I am persuaded that this is a righteous judgment of God upon these barbarous wretches, who have imbrued their hands in so much innocent blood, and that it will tend to prevent the effusion of blood for the future, which are the satisfactory grounds to such actions, which otherwise cannot but work remorse and regret.' Sir Arthur Aston was known to be fond of money, and it was rumoured that much was hidden in his wooden leg. This turned out not to be the case, but 200 gold pieces were found in his belt. According to Wood's account he was actually despatched with this wooden leg. Several friars were in the town, and they were all killed. That some others of the slain were not soldiers is at least highly probable, for Cromwell himself mentions 'many inhabitants,' and in this the case of Drogheda does not differ from a hundred others, in which no special blame rests on the general. Ormonde says not a word about women having suffered; but Bate, who was not in Ireland, states in a book published in the following year that 'there was not any great respect had to either sex.' The stories attributed to Thomas Wood, the great antiquary's brother, rest entirely on hearsay evidence, and Thomas was a noted buffoon.[149] [Sidenote: The carnage lasted for two days.] [Sidenote: Richard Talbot.] [Sidenote: Demoralisation of Ormonde's followers.] That a garrison duly summoned should be put to the sword after the storming of their works was not contrary to the laws of war in those days. Ormonde speaks of 'the book of Martyrs, and the relation of Amboyna,' but the case of Magdeburg would have been more to the point. Ludlow says 'The slaughter was continued all that day and the next, which extraordinary severity, I presume, was used to discourage others from making opposition,' but he says nothing more, though he did not love Cromwell. 'And truly I believe,' wrote Oliver to Bradshaw, 'this bitterness will save much effusion of blood.' The charge that many were killed after quarter given may be founded on fact, but if quarter was anywhere promised it was by persons not authorised to give it, for Cromwell himself says that he forbade it immediately after entering the town. English and Irish alike were treated as accomplices in the Ulster massacre, though very few even of the latter could have had anything to say to it. Among those who escaped was Cornet Richard Talbot, afterwards Duke of Tyrconnel, who owed his safety to the humanity of Colonel John Reynolds. According to Hugh Peters the total number slain was 3552, the loss to the Parliamentarians being only sixty-four, while Cromwell estimates his killed at under a hundred, but with many wounded. Aston expected to be relieved, and was himself expected to hold out much longer. He complained that ammunition ran out fast, but it was certainly not exhausted when Cromwell forced the place, and Ormonde expressly states that there was enough for a long siege. He