This Col. William Carlis was born at Bromhall in Staffordshire, within two miles of Boscobel, of good parentage, is a person of approved valor, and was engag'd all along in the first war for his late Majesty of happy memory; and since his death has been no less active for his Majesty that now is; for which and his particular service and fidelity before mentioned, his Majesty has been pleased by letters patents under the great seal of England to give him, by the name of William Carlos (which in Spanish signifies Charls) this very honorable coat of armes, in perpetuam rei memoriam, as 'tis expressed in the letters patents.
He bears upon an Oake proper, in a Feild Or a Fess Gulles, charged with 3 Regal Crowns of ye second: by the name of Carlos. And for his Creast a Civic Crown, or Oaken Garland, with a Sword and Scepter crossed through it Saltierwise.
The Oake is now properly call'd The Royal Oake of Boscobel, nor will it lose that name whilst it continues a tree: And since his Majesties happy restauration, that these mysteries have been revealed, hundreds of people for many miles round, have flock'd to see the famous Boscobel, which (as you have heard) had once the honour to be the palace of his sacred Majesty, but chiefly to behold the royal oake, which has been depriv'd of all its young boughs by the visitors of it, who keep them in memory of his Majesties happy preservation.
This Boscobel-house has yet been a third time fortunate; for after Sir George Booths forces were routed in Cheshire, in August 1659. the Lord Bruerton, who was engaged with him, took sanctuary there for some time, and was preserved.
When his Majesty was thus happily convey'd away by Col. Lane and his sister, the rebels had an intimation that some of the brothers were instrumental in his Majesties preservation; so that besides the temptations Humphry overcame at Shefnal, William Penderel was twice questioned at Shrewsbury on the same account by Capt. Fox and one LLuellin a sequestrator, and Richard was much threatned by a peevish neighbour at Whiteladies; but neither threats nor temptations were able to batter the fort of their loyalties.
After the King had entred Dan. 11. 9. into the Kingdom, and returned to his own land, the 5. brothers attended him at White-hall, on Wednesday the 13. of June 1660. when his Majesty was pleased to own their faithful service, and graciously dismiss'd them with a princely reward.
And soon after Mr. Huddleston and Mr. Whitgreave made their humble addresses to his Majesty, from whom they likewise receiv'd a gracious acknowledgment of their service and fidelity to him at Mosely; and this in so high a degree of gratitude, and with such a condescending frame of spirit, not at all puff'd up with prosperity, as cannot be parallel'd in the best of Kings.
Here let us all with glad and thankful hearts humbly contemplate the admirable Providence of Almighty God, who contriv'd such wonderful wayes, and made use of such mean instruments for preservation of so great a person: Let us delight to reflect minutely on every particular, and especially on such as most approach to miracle; let us sum up the number of those, who were privy to this first part of his Majesties disguise and concealment; Mr. Giffard, the five Penderels, their mother and three of their wives, Col. Carlis, Francis Yates and his wife, some of the inhabitants of Whiteladies, Mr. Woolf, his wife, daughter and maid, Mr. Whitgreave and his mother, Mr. Huddleston, Col. Lane and his sister; and then consider whether it were not indeed a miracle, that so many men, and (which is far more) so many women should faithfully conceal so important and unusual a secret; and this notwithstanding the temptations and promises of reward on the one hand, the danger and menaces of punishment on the other.
To which I shall adde but this one circumstance, that it was concealed by persons, for the most part, of that religion, which has long suffer'd under an imputation (laid on them by some mistaken zelots) of disloyalty to their soveraign.