n the struggle, and the
demand for news of the expedition created a supply giving circumstantial
accounts of what had _not_ taken place. One of them was headed, "Bloody
news from the Barbados, being a true relation of a great and terrible
fight between the Parliament's Navie, commanded by Sir George Ayscue,
and the King of Scots' Forces under the command of the Lord Willoughby;
with the particulars of the fight, the storming of the Island, the
manner how the Parliament's Forces were repulsed and beaten off from
Carlisle Bay and the Block House, and the number killed and wounded."
And all this before any attempt had been made beyond the blockade!

On the receipt of the news of the battle of Worcester, Ayscue sent
another flag of truce to give Willoughby the information, saying that he
did so as a friend rather than as an enemy. He was acting in that
quality, by stating the true condition of England, and leaving him and
his friends to judge of the necessity for due obedience to the State of
England; otherwise they would be swallowed up in the destruction so
shortly and inevitably coming upon them.

In reply, Willoughby said he had never served his king so much in
expectation of prosperity as in consideration of duty, and that he would
not be the means of increasing the sad affliction of His Majesty by
giving up that island. To this Ayscue rejoined, that if there were such
a person as the king, Willoughby's retention of that place signified
nothing to his advantage, and therefore the surrender could be small
grief to him. He well knew the impossibility of the island subsisting
without the patronage of England, and the admiral's great desire was to
save it from ruin and destruction.

As Willoughby refused to surrender, Ayscue determined to attack the Hole
or James's Town, which he did on the 2nd of November, beating off its
defenders, taking thirty prisoners, and spiking the four guns of the
fort. On the 1st of December the fleet which had been sent to reduce
Virginia arrived, and on the temporary addition of this force, Ayscue
again sent to Willoughby, as he stated, for the last time. In reply he
was told that the Assembly would consider the matter in two or three
days, but this reply did not please the admiral, so he tried to hurry up
the decision by landing at Speight's Town. Against the stubborn
opposition of twelve hundred men he stormed and took the fort, which he
held for two days, ultimately retiring, however, aft