After that I had given them answers to every one of their questions and suffitiently argued the groundless charges they had conveined against me, they refused to reason any longer with me, but desire me to repaire into the other roome where I was afore, saying that I should finde another examinator, unto whom I should be more ready to reveale the trueth then I had beene to them. Thus I retourned into the said roome where I found the hangman making his instruments ready for the worke, and myne accusers; who being ravished with joy because they had brought their designe to an expected end, continued to increase the sadness of my spirit with many insolent and hart breaking expressions, and drinking an health to my confusion, another to my speedy journey to the gallows. Now the temptations of that day (which was a day of distresse and unspeakable greife to me) came to their height; now fearfullnesse and trembleing came upon me and horror overwhelmed me; here the sorrows of death incompassed me and the paines of hell gott hold on me; here I was to goe through the fire and water, and to make choyce of destruction for myne inseperable companion. To describe the heavinesse of my spirit and the sorrowes of my hart I was in at that instant I know not where to begin, nor where to conclude, nor where to finde signeficant words to make a true and propper expression of the matter; only I say they were such as that I cannot without astonishment of heart thinke of them, nor reflect upon them with my mind in a serious consideration without teares of joy.

Now when I was past all humane helpe and comfort, wanting both time and place and the use of myn understanding (which was then wholly suppressed and stupified by hellish feares) to thinke upon any project for an escape, I leaned myselfe out of a window, having noe other place or conveniencie for any private meditacions, and tooke myne onely refuge to him who is an helper to the oppressed, a protectour to the forlorne, and a saviour of them that are without helpe, with confident perswacion that hee was both able and wise enough to deliver mee out of the hands of myne enemies, though they were never soe many, and though noe hope at all apeared in my sight for my deliverance, if it seemed good in his eyes to doe soe. But if by his eternall decree, I was to drinke this bitter cup of affliction, my onely request to him was then, that with his strenght hee would appeare in my weaknes, and worke a conformity betweene mine and his owne will, that with a contented minde I might take this cupp from his hands, and glorifie his name for his dispensacions.

I had noe sooner withdrawne my selfe from the window, but God, who had given eare to my crys, sent an instinct into my mind to try whether I could gitt privatly downe the stayres whilst all the companie in the same roome were tryumphing and rejoyceing in my mesiry. The which motion I went immeadiatly to put into execucion, and made foure or five turnes up and downe the roome, taking every time in my walking alsoe the lenght of a long gallery which crossed the rome running streght out of the doore, wherby I conteyned myself in every turne a little while out of there sight, which afterwards caused a carelessnes in them not to looke presently after mee when I went for good and all. At length I tooke the oppertunity to walke downe the stayres silently, and coming downe I found the gaurd that was apoynted to attend mee in the kitchin, making merry with drinking liberaly upon my cost, not suspecting my coming downe. By reason whereof I was not discovered as I passed by the kitchin doore, but without any further let I came to the streete doore, which was not locked yet, but onely boulted with two boults, and having unboulted it I went out, making what hast I could to the Citty gates. But it being late, about 10 a clocke at night, all the gates were shut.

Then I bent my course to the Citty walls, and ran about the same soe long till I came to a place where the battlements with sume parts of the wall were broaken downe, whereby the wall in the same place was become six foote lower then the rest of the wall. But before I was gott soe farr I heard the cryes in the streetes made by my persecutours, which doubtles were sore greeved and vexed that I was gone out of their hands without taking leave of them; therefore being senceable of that cruell intertainment which was prepared for mee in my unfortunate quarters I durst not goe farther about upon the walls for feare of my approaching ennemys, but resolving to cast myselfe upon the same God who had torne me but then out of the lyons mouth, beseeching him with all ernestnes that he would alsoe carry mee out of the same enemies sight, and send and assist mee in that dangerous but nessisary atempt of myne, which I was forced to make by leaping over that wall formerly mentioned, which was yett about 17 or 18 foote high from the ground. Thus having made another experiment of the wonderfull mercy of God I came on the ground on the other side of the wall without any hurt at all, save one small spraine I perceived in my right heele, which was by strayning a vaine as I thought. Yet was the same soone cured with the joye I was ravished withall, because of the seasonable and unexpected deliverance. Being without the wall I had a deepe moate or graffe to passe through yet before I could march any further. And seeking a passage where with most ease I might gett through I went about an houre round about on the foot of the wall, which was on dry ground, till at length I found a place where formerly their had beene built a water bearer crosse the graffe but now was broken downe, only some ruins of the foundations left yet, some above water and some under water, so that I could passe over the water upon the said ruins wadeing not above knee deepe.

