But see, his face is black, and full of blood;

His eye-balls farther out than when he lived,

Staring full ghastly, like a strangled man;

His hair uprear’d — his nostrils¹ stretch’d with struggling,

His hands abroad display’d, as one who grasp’d

And tugg’d for life, and was by strength subdued².

HENRY VI. PART I.

Had those whose unpleasant visit Sir Henry expected come straight to the Lodge³, instead of staying for three hours at Woodstock, they would have secured their prey⁴. But the Familist, partly to prevent the King’s escape, partly to render himself of more importance in the affair, had represented the party at the Lodge as being constantly on the alert, and had therefore inculcated upon Cromwell the necessity of his remaining quiet until he (Tomkins) should appear to give him notice that the household were retired⁵ to rest. On this condition he undertook, not only to discover the apartment in which the unfortunate Charles slept, but, if possible, to find some mode of fastening the door on the outside, so as to render flight impossible. He had also promised to secure the key of a postern, by which the soldiers might be admitted into the house without exciting alarm. Nay⁶, the matter might, by means of his local knowledge, be managed, as he represented it, with such security, that he would undertake to place his Excellency, or whomsoever he might appoint for the service, by the side of Charles Stewart’s bed, ere he had slept off the last night’s claret. Above all, he had stated, that, from the style of the old house, there were many passages and posterns which must be carefully guarded before the least alarm was caught by those within, otherwise the success of the whole enterprise might be endangered. He had therefore besought⁹ Cromwell to wait for him at the village, if he found him not there on his arrival; and assured him that the marching and countermarching of soldiers was at present so common, that even if any news were carried to the Lodge that fresh troops had arrived in the

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