~ 
AIO 
: rat of IT possibly could, I would get to. 
Eondon as soon, if not soo: ner, than the 
néws of our defeat could get there : and 
xt being near dark, I talked with some, 
especiaily with my lord Rochester, (then 
Wiimot,) about their opinions, which 
would be the best way for me to escape, 
at being impossibie, -as I thought, to get 
back ‘into Scotland. © I: found them 
mightily distracted, and their opinions 
diferent very much of the possibility 
of getting to Scotland, but net one 
agrecing with mine for going to La: idon, 
saving my lord Wi imate; and the truth is, 
I did not impart my design of going to 
London to any bet my ‘lord Wilmos, 
But we had such a number of beaten 
snen with us fof the horse) that I strove, 
as soon aS ever it was dark, to get fon 
them; and though I could not get them 
to stand by me against the evemy, I 
could not get rid ef them, now I had a 
mind to It. i 
So we (that is my 1® duke of 
Buck™, Luderdale, Derby, Wilmot, 
Tom Biake, duke Darcy, and several 
others of my servants) went algng north- 
ward towards Scotland; and at last we 
sgot about sixty that aan gentlemen and 
aitice rs, and slipt away out of the high- 
road that goes to Lancashire, and kept 
on to the right hand, letting all the 
beaten men go along the great road. 
And ourselves sot krewing very weil 
Wwiich way to go, for it was then too late 
for us to get to London on horseback, 
riding then directly for it, nor could we 
do it, because there was ‘yet many pev- 
pie of quality with us that I coald not 
get rid of. So we rode 
short of Woolverhampton, between that 
and. Worcester, and went through. 
There being a trocp uf the enemy’s there 
that night, we rode very quietly 
throngh the tow n, they having nobody to 
watch, nor they. suspecting us no more 
than we did them, which [| learnt after- 
wards from a country fellow. We went 
that night about twenty-five miles, toa 
place calied White Lady. hard by Tong 
Castle, by the advice of Mr. Gifford, 
here we stopt and got some little re- 
freshment of bread and cheese, such as 
we could get, it Pons ie heginning. to 
be day. This ie nite Lady’s was a pri- 
vate. house that Mr. Gifford, who wasa 
Shropshire man, pes told we belonged 
to h: mmest peorle that lived thereabouts ; 
and just as we came thither, there came 
ina “country feliow that told us there was 
5,600 of our horse hard by Tong Castie, 
upon the heat, ail in disorder, under 
\ 
Scarce Tracts, Ke. 
through a town . 
[Sept. ‘ 
David Lesely; and some other of the 
general cflicers; upon which, some of the 
people of quality that were with me, 
were very anxious that I should go to 
him, a:.d endeavour te get into Scotland,” 
w hich E thought was absolutely imoossi-. 
ble, knowing very well that the country 
would ail rise upon us, and that the men. 
who had deserted me, when they were 
in good order, w4 not stand to me 
when they had been beaten. This 
made me take the resolution of puting 
myself inte discuise, and endeavouring to 
get on foet to Lendon in a country fel- 
low’s habbit, with a pair of ordinary grey 
cloth breeches, and lethern doubler, and’ 
a greenjerkin, which I tock in the house 
of White Ladies. I also cut my hair 
very short, and Rung my cloths into a 
privy house, that nobody might see that 
any body had been striping themselves, 
I acquainted none with my resolution of 
going to London but my 1’? Wilmot, 
they all desireing me not to accquaint 
them what I intended to do, because 
they knew not what they might be 
forced to confess; on which considera- 
tion, they all with one voice beg? me 
not to teli them what I intended to do;. 
(so all the persons of quality, and officers, 
who were with me, except. my |"? Wile 
mot, with whom a place was agreed upon” 
for metting at London, if we escap’d, 
end who endeavoured to go on horse. 
back, in regard, as I think, of his being 
too big to go on foot) were resolved to go 
and ] join the 3000 horse, thinking to get 
away with them to Scotiland. But as I’ 
did before believe, they were not 
marched more than six, after they got te 
them, but they were routed by a single 
troop of horse, which shews my opinion 
was net wrong in not sticking to men 
who had run away. As soon as I was 
disguised, I took with me a country fel- 
low, whose name was Rich? Penderell, 
whom Mr. Gifford had undertaken to 
answer for to be an honest man; he was 
a Roman Catholic, and I chose to trust 
them, because 1 knew they had iiding 
holes for priests, that E thought I might 
make use of in case of need, I was no 
sooner gone {but the next morning after 
the battle, and broad. day), out “of y* 
house with this country fellow, but bemg 
in a great wood, I set myself at the edge 
of the wood, near the highway, that was 
there the better to. see who came after 
us, and wether they made any search — 
after the runaways; I whmediately saw 
a troop of horse coming by, which I cone — 
ceived to be the same troop si. broak~ 
4 
