When he was 16, he had to flee England when the Puritans defeated and captured his father, King Charles I. His father was executed when he was 19 as he was trying desperately to organize an army to invade England and rescue him. He made promises to the Scots Covenanters that he had no intention of keeping in hopes of regaining his throne with a Scottish Army. Cromwell crushed his army at Worcester in 1651 and he had to flee for his life. He spent six weeks on the run, with a price on his head, often disguised as a servant or a groom. He and his friends tried to find a ship for France at three different ports and had dozens of narrow escapes before he was able to escape back to France.

He spent nine years in exile. The French signed a treaty with Cromwell and he had to flee to Cologne, Germany. He and his closest advisors were without funds and often went without food.

And then, in the ninth year of his exile Cromwell died and the Republic in England fumbled between Generals and Parliament over who his successor should be. Finally, the Governor of Scotland, General Monck had enough and marched to London, presided over the election of a pro-royalist Convention Parliament, and Charles was restored to his throne.

I’m about 2/3 of the way into the bio of Good Time Charley – a nickname perhaps he earned, though it is not completely fair to him. Still, he  had at least a dozen illegitimate children by seven mistresses, but no legitimate children.

Cromwell and the Puritans had closed the theaters in London. Charles and the Cavaliers reopened them (Cakes and ale for all!) and some very funny Restoration Drama was the result.

One of his friends composed the following bit of doggerel for him:

God bless our good and gracious king,

Whose promise none relies on;

Who never said a foolish thing,

Nor ever did a wise one.

To which Charles is reputed to have replied:

“That is true; for my words are my own, but my actions are those of my ministers.”

On the home stretch for Famous Men of the 16th & 17th Century. I have three more chapters to finished and three to edit.

Onward. . .