oldest lives in England. The streets ran deep
with blood; and, independent of slaughtered enemies, the mangled and
lifeless bodies of seventeen thousand of the inhabitants paved the
streets. The war of death ceased only from lack of lives to prey upon.
With the exception of the Red Hall, the town was an awful and a
silent charnel-house. Within it were the thirty brave Flemings,
pouring their arrows upon the triumphant besiegers, and resolved to
defend it to death. Amongst them was the father of Isabella, and by
his side his intended son-in-law, his hands, which lately held a
bride's dripping with blood. The entire strength of the English army
pressed around the Hall; and fearful were the doings which the band of
devoted merchants, like death's own marksmen, made in the midst of
them. What the besiegers, however, failed to effect by force, they
effected by fire; and the Red Hall became enveloped in flames--its
wool, its silk, and rich merchandise blazing together, and causing the
fierce element to ascend like a pyramid. Still the brave men stood in
the midst of the conflagration, unquailed, hurling death upon their
enemies; and, as the fire raged from room to room, they rushed to the
roof of their hall, discharging their last arrow on their besiegers,
and waving their swords around their heads, with a shout of triumph.
There also stood the father, his daughter, and her lover, smiling and
embracing each other in death. Crash succeeded crash--the flames
ascended higher and higher--and the proud building was falling to
pieces. A louder crash followed, the fierce element surrounded the
brave victims--the gentle Isabella, leaning on her bridegroom, was
seen waving her slender hand in triumph round her head--the hardy band
waved their swords, and shouted, "_Liberty!_" and in one moment more
the building fell to the earth; and the heroes, the bridegroom, and
his bride, were buried in the ruins of their fortress and their
factory.

Thus fell the Red Hall, and with it the commercial glory of Berwick.

END OF VOL. XI.

FOOTNOTES:

[A] This tale was written by Mr Wilson from the circumstance of "The
Tales of the Borders" having been adopted as a lesson-book in several
schools--ED.

[B] The contrast here shown may be extended by a reference to "The
Henpecked Man," and thus three specimens of the _uxori emancipatus_
will be brought into comparison.--ED.

[C] The same anecdote is related of D