and the disappointment gave birth to a thousand jealousies

[Footnote 1: This lady received a reward of one thousand pounds for her
services, by order of the two houses.--C. Journals, 1660, December 19, 21.]

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1651. Sept. 17.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1651. Sept. 18.]
[Sidenote c: A.D. 1651. Sept. 19.]
[Sidenote d: A.D. 1651. Sept. 20.]
[Sidenote e: A.D. 1651. Sept. 23.]
[Sidenote f: A.D. 1651. Sept. 24.]

and apprehensions. At dawn of day the whole party separated; Wilmot, with a
servant, going to Lyme to inquire after the master of the vessel; Charles,
with his companions, proceeding to Bridport to wait the return of Wilmot.
In Bridport he found fifteen hundred soldiers preparing to embark on an
expedition against Jersey; but, unwilling to create a real, by seeking to
eschew an imaginary, danger, he boldly pushed forward to the inn, and led
the horses through the crowd with a rudeness which provoked complaint. But
a new danger awaited him at the stable. The hostler challenged him as
an old acquaintance, pretending to have known him in the service of Mr.
Potter, at Exeter. The fact was that, during the civil war, Charles had
lodged at that gentleman's house. He turned aside to conceal his alarm; but
had sufficient presence of mind to avail himself of the partial mistake of
the hostler, and to reply, "True, I once lived a servant with Mr. Potter;
but as I have no leisure now, we will renew our acquaintance on my return
to London over a pot of beer."

After dinner, the royal party joined Wilmot out of the town. The master of
the ship had been detained at home by the fears and remonstrances of his
wife, and no promises could induce him to renew his engagement. Confounded
and dispirited, Charles retraced his steps to Trent; new plans were
followed by new disappointments; a second ship, provided by Colonel Philips
at Southampton, was seized[a] for the transportation of troops to Jersey;
and mysterious rumours in the neighbourhood rendered[b] unsafe the king's
continuance at Colonel Windham's.[1] At Heale, the residence

[Footnote 1: A reward of one thousand pounds was afterwards given to
Windham.--C. Journals, Dec. 17, 1660.]

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1651. Sept. 25.]
[Sidenote a: A.D. 1651. Oct. 8.]

of the widow Hyde, near Salisbury, he found a more secure retreat in a
hiding-place for five days, during which Colonel Gunter, through the agency
of Mansel, a loyal merchant, engaged[a] a collier, lying at New Sho