THE CIVIL WAR IN DEVON. 63 



he attempted to withdraw on Gith bridge, they struck 

 him behind with a bill-hook ; in short, notwith- 

 standing his cries for mercy, they cleft him in pieces, 

 and in burying the dismembered fragments, laid them 

 north and south, as being the body of a confirmed 

 heretic. 



The royal army, now swelled by the Welch and 

 other reinforcements to eight thousand strong, 

 marched to attack a line of intrenchments, which had 

 been thrown up at Sampford, Sir William Herbert 

 being in command of the advance. The ground 

 before the village, though contested with spirit, wa$ 

 presently carried with trivial loss on the part of the 

 crown ; but a Welch captain, named Ap Owen, and 

 some others were slain in assaulting a rampart erec- 

 ted at the entrance of the village. After this, the 

 dispirited remains of the insurgents effected a retreat 

 into Somersetshire, where they were attacked and 

 routed at King's Weston, by Sir Hugh Paulet, the 

 knight marshall, one of their chief captains, a gen- 

 tleman named Coffin being taken prisoner ; he was 

 subsequently executed with Arundel Winslade and 

 other leaders in London. 



The character and fate of Welsh, the priest, must 

 be given nearly in old Hooker's own words. This 

 man had many good things in him : he was of no 

 great stature, but well set and mighty compact ; he 

 was a very good wrestler, shot w^ell both in the long 

 and cross bow, handled his firelock well, was a good 

 woodman, and hardy, and such a one as would not 

 give his head for the polling, nor his beard for the 

 washing. He was hung in chains, on the steeple of 

 St. Thomas' Church, of which he was vicar ; he 

 made a confession, buttock his death very patiently, 

 and some few in respect of his gooH qualifications 

 lamented his case. 



Sir William Francis and Ap Owen were both of 

 them buried with military honors, in Exeter Cathedral. 



