135 a prodigee, for fi·om the root to the top, there was not one strei$ht twig or branch of it; some say'd it was planted by King Richard the Third, and resembled him that sett it. On the other side the castle, was the little river of Line, and beyond that, large flat mcadowes, bounded by the river of Trent. In the whole rock there were many large caverns, where a greate magazine and many hundred souldiers might have bene dispos'd, if they had bene cleans'd and prepar'd for it, and might have bene kept secure from any danger of firing the magazines by any morter-pieces shott against the castle. In one of theae places, it is reported, that one David, a Scotch king, was kep t in cruel! durance, and with his nayles, had scratcht on the wall the story of Christ and his twelve apostles. The castle was not flanker'd, and there were no workes about it, when Mr. Hutchinson undertooke it, but only a little brestworke,. before the outmost gate. It was as ill provided, as fortified, there being but ten harrels of pouder, eleven hundred and fifty pounds of butter, and as much cheese, eleven quarter of bread come, seven beeves, two hundred and fourteen flitches of bacon, five hundred and sixty fishes, and fifteen hogsheads of beere. Assoone as the governor receiv'd his charge, he made proclamation in the towne, that whatsoever hones t persons desir'd to secure themselves or their goods in the castle, should have reception there, if they would repaire thei r quarters, which divers well affected men accepting, it was presently made capable of receiving 400 men commodiously. In the beginning of July 1643, Sr. John Meldrum, with all the force that quarter'd in Nottingham, marcht forth to the reliefc of Gainsborough, leaving the towne to be· guarded by few more then the very townsmen. There had bene large workes made about it, which would have requir'd at leas t three thousand men to man them and defend them well, and upon these workes there were about fourteen gunns, which the governor, when the forces were marching away, before they '~ent, drew up to the cas tl e, whereupon tbe X
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