ineere, Browne, who discovered to us
the nature of their trench, in which they had laboured two monthes to
draw away our water. Theire first designe was to drayne and open our
springs, not considering theire rise from a higher ground south-east
from the house, w^ch must needs supply our deepe well, where-ever they
suncke their fall: this invenc'on faileing, they bringe up an open
trench in a worme work, the earth being indented or sawed for the
securitie of their myners, and the ditch two yards wide and three deepe
for the fall of the water.

"But now neither ditches nor aught els troubled our souldiers, theire
grand terror, the morter-peece, which had frighted 'em from theire meate
and sleepe, like a dead lyon, quyetely lying among 'em; everye one had
his eye and his foote upon him, shouteing and rejoiceing as merrily as
they used to doe w^th theire ale and bagpypes. Indeed ev'y one had this
apprehenc'on of the service, that the maine worke was done, and what was
yet behind but a meere pastime.

"Her la^pp though not often overcarryed w^th any light expressions of
joy, yet religiously sensible of soe great a blessing, and desirous,
according to her pious disposition, to returne acknowledgements to the
righte authour, God alone, presently commands her chaplaynes to a
publike thanksgiving.

"The enemy, thus terrifyed with this defeate, durst not venture theire
workes agayne till midnight; towards morneing removeing some of theire
cannon, and the next night stealeing away all the rest, save one peece
for a memorand. This one escapyt nayleing, which the colonells durst not
venture on its owne mount, but planted att a distance, for feare of
the madmen in the garrison.

"One thing may not heere bee omitted: that day that our men gave Rigby
that shameful defeate, had hee destined for the p'secuteing of his
utmost cruelty. Hee had invited, as it is now gen'ally confest, all his
friends, the holy abettors of this mischiefe, to come see the house
yeelded or burnt, hee haveing purposed to use his morter gunne w^th
fireballs or granadoes all afternoone; but her la^pp before two o'clocke
(his own tyme) gave him a very skurvy satisfying answ^r, soe that his
friends came opportunely to comfort him, who was sicke of shame and
dishonour, to be routed by a lady and a handfull of men."

This proved a sore disaster to the besiegers. The soldiers, too, began
to cry out for their pay. The long-expected plunder of Lathom had
hitherto k