The next morning I imployed my tyme in drying my cloaths againe in the sun, which did shine very bright all that day longe. The night followeing I went againe round about the wood, trying the guards how I might secretly slip by some of them, which I found to be very difficult, till after midnight I percieved the watchmen of one post were asleepe, or by reason of the cold altogether departed from their station, because I heard none of them (for to be silent or stand still without acting some apish tricks is an impossible thing for most men of that nation, which often tended to my advantage to keepe me from falling into their hands unawarrs in the darke); then I made bold to steale through, and once more gott an inlargement of my restraint in which I had bin for those 3 dayes.
Now I was free, and intended to hold my former course. I mistooke my way againe, going too much west of Burdeaux, because of the cloudie ayre which deprived mee of the sight of the moone and starres, soe that after I had marched the quantity of 4 leagues, I was neverthelesse as farre as I was the day before from Burdeaux. And as it hapned all alonge that all my troubles were soe chaine-like linked together that the end of one calamitie was alwayes the beginning of another, soe heere did providence keepe the same method in exercising my patience with further trialls[27]. For before daylight I fell in my march uppon a great plaine-heath, which after itt was light I found to bee 4 or 5 miles broad. Now when I was in the middle the day broake in uppon mee, wherby I was exposed to the sight of all that mett mee; yett was I arrested by none till I came over the plaine, then even as I was to leave the great comon and entering into the inclosed feilds againe, my way fell thorough a small village, wher as I passed through I saw two or three boores or paisants standing in a doore. These men taking notice of my habit (the discription wherof they had learned out of the hew and cry) called after me, but I not mooved by their call kept on my pace till some of them gott on horse back others following on foote they overtooke me before I could hide myselfe in any convenient place. I ran for feare into a ditch full of water, but they pulled me out from thence with great cruelty. Having me thus at their mercy they tooke first all my money from me, which was about eighty pistolls in gold besides what I had in silver coyne. Suspecting that I had hidden some in the water out of which they tooke me, setting their fowling peices often to my brest theirby to make me confesse whether it were so or not, and when they could finde no more money about me they fell to strip me of my cloaths, and takeing so much as the shirt from my back they left me naked in the feilds as I came into the world, telling me that naked I came and naked I must goe out of the world againe. One of them presently putt on my worsted coate and drawers, flinging away his owne drawers and wastcoate that were of thin canvis ragged and torne. Another, which tooke away my hat, resigned unto me his old bonit. Of these leavings I was forced to make use of to cover my nakedness withall, though it was an habbit very unsutable for the season, for their had beene a hard niping frost ever since my escape from Pulliac, and continued so for two weeks together.
So parting one from another we went every one his way, they towards their houses and I towards Burdeaux, though it had beene better for those villands to have knocked me on the head then to have dismissed me, for it was their duty to carry me according to order to the safe keeping of the next magistrate, only for that they should not keepe all the booty to themselves they let me goe whether I would without restraint. Because I was now become a worme and no man, a scorne to all that saw me, I thought that now no body would count me worthy of takeing, theirfore I retourned to march openly by day. But the mallice of these rogues that robbed me was such and so great that rather then I should escape they would make an alarum (though it should be to their owne hurt) by sounding the horn, wherby they tooke the alarum from one towne to another, so that before I had martched a league hearing the alarum behinde and before and round about me, I was forced to fall into the bottom of a thick hedge to save myselfe from being taken againe. Their I continued from nyne till two of the clock of the afternoone till the cold and frost had so benumed all my members of my body that I was uncapable of any motion, and noe more senceable of any greate and sharp cold but onely inclyning to a fainting sleepe, soe that I was affraid if in case I continued fowre howres longer there till I might march at night againe, I should be past ever rising againe. Therefore when I saw a plaine contry man not farr of from mee passing I made bold to call him, with an intencion to promise him a good some of mony if he would take me into his house, and keepe mee there private for fowre or five weekes till I might git some letters of creditt from my frinds by way of Bourdeaux. But when hee came to see mee even spechles by shaking and quaking for cold, the owld man seeing my condition desired mee to come home with him to his house, which was hard by in a little village consisting not of above 12 houses. Having brought mee to his house hee made mee presently a good fire to gitt life into my starved joynts againe, and gave mee some bread and drinke such as his house afforded for my refreshment.
