round the house, and every approach was guarded within a radius
of three miles. With the hope of getting rid of her unwelcome
guests, Lady Vaux revealed one of the "priests' holes" to prove
there was nothing in her house beyond a few prohibited books;
but this did not have the desired effect, so the unfortunate
inmate of the hiding-place had to continue in a cramped position,
there being no room to stand up, for four or five days more. His
hostess, however, managed to bring him food, and moments were
seized during the latter days of the search to get him out that
he might warm his benumbed limbs by a fire. While these things
were going on at Harrowden, another priest, little thinking into
whose hands the well-known sanctuary had fallen, came thither
to seek shelter; but was seized and carried to an inn, whence
it was intended he should be removed to London on the following
day. But he managed to outwit his captors. To evade suspicion
he threw off his cloak and sword, and under a pretext of giving
his horse drink at a stream close by the stable, seized a lucky
moment, mounted, and dashed into the water, swam across, and
galloped off to the nearest house that could offer the convenience
of a hiding-place.[1]

[Footnote 1: See Life of John Gerard, p. 386.]

At Hackney the Vaux family had another, residence with its chapel
and "priest's hole," the latter having a masked entrance high
up in the wall, which led to a space under a gable projection
of the roof. For double security this contained yet an inner
hiding-place. In the existing Brooke House are incorporated the
modernised remains of this mansion.