Complex sentence: While Stukley was waiting for further orders from the king, Ralegh attempted to escape to France; but returned to his arrest, and was taken up to London, where he was for a short time a prisoner at large.
Split into simpler sentences: While Stukley was waiting for further orders from the king, Ralegh attempted to escape to France; but returned to his arrest. In London Ralegh was for a short time a prisoner at large.