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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 120

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EXCERPTA ΟΥΡΓ.ΙΛ. \ found his hopes, believing that he carries his fortune in his own righ* ηΛ^· Tl"s *s part of men truly strong and brave. Innumerable are the examples Tmc^ show ns valour and firmness have overcome difficulties which looted insuperable" ^11' ües^es confidence which rests on mere human resolve, we have a greater, a liveliei h°Pe °^ ^e^ver_ ance and victory, in that we are defending a just and pious cause agarÎs^ impions ajl(j treacherous foes, to whom God's providence has so far allowed some measri.tî °^ Sliceesg ^ that with a change in the fortune of war their ΊΙ may be the greater. We lnvc ^1011 e^orr argument, human and divine, to persuade us to drive fear from our breasts, and*0 noPe '01, a good and prosperous issue to our efforts." Loud and cheery shouts from all present greeted these words : everyone wîs^Pj ^ show his own stedfastness, and to encourage the rest to bear readily the toils anc^ Iprils before them. The Captains then, to inflame the troops by example as well as 5' >v>rd>, made the best possible distribution of the posts, and determined to have their owf ^UiVterK on the ramparts, just below the platform, so as to be ready at any moment for a callto 'rms, and to share in the daily work and risk. May was nearly half passed, the préparât»'118 vert» everywhere complete, and the spirits of the soldiers, countrymen and townsmen aliie' vere wonderfully ready to make or take the attack, when one morning at sunrise they sa^i-om the walls all the enemy's forts anil trenches full nf innumerable flags and lances, and eard a roar of men and of drums and other instruments. A little later the Turks began a fiions discharge of muskets and cannon, which they kept up throughout the day, hoping that heir fury would inspire their own troops with courage, and ours with fear. From the firs the plan of the enemy was to break down the city's defences: their shots were aimed a the parapets, but the besieged with wonderful speed repaired and strengthened them, using arth wetted and stamped into boxes and casks, with excellent, results. Gradually howeve the Turks took lower aim, and did great damage to the walls. It became necessary to can-.int() the city by night the stones dislodged during the day, a work of incredible toil, but hje]i was kept up until the Turks entered the fosse. For they had already driven their trebles up to the counterscarp, and while they threw earth into the ditch in front of them o:ÜHe side, and on the other from a small platform, they pierced the wall of the connterscarj-irjd made a safe entrance into the ditch, and right up to the walls, keeping out of reach ι the cannon of the demi-luues, which fired sideways, and exposed only to the slighter fire 1 the platforms. Γη the city powder was beginning to fall short, aud had to be used with osPj so that the gunners were forbidden to fire without express orders from their commander and these were only given when absolutely necessary. The chief means of harassing the ferny lay in the fireworks, which were hurled down on them from the walls, throwing thei^t,, disorder and killing many. Iron balls too were used, full of very fine powder, which,1irst and killed many persons at once. Yet all these devices conld not keep the enemy away from the walls, which they .gai, to undermine in several places, especially near the Arsenal. Some of these minesvpre discovered by the bowieged : the powder supplied their needs most opportunely, andriiat was laid for their ruin helped their defence. But the Turks had already posted large .dies of men in the ditch, where they were lodged comfortably in their tenta, secured from *acfc by the vigilant watch of those who manned the nearest trenches, who were so care] t<> observe the slightest, movement of any of our soldiers, that not a man could appear < the-walls but he was immediately marked down and killed by a musket ball. They d I10t neglect their mines, one of which under the demi-luue of the Arsenal did fatal daage while it showed signally the steadiness of our soldiers, or rather their pitiable sitt j01)

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