THE SCOTS SURPRISE BERWICK 1377
In so much, so it happened that king Robert of Scotland, the same season that king Edward the third was dead, and king Richard crowned, he assembled his council at Edinburgh in Scotland, whereas were the most part of all the barons and knights of Scotland, and of other such as he thought should do him service shewing them how Englishmen in time past had done them many great inconveniences, as in burning of their countries, beating down their castles, slaying and ransoming their men saying also, "Sirs, now is the time come that we may well be revenged, for now there is but a young king in England, for king Edward is dead who was wont to have so good fortune." Then the barons and young knights that were there, such as desired to be revenged of the damage done to them by the Englishmen, answered all with one voice, how they were all ready apparelled to ride into England, an it were the same day or the next, or when it pleased him. This answer pleased greatly the king of Scots, and he thanked them all and there the king ordained four earls, to be as chief captains of all the men of war, and that was the earl of Douglas, the earl of Moray, the earl of Mar, and the earl of Sutherland, and the constable of Scotland, Sir Archibald Douglas, and the marshal of the host, sir Robert Erskine. And so they made their summons to be at a certain day at Morlaine. And in the making of this assembly, there departed from them a valiant squire of Scotland, called Alexander Ramsey, who thought to enterprise to achieve a great feat of arms, and took with him forty well mounted, and rode so long by night privily, that by the day in the morning he came to Berwick, which was English and captain of the town was a squire of the Earl of Northumberland named William Byset, and in the castle was captain a valiant knight, called sir Robert Abenton. When the Scots were come to Berwick, they kept themselves private, and sent a spy to the town and to the castle, to see in what condition it was. The spy entered down into the dykes, where there was no water, nor none could abide there, for it was all a quick boiling sand, and so the spy looked and hearkened all about, but he could neither hear nor see any creature, and so he returned and showed all that to his master. Then Alexander Ramsey advanced forth, and brought all his company privily into the dykes, and had with them ladders, and so dressed them up to the walls, Alexander was one of the first that mounted up with his sword in his hand, and so entered into the castle, and all his company followed him, for there was none that withstood them. And when they were all within, then they went to the chief tower, whereas the captain was asleep, and so there suddenly with great axes they broke up the door. The captain suddenly awoke; and had slept all night, and had made but small watch, the which he dearly bought; and so opened his chamber door, weening to him the noise had been made by some of his own soldiers that would have robbed or murdered him in his bed, because he had displeased them the week before ; and so leapt out of a window down in to the dykes in great fear, without order or good advice, so that with the fall he brake his neck and there he died. The watchmen were half asleep, and heard the noise and woke, and perceived well how the castle was sealed and betrayed, and so sounded a trumpet Trahey, Trahey. William Byset, captain of the town, hearing the voice of a trumpet, armed him, and caused all them of the town to be armed, and so drew all before the castle, and heard well the noise that the Scots made within, but they could not enter in, for the gate no abut and the bridge drawn, Then the captain, William Byset, remembered him of a great device, and said to them of the town that were about him: "Let us break down the stays of the bridge on this side, and then they within cannot issue without our danger." Incontinent with axes they beat down the bridge and stays thereof towards the town; and then William Byset sent a messenger to Alnwick a XII little miles thence, to the lord Percy, certifying him of all the matter, desiring him to come without delay with some great puissance, to rescue again the castle of Berwick, so taken by stealth by the Scots. And moreover William Byset said to Thomas Fryant, who was the messenger, "Shew to my lord in what case ye leave us, and how the Scots are closed within the castle, and cannot issue out without they leap the walls, and therefore desire him to make the more haste." Alexander Ramsey and his company, who had thus sealed the castle of Berwick, and thought they had done a great enterprise, and so they had done indeed, an William Byset had not provided a sudden remedy, for else they had been also lords of the town ; and so slew of them within the castle whom it pleased them, and the residue they took prisoners, and shut them up fast in a tower. Then they said, "Now let us go down into the town, for it is ours, and let us take all the good therein, and the rich men of the town, and bring them all into this castle, and then set fire on the town, for it is not to be kept by us. And within three or four days we shall have rescue out of Scotland, so that we shall save all our pillage, and at our departing let us set fire in the castle, and so pay our host." To which purpose they all agreed, for they desired all to win some pillage; and so they took each of them a glaive in their hands, they found enow in the castle, and so opened the gate and let down the bridge, and when the bridge was down, the ropes that held it brake asunder, for the resting place of the bridge was broken away toward the town. And when William Byset saw the manner of them, then he and all his company began to shout and cry, and said, "Ah, sirs, keep you there: Ye shall not depart thence without our leave." And when Alexander Ramsey saw the manner of them without, then he saw and knew well how they were advised of his being in the castle, and so closed again the gate for fear of being shot, and fortified the castle, thinking to have kept it, and did cast out into the dykes all the dead men, and put up into a tower all their prisoners. They thought the place was strong enough to keep long, or at least till some rescue might come to them out of Scotland, for the barons and knights of Scotland were assembling together at Morlaine and thereabout; and also the earl Douglas was departed from Dalkeith, and was come to Dunbar.
