mmanded by Colonels Egerton, Ashton, Holland, Rigby,
Moore, and Morgan, with their captains and lieutenants.

After many warlike demonstrations, by which they hoped to intimidate the
garrison, and after some days spent in fruitless endeavours to bring her
ladyship, as they said, to a due sense of her condition, they sent one
Captain Ashurst, "a fair and civil gentleman, of good character," with
fresh proposals. But Lady Derby, justly considering these frequent
treaties and debates were a discouragement to her men, implying weakness
and a want of confidence in her resources, replied sharply--

"That no one should quit the house, but that she would keep it, whilst
God enabled her, against all the king's enemies; that, in brief, she
would receive no more messages, but referred them to her lord, scorning
their malice, and defying their assaults."

As the sequel of a business often depends upon the manner of its
beginning, to second and confirm this answer the next morning she
ordered a sally, when Captain Farmer with one hundred foot and
Lieutenant Kay with twelve horse, their whole cavalry, went forth at
different gates. Captain Farmer, determining to take them by surprise,
marched up to the enemy's works without firing a shot; then pouncing
upon them suddenly in their trenches, he ordered a close and well-aimed
volley, which quickly made them leave their holes in great disorder.
Immediately Lieutenant Kay, wheeling round with his horse, took them in
flank, doing great execution as they fled. There were slain of the enemy
about thirty men. The spoil was forty muskets, one drum, and six
prisoners.

The retreat of this little band was skilfully secured by Captain Ogle
and Captain Rawsthorne, so that not one of the assailants was either
slain or wounded.

The besiegers were much annoyed with devices, ingeniously contrived by
the garrison to intimidate them, and hinder and injure their work.
Hitherto they had not been able to cast up a mound for their ordnance,
so harassed and occupied were they with these incessant alarms. But
Rigby, on whom devolved the plan and conduct of the siege, seeing that
their affairs were in no thriving condition, but that rather they were
the scoff and jest of the garrison, who daily taunted them from the
walls, determined at all hazards to raise his cannon. For this purpose a
considerable number of the peasantry and poorer sort in the
neighbourhood, and for miles round, were driven like beast