John Clare’s Escape in his own words – pt.3

John Clare wrote the story of his escape from Epping Mental Asylum multiple times. Each version is a little different. Clare was suffering both from malnutrition and the effects of his ‘madness’ – it’s fair to say he wasn’t the most reliable narrator.

This is the second part (part one, part two) – pieced together from Clare’s own writings thanks to Eric Robinson – is illustrated with moments from the Clare’s Escape game.

On the third day I satisfied my hunger by eating the grass by the road side which seemed to taste something like bread. I was hungry and ate heartily until I was satisfied and in face the meal seemed to do me good. The next and last day I recollected that I had some tobacco and my box of lucifers being exhausted I could not light my pipe so I took to chewing tobacco all day and eat the quids when I had done and I was never hungry afterwards. I remember passing through Buckden and going a length of road afterwards I do not recollect the name of any place until I came to Stilton, where I was completely foot foundered and broken down.

When I had got about half way through the town a gravel causeway invited me to rest myself so I laid down and nearly went to sleep. A young woman (so I guessed by the voice) came out of a house and said “Poor creature;” and another more elderly said “Oh, he shams.” but when I got up the latter said “Oh no, he don’t” as I hobbled along very lame.

I heard the voices, but never looked back to see where they came from – when I got near the inn at the end of the gravel walk I met two young women and asked one of them whether the road branching to the right by the inn did not lead to Peterborough and she said “Yes” it did so as soon as ever I was on it, I felt myself in homes way and went on rather more cheerful though I was forced to rest oftener than usual.

Before I got to Peterborough, a man and woman passed in a cart and on hailing me as they passed, I found they were neighbours from Helpston where I used to live – I told them I was knocked-up, which they could easily see and that I had neither eat nor drank since I left Essex. When I told my story they clubbed together and threw me fivepence out of the cart. I picked it up and called at a small public-house near the bridge, where I had two half pints of ale, and twopenn’oth of bread and cheese. When I had done I started quite refreshed only my feet was more crippled than ever, and I could scarcely make a walk of it over the stones and being half ashamed to sit down in the street, and forced myself to keep on the move and got through to Peterborough better than expected.

When I got on the high road I rested on the stone-heaps, till I was able to go on afresh and bye-and-bye I passed Walton and soon reached Werrington amd was making for the “Beehive” as fast as I could when a cart met me, with a man, a woman, and a boy in it. When nearing me the woman jumped out and caught fast hold of my hands and wished me to get into the cart but I refused thinking her either drunk or mad. But when I was told it was my second wife, Patty, I got in, and was soon at Northborough.

But Mary was not there neither could I get any information about her further than the old story of her having died six years ago which might be taken from a bran new old Newspaper printed a dozen years but I took no notice of the blarney having seen her myself twelve months ago alive and well and as young as ever. So here I am homeless at home and half gratified to feel that I can be happy anywhere.

Explore John Clare’s journey through the game Clare’s Escape on Steam or the Apple Store.

The game explores more aspects of Clare’s life mind state and questions some of his official account.