Volume I Part 53 (1/2)
There was something more than usually impressive in his manner. Moseley took the loaf as requested; and the gaoler, as if the object before him were beneath suspicion, exclaimed with a knowing look--
”Had I not brought the manchet myself, and watched thee narrowily, I should have guessed thou hadst crammed some secret message therein to the camp. But I defy thee, or any of thy batch, to cheat old Gabriel, the rogue's butler!”
”Prithee, search,” said Captain Moseley, drawing the loaf from his pocket; ”thou mayest, peradventure, find treachery in a toothmark, for o' my troth they be legibly written.”
”Nay,” said Gabriel, with great self-importance, ”the knave's jaws will score no ciphers. I had as lief interpret pot-hooks and ladles.”
The captain again thrusting it beneath his belt, promised to show his commanders with what coa.r.s.e fare and severity the prisoners were treated.
”Wilt thou that I intercede for thee before the Countess?” he continued; ”if so be that she would remit thee of this durance.”
In a voice of thunder spake the incorrigible Gideon--
”Intercede!--I would as lief pray to the saints they should intercede with the Virgin Mary. I will rot from this perch piecemeal ere I pray to yonder unG.o.dly woman. Yet shall I escape out of their hands, but not by mine own might, or mine own strength,” said the lion-hearted captive.
Leaving this indomitable Roundhead to his fate, Moseley returned to the camp, reporting the ill success of his mission.
Great part of the day was spent in angry discussion, so that Moseley had nigh forgotten his message from Gideon; yet he remembered it ere he left the council. Pulling out a coa.r.s.e bannock, to the great astonishment of his auditory, he brake it, relating his interview with the captive. Near to where the prisoner had taken his last mouthful, Moseley found a bit of crumpled paper. The surprise and dismay of the a.s.sembly may be conceived after he had read the following billet:--
”MY DEAREST HEART,--
”With much joy and comfort I send thee news that his Highness Prince Rupert hath gotten a great victory over the rebels at Newark; and I have besought his Majesty that he should march into Lancas.h.i.+re. By two days, at farthest, these enemies who now beleaguer my house shall be cut off. We purpose to come upon them suddenly, so that they shall be taken in their own snare. I have raised 3000 on the jewels conveyed to me from Lathom by the last sally, which sum I purpose giving in largess to the soldiers, that it may quicken them to thy help. My prayers and blessing for thee and the children.--Thine,
”DERBY.”
This secret intelligence had missed its destination. The gaoler had unfortunately picked it up from where some friendly hand had thrown it, reserving the curious envelope for Gideon's breakfast, not aware of the important message it contained. But the prisoner, more wary than his keeper, when he felt the paper between his teeth, rightly judged that it was some communication of importance to his enemies, and craftily conveyed it, as we have seen, into the hands of Captain Moseley.
No mean act of heroism for a starving man to wrench the food from his own jaws,--a deed we might in vain look for amongst the patriots of our own day,--persons who would sneer at the fanaticism, and, it may be, the sincerity of Gideon Greatbatch.
Consternation was visible throughout the a.s.sembly. They had all along flattered themselves with the expectation that Prince Rupert's army was too urgently required for the relief of York, to have caused them any disturbance; and, with inward curses on the king for his humanity, secret preparations were made for raising the siege.
Though ignorant of the cause, the garrison soon espied an unusual bustle in the camp. They were evidently preparing for some exploit. One of the spies brought intelligence that two squadrons had departed in the night, and that Colonels Moore and Ashton were on their return to Manchester.
On Monday morning, the 27th of May, it was agreed that Captains Ogle and Rawsthorne should make a sally. But they found the enemy had been beforehand with them, leaving the camp in the utmost terror and disorder. Intelligence now arrived that Prince Rupert had entered Lancas.h.i.+re by way of Stockport, where the Parliament army, under Colonels Duckenfield, Mainwaring, Buckley, and others, had suffered a total route. The besiegers had commenced their retreat between twelve and one o'clock the preceding night.
Thus ended the first siege of Lathom, after the place had been closely beset four months; during which time the garrison lost but six men,--four in the service, and two by negligence and over-daring.
They were, in general, supplied with provisions, her ladys.h.i.+p seeing the men's rations duly served. Yet were they not seldom pushed to a sally for their dinner; their friends outside, by lights and other appointed signals, directing the foragers in their operations.
The enemy shot 107 cannon-b.a.l.l.s, 32 stones, and but four grenadoes. By their own confession near 100 barrels of gunpowder were spent, part of which was in supplies to the garrison, who often replenished their stock at the expense of the besiegers. They lost about 500 men, besides wounded and prisoners, according to their own returns.
The next day Rigby, with about 3000 men, drew up at Eccleston Green, six miles only from Lathom, in great uncertainty which way to march, fearful of meeting with Prince Rupert. In the end, imagining that his Highness would go through Blackburn or Lancaster to the relief of York, Rigby marched off in great haste to Bolton, then a garrison town, and well fortified.
The Prince, hearing of their escape, together with Lord Derby, immediately turned their forces in this direction, determined to carry the place by a.s.sault, and revenge the insults and barbarity her ladys.h.i.+p had endured. This resolution was terribly accomplished. Sixteen hundred of her besiegers lay dead on the place; and twenty-two colours, which three days before flourished proudly before the house, were presented to her from his Highness by Sir Richard Crane, as a memorial of her deliverance, and ”a happy remembrance of G.o.d's mercy and goodness to her and her family.”
FOOTNOTES:
[43] The name a.s.sumed by a body of men who met, during the wars, in Manchester; and who in energy and power were second only to their London brethren.