The great difficulty was to get a ship, for they had tried to
get one at Bristol, but failed. In a few days' time, however, Wyndham
ventured to go into Lyme Regis, and there found a boat about to sail for
St. Malo, and got a friend to arrange terms with the owner to take a
passenger "who had a finger in the pye at Worcester." It was arranged
that the ship should wait outside Charmouth in the Charmouth Roads, and
that the passenger should be brought out in a small boat about midnight
on the day arranged. Charles then reassumed his disguise as a male
servant named William Jackson, and rode before Mrs. Connisby, a cousin
of Wyndham's, while Lord Wilton again rode on in front. On arrival at
Charmouth, rooms were taken at the inn, and a reliable man was engaged
who at midnight was to be at the appointed place with his boat to take
the Prince to the ship.
Meantime the party were anxiously waiting at the inn; but it afterwards
appeared that the man who had been engaged, going home to change his
linen, confided to his wife the nature of his commission. This alarmed
her exceedingly, as that very day a proclamation had been issued
announcing dreadful penalties against all who should conceal the Prince
or any of his followers; and the woman was so terrified that when her
husband went into the chamber to change his linen she locked the door,
and would not let him come out.
Pages:
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950
951
952
953
954
955
956
957
958
959
960
961
962
963