128 THE BATH ROAD 



that the unhappy Charles the First bade farewell to 

 his children, July 16, 1647. He was in charge of 

 his Koundhead captors at Caversham, and liad been 

 allowed to come over for two days. The Prince of 

 Wales was abroad, but the Duke of York, then fifteen 

 years of age ; the Princess Elizabeth, two years 

 younger ; and the seven-year-old Duke of Gloucester, 

 were brought to him. The affecting scene is said to 

 have drawn tears even from Cromwell. 



Maidenhead Bridge — the wooden one which pre- 

 ceeded the present structure — might have been the 

 scene of a desperate encounter, but happened instead 

 to have witnessed an equally desperate and farcical 

 devil-take-the-hindmost flight on the part of the Irish 

 soldiers of James the Second, who were posted here 

 to dispute the passage of the Thames with the 

 advancino- forces of William of Orano;e. 



The November niolit had shrouded the river and 

 the country side, when the sound of drums beating a 

 Dutch march was heard. The soldiers, who had no 

 heart in their work, did not remain to defend that 

 strategic point, and bolted. They would have dis- 

 covered, if they had kept their posts, that the martial 

 music which lent them such agility was produced by 

 the townsfolk of Maidenhead, who, in spite of that 

 national crisis, appear to have been merry blades. 



