Connecticut Historical Collections

The two .hulges of King ('harles 1., GoiTc and Whalley, (commonly called the Regicides,) on the restoration of Charles 11. to the throne of his father, in order to save their lives were obliged to flee the kingdom: they arrived at Boston iiom England, the 27th of July, 1660, and took up their residence in Cambridge; but finding it un- safe to remain any longer, they left that place and arrived at New Haven the 7th of March, 1661. They were well treated by the min- ister and magistrates, and for some days thought themselves entirely out of danger. But the news of the king's proclamation being brought to New Haven, they were obliged to abscond. The 27th of March they returned, and lay concealed in the house of I\Ir. Davenport, the minister, until the 30th of vXpril. ]\Ir. Daven})ort was threatened with being called to an account, for concealing and comforting traitors ; but the Judges, who had before ivmoved from Mr. D.'s house, ujjon intima- tion of his danger, generously resolved to deliver themselves up to the authorities of New Haven. They accordingly let the deputy governor, IMr. Leete, know where they were ; but he took no measures to secure them ; and the next day, some of their friends came to them and advised NKW HAVEN. 151 lliem not to surrender. Having publicly shown themselves at New Haven, they had cleared Mr. Davenport iroui the suspicion of conceal- ing them ; after which they returned to their cave, which still goes hy the name of the Jailgcs' Cave. It. is situated on the top of West Rock, about half or three quarters of a mile from the southern extremity. It is a place well chosen for obser\ing any approacli to the mountain ; likewise any vessel coming into the harbor, can from this rock be easily seen. The cave is formed on a base of jjcrhaps forty feet square, by huge broad pillars of stone, fd'teen or twenty feet high, standing erect and elevated above the surrounding suiierficies of the mountain, surroun- ded with trees, which conceal it from observation. The apertures be- ing closed with branches of trees, or otlicrwise, a well covered and con- venient lodgment might be formed, as these rocks, being contiguous at the top, furnished space below hn-gc enough to contain bediling and two or three persons. J\lr. Richard Sperry, who lived on the west side of the Rock, about a mile from this cave, supplied thein daily with food, sometimes carrying it himself, and at other times sending it by his boys, tied up in a clotli, willi directions to leave it on a certain stump, from which the JudLres would lake it. South vitw oj th The incident which caused them to leave the cave was this ; the mountain being a haunt for wild animals, one night as the Judges lay in bed, a panther or catamount, putting his head into the aperture of the cave, blazed his eye-balls in such a frightful manner as greatly to terrify them. One of them took to his heels, and fled down to S[)erry's house for safety. Considering this situation too dnngerous to remain any longer, it was abandoned. Another place of their abode, in the vicinity of New Haven, was at a spot called ilie Ijoclge. It was situated at a spring, in a valley, about three miles west, or a little northwest, iiom the last mentioned residence. North of it was an eminence, called the Fort to this day, from which 152 N i; W IIAVKN. there was full view of tlio harbor, to the southeast, seven miles off. There were several other ):ilaees on and about the West Rock, which were used by thcni for jilaces of conceahnent. The two nieiitioiied, however, were tlieir principal places. Among the many tratlilionary anecdotes and stories, concerning the events which took place at and about the time the Judges' pursuers were at New Haven, are the following: — 1. Tlie day they weie exjiected, the Judges walked out towards the Neck bridge, the road the puisuers must enter the town. At some dis- tance from the bridge, the sheriff, who then was i\Ir. Kimberly, over- took them, with a warrant for their apprehension, and endeavored to take them. The Judges stood upon their defense, and planted themselves behind a tree ; being expert at fencing, they defended themselves with their cudgels, and rei^elled the oflicer, who went into town to obtain assistance, and upon his return, found they had escaped into the woods beyond his reach. 2. That immediately after this, during the same day, the Judges hid themselves under the i\eck bridge, where they lay concealed while the pursuivants rode over it ami passed into town ; and that the Judges re- . turned to New Haven that night and lodged at tlie house of Mr. Jones. All this tradition says, was a preconcerted and contrived business, to show that the magistrates of New Haven had used their endeavors to apprehend them before the arrival of the pursuers. 