For when that well wall’d towne, which Venlo hight, Was round about begirted by the foe, Huge spirit and high conceit did so excite Stout _Williams’_ mightie mind, to vndergoe Some great attempt, that he full bent to show Proofe of his valour by some famous act, With hardie _Skinke_ this wonder did enact: 119. When grizly night her iron carre had driuen From her darke mansion house, that hidden lies In Plutoe’s kingdome, to the top of heau’n, And with black cloake of clouds muffling the skies, With sable wings shut vp all wakefull eies, Obscur’d with darknesse grim they both did go, To act this stratagem vpon the foe: 120. Husht were the winds, the aire all silent was, Sad was the night, in skies appear’d no starre; Yet through darke horror dreadlesse did they passe, And listning vnto euery breach of aire, With stealing steps this dangerous worke did dare, Whom at the length the dark night’s shadie wing, Into the foe-men’s campe did closely bring. 121. Where, when they came, the vtmost watch they found Vpon the ground all carelessely dispread, Who tir’d with toile, lay in deepe sleepe fast drown’d, And as they slept, each one secure of dread, His weapon had fast fixed at his head, Mongst whom, like hungrie wolues on flockes vnkept, Stout _Skinke_ and worthie _Williams_ boldly stept. 122. Then death triumpht in slaughter of the slaine, Soules strugling in the pangs of many a wound, Departs in griefe and makes aire sigh againe, Swords blusht with blood, grim horror did abound, A crimson dew stood on the grassie ground; Disorder, dread, death, noise and darknesse grim, In blood and gore of slaughtred foes did swim. 123. [Sidenote: The Prince of Parma.] By the still watch and two strong courts of gard, Through death, through blood and armes they boldly went, Vntill they came, where horriblie they scar’d The prince himselfe sweet sleeping in his tent, Whom in their power they long’d to circumuent, Where many a noble wight fast snoring drown’d, In deepest sleepe with death they did confound. 124. But as their swords they in their foes did sheath, At last, through massacres, through shrikes and cries Of sad soules groning in the pangs of death, On euery side the startled foes did rise, And shrikt out thicke alarmes to shun surprise, Crying arme, arme, whereby appall’d with feare, Th’whole host in sudden throngs all gathered were. 125.