with the infantry, was startled to find the broad ditch in
front of him. His troops halted on the edge, and for three quarters of
an hour the opposing forces fired volleys at each other across the
ditch. But the end was not far off. John Churchill was a subordinate in
the royal army and formed its line of battle, thus indicating the future
triumphs of the Duke of Marlborough. Then the royal cavalry came up, and
in a few minutes the rebels were routed, and Monmouth, seeing all was
lost, rode from the field. His foot-soldiers, with their scythes and
butt-ends of muskets, made a gallant stand, fighting like old soldiers,
though their ammunition was all gone. To conquer them the artillery were
brought up, for which service the Bishop of Winchester loaned his
coach-horses. The cannon were ill served, but routed the rebels, and
then the infantry poured over the ditch and put them to flight. The king
lost three hundred killed and wounded; the rebel loss was at least a
thousand slain, while there was little mercy for the survivors. The sun
rose over a field of carnage, with the king's cavalry hacking and hewing
among their fleeing foes. Monmouth, with one or two followers, was by
this time far away among the hills, but was afterwards captured in the
New Forest, and ended his life on the scaffold. The Sedgemoor carnage
went on all the morning; the fugitives poured into Bridgwater with the
pursuers at their heels; five hundred prisoners were crowded into Weston
Zoyland Church, and the next day a long row of gibbets appeared on the
road between the town and the church. Bridgwater suffered under a reign
of terror from Colonel Kirke and his "Lambs," who put a hundred
prisoners to death during the week following the battle, and treated the
others with great cruelty. Then Judge Jeffreys came there to execute
judicial tortures, and by his harsh and terrible administration of the
law, and his horrible cruelties and injustice, gained the reputation
that has ever since been execrated.

Six miles south-east of Bridgwater is the Isle of Athelney, a peninsula
in the marsh between the Parrett and the Tone. Here King Alfred sought
refuge from the Danes until he could get time to mature the plans that
ultimately drove them from his kingdom. It was while here that the
incident of the burned cakes occurred. The king was disguised as a
peasant, and, living in a swineherd's cottage, performed various menial
offices. The good wife left him in charge