Whilst I thus refreshed me by the fire side there came severall of the neibours to looke upon mee in my comfortles condition, whereby some conjecturing that I was the man conserning whom they had received the hue and cry, presently sent for the Justice of the peace, which lived not farr from thence. He came about five of the clocke to waite upon mee, and was overjoyed that he had gott such a bird in his nett whose feathers hee thought would be at least 1200 livers in his way. Having variously discorsed with me and earnestly enquired in whose hands in Bourdeaux I had the 1200 livers mentioned in the hue and cry, hee tooke mee along with him into a larger house, where himselfe alsoe lying he caused mee to bee kept by a gaurd of contrymen. The next morning, because I could not give him a satisfactory answer to his demands especially concerning the 1200 livers, hee sent a messenger to Bourdeaux which was some 3 leagues from thence, for a confessor as he termed it to bee there against the next morning for to begin the same processe againe with mee as those at Bourdeaux and Puliack would have done, if God had not prevented it. In the meane while the gentleman being willing to gitt as much by my ruine as could bee went to consult with some of his frinds that were there, how hee might gitt some of the monies that I had lost the other day within his jurisdiction. Finding hee was not like to compasse his ends, he began to carry himselfe more affable to mee then before with all manner of faire promisses, namly that hee would helpe mee to my cloathes againe and to halfe the mony which I had lost, if soe be I could find out the men that robed mee or their houses. Wher upon, though I was sufficiently convinced that onely his and not my profitt was concern'd in the plott, yet being altogeather in his power, I could not chuse but yeild myselfe to his desires, and promised to goe back the same way I came the day before, and not returne before I had found out the houses of those men that had robbed mee. Then he provided a gaurd of fowre men with fowling peeces to goe along with me, and two greate doggs with a little one which were to attend my returne, which would bee in the night, least I should ever slip in the wood through which wee were to march. And because my feete being very much spoyled by the frost I indured before, I could make but small hast to follow my leaders, they furnished mee with a lame horse, on which I might make some shift to keepe pace with my gaurd, and yett not to run away from them neither.
In this equipage wee began our march about 2 of the clock in the afternoone, and found the house wherein the robbers lived within an howre and halfe after our departure. But before wee were come halfe the way to them, least the theeves wee sought for should conceave any suspition, and so absent themselves if from farr they should see mee come in their companie, wee went into a farmers house that lived by the way, and borrowing a long coate from him made of a thick white frize, they put it about mee, therewith to disguise me. This pollisie of theirs did exceedingly rejoyce mee, because it not onely conforted my naked body for the present, but it spoke moreover to mee that the Lord thereby was preparing new meanes for my deliverance, for by the helpe of this coate I thought my selfe in a capacity to lye out of dores againe in the field, which otherwise it was impossible for mee to doe for want of cloathes. I began therefore to make provision for a new jorney by filling my bosome with bread where and whensoever occation would serve mee, for both in the farmers, and severall other houses they made my gaurd (and me for my gaurds sake) wellcome, by setting alwaye a pott of wine and a greate househould loafe before us, by which meanes I gott as much bread as did serve mee two dayes after. At length when wee had found the place where the robbers dwelt, three of my gaurds went into the house and would not suffer mee to goe with them, but left mee in another howse with one of the gaurd, giving to the people of the house a strickt charge besides to looke to mee least I should make an escape. Having dispatched their Masters arrand, and returned into the house where they left mee, I asked them whether they would not helpe mee to my cloathes againe according to their promisse. They replied that I should find a man at home that would keepe me warm enough without cloathes, meaning the hangman, which was sent for him from Burdeaux to be theire against our retourne.
