and the Lord HUME with their company, fled, and saved themselves by another way issuing out towards the Castle of the said town. The situation whereof is of such strength that it cannot be approached, but by one way; which is by the High Street of the town; and the strongest part of the same Castle lieth to beat the said street: which was the loss of divers of our men with the shot of the ordnance out of the said Castle, which did continually beat along the said High Street. And considering the strength of the said Castle, with the situation thereof; it was concluded not to lose any time, nor to waste and consume our munition about the siege thereof. Albeit the same was courageously and dangerously attempted; till one of our pieces, with shot out of the said Castle, was struck and dismounted.
And finally it was determined by the said Lord Lieutenant utterly to ruinate and destroy the said town with fire: which for that the night drew fast on, we omitted thoroughly to execute on that day; but setting fire in three or four parts of the town, we repaired for that night unto our camp.
And the next morning, very early, we began where we left off, and continued burning all that day and the two days next ensuing continually, so that neither within the walls nor in the suburbs was left any one house unburnt: besides the innumerable booty, spoil and pillage that our soldiers brought from thence; notwithstanding the abundance which was consumed with fire. Also we burnt the Abbey called Holy Rood House, and the Palace adjoining the same.
In the meantime, while we held the country thus occupied; there came unto us 4,000 of our light horsemen from the Borders, by the King's Majesty's appointment: who after their coming, did such exploits in riding and devastating the country that within seven miles every way of Edinburgh, they left neither pile, village, nor house standing unburnt, nor stacks of corn; besides great numbers of cattle, which they brought daily in to the army, and met also with much good stuff which the inhabitants of Edinburgh had for the safety of the same, conveyed out of the town.
In this mean season, Sir NICHOLAS POINTZ, by order of my Lord Lieutenant, passed the river, and won by force the town of Kinghorn; and burnt the same with certain other towns on that side.
