in spite of their thickness, in crashing through them, killing many of the men beneath.  The experiment was also tried of throwing balls of Greek fire down upon the wood; but as this was green and freshly felled it would not take fire, but the flames dropping through, with much boiling pitch and other materials, did grievously burn and scald the soldiers working below it.  Upon both sides every device was tried.  The cross-bow men among the mercenaries kept up a fire upon the walls to hinder the defenders from interfering with the operations, while the archers above shot steadily, and killed many of those who ventured within range of their bows.

After ten days’ labour, a portion of the moat some twenty yards in length was filled with bags of earth, and all was ready for the assault.  The besiegers had prepared great numbers of strong ladders, and these were brought up under shelter of the screens.  Then, all being ready, the trumpets sounded for the assault, and the troops moved forward in a close body, covering themselves with their shields so that no man’s head or body was visible, each protecting the one before him with his shield held over him.  Thus the body presented the appearance of a great scale-covered animal.  In many respects, indeed, the warfare of those days was changed in no way from that of the time of the Romans.  In the 1200 years which had elapsed between the siege of Jerusalem and the days of the crusades there had been but little change in arms or armour, and the operations which Titus undertook for the reduction of the Jewish stronghold differed but little from those which a Norman baron employed in besieging his neighbour’s castle.

Within Evesham Castle all was contentment and merriment during these days.  The garrison had no fear whatever of being unable to repel the assault when it should be delivered.  Huge stones had been collected in numbers on the walls, cauldrons of pitch, beneath which fires kept simmering, stood there in readiness.  Long poles with hooks with which to seize the ladders and cut them down were laid there; and all that precaution and science could do was prepared.

Cuthbert passed much of the day, when not required upon the walls, chatting with the Lady Margaret, who, attended by her maidens, sat working in her bower.  She had learnt to read from the good nuns of the convent—­an accomplishment which was by no means general, even among the daughters of nobles; but books were rare, and Evesham boasted but few manuscripts.  Here Margaret learnt in full all the details of Cuthbert’s adventures since leaving England, and the fondness with which as a child she had regarded the lad grew gradually into the affection of a woman.