These fair words pleased our fools, and the French bands were the next night directed to Haddington. They approached the town a little after midnight, so secretly that they were never espied until the foremost were within the base court, and the whole company in the churchyard, not two pair of butt-lengths from the town. The soldiers, Englishmen, were all asleep, except the watch, which was slender, and yet the shout was raised, "Bows and bills: bows and bills," which in all towns of war signifies need of extreme defence, to avoid present danger. The affrighted arose; weapons that first came to hand serving for the need. One amongst many came to the east port, where lay two great pieces of ordnance, and where the enemies were known to be. Crying to his fellows that were at the gate making defence, "Ware before," he fired a great piece, and thereafter another. God so conducted this discharge that, after it, no further pursuit was made. The bullets rebounded from the wall of the Friar Kirk, to the wall of St. Catherine's Chapel, which stood directly fornent it, and from the wall of the Chapel to the Kirk wall again, so often that there fell more than a hundred of the French, at those two shots only. The firing was continued, but the French retired with diligence, and returned to Edinburgh, without harm done, except the destruction of some drinking beer, which lay in the said Chapel and Kirk. Herein was ample satisfaction for the slaughter of the said captain and Provost, and for the slaughter of such as were slain with him. This was the beginning of the French fruits. This winter also did the Laird of Raith most innocently suffer, the head of the said nobleman being stricken from him; especially because he was known to be one that unfeignedly favoured the truth of God's Word, and was a great friend to those that were in the Castle of St. Andrews. Of their deliverance, and of God's wondrous working with them during the time of their bondage, we must now speak, lest, in suppressing the record of so notable a work of God, we might justly be accused of ingratitude. [Sidenote: Of the Scots Prisoners in France, and their Deliverance.]