1813-1814] The Duke of Brunswick 37 



A gent n came to the Talbot Inn and ordered a chaise 

 and four to take him on the Oswestry road, ordering the 

 drivers to stop where they met a chaise with a lady in it. 

 About ten miles off a chaise and four with a lady made 

 its appearance. The Gent n got out of his own chaise into 

 hers, and ordered the Post boys to drive back to Shrewsbury 

 to the Lion. The Master of the Talbot was so highly 

 offended at this, that he went in to a set of Gent n who were 

 drinking in his house, and communicated his suspicions, 

 and that this gent n , who called himself Capt. Brown, was a 

 Frenchman making his escape. Away went the whole 

 party to the other Inn in pursuit of this Frenchman, and 

 began their questions his name, Capt. Brown, his profes- 

 sion, the Army. They shewed him the Army List. His 

 name was not there. He then said he was the Duke of 

 Brunswick. 1 This they scouted and asked him why he 

 was not on his own territories. He got into such a passion 

 that he knocked one of them down with a chair, and forcing 

 his way out made his escape. However that would not 

 do; they halloed " Stop thief " after him, and brought him 

 back, and he was locked up in a room with his fair com- 

 panion all night, with a couple of sentinels at the door. 

 The next morning, which was Friday, they sent to Mr Cecil 

 Forrester to identify the man. He said he did not know 

 the Duke of Brunswick personally, and began to cross- 

 examine him. " Were you at the Prince's Fete ?' : Yes." 

 "Who led out the Princess Charlotte ?" " Myself." 

 Mr Forrester became staggered ; he said he could not venture 

 to release him upon his own authority, but he shewed his 

 belief in the truth of his story by sending him fruit, fish 

 etc.; but still they were both in prison. An express was 

 then sent off to Lord Liverpool [Prime Minister] and Mr 

 Jenkinson came down, identified the Duke, and he was 

 immediately set at liberty, after having been in durance 

 from Thursday till Sunday. He was in a violent passion, 

 not, he said, so much on his own account as the Lady's, 



1 Brother of Queen Caroline, born 1771. Killed two years late 

 at Quatre Bras. 



