14 Mistress Jane Lane. 
were old—all slashed for the ease of his feet, and full of gravel, with 
little rolls of paper between his toes, which he said he was advised 
to, to keep them from galling. He had an old coarse shirt, patched 
both at the neck and hand, of that very coarse sort which in that 
county goes by the name of “ Hogging ” shirts. His handkerchief 
was very old and torn and coarse, and being daubed with the King’s 
blood from his nose, Father Huddlestone gave it to a kins- 
woman of his, one Mrs. Brathwayte. No gloves, but a 
long crooked thin stick. His hair cut short up to his ears, and his 
hands and face coloured and stained with walnut juice. Such was 
the King of England’s general appearance at this time—a wretched 
half-starved ill-clothed vagabond! dependent for his life upon the 
Blount’s Narrative, generosity of persecuted priests and poor 
ot ip. 107. Tabourers. Even Royalists durst not own him. 
His chance of escape was rendered more difficult through a pro- 
clamation issued by the Parliament on September 10th, for the 
discovery and apprehending of Charles Stuart, with the promise of 
Smollett, Hist, one thousand pounds for his capture. It is said 
Eng. that Charles read this proclamation when he got to 
Col. Lane’s house. Later on directions were given by the Council 
Domestic State Of State to customs officers of every port to look 
Papers, 1651. out for Charles Stuart, and the following police 
description of him was posted on every wall and hoarding: “ For 
Domestic State better discovery of him take notice of him to be 
Papers. a tall man above two yards high, his hair a deep 
brown, near to black, and has been, as we hear, cut off since the 
destruction of his army at Worcester, so that it is not very long. 
Expect him under disguise, and do not let any pass without a due 
and particular search, and look particularly to the bye creeks and 
places of embarkation in or belonging to your port.” 
The toils were closing round this poor prince. But a short time 
would have elapsed before the Puritan soldiers—always taught to 
believe that the Stuarts were their enemies—must have come upon 
his last retreat and broken into the hiding-places at Mosely as they 
did at White Ladies. 
At this critical juncture a new departure is devised—neither by a 
Pepys. 
