Now Munmouth had in his Army 300 Sithers, armd with Sithes, pistols sticking in at their Girdles, and brod sords, in wast belts,63
Some reference to the scythemen from
Thus this Rebellion was by the Great Jehovah over throwne and brought to nothing, and here ’twill not be unnecessary to give you a description of the Strang, and Unheard of Wepon, which Mounmouth had in his Army, those Sithes, which were thus: these Sithes were about fower foot Long, and fower inches brod, and one Inch thick at the back, and were place into Strong Stafs about ten feet long, of good supple Ash, about 1½ Inch Diameter, in the Lowerward they were bound with a ferul [ferule] and had a sharp spike, about 9 inches long, in all respects as you see in the figure of these Sithemen here hee had 300 men, which were the Tallest and Lustyest men they could prick out, they were ranged in the front of the Infantry, and Comanded by Count Horn; these Sithers maintaind their Ground Stoutly to the last, against the Kings horse, for indeed these Sithes was a desperat Wepon, loping off at one Stroak, either head, or Arm, and I saw a man layinge among the dead, whose back was clove down, by one struck+of
now that their orders was to cutt of the bridle arm, thereby the disable th riders, and defend themselfs, the which they to the last stoutely did these Sithes, and a horse whose head at one strock, was almost separated from his body. These Sithes with abundance more of Mounmouth’s other Arms were brought Up to London, and laid up in the Armory of the Tower of London.
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