In the first place, our flight might soon be
discovered by one of the warders who had not been bribed by Dame Trond;
and, should we be pursued, we were too likely to be recognised. I now
wished that we had made some arrangement for changing our dresses, but
it was too late to do that. Unwilling to return to Master Clough's
house, we agreed that our best plan was to make our way direct towards
the Water Gate, in which neighbourhood we hoped to fall in with Captain
Radford and his party. There were one or two spots in that
neighbourhood where I knew we might possibly have time to take off our
friars' dresses. Master Overton had been so long accustomed to wear a
similar costume, that he was perfectly at home in his; and, though it
was much against his will, he followed my example in making the usual
signs to the passers-by who saluted him.

By this time people were proceeding in greater numbers towards the
citadel, literally leaving a considerable portion of the town
depopulated. At length we reached the part of the wall near the Water
Gate which Captain Radford had pointed out as most easy to scale. It
was about an equal distance from the towers, from which, although
sentries were generally placed in them, we hoped that, on this occasion,
they might be withdrawn. The wall, I think I said, was very thick,
there being a passage within it, running completely round the city, with
here and there openings in the inside, to afford light and air. At the
top also was a walk communicating with the various towers. There was
but little difficulty in scaling the wall from the inside to the upper
wall, as from the numerous buttresses and turrets, concealment might
easily be obtained. The risk was in descending on the outer side, where
it was far more open to view. The streets in this part of the city were
especially narrow, with numerous dark passages and archways. The
inhabitants, too, were nearly all Romanists, and they appeared mostly to
have gone out to welcome the Duke; so we had not much difficulty in
finding a secluded spot, where we could get rid of our friars' costume.
Master Overton had been dressed in his gown when taken. Under this he
had the dress of a civilian, which he usually wore. The gown he had
left in the prison when he put on the friar's dress. We both of us
therefore were sufficiently clothed, after getting rid of our friars'
robes, to appear in the streets. Scarce a minute was occupied in
throwin