The night coming on a pace we prepared for a martch againe, and tooke our leave from the house we were in. Comeing forth those of my guard went two before and two behinde keepeing close to my horse heeles because it was very darke. When we weere gott againe so far as the farmers house where they borrowed my longe coate, they desired me to restore the coate to the owners againe. In the meane while the farmer himselfe came forth of the house entreating my guard to come into the house, and being entered the men that gaurded me set themselves round about a table while I was walking up and downe the roome with the borrowed coate on my back still. And seeing by and by the attentions of the men taken up with their cupps, and the doggs which were taken along on purpose to observe my motion in the darke striving about the warmest place in the chimney corner, I thought it to be the season for which I had looked with great expectation ever since I gott the coate on my backe. I made bold theirfore to step out of the roome with leasure as though I had some private businesse to doe without, and assoone as I was gotten out I pulled of the coate, and taking it under my arme I went in hast to try once more my heeles, which though they weere lame before yet now they were become as light as ever they were. I ran with all speed towards the open plaine feild which was on one side of the house. I was not gott halfe musket shott from the house before they came to looke for me, and finding me to be gone, they called presently forth the doggs, and sett them with a great and impetuous storme against the wood which was on the other side of the house, suspecting that I had taken that wood for my refuge rather then the open feilds. But I being gon the cleane contrary way, and the doggs amazed and confounded with the rageing cry of six or seaven men so that they could not take notice of me as I ran on, the poore men lost their labours and I gott my libberty by the assistance of God, together with a good warme coate to my back.
In the end of the game, to take all possible heed from falling into their or any mans hands againe, I steered my coarse directly back againe, to a wood which I knewe formerly being stripped not fair from thence. There I intended to conceale my selfe, and not to goe from thence till hunger should force mee, for I feared because of the nessessity they knew that I was in, I must goe to Bourdeaux for releife, that now they would raise for mee more then ever they did, but if it were soe that I could be some where in secritt two or three dayes till the heat of their fury against mee were some what cooled, then I supposed their gaurds would bee either more careles, or altogeather removed, that soe I might with more safety gitt throw to Bourdeaux by night. And coming into the wood, I found in the same a Church with an empty parson's house, and continued there, for the space of two dayes. The first night I lodged my selfe in the oven for feare of any bodyes coming into the house, for I knew not in the darke that I was soe far from neighbours. But the next day when it was light, I chose for my habitation a great come chest which stood upon leggs a foote and ½ high from the ground, and was in all about seaven foote deepe, and there I spent the rest of the time, as long as I stayed there, onely in the night I went forth to squench my thurst, out of the trench that went about the church yard. This was the best lodging that I had since I leaped over the wall at Bourdeaux; for in the morning after I first came in I found in a corner an owld sack full of wooll of about 15lb. weight, which being most in great fleeces was of singular use to mee in supplying the want of cloathes, for I contryved to wrap my whole body to the knees into itt, putting the wooll to my skin and tying my canvas wastcoate and britches on the tope of it whereby I became as warme although not soe fashonnably clad as ever I was.
