• .They fobn got hatehets and wedges, and the fupports of the gate next the town were de-ft royed. { John Biflet fent off a meflenger to the lord Percy at Alnwick, which is but twelve fhort leagues off, to requeft he would come imme-diately to his affiftance wkh all his forces, for that Berwick caftle had been taken by the Scots. He alfo faid to Thomelin Priant*, who was the perfon he fent ; c Tell my lord of Percy the ft ate you have left me in, and how the Scots are fhut up in the caftle, and cannot get away, unlefs they leap the walls ; fo let him haften here as faft as he pofiibly can.* Alexander Ram fay and his men having fcaled the caftle of Berwick, thpught they had done won-ders, as in truth they had : they would have been mailers of the town, if John Biflet had not a&ed fo prudently, and flain whomever they pleafed, or fhut them up in the tower, for fuch was their in-tention : they faid, c Let us now go into the town ; it is ours ; and fei^e all the riches, which we will make the good men of the town carry away for us, and then we will fet fire to it, for it cannot now make any refiftance : in three or four days time, fuccours will come from Scotland, fo that we fhall fàve all our pillage : and on our departure we will fet the caftle on lire, and by thefe means repay our hofts.' All his companions aflented, for they were eager for gain. They tightened on their # Thomelin priant. arms, 338