D'Artagnan, the King Maker — page 282: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Tapping the Volcano. 265 every other man had thrown back his cloak and displayed a ‘‘white’” weapon—that is, one of burnished steel. As for the others, they had firearms, pistols, petronels, escopetas, firedogs. The musketry covered the swords- men, and all marched directly to where posts had been assigned. There were four main columns. At the head of one, a Portuguese ex-captain of the royal hunt charged the watch house at the main entrance. Not taken by sur- prise, the guards, having only their halberds, retired into the stone roundhouse. Three or four porters began tugging at the iron gratings to swing them shut; they managed this, but the wooden doors, bound with iron, had been imbedded in the mud flirted on them by the coaches. Levers and picks would be required to loosen them. A hail of stones, bullets and sticks drove them away from the useless attempt. Some pierced the open ironwork and splintered the wood. A warder who tried to lock the gates successfully closed, had the enormous key driven into his breast. At the next instant the rush broke down one of the gates and bore the other back, crushing those who were struggling with the inner one. Part of the storming party faced round and poured a volley into the guardhouse by the airhole over the door and the small windows. Shortly the courtyard became a cockpit. The two marble fountains were dyed with blood, and the basin, one shattered, poured out the ruddy tide over the ground. Up in the windows gentlemen with fine fowling pieces, servants ‘with the ‘furniture converted into projectiles, and guardsmen showered all that would wound and maim on the intruders, although they were in some cases grappling with defenders whose rage had carried them too far out. Soon marksmanship was useless, for the patio was choking with smoke and dust. The large wads of the blunderbusses, entering the windows, had set the curtains and arras in flame. Some hung, smouldering, out of the casements, whence the sashes had been torn, and by these burning ladders the assailants entered the first floor. The interior began to be shambles. Ribero, Braganza’s secretary and lieutenant, knowing CORNICE OOO) KSn(EC iim