The Shasta courier., 1868-09-05

town, to the assistance of his feet. They
commenced resolute attack from the North.
while the greater part of the garrison held
bloody combat with the ships in the river
Though thus attacked upon both sides. the
besieged fought with the courage of surround
ed lions, and the proud feet was defeated and
driven from the river.
The attacks of the army was desperate but
without success, for desperate were the men
who opposed them. Treachery, however.
that to this day remains undiscovered, existed
in the town and, at an hour when the gar
rIson thought not, the gates were deceitfully
opened, and the English army rushed like
torrent upon the streets. Wildly the work
of slaughter began. With the sword ond
with the knife, the inhabitsnts defended every
house, every Foot of .gronnd. 10 l2Sf
Mid mothers and gentle ffaidena fought
for their thresholds with the fury of hungry
wolves-and delicate hands did deeds of car
mage. The war of blood ragged from street to
street, while the English army poured on like
eeaseess stream. Shouts, groans, the clang
OF swords, and the shrieks of women mingled
together. Fiercer grew the close and the
deadly warfare but the numbers of the be-
sieged became few Heads of dead men Law
at every door, each with his sword glued to
y
warriors from Fife, every man perished; but
their price was costly sacrifice of the bold
est lives in England; the streets ran deep
with blood !; and independent of slaughtered
enemies, the mangled and lifeless bodies of
seventeen thousand of the inhabitants paved
the streets. The war of death ceased only
from the lack of lives to prey upon. With
the exception of the Red Hall, the town was
an awful and silent charnel house. Within
it were the thirty brave Flemings, pouring
their arrows upon the triumphant besiegers,
and resolved to defend it to the DEATH
Among them was the father of Isabella, and
by his side his intended son-in-law, his hands.
which lately held a BRIDES dripping with
blood. The entire strength of the English
army pressed around the Hall; and fearful
were the doings which the band of devoted
merchants, like deaths own marksmen,
made in the midst of them. What the be.
siegers failed to effect by force they effected
by fire, and the Red Hall became -enveloped
in tiames-its WOOL its silks, and rich mer-
chandlse blazing together, and causing the
herce elements to ascend like a pyramid
Still the brave men stood in the midst of the
conHagration, unquailed, hurling death upon
their enemies; and as the fire ragged from
room to room, they rushed to the roof of their
Hail.. discharging their last arrow on their
besegers, and waving their swords around
their heads with shout of triumph There,
also, stood the father. and his daughter and
her lover, smiling and embracing each other
In death. Crash succeeded crash-the flames
assembled higher and higher-and the proud
building was falling to pieces. A louder
crash followed, the fierce elements surround
ed the brave victims-the gentle Isabella,
leaning on her bridegroom, was seen waving
her slender hand in triumph round her head
the hardy band waved their swords and
shouted " L'bertyr' and, in one moment
more, the building fell to the earth, and the
heroes, the bridegroom and his bride, were
buried in the ruins of their fortress and their
factory.
Thus fell the Red Hall, and with it the
commercial glory of Berwick. Sir William
Douglas surrendered the castle to Edward,
and the town was given up to plunder and
brutality. Its trade in wool and in foreign
merchandise was transferred to its rival, Lon
don-and need we say that it has not recov-
cred it