Dr. Bayly informs us, to quote his own words, that “At the beginning of this Parliament (Nov. 1640), there were certain rustics who came into Raglan Castle to search for arms, his Lordship being a Papist.” The Marquis met them at the castle gate, desiring to know whether they came to take away his money, seeing they intended to disarm him. They stated that they made the application merely in consequence of his being a recusant. To which he replied, “he was a peer of the realm, and no convict recusant, therefore the law could not in reason take notice of any such things.” Finding some sharp and dubious expressions coming from the Marquis, they were at last willing to take his word; but he, not wishing to part with them on such easy terms, had before resolved to return them one fright for another. With that view he conveyed them up and down the castle, until at length he “brought them over a high bridge that arched over the moat, that was between the castle and the great tower,[C] wherein the Lord Herbert had newly contrived certain water-works, which, when the several engines and wheels were to be set a-going, much quantity of water, through the hollow conveyances of the aqueducts, was to be let down from the top of the high tower; which, upon the first entrance of these wonderful asinegoes, the Marquis had given order that these cataracts should begin to fall, which made such a fearful and hideous noise, by reason of the hollowness of the tower, and neighbouring echoes of the castle, and the waters that were between, and round about, that there was such a roaring as if the mouth of hell had been wide open, and all the devils conjured up, occasioning the poor silly men to stand so amazed, as if they had been half dead; and yet they saw nothing. At last, as the plot was laid, up came a man staring and running, crying out, _Look to yourselves, my masters, for the lions are got loose_. Whereupon the searchers tumbled so over one another escaping down the stairs, that it was thought one half of them would break their necks, never looking behind them until out of sight of the castle.”[23]