CASTLE CAKY. 93 



missiles and fire, without intermission, among the garrison, 

 and reducing thern to starvation ; so that at last he forced 

 thern to surrender on terms of Submission and alliance. 

 They eould not hold out any longer, as they were weakened 

 by want of food ; neither had the Earl, their hope and 

 refuge, arrived in Erigland; nor could the Bristol men 

 march to their relief, in consequence of the superiority of 

 the Royal foree. The terms of the treaty being ratified, 

 the King marched to Harptree," &c, &c. The author 

 then relates a stratagem by which the King, " at a subse- 

 quent period," got possession of Harptree Castle which 

 belonged to John, 4th son of Ascelin Gouel de Perceval, 

 and brother of the Lord of Gary. " When the King was 

 passing this Castle (Harptree), in his advance with a large 

 force to lay siege to Bristol, the garrison sallied forth and 

 hung on his rear ; whereupon he instantly countermarched 

 his troops, and spurring their horses they made a detour, 

 and reached the Castle in time to find it almost deserted. 

 Without a moment's delay some set fire to the castle gates, 

 others raised scaling ladders against the walls; and all 

 being encourag'd by the King to the utmost exertions, the 

 Castle, having few defenders, was stormed, and left under a 

 guard of his own troops, and the protection of Providence. 

 After his success at Cary, the King's attention was called, 

 without intermission, to the State of affairs in some part or 

 other in England ; and he was constantly in arms, leading 

 his troops from one quarter to another. As it is fabled of 

 the Hydra of Hercules, that as fast as one of the heads was 

 lopped off more sprung forth ; so it was, in a special man- 

 ner, with the labours of King Stephen: one ended, others 

 still more difficult succeeded; and like another Hercules, 

 he applied himself to the task with invincible energy." The 

 samc author procceds to say that in the year following 



