Thus being at his last turn, he changed from royalist to rebel, and was set to guard the king in the castle of Carisbrooke.

But there he stooped to a bribe, and took from his royal prisoner a splendid diamond of the crown to let him go; then, with the jewel in his pocket, turned traitor again, and showed a file of soldiers into the room where the king was stuck between the window bars, escaping.

But no one trusted Blackbeard after that, and so he lost his post, and came back in his age, a broken man, to Moonfleet.

There he rusted out his life, but when he neared his end was filled with fear, and sent for a clergyman to give him consolation.

And 'twas at the parson's instance that he made a will, and bequeathed the diamond, which was the only thing he had left, to the Mohune almshouses at Moonfleet.