With what transport shall I throw myself
into his arms, crave his blessing, tell him I have redeemed my shames,
and proved by my sufferings and my blood that I am no traitor."
Jobson took a lingering leave; the commands of Bellingham were
peremptory. Every soldier of the King's found in the castle, the evening
after its surrender, was ordered to be thrown over the rock into the
sea. Cowardice was his motive for this command. He dreaded the fury of
even a disarmed and unofficered army, and he resolved to disperse them,
previous to his bringing on the premeditated catastrophe of his bloody
tragedy.
On the succeeding morning a ghastly-looking figure, whose face spoke
some abhorred errand, ordered the captives to attend the council of
officers. Bellingham, surrounded with those, who secretly panted for his
destruction, acted as their organ, and assuming the consequence of a
general, informed his prisoners[2], "That after so long and obstinate a
defence, till they found it necessary to deliver up themselves to mercy,
it was necessary that the peace of the kingdom might be no more disturbed
in that manner, that some military justice should be executed, and
therefore the council had determined that three should be presently
shot.
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