the rest, and to take some refresh of meate and drink, wherby my spirits might be revived againe. Halfe an houre before supper tyme he came in suddenly from the street, telling me their was an order come from the Governer of Blaye that I should be carried from thence to Rochell the next morning, their to be kept in custody for further examination. This designe of his, because it semed at least wise to delay the evill expected, though it could not altogether free me from the feares of it, tooke such effect upon me that my hart being eased theirby in some measure of the heaviness it was in, I rose presently from my bed; not suspecting any deceit in the project, for it appeared very probable to me that I should be carried to Rochell, because most of my accusers dwelled their, being in hope in the meane tyme, if my tryall weere suspended for the present, that God would work perhaps some meanes for my deliverance. In this perswation I satt downe to supper betweene seaven and eight of the clock, and fell to my meat with a good appetite.

In the midst of our supper my maister the hangman called for a cup of wine, the which was filled and given him by his man; and as he was putting it to his mouth, before he drunke he remembered himselfe, and asked his man out of which pot it had beene filled (for their stood two potts on the dresser); and when he shewed him which pot the glasse had beene filled out of with his finger, the hangman fell to cursing, and rebukeing the fellow for his carelessnesse, in so much that he threwe the glasse with the wine into the fyre. Hereby I came to be sensible of my delusion, remembering some words that weere spoken that afternoone as I lay upon my bed; for the hangman had sett a little skellit with faire water upon the fyre, and as in the boyleing theirof he putt somthing into it, his wife bid him put a greater quantety of that ingredience that the water might be the stronger; but he answered her saying, 'by no meanes if you put in any more you will kill him altogether, this is enough to bourne him to the hart.' These words, together with the other passages that happened both at and after supper, were a sufficient argument to me of their intentions: namely the hangman had prepared a potion for mee, which was to procure unto mee greate gripings in the belly, that soe the outward torments being added to the inward paines it might make mee confesse the secritts of my hart. My eyes being thus opened by the wonderfull worke of God, I refused to drinck any wine but what I filled my selfe out of the potts which I saw others drinking out of before me. Now the hangman saw himself frustrated in his hopes hee perswaded mee presently after supper to goe to my rest into my bed betymes, because the shipper with whom I was to goe to Rochell would call mee early in the morning. But I being sufficiently convinced of his designe could give noe eare to his perswacions, but spent my time by walking up and downe the roome; till at lenght about 9 or 10 a clock hee suspected my fears (for hee would faine have made mee gone to my bed before he should have medled with meef, that soe hee needed not throw mee downe perforce). Therefore to remove all grounds of suspition I had of him, hee bid us all good night, and tooke his leave of all as though he was going to his rest into the next house, where the two officers lay, which were to bee present at my tryall; but being gone downe the stayers, and one of the gaurds with him, unto whom hee gave order to send him word whensoever I was gone to bed, that hee might come with the officers to finish the worke that they had in hand with me.

In the mean time, notwithstanding his pretences, I kept walking up and downe the roome full of feares and suspitions till eleven of the clock, and then I layd myselfe downe upon the bed in my cloathes. I was noe sooner layd but those that gaurded me sent a boy to the hangman, who because it was soe late returned this answer: that the officers who were to attend my tryall were fallen asleepe, but they would bee ready to come with him about 3 a clocke in the morning; hee desired them therefore to bee very vigilent and carefull of mee till then, least I should escape there hands. The gaurd according to these instructions used all means to keepe one another from sleeping; if one did but slumber a little the other would presently waken him againe to my greate greefe. All this while I lay in a hellish paine and anguish, expecting with horror and trembling that dreadfull howre but lately mentioned which was drawing one apace. Neverthelesse about one of the clock I felt within my selfe (doubtlesse by the Lord's instigacion who would further declare his wonderfull love to mee) a strong conceipt and an undeniable perswation that I should make another escape, althow the meanes how to perfect the same was not as yet aparent to mee. Where upon I began againe to consult with my selfe after what manner with most probability to accomplish my desires; and seeing, that unlesse my watchmen that were with mee in the roome were asleepe, it would be altogether vaine to make any attempt, I besought the Lord of all might that hee would with his alsufficient power to cast them into a sleepe while I should indeavour to gitt from amongst them. Thus I lay in expectacion with a watchfull eye, I making all signes of them of sleepe, till the Lord was pleased to answer mee graceously.

About two of the clock I found them all fast asleepe, both the fowre souldiers which sate about mee before the fire, and the two servants of the hangman which lay on a bed in the other end of the roome. As soone as I perceived it, I hasted to make use of this oportunity, and took both the sheetes of the bed, tying them togeather with the two corners, and slitting the other corner of the sheete assunder, that with the more conveniency I might tye it about the midle frame of the window (for the lower end of the pertition of the windows in these parts have wooden sutters without glassing). Having thus prepared the way, I stept out of the window in the name of the Lord, and let myselfe downe by the sheets, having my shooes in my mouth, till I came to the ground. Here I would make noe long stay soe much as to put on my shoose, but betooke myselfe presently to my heeles, and ran as hard and as long as breath would hould out. I was not gon full muskett shott from the house, before I heard the cry and alarem in the towne after mee. Suspecting that I was gone towards the River to looke for shipping, they persued mee up and downe the River side, as I could guese by the barking of the doggs in those townes and villages which lay in the water side. But the night being darke and I taking my course directly to the land side, I perceived none to come after mee that way, soe I marched peaceably all that night towards Bourdeaux againe, with an intencion to try whether I could gitt in some evening tyme, and find out a shipper with whome I might agree to take mee along with him beyond sea for a sume of mony.

In the morning after breake of day I lodged my selfe in a wood, and continued there till 2 a clock in the afternoone. But being weary of fasting, and thinking the inhabitants which lived soe farr from the water side would not have had any notice concerning mee, I put of my gray coate (which was mentioned in the hue and cry) and carreing it under my arme, I ventured out of the wood, and kept on my way till about 4 of the clock to an open village which was about 4 leagues from Bourdeaux. There I went into a taverne, and called for a pot of wyne with some bread to refresh my tyred body withall; the wyne was brought to me presently, but as for the bread I was to stay for it till they had fetched the key, which was some where in the towne. But insted of fetching the key they went to fetch halfe a dozen troopers that were quartered in the same towne, and some of them in the same house (for I saw five greate sadle horses standing in the stable) for to aprehend mee whilst I was staying for the bread. Not having