Transactions. 171) 



consecrated building belched forth tire and death with as little 

 compunction as if its walls liad never heard a gospel of peace. 



The cannonade went on, but Wharton soon found a change of 

 tactics necessary. To pound away at the top of the steeple was 

 going to prove a mere waste of powdei-. The ordnance was not 

 heavy enougli to make headway against the building, so the mode" 

 of attack was nltered. Whilst the whole tire was concenti-ated 

 on the battlements to harass the defenders the English pioneers 

 cautiously ad\anced to the walls. This plan so far succeeded ; a 

 " pavise " of strong timber — a sort of shed or roof — was thrown 

 forward to the Steeple, and men set forth to work under its pro- 

 tection to undermine the walls. But the garrison had not 

 exhausted their resources of offence, a great mass of stone — 

 perhaps part of a castellated battlement — which Wharton called 

 the top of the steeple — fell,or more probably was hurled over upon 

 the " pavise," crashing through it and carrying death in its train 

 The attack on the steeple in that quarter, and by that method, 

 had to be abandoned. 



Once again the tactics were changed. The operations of the 

 besiegers were directed against the wall of- the church at the 

 east end of the choir. There the attacking force was le.ss exposed to 

 reprisals. The gable end of the choir was assailed by the pioneers, 

 who this time attained their object. The east wall was cut through 

 and undermined, and not only the gable, but part of the choir roof 

 as well, fell inward, killing with the crash seven of the defenders. 



The strongest part of the whole structure remained. Although 

 tiie church was no longer defensible owing to the great breach 

 througli its eastern wall, the steeple was intact. But there was a 

 weak point in the armour. If the plan of the building is here 

 apprehended rightly, the sole door into the steeple was from the 

 inside of the church.* Obviously, therefore, the breach in the 

 choir gable and the falling in of the roof exposed the door. The 

 steeple laid open to attack at an entirely undefended point, was 

 reduced to desperate straits. 



" After that," says W'hai'ton, " we caused the peices be laid to 

 shoot at the door of the steple." Seemingly the guns were shifted 

 to the east end of the building and their tire directed through the 

 choir. The new attack did great execution among the cooped up 

 garrison taken as it were in the rear. It " caused them further 



*As, for example, is the case at Burghon-iSauds at this uionient, where, 

 moreover, the tower has actually still a port-hole for cannon. 



