Read the following lines and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct option :

'My father lived at Blenheim then,
Yon little stream hard by;
They burnt his dwelling to the ground,
And he was forced to fly;
So with his wife and child he fled,
Nor had he where to rest his head.

'With fire and sword the country round
Was wasted far and wide,
And many a childing mother then,
And new-born baby died;
But things like that, you know, must be
At every famous victory.

The narrator's father _________ to save his life.

had to run away

The narrator's father had to run away to save his life.

In the given lines, the narrator's father lived in Blenheim, and when his dwelling was burnt to the ground, he was forced to fly. The phrase "forced to fly" means he had to quickly leave or escape to ensure his safety. It implies that he had to run away or flee from the dangerous situation to save his life. The use of "forced" suggests that he didn't have a choice but to escape the perilous circumstances.