the castle, whereof twenty were for them; that there was rich booty, and the like: so, during the siege, they used all base unworthy means to corrupt the defendants to betray the castle into their hands: the better sort they endeavoured to corrupt with bribes; to the rest they offer double pay, and the whole plunder of the castle. When all these arts took no effect, then they fall to stratagem and engines. To make their approaches to the wall with more safety, they make two engines; one they call the sow, the other the boar, being made with boards, lined with wool to dead the shot. The first that moved forward was the sow; but not being musket proof, she cast nine of eleven of her farrows; for the musketiers from the castle were so good marksmen at their legs, the only part of all their bodies left without defence, that nine ran away, as well as their battered and broken legs would give them leave; and of the two which knew neither how to run away, nor well to stay, for fear, one was slain. The boar, of the two (a man would think) the valianter creature, seeing the ill success of the sow to cast her litter before her time, durst not advance. The most advantageous part for their batteries was the church, which they, without fear of profanation, used, not only as their rampart, but their rendezvous: of the surplice they made two shirts for two soldiers;

Y 4

soldiers; they broke down the organs, and made the pipes serve for cases to hold their powder and shot; and not being furnished with musket bullets, they cut off the lead of the church, and rolled it up, and shoot it without ever casting it in a mould. Sir Walter and the commander were earnest to press forward the soldiers; but as prodigal as they were of the blood of their common soldiers, they were sparing enough of their own. It was a general observation, that valiant Sir Walter never willingly exposed himself to any hazard, for being by chance endangered with a bullet, shot through his coat, afterwards he put on a bear's skin; and to the eternal honour of this Knight's valour be it recorded, for fear of musket shot (for other they had none), he was seen to creep on all four, on the sides of the hill, to keep himself out of danger. This base cowardice in the assailant added courage and resolution to the defendants; therefore not compelled by want, but rather to brave the rebels, they sallied out, and brought in eight cows and a bull into the castle, without the loss of a man, or a inan wounded. At another time, five boys fetched in four cows. They that stood on the hills, called to one in a house in the valley, crying, "Shoot, Anthony;" but Anthony thought it good to sleep in a whole skin, and durst not look out, so that afterwards it grew into a proverbial jeer,

from

from the defendants to the assailants, "Shoot, Anthony." The rebels having spent much time and ammunition, and some men, and yet being as far from hopes of taking the castle as the first day they came thither; at last, the Earl of Warwick sends them a supply of an hundred and fifty mariners, with several cart-loads of petars, granadoes, and other warlike provision, with scaling-ladders, to assault the castle by scaladoe. They make large offers to him that should first scale the wall; twenty pounds to the first, and so, by descending sums, a reward to the twentieth; but all this could not prevail with these silly wretches, who were brought thither, as themselves confessed, like sheep to the slaughter, some of them having but exchanged the manner of their death, the halter for the bullet; having taken them out of gaols. One of them being taken prisoner, had letters testimonial in his hand whence he came; the letters, I mean, when he was burnt for a felon, being very visible to the beholders; but they found that persuasion could not prevail with such abject low-spirited men. The commanders resolve on another course, which was to make them drunk, knowing that drunkenness makes some men fight like lions, that being sober, would run away like hares. To this purpose they fill them with strong waters, even to madness, and ready they are now for any

design:

design and for fear Sir Walter should be va→ liant against his will, like Cæsar he was the only man almost that came sober to the assault: an imitation of the Turkish practice; for certainly there can be nothing of Christianity in it, to send poor souls to God's judgment-seat, in the very act of two grievous, sins, rebellion and drunkenness; who to stupify their soldiers, and make them insensible of their dangers, give them opium, Being now armed with drink, they resolve to storm the castle on all sides, and ap ply their scaling-ladders, it being ordered by the leaders (if I may without solecism call them so, that stood behind, and did not so much as follow), that when twenty were entered, they should give a watch-word to the rest, and that was Old Wat, a word ill chosen by Sir Watt Earle; and, considering the business in hand, little better than ominous; for if I be not deceived, the hunters that beat bushes for the fearful, timorous hare, call him Old Watt. Being now pot-valiant, and possessed with a borrowed courage, which was to evaporate in sleep, they divide forces into two parties, whereof one assaults the middle ward, defended by valiant Captain Lawrence, and the greater part of the soldiers; the other assault the upper ward, which the Lady Banks (to her eternal honour be it spoken), with her daughters, women, and five soldiers,

soldiers, undertook to make good against the rebels, and did bravely perform what she undertook; for by heaving over stones, and hot embers, they repelled the rebels, and kept them from climbing their ladders, thence to throw in that wild-fire, which every rebel had ready in his hand. Being repelled, and having in this siege and this assault lost and hurt an hundred men, old Sir Watt, hearing that the King's forces were advanced, cried, and ran away crying, leaving Sydenham to command in chief, to bring off the ordnance, ammunition, and the remainder of the army, who, afraid to appear abroad, kept sanctuary in the church till night, meaning to sup, and run away by star-light; but supper being ready, and set on the table, alarm was given that the King's forces were coming. This news took away Sydenham's stomach; all this provision was but messes of meat set before the. sepulchres of the dead. He leaves his artillery, ammunition, and (which with these men is something) a good supper, and ran away to take boat for Poole, leaving likewise at the shore about an hundred horse to the next takers, which next day proved good prize to the soldiers of the castle. Thus, after six weeks strict siege, this castle, the desire of the rebels, the tears of old Sir Watt, and the key of those parts, by the loyalty and brave resolution of this honourable lady, the