165 the water, the cavaliers had made an island; while some of the souldiers held them in talke, others on Wednesday night cut the sluce, and by breake of day on Thursday morning had pitcht two colours in the island, within carabine shot of the fort, and the govern~r's companie bad as much advanc'd their approach on the other side. When they in the fort saw, in the morning, how the assailants had advanct, while they were kept secure in talke all the night, they were extremely madde, and swore like devills, which made the governor and his men greate sport: and then it was believ'd they in the fort began to thinke of flight; which the besiegers not expecting, still continued their approaches,. and that day got forty yards nearer in the island and on the other side. Allhough Sr. John Gell's men came but on Tuesday, on Thursday the second messenger came from him, to call them back. The governor entreated them to stay that night and keepe the trenches, while his men refresht themselves: which they did, but his men would not goe out of their trenches, but. slept there to fitt themselves for the · assault which the governor had rcsolv'd in the morning, and for that purpose, after he had left them with all things provided in their trenches, he went to the castle to see the fire-balls and other necessaries for the assault brought downe, and at three in the morning came with them, when the souldiers told him the cavaliers in the fort had for two hours left of shooting. He sent some souldiers then to the worke sides to discover what this meant; but they, perceiving the place empty, went in and found that all the garrison was stollen away, a nd had left behind them four score sheep, a hundred loads of coales, twenty quarter of oates, much hay, a greate deale of plunder'd lead, and a fort so strong, that if they had had such courage as became men of thei r profess ion, they w9uld nevet: have quilt it. They left all their workes slanding, and only broke up tw.o arches of the Trent bridges, to hinder the governor's men from following them. Their flight was by that meanes secur·d, the river
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