is was a
serious offence in the eyes of Cromwell's Parliament; a committee was
accordingly sent to examine him, and he was threatened with imprisonment
in the Tower. Though only in his fourteenth year he already possessed
both determination and courage, by reason of which he resolved to risk
all danger, and make a third effort for freedom. Accordingly he laid his
plans with much ingenuity, selecting two men from those around him to
aid his undertaking. These were George Howard and Colonel Bamfield. The
latter had once served in the king's army, but when the fortunes of war
had gone against his royal master, had professed himself friendly to the
Republicans. No doubt the young duke saw the gallant colonel was still
true at heart to the Royalist cause, and therefore trusted him at this
critical juncture.

Now for a fortnight previous to the night on which he designed to
escape, James made it his habit to play at hide-and-seek every evening
after supper with his brother and sister, and the children of the
officers then located in the palace; and in such secure places did he
secrete himself that his companions frequently searched for over half an
hour without discovering him. This of course accustomed the household to
miss him, and was cunningly practised for the purpose of gaining time on
his pursuers when he came to be sought for in good earnest.

At last the eventful night fixed for his escape arrived; and after
supper a pleasant group of merry children prepared to divert themselves
in the long dark halls and narrow winding passages of the grim old
palace. James, as usual, proposed concealing himself, and leaving his
companions for the purpose, disappeared behind some arras; but, instead
of hiding, he hastened to his sister's chamber, where he locked up a
favourite dog that was in the habit of following his footsteps wherever
he went, and then noiselessly slipped down a back stairs which led to
an inner garden. Having taken care to provide himself with a key fitting
the garden door, he quickly slipped into the park. Here he found Colonel
Bamfield waiting, who, giving him a cloak and a wig for his better
disguise, hurried him into a hackney coach, which drove them as far
as Salisbury House in the Strand. From thence they went through Spring
Garden, and down Ivy Lane, when, taking boat, they landed close by
London Bridge. Here entering the house of a surgeon friendly to
their adventure, they found a woman named Murray awa