tour through the eastern counties of england-第4节

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The　product　of　all　this　part　of　the　country　is　corn；　as　that　of　the

marshy　feeding　grounds　mentioned　above　is　grass；　where　their　chief

business　is　breeding　of　calves；　which　I　need　not　say　are　the　best

and　fattest；　and　the　largest　veal　in　England；　if　not　in　the　world；

and；　as　an　instance；　I　ate　part　of　a　veal　or　calf；　fed　by　the　late

Sir　Josiah　Child　at　Wanstead；　the　loin　of　which　weighed　above

thirty　pounds；　and　the　flesh　exceeding　white　and　fat。



From　hence　I　went　on　to　Colchester。　　The　story　of　Kill…Dane；　which

is　told　of　the　town　of　Kelvedon；　three　miles　from　Witham；　namely；

that　this　is　the　place　where　the　massacre　of　the　Danes　was　begun　by

the　women；　and　that　therefore　it　was　called　Kill…Dane；　I　say　of　it；

as　we　generally　say　of　improbable　news；　it　wants　confirmation。　　The

true　name　of　the　town　is　Kelvedon；　and　has　been　so　for　many　hundred

years。　　Neither　does　Mr。　Camden；　or　any　other　writer　I　meet　with

worth　naming；　insist　on　this　piece　of　empty　tradition。　　The　town　is

commonly　called　Keldon。



Colchester　is　an　ancient　corporation。　　The　town　is　large；　very

populous；　the　streets　fair　and　beautiful；　and　though　it　may　not

said　to　be　finely　built；　yet　there　are　abundance　of　very　good　and

well…built　houses　in　it。　　It　still　mourns　in　the　ruins　of　a　civil

war；　during　which；　or　rather　after　the　heat　of　the　war　was　over；　it

suffered　a　severe　siege；　which；　the　garrison　making　a　resolute

defence；　was　turned　into　a　blockade；　in　which　the　garrison　and

inhabitants　also　suffered　the　utmost　extremity　of　hunger；　and　were

at　last　obliged　to　surrender　at　discretion；　when　their　two　chief

officers；　Sir　Charles　Lucas　and　Sir　George　Lisle；　were　shot　to

death　under　the　castle　wall。　　The　inhabitants　had　a　tradition　that

no　grass　would　grow　upon　the　spot　where　the　blood　of　those　two

gallant　gentlemen　was　spilt；　and　they　showed　the　place　bare　of

grass　for　many　years；　but　whether　for　this　reason　I　will　not

affirm。　　The　story　is　now　dropped；　and　the　grass；　I　suppose；　grows

there；　as　in　other　places。



However；　the　battered　walls；　the　breaches　in　the　turrets；　and　the

ruined　churches；　still　remain；　except　that　the　church　of　St。　Mary

（where　they　had　the　royal　fort）　is　rebuilt；　but　the　steeple；　which

was　two…thirds　battered　down；　because　the　besieged　had　a　large

culverin　upon　it　that　did　much　execution；　remains　still　in　that

condition。



There　is　another　church　which　bears　the　marks　of　those　times；

namely；　on　the　south　side　of　the　town；　in　the　way　to　the　Hythe；　of

which　more　hereafter。



The　lines　of　contravallation；　with　the　forts　built　by　the

besiegers；　and　which　surrounded　the　whole　town；　remain　very　visible

in　many　places；　but　the　chief　of　them　are　demolished。



The　River　Colne；　which　passes　through　this　town；　compasses　it　on

the　north　and　east　sides；　and　served　in　those　times　for　a　complete

defence　on　those　sides。　　They　have　three　bridges　over　it；　one

called　North　Bridge；　at　the　north　gate；　by　which　the　road　leads

into　Suffolk；　one　called　East　Bridge；　at　the　foot　of　the　High

Street；　over　which　lies　the　road　to　Harwich；　and　one　at　the　Hythe；

as　above。



The　river　is　navigable　within　three　miles　of　the　town　for　ships　of

large　burthen；　a　little　lower　it　may　receive　even　a　royal　navy；　and

up　to　that　part　called　the　Hythe；　close　to　the　houses；　it　is

navigable　for　hoys　and　small　barques。　　This　Hythe　is　a　long　street；

passing　from　west　to　east；　on　the　south　side　of　the　town。　　At　the

west　end　of　it；　there　is　a　small　intermission　of　the　buildings；　but

not　much；　and　towards　the　river　it　is　very　populous　（it　may　be

called　the　Wapping　of　Colchester）。　　There　is　one　church　in　that

part　of　the　town；　a　large　quay　by　the　river；　and　a　good　custom…

house。



The　town　may　be　said　chiefly　to　subsist　by　the　trade　of　making

bays；　which　is　known　over　most　of　the　trading　parts　of　Europe　by

the　name　of　Colchester　Bays；　though　indeed　all　the　towns　round

carry　on　the　same　trade　…　namely；　Kelvedon；　Witham；　Coggeshall；

Braintree；　Bocking；　&c。；　and　the　whole　county；　large　as　it　is；　may

be　said　to　be　employed；　and　in　part　maintained；　by　the　spinning　of

wool　for　the　bay　trade　of　Colchester　and　its　adjacent　towns。　　The

account　of　the　siege；　A。D。　1648；　with　a　diary　of　the　most

remarkable　passages；　are　as　follows；　which　I　had　from　so　good　a

hand　as　that　I　have　no　reason　to　question　its　being　a　true

relation。







