Image: Edinburgh Castle during the 'Lang Siege' (May 1573)

Description: Detail from an old woodcut of Edinburgh Castle during the 'Lang Siege' (May 1573) Our Queene [Elizabeth], at the request of hir cousin the yong King of Scottes, appoynted Sir William Drurie, knight marshal of Barwicke, to passe into Scotland with a thousande souldiours, and fiue hundred pioneers, and also certaine peeces of artillerie, to helpe by siege and force of canon to constrayne those that kepte the Castell of Edenbourgh agaynst the sayde King to yeelde the same into his handes. (...) Thus, by the valiant prowes and worthie policie of Sir William Drurie, our Queenes Maiesties Generall, and other the Captaines and souldiours vnder his charge, was that Castell of Edenbourgh wonne (...) which, by the common opinion of men, was esteemed impregnable, and not to bee taken by force; insomuche, as many thought, it tooke the name of Mayden Castle, for that it had not beene wonne at any tyme before, except by famine or practise, but suche is the force of the Canon in this age, that no fortresse, be it neuer so strong, is able of it selfe to resyst the puyssaunce thereof, if the situation be of that nature, as the grounde aboute it will serue to conuey the great artillerie to bee planted in batterie agaynst it. -- Thomas Churchyard [?], Journal of the Siege of the Castle of Edinburgh, 1573, reprinted in The Book Of The Old Edinburgh Club, vol. xvi 1928 This image is annotated on its description page.
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