BOSCOBEL, an extra.parochial liberty of England. in the co. of Shropshire, about 6 m. ease. of Shiffnal. The population of B. is only about 20, hut the place is interesting in connection with the escape of Charles II. after his defeat at Worcester. in 1651. After the battle, Boscobel house being proposed as a secure retreat, tbitherwards Charles • turned his steps. At White-Ladies. a seat of the Giffard family, which was reached in the early morning, the king had his long hair cut, his hands and face smeared with •socit, nits for his royal dress hesnlistituted the :been and greasy suit of a countryman, and a leathern doublet. Thus disguised, Charles passed through a secret door into neighboring wood, in the thickest part of which he sat shivering in the rain until dusk, • when be stole out, and along with a guide endeavored to reach Wales, where it was now tliought he would be safer than at Boscobel. They reached a royalist's house at Madeley. '00 the banks of the Severn, at midnight, and it was then found that they could not escape to Wales, on account of the vigilance of the Puritans; and once more. after a day's rest in it stable loft, the king started for Boscobel wood, where lie arrived about 5 o'clock in the morning. He immediately, along with maj. Carlis, who had led the forlorn hope at
Worcester. aseemled a thick pollard oak. from which they could watch at intervals during the day the roundheads in search of them passing, by unaware of their near pres mire. In the evening they descended from their elevated hiding-place, And made their way to the manor-house,where the king remained hidden for two days. After other nd ventures, Charles contrived to escape from England on the 17t11 Get.—The title of TRACTS has been given to certain contemporaneous writings, first published in 1662, 0-ivine. • emphie description of this passage of the monarch's life. The authorship is s• gcucrslly attributed to Thomas Blount, n loyal gentleman of Worcestershire; hut Nash. his grandson, in his history of Worcestershire, denies that they were his, on the authority of Blount himself. But the author. whoever he was, was manifestly it stanch royalist, and his narrative bears evidence that he had good opportunity for ascertaining the truth of all the statements in it.