he
company of two persons, of whom one had been a private in his regiment of
guards at Worcester, the other a servant in the palace at Richmond, when
Charles lived there several years before. The first did not recognise him,
though he pretended to give a description of his person; the other, the
moment the king uncovered, recollected the features of the prince, and
communicated his suspicions to Lassells. Charles, with great judgment, sent
for him, discovered himself to him as an old acquaintance, and required his
assistance. The man (he was butler to the family) felt himself honoured
by the royal confidence, and endeavoured to repay it by his services. He
removed to a distance from the king two individuals in the house of known
republican principles; he inquired, though without success, for a

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1651. Sept. 11.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1651. Sept. 14.]
[Sidenote c: A.D. 1651. Sept. 15.]

ship at Bristol to carry him to France or Spain; and he introduced Lord
Wilmot to his chamber at the hour of midnight. There they sat in council,
and resolved[a] that the king should remove the next day to the house of
Colonel Windham, a Cavalier whom he knew, at Trent, near Sherburn; that a
messenger should be despatched to prepare the family for his arrival; and
that to account for the sudden departure of Miss Lane, a counterfeit letter
should be delivered to her, stating that her father was lying at the point
of death. The plan succeeded; she was suffered[b] to depart, and in two
days the prince reached[c] his destination. The following morning[d] Miss
Lane took her leave, and hastened back with Lassells to Bentley.[1]

In his retirement at Trent, Charles began to indulge the hope of a speedy
liberation from danger. A ship was hired at Lyme to convey a nobleman and
his servant (Wilmot and the king) to the coast of France; the hour and
the place of embarkation were fixed; and a widow, who kept a small inn
at Charmouth, consented to furnish a temporary asylum to a gentleman in
disguise, and a young female who had just escaped from the custody of a
harsh and unfeeling guardian. The next evening[e] Charles appeared in a
servant's dress, with Juliana Coningsby riding behind him, and accompanied
by Wilmot and Windham. The hostess received the supposed lovers with a
hearty welcome; but their patience was soon put to the severest trial; the
night[f] passed away, no boat entered the creek, no ship could be descried
in the offing;