"Yet shut your eyes wilfully, and go blindfold to your destruction.
To-morrow these walls in which ye trust, this Egypt in whom your soul
delighteth, shall be as Sodom. Brimstone and fire shall devour you; and
they that flee from it shall not escape!"
Gideon and his threats were, however, speedily thrust out at the gates,
and the answer transmitted through him was faithfully reported to the
council.
Though this heroic woman was not daunted, yet she saw her soldiers
were, at times, dispirited, by reason of the expected succours so long
delayed. The mortar-piece, too, which, if it had been well managed, was
sufficient to have laid the fortress in ruins, was an object of daily
terror and annoyance.
One of the MS. journals states,[47] "The little ladyes had stomack to
digest cannon; but the stoutest souldiers had noe hearts for granadoes,
and might not they att once free themselves from the continual
expectac'on of death?"
Her ladyship was well aware that inactivity is, of all things, the most
dangerous and dispiriting to the soldier, who, used to the bustle and
array of camps, doth fear nothing so much as a quiet home and winter
quarters.
It was needful that something should be done, some decisive blow struck;
for, according to the historian, "Chaunges of tymes are the most fitt
for brave attempts, and delayes they are dangerous, where softnes and
quyetnes draweth more danger than hazarding rashly."
"A hard choice either to kill or be killed;" but such was their case.
The Countess therefore proposed that the next morning, a little while
after daybreak, they should make a sortie; and though ordnance was
planted against every passage, yet that they should sally forth, and
stake their all upon one desperate throw.
On the 26th April, about four o'clock, before sunrise, the action
commenced. Captain Chisnall and Captain Fox, with Lieutenants Brettargh,
Penketh, Walthew, and Woorrall, were appointed for the service. Captain
Ogle had the main-guard to secure a retreat at the southern gate, while
Rawsthorne had the charge of the sally-gate to secure a retreat on the
eastern side. Captain Ratcliffe had the command of the marksmen and
musketeers on the walls, while Farmer, with the reserve, stood ready at
the parade, to relieve any of them in case of necessity. All things
being ready, Captain Chisnall and two lieutenants issued out at the
eastern sally-port. The morning favoured their attempt, being wet and
foggy, so that before he was discovered he got completely under their
cannon, marching immediately upon the scouts where the enemy had planted
their great gun.
"It cost him a light skirmish to gain the fort; at last hee entered;
many slayne, some prisoners, and some escaping. Now by the command of
that battery, the retreate being assured, Capt Foxe seconds him w^th
much bravery, beateing upon their trenches from the easterne to the
south-west point, till hee came to the work w^ch secur'd the
morter-peece, w^ch being guarded w^th 50 men, hee found sharpe service,
forceing his way through muskett and cannon, and beateing the enemy out
of the sconce w^th stones, his muskett, by reason of the high worke,
being unserviceable. After a quarter of an houres hard service, his men
gott the trench and scal'd the rampier, where many of the enemy fledd,
the rest were slayne. The sconce, thus won, was made good by a squadron
of musketteers, which much annoyed the enemy, attempting to come upp
agayne. The 2 maine works thus obtained, the two captaynes w^th ease
walked the rest of the round, whilst Mr Broome, w^th a companye of her
la^pps servants and some fresh souldiers, had a care to levell the
ditch, and by a present devise, with ropes lifting the morter-peece to a
low dragge, by strength of men drew it into the house, Capt. Ogle
defending the passage ag^t another companye of the enemye which play'd
upon their retreate. The like endeavour was used to gayne theire greate
gunnes; but lying beyond the ditch, and being of such bulke and weight,
all our strength could not bringe them off before the whole army had
fallen upon us; however, our men took tyme to poyson all the cannon
round, if anything will doe the feate, Capt. Rawstorne still defending
the first passe ag^t some offers of the enemy to come up by the wood."
It was near the conclusion of this affray, as Mr Broome, the steward,
and several of his helpers, were encompassing the great dragon which had
so often vomited forth fire and smoke upon them, intending to carry it
away captive, that they heard a voice from the breach below:--
"Hold, ye uncircumcised:--I will make your house desolate, and the glory
thereof shall be turned into ashes."
The mortar was ready charged, and they beheld Gideon, with a lighted
match, springing towards them. Several of the men drew aside in dismay;
but as Providence willed it, he was prevented from his purpose, the
light being struck from his hand, and himself tumbled backwards into a
deep and muddy ditch, extinguishing both light and life apparently
together. But he arose, and would have run a tilt at them in this
unsavoury condition, had he not been caught by one of his enemies, who
waggishly exclaimed--
"Let us yoke this great Amalekite to the gun. He'll help us well over
the ditch."
This goodly piece of advice was not neglected; and the unhappy Gideon,
fastened between two yoke-fellows, was dragged on by main force, the
hindmost threatening to shoot him if he made any resistance.
In vain did he cry out for vengeance upon them. His gods were deaf--no
miracle was wrought for his deliverance; and though he would have called
down fire from heaven upon his adversaries, the thunders he impiously
desired died harmless on his own tongue.