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WHEN the King was return'd from Salisbury, his Council was reduced within a very narrow Compafs; and fince he ever before thought no body entirely in his Intereft, except they were of his Religion alfo; 'tis no wonder, if, at this fufpicious Time, he confulted with a few Papifts only; who (being the very Perfons most obnoxious to a Parliament, whenever fummon'd, and to the Rabble, if Things ran to Confusion) unanimously advis'd him to fly; but more for their own Sakes than his, because they might hope to have an Intereft with him, remaining in France, whither they were now forc'd to escape themselves. From hence alone came that fatal Refolution of his retiring, which was perhaps the Lofs of his Crown, but certainly fome Diminution to his former Reputation.

THE King, however, refolv'd to try one Remedy firft, or, at least, by that to dif guise his intended Flight the better; and therefore fummon'd all the Peers in Town to a kind of General Council in Whitehall; at which some of the Bishops, as well as Temporal Lords, open'd their Grievances fo boldly, that he condefcended to fend two of them (viz. the Marquefs of Halifax, and the Earl of Nottingham) as his Commiffio

ners

ners to the Prince of Orange; joining the Lord Godolphin with them, who was the only Man that had the Cunning, or else the good Fortune, to be at once in fome Favour with both the King and Prince of Orange.

IN the mean time, he fent away the Queen, in all Hafte and Privacy, under the Conduct of Monfieur Lauzun, an old difgrac'd Favourite of the French King; which indeed was enough to discover his own Intention of going to France foon after. But it was thought worth incurring that Sufpicion, to fecure the Prince of Wales, whom she carry'd along with her to Calais. After which, the King, (who before judged himself under a Neceffity of leaving the Kingdom) began now to grow under an Impatience alfo; and perhaps indulged his uneafy Thoughts, with reflecting, that he now abandon'd three Kingdoms, not fo much to fave himself, as to follow a Wife and only Son.

Just as he was stepping into Bed, the Night before his going away, the Earl of Mulgrave happened to come into the Bedchamber, which being at so late an Hour, might poffibly give the King fome Apprehenfion of that Lord's fufpecting his Design, with which he was refolved not to truft

him, nor any other Proteftant whatsoever. He therefore ftopp'd short, and turn'd about to whisper him in the Ear, that his Commiffioners had newly fent him a very hopeful Account of fome good Accommodation with the Prince of Orange: To which that Lord only reply'd with a Question, asking him, if the Prince's Army halted, or approached nearer to London? The King own'd they still march'd on; at which the other shook his Head, and faid no more, only made him a low Bow, with a dejected Countenance, humbly to make him understand, that he gave no Credit to what the King's hard Circumstances at that time obliged him to diffemble.

THUS referved was the King to every Body about his withdrawing himself; as indeed Men are generally most close in Secrets against their own Intereft. The myfterious Carriage of this abfconding coft the Lord Chancellor Jefferies his Life (a thing indeed of little Value to any body befides himself) who died afterwards in Prifon, for want of having the fame Warning given him to escape, which had been given to the Earl of Melford and Father Peters. This Proceeding of his was imputed to neither ill Nature nor Carelessness, two

Faults

Faults his Majefty was not guilty of; but rather to his Generofity, which made him compaffionate his very Enemies fo much, as never to forgive that Lord's Cruelty in executing fuch Multitudes of them in the Weft, against his express Orders.

THE Nuntio alfo efcaped very narrowly; for, after having stolen away to Gravesend, behind the Coach of an Envoy of Savoy, he was there perceived by the Earl of Winchelfea, who, tho' Lord Lieutenant of the County, had been unable to preserve him from the Rabble; and therefore fent immediate Notice of it to the Spanish Ambaffador, who as speedily caus'd the Prince of Orange to be waked at Windfor, and to fign a particular fort of Paffport for the Train of that Savoy Minifter. By this they prevented an Accident that would have made an ill Impreffion at this time upon all the Prince's Confederates of the Roman Catholick Religion.

BUT, to return to the King. At Three o' Clock in the Morning, he withdrew himself by a back Way out of the Bed-chamber; commanding the Duke of Northum berland (whom he left there on a Pallet Bed, according to the Custom of his Place

of Gentleman of the Bed-chamber in waiting) not to open the Door, before his ufual Hour of rifing; at which time, feve ral Perfons of Quality, according to Custom, in great Numbers, being come to attend him at his Levee, divulged the News immediately of his being gone away.

THE King intending to pass thro' Kent to the Sea-fide, took with him Sir Edward Hales, a Gentleman of a great Eftate there, and a new Convert, which had drawn on him the Hatred of all that Country, to fo great a Degree, as to make him a Hinderance, inftead of a Help to their Efcape. This the King himself told us at his Return from Feverfham, admiring at Sir Edward's having fo little Credit in his own County: Which was fo right an Image, in little, of his own unfortunate Condition, that it had been enough to make him more cautious, if he could have perceived it fooner.

THE King's fudden abfenting himself, as it was very extraordinary, fo it produced as extraordinary Effects every where.

IN the Prince of Orange's Army, the Nation was look'd on as their own; at least, all the good Employments in it. In London, all the Lords there, both Spiritual

and

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