Thereupon the
honest fellow promised to serve the king faithfully, and sent
immediately for his brothers four: William, who took charge of
Boscobel House, not far removed; Humphrey, who was miller at
Whiteladies; Richard, who lived at Hobbal Grange; and John, who
was a woodman, and dwelt hard by. When they had all arrived,
Lord Derby showed them the king's majesty, and besought them for
God's sake, for their loyalty's sake, and as they valued all that
was high and sacred, to keep him safe, and forthwith seek some
place of decent shelter where he might securely lurk. This they
readily swore to compass, though they risked their lives in the
attempt.
It being considered that greater safety lay in the king being
unattended, his loyal friends departed from him with many prayers
and hopes for a joyful reunion: all of them save my Lords Wilmot
and Buckingham set out to join Leslie's company, that they might
proceed together towards Scotland; but they had not marched six
miles in company with the Scots when these three thousand men and
more were overtaken and were routed by a single troop of the
enemy's horse, and my Lord Derby, being taken, was condemned and
executed. Lords Wilmot and Buckingham set out for London, to
which place it was agreed the king should follow them.
When his majesty's friends had departed, the Pendrells undertook
to disguise him; towards which end one of them cut the long locks
reaching his shoulders, another rubbed his hands and face with
dust, and a third brought him a suit of clothes.
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