Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/231

 our Lieutenant Generall: at which time, being about eight of the clocke, we began to march, and about noone time, or towards one of the clocke, we approched the towne, where the Gentlemen and those of the better sort, being some hundred and fiftie braue horses or rather more, began to present themselues; but our small shot played vpon them, which were so susteined with good proportion of pikes in all parts, as they finding no part of our troope vnprepared to receiue them (for you must vnderstand they viewed all round about) they were thus driuen to giue vs leaue to proceed towards the two gates of the towne, which were the next to the seaward. They had manned them both, and planted their ordinance for that present, and sudden alarme without the gate, and also some troopes of small shot in Ambuscado vpon the hie way side. We diuided our whole force, being some thousand or twelue hundred men into two partes, to enterprise both the gates at one instant, the Lieutenant Generall hauing openly vowed to Captaine Powell (who led the troope that entred the other gate) that with Gods good fauour he would not rest vntill our meeting in the market place.

Their ordinance had no sooner discharged vpon our neere approch, and made some execution amongst vs, though not much, but the Lieutenant generall began forthwith to aduance both his voice of encouragement, and pace of marching; the first man that was slaine with the ordinance being very neere vnto himselfe: and thereupon hasted all that hee might, to keepe them from the recharging of the ordinance.

And notwithstanding their Ambuscados, we marched or rather ran so roundly in to them, as pell mell wee entred the gates, and gaue them more care euery man to saue himselfe by flight, then reason to stand any longer to their broken fight. Wee forthwith repayred to the market place: but to be more truely vnderstood, a place of very faire spacious square ground, whither also came as had bene agreed Captain Powell with the other troope: which place with some part next vnto it, we strengthened with Barricados, and there as the most conuenient place assured ourselues, the Citie being farre too spacious for so small and weary a troope to vndertake to guarde. Somewhat after midnight, they who had the guard of the Castle, hearing vs busie about the gates of the said Castle, abandoned the same: some being taken prisoners, and some fleeing away by the helpe of boates to the other side of the Hauen, and so into the countrey.