He
found among his own troops many men who had been used to a seafaring
life; these he disguised as fugitive Southrons from the late defeats,
and sent in boats to the enemy's vessels which lay in the roads. The
feint took; and by these means getting possession of those nearest the
town, he manned them with his own people; and going out with them
himself, in three days made himself master of every ship on the coast.
By this maneuver the situation of the beseiged was rendered so
hopeless, that no mode of escape was left but by desperate sallies.
They made them, but without other effect than weakening their strength
and increasing their miseries. Wallace was for them to do in their
situation, he needed no better spy over their actions than his own
judgment.
Foiled in every attempt, as their opponent, guessing their intentions,
was prepared at every point to meet their different essays, and losing
men at every rencounter, their governor stood without resource.
Without provisions, without aid of any kind for his wounded men, and
hourly annoyed by the victorious Scots, who continued day and night to
throw showers of arrows, and other missile weapons, from the towers and
springalls with which they had overtopped the walls, the unhappy Earl
of Gloucester seemed ready to rush on death, to avoid the disgrace of
surrendering the fortress.
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