seek an asylum?

[Footnote 1: See two letters, one of March 2, from Ashburnham, beginning,
"Sir, you cannot suppose the work is done," and another without date from
Charles, beginning, "Sir, I shall only add this word to what was said in my
last." They were first published from the papers of secretary Nicholas, by
Birch, in 1764, in the preface to a collection of "Letters between Colonel
Hammond and the committee at Derby House, &c.," and afterwards in the
Clarendon Papers, ii. 226, 227.]

[Footnote 2: See Baillie, App. 3, App. 23, ii. 199, 203. "Their daily
treaties with Ashburnham to keep the king still, till they deliver him to
Sir Thomas Fairfax, and to be disposed upon as Cromwell and his friend
think it fittest for their affairs."--Ibid. A different account is given in
the continuation of Macintosh, vi. 21.]

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1646. April 23.]

Indignant at what he deemed a breach of faith in the Scots, he spurned the
idea of throwing himself on[a] their mercy; and the march of Fairfax with
the advanced guard of his army towards Andover admonished him that it was
time to quit the city of Oxford. First he inquired by two officers the
opinion of Ireton, who[b] was quartered at Waterstock, whether, if he were
to disband his forces, and to repair to the general, the parliament would
suffer him to retain the title and authority of king. Then, receiving no
answer[c] from Ireton, he authorized the earl of Southampton to state to
Colonel Rainborowe, that the king was ready to deliver himself up to
the army, on receiving a pledge that his personal safety should be
respected.[1] But Rainborowe referred him to the parliament; and the
unhappy monarch, having exhausted every expedient which he could devise,
left Oxford at midnight,[d] disguised as a servant, following his supposed
master[e] Ashburnham, who rode before in company with Hudson, a clergyman,
well acquainted with the country. They passed through Henley and Brentford
to Harrow; but the time which was spent on the road proved either that
Charles had hitherto formed no plan in his own mind, or that he lingered
with the hope of some communication from his partisans in the metropolis.
At last he turned in the direction of St. Alban's; and, avoiding that town,
hastened through bye-ways to Harborough. If he expected to find there
a body of[f] Scottish horse, or a messenger from Montreuil, he was
disappointed. Crossing by Stamford, he rested at Downham,[g] and spent t