Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The sixt of Maie they went towards Edenburgh, and as they approched néere the towne, the prouost of the same towne accompanied with one or two bur|gesses,The prouost of Eden|burghs re|quest. and two or three officers at armes, desired to speake with the kings lieutenant, and in the name of all the towne, said that the keies of the towne should be deliuered vnto his lordship, conditionallie that they might go with bag & baggage, and the towne to be saued from fire.The earle of Hertfords answer. Wherevnto answer was made by the said lord lieutenant, that where the Scots had so manifestlie broken their promises confirmed by oths and seales, and certified by the whole parlement, as was euidentlie knowne to the world, he was sent thither by the kings highnesse to take vengeance of their detestable falsehood, to declare and shew the force of his highnesse sword to all such as should make anie resistance vnto his graces power sent thi|ther for that purpose. And therfore he told them reso|lutelie, that vnlesse they would yéeld vp their towne franklie without condition, and cause man, woman, and child, to issue foorth into the fields, submitting them to his will and pleasure, he would put them to the sword, and their towne to the fire. The prouost answered it were better to stand to their defense.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Wherevpon charge was giuen to the said pro|uost and officer at armes, vpon their perill to de|part. And foorthwith the lord lieutenant sent to the voward, commanding that they should march to|ward the towne, which right hardilie they did, and the English gunners manfullie assailed the gates; namelie sir Christopher Morice master of the ordi|nance,Sir Christo|pher Morice. insomuch that the Scots were beaten from their ordinance, and the gate called Canogate bea|ten open with shot of the great artillerie, and there|with the Englishmen entering the same gate by fine force,Edenburgh entered by force. beat downe & slue a great number of Scots, and continuallie without staieng was the great ordi|nance drawne vp the stréet to the castell gates: but those that were within the castell shot so freelie at the Englishmen thus approching with their great artil|lerie, that diuerse were slaine, the artillerie of the ca|stell beat so directlie alongest the high stréet, as the Englishmen came vp the same. At length also one of the Englishmens culuerings was striken, and dismounted, and therevpon they were forced to re|tire backe and giue ouer their enterprise of making batterie to the castell, wanting pioners, baskets, and other things necessarie for such a purpose.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 This daie the Englishmen set fire in diuerse parts of the towne, but they had not leasure to mainteine it, by reason of the smoke rising and troubling them so extremelie, that no great hurt could be doone that daie, for that the night also came on, and so they de|parted backe againe to their campe at Lith. But the next daie, a certeine number of Englishmen vnder the leading of doctor Leigh, went againe to Eden|burgh, and did what they could, vtterlie to destroie the whole towne with fire, and so continued all that daie & the two daies next following. During all this violence offered by the English to the enimie, & no|thing left but despaire of life, the women and chil|dren beholding this desolation, made such outragi|ous exclamations and wofull lamentations, that heauen it selfe rang with their noise, as verie pi|thilie is described by Chr. O. in his report, saieng:
Foeminei sexus gemitus ad sydera grandiTolluntur strepitu, puerorum clamor in auras,Nil nisi triste fuit, faciésque miserrima rerum.