The Laird of Restalrig's Daughter Author:John Harrison General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1857 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER IV. LOTH DURING THE SIEGE -- THE MISFORTUNES OP BAILIB BENCHWORTHY. In the town of Leith the greatest disorder prevailed. The Queen Regent's army within the fortress amounted to about three thousand men, and was composed partly of Scots and partly of French troops, under the command of Monsieur D'Osell. The fortifications had been hastily executed some time previously. In the absence of barracks in which to lodge the troops, they were permitted to expel the inhabitants from the best parts of the town, and take possession of their houses, which caused a considerable amount of suffering to the rightful owners. Nor was the army better appointed as regards provisions. The retreat within the walls being unpremeditated, a proper supply of rations had not been provided for the occasion ; and although the well-stored cellars and larders of the burgesses for some time supplied the deficiency, yet the inevitable consequence of this omission was, that the necessaries of life soon became scarce, aud the men were reduced to short allowance. The inhabitants having been thus forcibly victimised, to save themselves from famine, they endeavoured to conceal such stores as had not beenseized upon. This gave rise to a system of daily warfare between them and the famishing soldiery ; and, accordingly, many warlike feats were displayed in storming the granaries and wine-cellars of the unhappy Leithera. Although Douglas had been promoted to a captaincy by favour of the Queen, in the midst of such a scene of strife and commotion his new honours brought him little happinesa. The remembrance of the anfortnnate circ...« less