But the final arrangements were to be at the Hague, the capital of the United Provinces, amid whatever stately ceremonial of congratulation and farewell the Dutch Government could now offer in atonement for previous neglect or indifference.

There had been most pressing solicitations, indeed, from the Spanish authorities of Flanders, that Charles would return to Brussels and make his arrangements there; Mazarin too had sent a message at last, begging him to honour France by making Calais his port of departure; but Charles preferred the Hague.

It was at the Hague, therefore, that the commissioners from the two Houses of Parliament, with deputations from the City of London and the London clergy, were to wait upon Charles; it was there that he was to confer his first large collective batch of English knighthoods, following the single knighthood conferred conspicuously already on Dr.Clarges at Breda; and it was thence that there was to be the great embarkation for Dover.[1] [Footnote 1: Clarendon, 906-910; Pepys's Diary, from the 8th of May onwards.] And what meanwhile of the chief Republican criminals at home, whether the Regicides or the scores of others that might count themselves in peril for more than mere place or property?
Since the 1st of May, or before, such of them as could, such as were at liberty and had money, had absconded or been trying to abscond.

Of the Regicides and some of the rest we shall hear enough in due course.

For the present let us attend only to Needham and Milton.
Needham had absconded in good time.