A　Diary：　Or；　An　Account　Of　The　Siege　And　Blockade　Of　Colchester；

A。D。　1648。







On　the　4th　of　June；　we　were　alarmed　in　the　town　of　Colchester　that

the　Lord　Goring；　the　Lord　Capel；　and　a　body　of　two　thousand　of　the

loyal　party；　who　had　been　in　arms　in　Kent；　having　left　a　great　body

of　an　army　in　possession　of　Rochester　Bridge；　where　they　resolved

to　fight　the　Lord　Fairfax　and　the　Parliament　army；　had　given　the

said　General　Fairfax　the　slip；　and　having　passed　the　Thames　at

Greenwich；　were　come　to　Stratford；　and　were　advancing　this　way；

upon　which　news；　Sir　Charles　Lucas；　Sir　George　Lisle；　Colonel　Cook；

and　several　gentlemen　of　the　loyal　army；　and　all　that　had

commissions　from　the　king；　with　a　gallant　appearance　of　gentlemen

volunteers；　drew　together　from　all　parts　of　the　country　to　join

with　them。



The　8th；　we　were　further　informed　that　they　were　advanced　to

Chelmsford；　to　New　Hall　House；　and　to　Witham；　and　the　9th　some　of

the　horse　arrived　in　the　town；　taking　possession　of　the　gates；　and

having　engineers　with　them；　told　us　that　General　Goring　had

resolved　to　make　this　town　his　headquarters；　and　would　cause　it　to

be　well　fortified。　　They　also　caused　the　drums　to　beat　for

volunteers；　and　a　good　number　of　the　poor　bay…weavers；　and　such…

like　people；　wanting　employment；　enlisted；　so　that　they　completed

Sir　Charles　Lucas's　regiment；　which　was　but　thin；　to　near　eight

hundred　men。



On　the　10th　we　had　news　that　the　Lord　Fairfax；　having　beaten　the

Royalists　at　Maidstone；　and　retaken　Rochester；　had　passed　the

Thames　at　Gravesend；　though　with　great　difficulty；　and　with　some

loss；　and　was　come　to　Horndon…on…the…Hill；　in　order　to　gain

Colchester　before　the　Royalists；　but　that　hearing　Sir　Charles　Lucas

had　prevented　him；　had　ordered　his　rendezvous　at　Billerecay；　and

intended　to　possess　the　pass　at　Malden　on　the　11th；　where　Sir

Thomas　Honnywood；　with　the　county…trained　bands；　was　to　be　the　same

day。



The　same　evening　the　Lord　Goring；　with　all　his　forces；　making　about

five　thousand　six　hundred　men；　horse　and　foot；　came　to　Colchester；

and　encamping　without　the　suburbs；　under　command　of　the　cannon　of

St。　Mary's　fort；　made　disposition　to　fight　the　Parliament　forces　if

they　came　up。



The　12th；　the　Lord　Goring　came　into　Colchester；　viewed　the　fort　in

St。　Mary's　churchyard；　ordered　more　cannon　to　be　planted　upon　it；

posted　two　regiments　in　the　suburbs　without　the　head　gate；　let　the

town　know　he　would　take　them　into　his　Majesty's　protection；　and

that　he　would　fight　the　enemy　in　that　situation。　　The　same　evening

the　Lord　Fairfax；　with　a　strong　party　of　one　thousand　horse；　came

to　Lexden；　at　two　small　miles'　distance；　expecting　the　rest　of　his

army　there　the　same　night。



The　Lord　Goring　brought　in　prisoners　the　same　day；　Sir　William

Masham；　and　several　other　gentlemen　of　the　county；　who　were　secured

under　a　strong　guard；　which　the　Parliament　hearing；　ordered　twenty

prisoners　of　the　royal　party　to　be　singled　out；　declaring；　that

they　should　be　used　in　the　same　manner　as　the　Lord　Goring　used　Sir

William　Masham；　and　the　gentlemen　prisoners　with　him。



On　the　13th；　early　in　the　morning；　our　spies　brought　intelligence

that　the　Lord　Fairfax；　all　his　forces　being　come　up　to　him；　was

making　dispositions　for　a　march；　resolving　to　attack　the　Royalists

in　their　camp；　upon　which；　the　Lord　Goring　drew　all　his　forces

together；　resolving　to　fight。　　The　engineers　had　offered　the　night

before　to　entrench　his　camp；　and　to　draw　a　line　round　it　in　one

night's　time；　but　his　lordship　declined　it；　and　now　there　was　no

time　for　it；　whereupon　the　general；　Lord　Goring；　drew　up　his　army

in　order　of　battle　on　both　sides　the　road；　the　horse　in　the　open

fields　on　the　wings；　the　foot　were　drawn　up；　one　regiment　in　the

road；　one　regiment　on　each　side；　and　two　regiments　for　reserve　in

the　suburb；　just　at　the　entrance　of　the　town；　with　a　regiment　of

volunteers　advanced　as　a　forlorn　hope；　and　a　regiment　of　horse　at

the　head…gate；　ready　to　support　the　reserve；　as　occasion　should

require。



About　nine　in　the　morning　we　heard　the　enemy's　drums　beat　a　march；

and　in　half　an　hour　more　their　first　troops　appeared　on　the　higher

grounds　towards　Lexden。　　Immediately　the　cannon　from　St。　Mary's

fired　upon　them；　and　put　some　troops　of　horse　into　confusion；　doing

great　execution；　which；　they　not　being　able　to　shun　it；　made　them

quicken　their　pace；　fall　on；　when　our　cannon　were　obliged　to　cease

firing；　lest　we　should　hurt　our　own　troops　as　well　as　the　enemy。

Soon　after；　their