Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/607

 THE DESMOND REBELLION. 587 forgotten. Grey galloped down to Ventry sands to welcome him. On the 7th, at daybreak, he was by the side of Bingham in Smerwick bay, and instant prepar- ations were made for the attack. A reconnoitring party approached the fort in the afternoon. Some skirmishers came out and drew the English within range of the Italian guns. The ships replied, and the last hours of daylight were spent in loose firing, which did little harm on either side. At night the English cannon were brought on shore. Trenches were dug, and they were placed in position three hundred yards from the sand- hills which formed the outer line of defence. A heav^ bombardment was kept up all the next day, and the second evening the batteries were advanced till within a cable's length. The Italians too had heavy guns, and the fire of the fort on the second day was severe, doing little hurt however beyond killing young Cheke, who, exposing himself on the parapet of the trench to watch the effect of a shot, was struck down at Grey's feet, and died a few hours after. 1 At last a ball, aimed by Sir Wm. Winter himself, dismounted the largest piece which the .garrison had, and destroyed the men who were serving it, and after another round an Italian 1 Grey's account of Cheke' s death, in a letter to the Queen, is characteristic of himself and the times. ' Truly, Madam, he was. so disposed to God and made so divine a confession of his faith, as all divines in either of your Majesty's realms could not have passed it if matched it. So wrought in him God's spirit, plainly declaring him a child of his ; elected, to be no less comfort of his good and godly friends than great instruction and manifest motion of every other hearer that stood by, of whom there was a good troop.' Grey to Elizabeth, November 12, 1580; MSS. Ireland