]
[Sidenote a: A.D. 1647. Nov. 11.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1647. Nov. 12.]
monarch had still no fixed plan. As they proceeded in a southerly
direction, he consulted his companions; and after some debate resolved to
seek a temporary asylum at Tichfield House, the residence of the countess
of Southampton, whilst Ashburnham and Berkeley should cross over to the
Isle of Wight, and sound the disposition of Hammond the governor, of
whom little more was known than that he was nephew to one of the royal
chaplains. When Hammond first learned[a] the object of the messengers,
he betrayed considerable alarm, under the impression that the king was
actually on the island; but, having recovered his self-possession, he
reminded them that he was but a servant bound to obey the orders of his
employers, and refused to give any other pledge than that he would prove
himself an honest man. How they could satisfy themselves with this
ambiguous promise, is a mystery which was never explained--each
subsequently shifting the blame to the other--but they suffered him to
accompany them to the king's retreat, and even to take with him a brother
officer, the captain of Cowes Castle.
During their absence Charles had formed a new plan of attempting to escape
by sea, and had despatched a trusty messenger to look out for a ship in
the harbour of Southampton.
Pages:
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285