three assaults were made to the bulwarke of England. And it was assailed
but with stones and bagges full of artificiall fire. And at these three
assaults many of our men were hurt with the sayd fire, and with the stones
that came as thicke as raine or haile. But in the end the enemies got
nothing but strokes, and returned into their trenches euill contented, and
murmuring, and sware by their Mahomet that Mustafa Bassha shoulde not make
them to mount any more to the sayd bulwarke. And that it was great folly
for them to cause them to be slaine at the will and fantasie of one man.
These wordes sayd in Greeke by some of the enemies were heard of our men as
they went downe from the bulwarke. And because (as it is sayd) that the
enemies at the assaults that were made, came vp by the earth and stones
that fell from the breaches, some of our men aduised to clense the
barbican, and take the earth out of the ditch, to the end that the enemies
should not easily come vpon the wall. And in effect weening that it were
well and behoouefull to be done, by great diligence night and day by mines
they voided the barbican, and the most part of the earth that lay in the
ditch was brought into the towne, the which was hurtfull afterward, and was
cause that the enemies got the foot of the wall. Notwithstanding, they had
it but scarsely. But this cleansing furthered the time, and caused them to
get it sooner then they should haue done if the earth had lien still: but
their finall intent was to raise the defence of the bulwarks, and then
passe at their pleasure, and enter into the barbican, as they haue done:
for the enemies seeing that the barbican was clensed, thought to get into
it by the trenches, and so they did, howbeit they were certaine dayes
letted by our handgun shot The enemies seeing, that they might not come
neere it, couered their trenches with tables to saue themselues: and then
they made a mine whereby they might goe to the barbican. So by these two
meanes, afterward they were repaired with earth and with a certaine wall
that they made for to eschew the shot of the bulwarks of Auuergne and
Spain: and in the mine they found but two gunners, which they slew by force