3. That when the pursuers were searching the town, the Judges in shifting their situations, ha|)])eneci, by accident or design, at the house of a Mrs. Eyers, a respectable lady ; she seeing the pursuivants con)ing, ushered her guests out at the back door, who after walking a short dis- tance, instantly returned to the house, and were concealed by her in one of the aparlarents. The pursuers coming in, inquired whether the re- gicides were at her house ; she answered, they had been there, but were just gone away, and pointed out the course they went into the woods and fields ; by her polite and artful address, she diverted their attention from the house, anti [lutting them upon a false scent, thereby secured her friends. 4. That while the Judges were at the house of I\Ir. Richard Sperry, they were surprised by an unexpected visit from their pursuers, whom they espied at a distance, as the causeway to the house lay through a morass, on each side of which was an impassable swamp. They were seen by the Judges, when several rods from the house, who therefore had time to make their escape to the mountain. 5. At or about the time tlie pursuers came to New Haven, and per- haps a little before, to prepare the minds of the people for their recep- tion, the Rev. Mv. Davenport preached publicly from this text. Isaiah, xvi. 3, 4. — Take counsel., execute judgment, viakc thy shadow as the night in the viidst of the noonday; hide the outcasts, betray not him that wandercth. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moah ; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler. This doubtless had its efiect, and put the whole town iipon their guard, and united the people in caution and concealment. N K W II A V E N . 153 6. To show llic duxteiily of the JudL^csnt fencinc;, tlie followiiig story Is toh! : thai whilu at Bobtuii, there appeai'ed a lenc'mjr nuiskr, who, on a stage erected for the purpose, walked it for several days, challeng- ing and defying any one lo play with him at swords ; at lenglli, one of tlie Jnilges disgnised in a ru-lie dress, holding in one hand a cheese, wrapped in a naj)kin, for a shield, with a hroonisiick, the nio]) of which he had besmeared witli dirty puddle water as he ])a^^sed along — thus equipped, mounted the stage. The fencing master railed at him for his inii)udence, asked him what business he had theie, and bid him be- gone. The Judge stood his gromul, upon which the gladiator made a pass at him with his sword to drive him off — a rencounter ensued — the Judge received the sword into the cheese, and held it until he drew the inoj) of the broom gently over iiis mouth and gave the gentleman a pair of whiskers. He made another ))ass, and |)lunging his sworil a second time, it was caught and lield in the cheese, whilst the mop was drawn gently over his eyes. At a third lunge, it was again cauglit and held in the cheese, until the Judge had rubbed the broom all over his l\ice. Upon this the gentleman let fall iiis small sword, and took u[) the broad sword. The Judge then said, "stop, sir; hitherto, you see, I have only played with you, and not attempted lo harm you ; but if you come at me now with the Ijroad sword, know that I will certairdy take your life." The lirmness with wiiicli lu," sijokc; struck the ma>lei', who, desisting, exclaimi.'d, " \V'ho can )(ui be ? You must be either Gofle, Whalley, or the J^evil, lor tiiere was no other man in England that could beat me." On the i;Jth of October, KKM, they left New Haven, and arrived at Hadlcy the latter jvart of the same month. During their abode al Had- ley, the famous Indian war, called " h'iiii^ PhU'iiis «((/•," took place. The pious congrenation ol Hadley were observing a fast (ju the occasion of this war, ant! being at public wor.-.liip in the meeting houbc, Sept. 1st, 1()75, Were suddenly siu'ronndeil by a body of hulians. It was customary in the frtintier towns, and even at i\ew Haven, in these Indian wars, for a select number of the congregation to go armed lo jjublic worship. It was so at Hadley at this time. The people immediately took to their arms, but were thrown into great confusion. Had Hadley been taken, the discovery of the Judgc-s would have been unavoidable. Sudiletdy, and in the midst of the people, there appeared a man of \Qiy venerable aspect, and dillerent from the iidiahitants in his apparel, who took the command, arranged and ordered them in the best n)ilitary manner. Under his direction, they repelled and routed the enemy, and thereby saved the town. He inmiediately vanished, and the inhabit- ants could account for the phenomenon in no other w'ay, but by consid- ering ihat person as an angel sent by God, upon that special occasion for their deliverance ; and for some time after said and believed, that they had been saved by an angel. Nor did tliey know otherwise, till fifteen or twenty years after, when at length it became. known at Hadley that the two Judges had been secreted there. The angel was GoiXe, for Whalley was superannuated in 1G75. The last account of GolFe is from a letter dated ' Ebcnczer, (the name they gave their several places of 20 154 N i: \V H A V K N ,