He is defeated and repulsed
Crab, the engineer, immediately cast his chains and grappling hooks over the unwieldy machine, and having effectually prevented its removal, poured down burning fagots upon its broken timbers, and consumed it to ashes. Nor were the English more fortunate in their attack upon the side of the river. Their ships, indeed, moved up towards the walls at flood-tide; but whether from the shallowness of the water, or the faint-heartedness of their leaders, the attack entirely failed. One of the vessels which led the way, on coming within range of the catapult, was struck by a large stone, which damaged her, and killed and mangled some of the crew; upon which the remaining ships, intimidated by the accident, drew off from the assault. A last effort of the besiegers, in which they endeavoured to set fire to St Mary's gate, was repulsed by the Steward in person; and at nightfall, the English army, foiled on every side, and greatly disheartened, entirely withdrew from the assault.The spirit with which the defence was carried on, may be estimated from the circumstance, that the women and boys in the town, during the hottest season of the assault, supplied the soldiers on the walls with bundles of arrows, and stones for the engines.
Although twice beaten off, it was yet likely that the importance of gaining Berwick would have induced the King of England to attempt a third attack; but Bruce determined to raise the siege by making a diversion on a large scale, and directed Randolph and Douglas, at the head of an army of fifteen thousand men, to invade England. During the presence of her husband at the siege of Berwick, the Queen of England had taken up her quarters near York, and it was the plan of these two veteran warriors, by a rapid and sudden march through the heart of Yorkshire, to seize the person of the queen, and, with this precious captive in their hands, to dictate the terms of peace to her husband.
Bruce, who, in addition to his talents in the field, had not neglected to avail himself in every way of Edward's unpopularity, appears to have established a secret correspondence, not only with the Earl of Lancaster, who was then along with his master before Berwick, but with others about the queen's person."f- The plan had in consequence very nearly been successful; but a Scottish prisoner, who fell into the hands of the English, gave warning of the meditated attack, and Randolph, on penetrating to York, found the prey escaped, and the court removed to a distance. Incensed at this disappointment, they ravaged the surrounding country with merciless execution, marking their progress by the flames and smoke of towns and castles, and collecting much plunder.
The military strength of the country was at this time before Berwick, and nothing remained but the forces of the church, and of the vassals who held lands by military service to the archiepiscopal see. These were hastily assembled by William de Melton, the Archbishop of York, assisted by the Bishop of Ely, and a force of twenty thousand men, but of a motley description, proceeded to intercept the Scots. Multitudes of priests and monks, whose shaved crowns suited ill with the steel basnet—large bodies of the feudal militia of the church, but hastily levied, and imperfectly disciplined—the mayor of York, with his train-bands and armed burgesses, composed the army which the archbishop, emulous, perhaps, of the fame which had been acquired in the battle of the Standard, by his predecessor Thurstin, too rashly determined to lead against the experienced soldiers of Randolph and Douglas. The result was what might have been expected. The Scots were encamped at Mitton, near the small river Swale. Across the stream there was then a bridge, over which the English army defiled.