Captain Musgrave, who had been left in charge of the castle by Sir Gilbert, and had with him forty musketeers, haughtily refused the summons, and at once returned the fire.
The defence was vigorous, but it soon became clear that the assault would be successful, whereupon Captain Musgrave sent out an officer to demand a parley, which was granted.
A conference then took place between Musgrave and Colonel Starkie—the result of which was that the former offered to deliver up the castle, provided the lives of the garrison were spared.
These terms being agreed to, after the delay of half an hour, Colonel Starkie and his men entered the outer court, where they found Captain Musgrave with the musketeers drawn up, and ready to depart. The great gates of the inner court were likewise thrown open, and no one could be seen upon the towers or walls.
“You have done wisely in delivering up the castle to us, Captain Musgrave, since you cannot hold it,” said Colonel Starkie, as he courteously saluted the discomfited officer. “You have made a gallant defence.”
“I hope Sir Gilbert Hoghton may think so,” replied Musgrave sternly. “Are we free to depart?”
Receiving an answer in the affirmative, he passed with the musketeers through the outer gate, and quickly descending the hill, made the best of his way with the little party to Walton-le-Dale, whence they proceeded to Preston.
Meanwhile, Colonel Starkie entered the castle with his men, and mounted towards the upper part of the building, in quest of arms and ammunition.
In a chamber on the summit of the structure, they found a much larger supply of muskets, calivers, petronels, and pistols than they expected, besides a great number of old arquebuses.
Moreover, there were two or three barrels of gunpowder, one of which seemed to have been half emptied by the men previous to their departure, since a good deal of powder was scattered about on the floor, and on the staircase.
Attaching little importance to this circumstance, Colonel Starkie was collecting all the arms he could find, when a terrific explosion took place, that shook the whole fabric to its foundations, rent the walls, blew off a large portion of the roof, and scattered great beams, stones, and mutilated bodies far and wide.
Immediately following the explosion, shrieks and cries could be heard, forming altogether a most appalling and unearthly noise.
When the soldiers left in the court-yard recovered from the shock, they rushed into the house, and found nothing but a heap of ruins, amidst which could be seen the bodies of their dead or dying comrades.
The upper part of the staircase was entirely destroyed, the floor cracked and broken, and a great portion of the roof blown off.
It was speedily discovered that a train had been laid, which had set fire to the barrels of gunpowder.
By this stratagem Colonel Starkie with a hundred and fifty of his soldiers were destroyed. Starkie’s body was so mutilated that it was only by his accoutrements that he could be recognised. The train had been laid by Urmston, the steward. He was betrayed by some of the household, and shot.
The central part-of the edifice, where the explosion occurred, was so damaged that it could not be inhabited, and it was not thought worth while to repair it. But the castle was fortified as strongly as ever, and the three large pieces of ordnance still kept their places on the outer gate.
By the Royalists the act was looked upon as just vengeance—by the Roundheads it was regarded as a detestable piece of treachery, which Heaven in due time would infallibly punish.
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XI
How Lord Goring brought a Despatch from the King to the Earl of Derby
Two days after he had captured Preston, Lord Derby held a council of war in an inner room in the town-hall, at which Lord Molineux, Sir Gilbert Hoghton, Sir Thomas Tyldesley and all the other commanders were present.
“I have now a proposition to make to you,” he said. “This success must be immediately followed up. Before the rebels can recover from their surprise we must strike another and heavier blow. We must attack Manchester with the fixed determination of taking the town. I doubt not we shall be successful. This very night we must start on the enterprise. If we tarry here we shall have to defend ourselves against Sir John Seaton and Colonel Holcroft, who most assuredly will besiege the town, whereas if we set out at once our movements cannot be checked.”