresh stockens, and dry'd his feet, where he found some body had innocently but indiscreetly put white paper, which, with going on foot from the place where his Majesty alighted to the house, was roll'd between his stockens and his skin, and serv'd to encrease rather than asswage the soarness of his feet.

It was now break of the day on Munday morning the eighth of September, and his Majesty was desirous to take some rest: In order whereto a palet was carried into one of the secret places, where his Majesty lay down, but rested not so well as his host desired, for the place was close and inconvenient, and they durst not adventure to put him into any bed in an open chamber.

After some rest taken in the hole, his Majesty got up, and was pleased to take notice of, and salute Mr. Whitgreaves mother, and sate between whiles in a closet over the porch, where he might see those that pass'd the road by the house.

And his Majesty for entertainment of the time was pleas'd to discourse with Mr. Huddleston the particulers of the battle of Worcester And by some words which his Majesty let fall, it might easily be collected that his councils had been too often sooner discovered to the rebels, than executed by his loyal subjects.

The night was both dark and cold, and his Majesties clothing thin, therefore Mr. Huddleston humbly offer'd his Majesty a cloak, which he was pleased to accept and wore to Bentley, from whence Mr. Huddleston afterward received it.

His Majesty being safely convey'd to Bentley by Col. Lane, staid there but a short time, took the opportunity of Mris. Janes pass, and rode before her to Bristow, the Lord Wilmot attending, for the most part at a distance. In all which journey Mris. Lane perform'd the part of a most faithful and prudent servant to his Majesty, shewing her observance, when any opportunity would allow it, and at other times acting her part in the disguise with much discretion.

The very next day after his Majesty was gone from Boscobel, being Monday the 8. of September, two parties of rebels came thither, the one being part of the county troop, who search'd the house with some civility; The other, Capt. Broadwayes men, these search'd severely, eat up their little store of provision, plunder'd the house of what was portable, and one of them presented a pistol to William Penderel, and much frighted my Dame Joan; yet both parties return'd, as empty as they came, of that intelligence they so greedily sought after.

This danger being over, honest William began to think of making satisfaction for the fat mutton, and accordingly tender'd Mr. Staunton its worth in money; but Staunton, understanding the sheep was kil'd for the relief of some honest cavaliers, who had been shelter'd at Boscobel, refus'd to take the money, but wish'd, much good it might doe them.

This Boscobel-house has yet been a third time fortunate; for after Sir George Booths forces were routed in Cheshire, in August 1659. the Lord Bruerton, who was engaged with him, took sanctuary there for some time, and was preserved.

When his Majesty was thus happily convey'd away by Col. Lane and his sister, the rebels had an intimation that some of the brothers were instrumental in his Majesties preservation; so that besides the temptations Humphry overcame at Shefnal, William Penderel was twice questioned at Shrewsbury on the same account by Capt. Fox and one LLuellin a sequestrator, and Richard was much threatned by a peevish neighbour at Whiteladies; but neither threats nor temptations were able to batter the fort of their loyalties.

And soon after Mr. Huddleston and Mr. Whitgreave made their humble addresses to his Majesty, from whom they likewise receiv'd a gracious acknowledgment of their service and fidelity to him at Mosely; and this in so high a degree of gratitude, and with such a condescending frame of spirit, not at all puff'd up with prosperity, as cannot be parallel'd in the best of Kings.

To which I shall adde but this one circumstance, that it was concealed by persons, for the most part, of that religion, which has long suffer'd under an imputation of disloyalty to their soveraign.

And now, on my bended knees, let me joyfully congratulate his restored Majesty, and humbly offer him this short and hearty wish, O KING, LIVE FOR EVER. And not content with my own inconsiderable prayers, with all my soul I beg the universal assistance of others, earnestly inviting all the nation, even all the three nations, to sing

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