Though their cannon had been injured in the spiking, yet were they not rendered useless; for the same night they “played a sacre twice,” it is said, “to tell us they had cannon that wold speke tho’ our men had endeavoured to steele up all their lippes.”

On the 15th a grenado fell short of the house, in a walk near the chapel tower:  some pieces of the shell, two inches thick, flew over the wall, and were gathered up by the attendants.  It was a mighty achievement to fire this unwieldy engine, requiring great labour and exertion to fill up its mouth when once it had vomited forth its malice.  The day after, they loaded it with stones:  to their great joy, Morgan and his bombardiers beheld one of them strike within the body of the house, it being always a matter of some uncertainty where the ball might spend itself.  Indeed, it was said, in derision it might be, that sometimes their guns occasioned more damage to the besiegers than to the besieged.

Morgan now set to work, keeping as accurately as he might the head of the blatant beast to the same level, and loading it with a grenado.  When the gunner had finished his task and lighted the fusee, Morgan rubbed his hands for joy.  Retiring sharply, off went the missile with an explosion that shook the whole fabric.  When the smoke was gone they perceived some trifling damage in an old court, where the bomb, striking about half-a-yard into the earth, burst as it rose, much abated of its violence; yet it shook down some slight buildings near, but without hurting any one, save two women who had their hands scorched as a memorial of their presence at the siege of Lathom.

This mortar-piece was like some mighty dragon of old, causing great terror in the minds of the soldiers, who knew not how to escape, but were in continual fear and watchfulness, dreading the assaults of this terrible monster.  To allay their apprehensions, and to show their own indifference, the captains lodged in the uppermost rooms, behind clay walls, when not upon duty; and many other devices were resorted to for the purpose of encouraging their troops.  One circumstance, however, seemed to renew their courage; a gunner opposite, as he was mounting the ramparts to see the success of his shot, was slain by a marksman from one of the towers.  The next day one of their cannoneers was slain through the porthole by a skilful hand, which made the enemy more cautious than formerly.  Yet did they not slacken their endeavours, but fired almost incessantly.  On the Saturday afternoon they played their mortar-piece five times; and in the night twice with stones, and once with a grenado, which by the turning of the gunner fell short of the house.

On Easter Monday and Tuesday Colonel Rigby must needs gratify the country people with some pastime.  He had already spent upwards of two thousand pounds, and his great pretensions were hitherto unfulfilled.  Accordingly he ordered his batteries to be directed against the Eagle Tower, which, as we have before seen, stood near the centre of the buildings, and was the place where Lady Derby and the children usually lodged.