Moreover he advised his majesty by no means to
adventure crossing the Severn, as the strictest guard was then
kept at the ferries to prevent any Royalist fugitives from
escaping into Wales. The king was therefore obliged to retrace
his steps, and now sought Boscobel House, not far distant from
his first resting-place of Whiteladies. Arriving there, he
remained secreted in the wood, whilst Richard went to see if
soldiers were in occupation of the dwelling. There was no one
there, however, but Colonel Careless, the same good man and true
who had helped to keep Sudbury Gate whilst Charles made his
escape.
The Colonel had been hiding in the forest, and, being sore
pressed by hunger, had come to beg a little bread. Being
informed where the king was, he came forth with great joy, and,
the house not being considered a safe refuge, they both climbed
into the branches of a leafy oak, situated in an open part of the
wood, from whence they could see all round them. They carried
with them some bread and cheese and small beer, and stayed there
that day. "While we were in the tree," says the king, "we saw
soldiers going up and down in the thicket of the wood, searching
for persons escaped, we seeing them now and then peeping out of
the wood." When this danger had passed away, the king, worn out
by his sore fatigues, laid his head on his friend's breast and
slept in his arms. At night they descended, and going to
Boscobel House, were shown a secret hiding-place, such as were
then to be found in the mansions of all Catholic families, called
the priests' hole a little confined closet built between two
walls, in the principal stack of chimneys, and having a couple of
exits for the better escape of those compelled to seek its
shelter.
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