The stoare of my provision being totaly exhausted, I was now nessesitated to quitt this place, after I had sojorned there two dayes and two nights. In the 3d night I undertooke to march againe towards Bourdeaux, which was some 4 leagues from thence. Upon my march I found the gaurds through the whole night to bee strickly kept in all the villages, yet I made shift to pas them all by the healp of the great and continuall noyse the watchmen continually made, which gave me allwayes sufficient warning to goe by tims about, and soe avoyd the gaurds that layd waite for me. Yett for all that I could not reach Bourdeaux undiscovered, for when I came with in a league of the Citty, there was I met in the morning about 4 of the clock in a plaine place (where two wayes met) by a man that was one of the cheif of those that gaurded mee when I made my last escape, and which was also the principall authour of my borrowing my long coate. He desired mee to make hast to goe with him to Bourdeaux, though hee had noe armes at all. At lenght his patience being tired, and thincking infallibly I must come to Bourdeax for releif both of meate and cloathes, hee went before, out of an intention to lay waite for mee through others, either by the way or at the Cittie gatts. Now I was againe possesed with a new fright, for to goe directly without any delay into the Citty would bee my present mine, and to tarry without in the feilds did threaten noe less, because I wanted both food and rayment; yet counting it my best to make choyce of the lesser evill, I resolved to keepe my selfe in the feild, soe long as I might bee able to subsist without meate (for though I had lost my warme coate againe, yet could I make some shift to endure the weather by reason of the wooll where with my whole body was covered after the manner expressed). Soe thinking it a greater happines to perrish by hunger and frost (if it had soe pleased unto God) then to have yeilded my selfe to myne adversaryes crueltys, I tooke up in this beleefe the bottome of an hedge for my bed within an English myle from Bourdeaux and remained two dayes.
Again the 3d day before it was light I drew neere to the towne into the suburbs, to the end that I might with more expedition gitt to the water side in the beginning of the next evening before it would bee toe late; and having layin hidden in the ruines of an owld house all the day long I went soe soone as it was darke, and came to the water side, where the shippers are used to have their constant meetings. There I first met with an Hollandish merchant of a shipe, unto whom I made knowne my desire to goe along in his ship, engaging my selfe to pay unto him the sum of 5000 livers for his reward, where and whensoever hee should land without the kingdom of France. But this man, because I was not able to speake plaine Hollandish without mixing some English amongst it, tould me that I was an English rogue, and hee would rather bee a meanes to helpe me to the gallowes then to carry mee in his ship. Thus taking my answer from this inhuman Hollander I went to another man that was master's mate of a great Lubeckish ship, which was ready to sett sayle the next day. This Lubecker having received my complaints was mooved with compacion, and tooke mee on board, where both hee and all the men of the ship expressed greate love to mee, and put mee into another habitt againe with ould cloathes, furnishing mee among themselves with dublitt, britches, long coate and other nessisaryes, soe that I looked now like a rationall man againe, whereas in my former habitt I seemed to bee a distracted person. As for passage they doubted not but they should prevaile with the master of the ship who did lye one shoare that night, but came the next morning on shipboard, in the meane time they entertayned mee with the best accomodation they had.
Being thus tenderly entertayned that night, when I wakened the next morning, I found my feete in which I had felt noe warmnes many dayes before, soe much swelled, and soe full of paine, after this warme lodging, that I was not able to stand upright without greate greefe, nor to abide my shoes upon them. Now as soone as the master came, all the men in the shipp made intercession for mee to gitt his consent for my passage, and my selfe promised him as much as I did the Hollander for my transportation before mentioned; but he being of a dogged surly disposition would give no eare to my complaints nor take to hart my woefull mesery, pleading for the safety of his ship and goods, which by my being their would be exposed to the danger of confiscation, in case said he that I weere found theirin by the searchers. Yet he said if so be that I could get so far as Blaye, and shew myselfe their on the shore side, his men should fetch me into the ship after it had beene searched, and so I might then goe along with him to Lubeck. Here my sorrowes were multeplyed againe in an unspeakable manner, because as all my former endeavours even so this project which I had taken for my last refuge was fruitllesse. As much as my hart was refreshed the day before, when getting on ship board I came from dispaire to some hopes of a deliverance, so much and farr more was I now dejected, being reduced from hope to dispaire againe. For although the maister of the ship made some promisse to take me along with him if I could get to Blay, yet being altogether deprived of the present use of my feet, I could not conceive any hopes to gett thither and so to enjoy the comfort of his promisse neither. This desperate condition of myne gave so sad a spectacle to beholders in the ship that it fetched teares from their eyes when they saw me tourned into the boate againe, for they looked upon me as one that was going to a wofull and miserable end.