As soone as they were gone I raised myselfe from my couch and perceiving in the little pertition where the oxen stood that their was a hole broken in the wall some nyne foot from the ground for to let the light in I hasted downe from the stack and went into the said stable and making meanes by a long beame to get up to the hole, after I had looked out of it, I found that it would be very narrowly overlooked by them that stood in the doore of the dwelling house. Yet because the watchmen that were at dinner saw a little more to that side of the doore where they could not give so good attendance to the hole as to the barne doore, I retourned to creep out and fell into a thicket of briers which were under the hole, and on that side of the barne. Being gotten to the ground I crept in the bottom of these bryers till I came at the back of the barne, then could I goe whether I would without disturbing the watchmen, being at their dinner. Now because it was daylight I durst not venture far to seeke a hiding place for feare of being betrayed againe, I was constrained to fall into a ditch under a thick hedge near the high way that came from Burdeaux. I had not lien long their before the alarum conserning me was made as fresh as ever it was. The troopers went too and fro upon the high wayes, and all the travillers that passed by me made me the cheife subject of their discourse, giving to my hearing (because I laid on the way side) their severall judgments upon me, one counting me a crafty fellow, another tooke me for a witch by reason that I had beene so oft in hold and yet escaped as oft again beyond their expectations that had me in coustody. All these things that I heard and saw could promisse nothing else but a finall ruine to me, neither could I since I was disapointed in my journey to Blaye think upon any way more wherby I might conceive any hopes of life; yet as every day brought forth new troubles, so new troubles led me upon new devices, new devices gave me new experiences of the wonderfull mercyes of God. Even so while I lay in the bottom of the hedge struggleing for life, I began to have new consultations againe; though I had hitherto beene frustrated in all my attempts, as longe as I enjoyed breath I thought it my duty to nature to thinke upon others. However the latter project semed to be more desperate then the former. I resolved theirfore to retourne to Bourdeaux againe being no further then three leagues from thence, and to apply myselfe to some Hambrough marchants, thinking if the Lord would yet looke upon my afflictions that he was able to incline their harts towards me, and make them instruments of my recovery, and keepe me also out of the hands of my enimyes which lived their, but if he intended to bring me to a wofull end in this world I counted it as expedient for me to submit to his good pleasure their, as in the country where not the least hope of life did appeare to me.