chester in Sussex, being verie confident of his fidelitie, and that he would contribute to the uttmost of his power to bring this great and weightie business, as for the difficulties they must encounter, soe for the consequence, if conclusive, to a good end. Here, before I proceed with, hope the reader will give mee leave to put in mind, that wee wryte not an ordinarie storie, where the reader, engaged by noe other interest than curiositie, may soone bee cloyed with circumstances, which signify no more unto him, but that the author was all good leisure, and was very confident of his readers patience. In the relation of miracles every petty circumstance is materiall, and may affoard to the judicious reader matter of good speculation; of such a miracle, especiallie where the restauration of noe less than three kingdomes, and his owne particular libertie and safetie (if a good and faithful subject) was att the stake; I may not, therefore, omitt to lett him knowe howe things stood with the Colonell at that tyme. Not above fourteene dayes before the said Colonell Gounter was confined, upon paine of imprisonment, not to stirre five miles from home. In the very nick of tyme, when hee was first thought upon for soe great a worke, comes a messenger with a warrant from the Commissioners of Haberdashers Hall, London, to summon him to appeare before them within ten dayes to pay twoe hundred pounds for his fifth and twentieth part which they had sett him, upon peyne of sequestration upon default. He first refused, and told the messenger that he was confined, and could not goe five miles from home; but he left with him the order, and told him it should be att his perill if he did not obey it. The Coll. the next day repaired to Chichester, fower miles from him, to the commissioners there, to shew them his order; they peremptorily replyed he must goe, and his order would bear him out. Hee went accordingly and compounded with them, and gott off a 1007, of the twoe hundred he was sett att; but his credit being shaken, the current running then soe hard against the king, the royal party, and all good men, that he could not borrowe the money in all London; hee was forced, with all speede, to repaire into the countrey, and went privatly to his usurer, who had the security of his whole estates; he shewed him his danger, and requested to borrowe [the money] upon his bond and his former securitie, who readily condescended, and told him out the money; the next day he was to call for it and seale the bond. Hee had noe sooner ended this busines, beeing stayed by some friends longer than hee intended, butt that very night hee came home (being 7 October, 1651) hee found some att his house whoe were come about their designe. I think it will easily bee graunted by any that reades and considers, that this was not without a providence, since that it is apparent, that if his friends had come before hee had beene licensed to goe abroad, hee must needes have been excused; and if they had come much after, it was possible a new restraint might have come betweene; or his libertie in goeing soe freely up and downe after his busines ended more. suspected. But now to the storie and entertainement of his guests: -betwixt eight and nine of the clock att night, the Coll. came home; entering in at his doore the Coll.'s ladye mett him, and told him there was in the parlour a Deavonshire gentleman, sent by Mr. Hyde, aforesaid, about a reference, which none besydes yourself can decide: at the Coll.'s comming in, he found his Deavonshire gentleman sitting att one end of the chimney, Captain Thomas Gounter att the other, and his lady (which was gone in before) in the middle. The gentleman rose and saluted him: the Coll. presently knewe him to be the Ld. Wilmot; which the noble Lord perceiving, took the Colln asyde to the windowe: I see you know me (said he) doe not owne mee. Captaine Thomas Gounter, the Colls. kinsman, for all he had a long tyme beene in the Army and under his command, knew him not, wch was strange, the noble Lord beeing but meanly disguised. After a bottle of sack, a short collation which was made readie as soon as it could. My Lords man Swan coming in to waite whispered his maister in the eare; and told him, my Lord Wentworths boy Lonie was without, and wished him to bee carefull for feare the boy should knowe him being taken by Captaine Thomas Gounter in distress att Chelsey, and cloathed by him to wayte upon him. Supper ended, there was whispering betweene the Colls kinsman and his lady, and shee told him shee was confident of a disguise, and that it was the Mr. by his hand. Hee beat her off of it as much as he could, suspecting noe such matter himselfe. Within halfe an hower after supper the Coll. offered the noble lord [my Lord Wilmot] then by name Mr. Barlowe, it being late, and as the greatest courtesie hee could then shewe him, to waite upon him to his chamber, and to bedd; which hee readily tooke up the candle the noble lord following him accepted. The Coll [ accordingly waited onn him ], his Lady and kinsman attending. When he came into the chamber, it beeing late, the Coll. desired his Lady and kinsman to goe to bedd and leave him; for he was bound to waite upon this Gentleman awhyle. They tooke leave, and bidd him The noble good night. [ My Lord, and ye Coll. being alone, hee broke the business unto the Coll. with these words, sighing: The King of England my maister, your