Now I counted myselfe at full liberty, and being transported even above myselfe with unspeakable joy I retourned praise unto the Lord for his wonderfull dealings towards me, and resolved to march some seaven or eight leagues towards the sea side, to try whether I could meet their with any shipping wherby I might get from thence. And as I was marching on that night I lost my way, and was drawne by degrees into the middle of a great morast some two English miles broad, being misled by a supposed foot path, which had beene of use in the dry Summer tyme but none in Winter when it was altogether unpassable. Here I was wadeing up and downe to my middle, backwards and forwards all the rest of the night, even to the danger of my life, not knowing whether I went because no starrs appeared. Then I wrought myselfe through and came on dry land againe about nyne of the clock in the morning. My strength was wholy spent by this night's worke so that I was not able to goe any further before I had rested myselfe some two or three houres under a hedge. In the meane while I dryed my cloaths againe as well as I could, and made a paire of shoes of my bootes, cutting of the leggs of them, and makeing the feet servisable for shoes, that so I might be able to march with more agillity then I could with boots on my feet. Then having recollected some strength by a little rest, and refreshing my spirit with a draught of cold water (for better accomodation I was affraid to seeke in any house) I betooke me to my journey againe, in hopes that night to gett to some of those little townes which lay over against Blaye, before hue and cry after me could come thither. For their I intended to hire a boate that should have carried me by night to some of the shipps which were rideing over against Blaye.

At night an houre after sun set I got to Pullitor (which was one of the little townes I aimed at), and being tyred above measure both in body and spirit, by reason of the hard travills that I had endured both that day and the night before, I was ready to faint for some refreshment. I was fasting all that day, not dareing to aske releife of any body by the way. I was forced theirfore to venture into a taverne in that towne and aske for a pott of wine with some bread, which was brought me accordingly, not feareing in the meane tyme that the inhabittants of that place had goten any notice of my escape from Burdeaux. But before I had eaten and drunke my fill a guard of the townsmen came to secure me, haveing received a compleat discription of my person with an order to apprehend me before I came thither. By these townes-men I was kept all that night in the same house I first came into. In the meane while they sent to the next garrishon, which was Blaye on the other side of the water, giveing intemation to the Governer their of my captivity, and desiring him to take care of my examination and tryall.

Wher upon the next morning about nyne of the clock their were sent from thence for that purpose two officers, fouer comon soldiers with fyerlocks, and another hangman with two servants (for as I learned afterwards the magistrate of every place where I was apprehended was to have all my estate I had in France), and mention being made in the hue and cry after, that I had 1200 livers in some bodys hands in Burdeaux, I was by their privelidges to be tryed in the same towne, or in that jurisdiction where I was taken. The two officers tooke up their lodgeing in the next house, but the foure soldiers and the hangman with his crue were ordered to beare me company in the same rome where I was.

The evening or the beginning of the night being appointed for my tryal, the hangman made all manner of preparation in the same roome before myne eyes; and when I prayed him to be as favourable as he could to me and I would resigne all what I had about me, he promissed me upon his faith I should not be hanged before I was sufficiently tortured. Such and the like comfort I received from him and all that were neare me. Now my terrors was multeplyed againe, and my sorrows brought to the same height they were at before, I finding myselfe forsaken of all the world, and seing no less grounds of feare and dispaire then I did two dayes before at Burdeaux. I heard through out the whole day no other discourse of all that was neer me but augmentations of my greife. I laid most part of that day upon my bed, sighing and crying unto the Lord that he would not withdraw his presence from my fainting spirit. And truly giving over all hopes of life I could not solicit the Lord for another deliverance, for I thought it a vaine thing to beg for impossibillityes; therfore all the scope of my supplication was only for spirituall comfort, for increase of my wearyed patience, and for a joyfull resolution to take up my crosse, and to carry it without murmouring after my Saviour. All that weere about me tooke occation at every carriage of mine to mock and scoffe att my calamity, in so much that when somtymes they perceived my whispering upon the bed they would saie 'harke, hearke, he is very earnestly preaching and praying, let us see if he can pray himselfe out of our hands.'

The day being thus spent and the night drawing on, the hangman seeing me in a fainting condition (because I refused to take either meat or drinke all the day) was very fearfull that I should faint under his hands when he should come to worke with me at night. To that end he devised this pollisie, to perswade me to sitt downe to supper with him and 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.