maister, and the maister of all good Englishmen, is neere you and in great distresse; can you help us to a boate? The Coll. looking very saddly, after some pause, said, Is hee well: Is hee safe: He said yeas: The Coll. replyed God be blessed, and gave him a reason for his question; if he should not bee secure, he doubted not but he could secure him, till a boate could bee gotten. The noble L. not knowing what had beene done, beene and what course had [Mrs. Hide] taken for securing of his Matie, at Heale, since he came away, answered the Col. He hoped hee was out of daunger at present, but intended to bee at his house with him, on the Wensday. Soe he said and soe it seemes it was resolved: but second thoughts, and unexpected accommodations elsewhere, had altered the designe. However upon the hearing of this the Coll's. thoughts were much raised, in expectation of such a guest; untill he was better informed as hee was soone after, to his great content and satisfaction, knowing the house well, and the conveniencies thereof, and the worth, and fidelitie of the persons. Now to the maine busines of procuring a bote: The Col. told the Lord seriously, and nothing but the trueth, that for all he lived soe neere the sea; yet there was noe man living, soe little acquainted with these kind of men: However as hee thought himselfe bound by all obligations sacred and civill, to would doe his utmost to preserve his King: soe he [did] faithfully promise with all possible care and alacritie, yea expedition (which he accounted to bee the life of such a busines;) to acquitt himselfe of his dutie. The noble Lord, my Honed friend (ô that God had beene pleased to have spared him life :) was abundantly satisfyed with this answer, hugging him in his armes, and kist his cheeke againe and againe. For that tyme the Coll. bid him good night, desiring him to rest secure, for that he would watch, whylest he slept, and that he doubted not, but in good tyme all would bee well. Comming into his chamber, he found his wyfe had stayed up for him, and was very earnest to knowe whoe this was, and what was his busines. The Coll. desired her to excuse him, assuring her it was nothing concerning her, or, that would any wayes damnifye her. Shee was confident there was more in it than soe, and enough shee doubted, to ruine him, and all his family; and in that, said shee, I am concerned; breaking out into a very great passion of weeping. Which the Coll. seeing, tooke a candle pretending to goe into the next roome, but privatly to my Lord Willmot, and acquainted him how it was; asking his advice, whether, as the case stood, it were any way amisse, to acquaint her with it. That he durst passe his word, for the loyaltie and integritie of his wife: however without his The Noble allowance shee should knowe nothing. [ My ] Lord replyed; No, no, by all meanes acquaint her with it. He humbly thancked him, and badd him good night againe. The Col. comming into his chamber unfolded the busines, wyped the teares of his ladyes eyes, whoe smiling, said, Goe on, and prosper. Yet I feare you will hardly doe it: However said the Coll. I must endeavour, and will doe my best, leaving the successe to God Almightie: his lady deporting herselfe, during the whole carriage of the busines with soe much discretion, Ꭰ courage, and fidelitie, that (without vanity bee it spoken) shee seemed (her danger considered) to outgoe her sexe. Neyther will the reader thinck this an impertinent circumstance, since the successe of the busines did not a little depend of her concurrance. "The Coll. contenting himselfe with very little sleepe that night, rose very early the next morning, being Wednesday the 8th of Octobre; as he had promised the Lord Wilmot; and rode to Elmsworth, a place twoe miles from him, and by the sea syde, passing through Boorne. He tooke an old servant of his formerly, John Day, a trustie man and very loyall subject' whoe was related to seamen of very good accoumpt; whoe with their Barkes used to lye there: But they being out of the way, could doe noe good there: although fower yeares after, the Col. did att the same place, att his owne charges, hire a barke for the Lord Wilmot, whoe came over att his Matie command, and loosing his designe, was forced to come from allmost the furthest North to the South, before hee could gett a passage. Soe few friends had then his Sacred Matie, in his distresses, now soe numerous in expectation of rewards. The Col. hasted all he could home to give my Lord accoumpt, who had promised not to stirre, till the Colonell came; but being impatient of any delay, had left the Col's. house, soe that the Col. mett him within halfe a mile of it; and gave him an accoumpt of his mornings worke that nothing could be done where he had beene. The noble Lord and the Coll. rid on, and went to Langstone, a place by the sea, and where boates use. As he was riding along hee put his hand in his pocket, and missed his money, for comming away in hast from the Coll's. house he had left it behinde him in his bedd. Immediatly he sent his man Swan for it. The Coll's. Ladye hearing my Lord was gone, which shee much wonderd att, had beene in his chamber and found the bedd open; and in the middle a black purse full of gold, which shee had secured, and gave it the man when he came for it. When wee [they] came to Langston [they] attempted all [they] could; but in vaine. The noble Lord and the Coll. cate oisters there, |