tour through the eastern counties of england-第7节

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but　their　guides　having　misled　them　the　enemy　took　the　alarm；　upon

which　their　guides；　and　some　pioneers　which　they　had　with　them　to

open　the　hedges　and　level　the　banks；　for　their　passing　to　Boxted；

all　ran　away；　so　the　horse　were　obliged　to　retreat；　the　enemy

pretending　to　pursue；　but　thinking　they　had　retreated　by　the　north

bridge；　they　missed　them；　upon　which　being　enraged；　they　fired　the

suburbs　without　the　bridge；　and　burned　them　quite　down。



18th。　　Some　of　the　horse　attempted　to　escape　the　same　way；　and　had

the　whole　body　been　there　as　before；　they　had　effected　it；　but

there　being　but　two　troops；　they　were　obliged　to　retire。　　Now　the

town　began　to　be　greatly　distressed；　provisions　failing；　and　the

townspeople；　which　were　numerous；　being　very　uneasy；　and　no　way　of

breaking　through　being　found　practicable；　the　gentlemen　would　have

joined　in　any　attempt　wherein　they　might　die　gallantly　with　their

swords　in　their　hands；　but　nothing　presented；　they　often　sallied

and　cut　off　many　of　the　enemy；　but　their　numbers　were　continually

supplied；　and　the　besieged　diminished；　their　horse　also　sunk　and

became　unfit　for　service；　having　very　little　hay；　and　no　corn；　and

at　length　they　were　forced　to　kill　them　for　food；　so　that　they

began　to　be　in　a　very　miserable　condition；　and　the　soldiers

deserted　every　day　in　great　numbers；　not　being　able　to　bear　the

want　of　food；　as　being　almost　starved　with　hunger。



22nd。　　The　Lord　Fairfax　offered　again　an　exchange　of　prisoners；　but

the　Lord　Goring　rejected　it；　because　they　refused　conditions　to　the

chief　gentlemen　of　the　garrison。



During　this　time；　two　troops　of　the　Royal　Horse　sallied　out　in　the

night；　resolving　to　break　out　or　die：　the　first　rode　up　full　gallop

to　the　enemy's　horse　guards　on　the　side　of　Malden　road；　and

exchanged　their　pistols　with　the　advanced　troops；　and　wheeling　made

as　if　they　would　retire　to　the　town；　but　finding　they　were　not

immediately　pursued；　they　wheeled　about　to　the　right；　and　passing

another　guard　at　a　distance；　without　being　perfectly　discovered；

they　went　clean　off；　and　passing　towards　Tiptree　Heath；　and　having

good　guides；　they　made　their　escape　towards　Cambridgeshire；　in

which　length　of　way　they　found　means　to　disperse　without　being

attacked；　and　went　every　man　his　own　way　as　fate　directed；　nor　did

we　hear　that　many　of　them　were　taken：　they　were　led；　as　we　are

informed；　by　Sir　Bernard　Gascoigne。



Upon　these　attempts　of　the　horse　to　break　out；　the　enemy　built　a

small　fort　in　the　meadow　right　against　the　ford　in　the　river　at　the

Middle　Mill；　and　once　set　that　mill　on　fire；　but　it　was

extinguished　without　much　damage；　however；　the　fort　prevented　any

more　attempts　that　way。



22nd。　　The　Parliament…General　sent　in　a　trumpet；　to　propose　again

the　exchange　of　prisoners；　offering　the　Lord　Capel's　son　for　one；

and　Mr。　Ashburnham　for　Sir　William　Masham；　but　the　Lord　Capel；　Lord

Goring；　and　the　rest　of　the　loyal　gentlemen　rejected　it；　and　Lord

Capel；　in　particular；　sent　the　Lord　Fairfax　word　it　was　inhuman　to

surprise　his　son；　who　was　not　in　arms；　and　offer　him　to　insult　a

father's　affection；　but　that　he　might　murder　his　son　if　he　pleased；

he　would　leave　his　blood　to　be　revenged　as　Heaven　should　give

opportunity；　and　the　Lord　Goring　sent　word；　that　as　they　had

reduced　the　king's　servants　to　eat　horseflesh；　the　prisoners　should

feed　as　they　fed。



The　enemy　sent　again　to　complain　of　the　Royalists　shooting　poisoned

bullets；　and　sent　two　affidavits　of　it　made　by　two　deserters；

swearing　it　was　done　by　the　Lord　Norwich's　direction；　the　generals

in　the　town　returned　under　all　their　hands　that　they　never　gave　any

such　command　or　direction；　that　they　disowned　the　practice；　and

that　the　fellows　who　swore　it　were　perjured　before　in　running　from

their　colours　and　the　service　of　their　king；　and　ought　not　to　be

credited　again；　but　they　added；　that　for　shooting　rough…cast　slugs

they　must　excuse　them；　as　things　stood　with　them　at　that　time。



About　this　time；　a　porter　in　a　soldier's　habit　got　through　the

enemy's　leaguer；　and　passing　their　out…guards　in　the　dark；　got　into

the　town；　and　brought　letters　from　London；　assuring　the　Royalists

that　there　were　so　many　strong　parties　up　in　arms　for　the　king；　and

in　so　many　places；　that　they　would　be　very　suddenly　relieved。　　This

they　caused　to　be　read　to　the　soldiers　to　encourage　them；　and

particularly　it　related　to　the　rising　of　the　Earl　of　Holland；　and

the　Duke　of　Buckingham；　who　with　500　horse　were　gotten　together　in

arms　about　Kingston　in　Surrey；　but　we　had　notice　in　a　few　days

after　that　they　were　defeated；　and　the　Earl　of　Holland　taken；　who

was　afterwards　beheaded。



26th。　　The　enemy　now　began　to　batter　the　walls；　and　especially　on

the　west　side；　from　St。　Mary's　towards　the　north　gate；　and　we　were

assured　they　intended　a　storm；　on　which　the　engineers　were　directed

to　make　trenches　behind　the　walls　where　the　breaches　should　be

made；　that　in　case　of　a　storm　they　might　meet　with　a　warm

reception。　　Upon　this；　they　gave　over　the　design　of　storming。　　The

Lord　Goring　finding　that　the　enemy　had　set　the　suburbs　on　fire

right　against　the　Hythe；　ordered　the　remaining　houses；　which　were

empty　of　inhabitants；　from　whence　their　musketeer　fired　against　the

town；　to　be　burned　also。



31st。　　A　body　of　foot　sallied　out　at　midnight；　to　discover　what　the

enemy　were　doing　at　a　place　where　they　thought　a　new　fort　raising；

they　fell　in　among　the　workmen；　and　put　them　to　flight；　cut　in

pieces　several　of　the　guard；　and　brought　in　the　officer　who

commanded　them　prisoner。



August　2nd。　　The　town　was　now　in　a　miserable　condition：　the

soldiers　searched　and　rifled　the　houses　of　the　inhabitants　for

victuals；　they　had　lived　on　horseflesh　several　weeks；　and　most　of

that　also　was　as　lean　as　carrion；　which　not　being　well　salted　bred

wens；　and　this　want　of　diet　made　the　soldiers　sickly；　and　many　died

of　fluxes；　yet　they　boldly　rejected　all　offers　of　surrender；　unless

with　safety　to　their　offices。　　However；　several　hundreds　got　out；

and　either　passed　the　enemy's　guards；　or　surrendered　to　them　and

took　passes。



7th。　　The　townspeople　became　very　uneasy　to　the　soldiers；　and　the

mayor　of　the　town；　with　the　aldermen；　waited　upon　the　general；

desiring　leave　to　send　to　the　Lord　Fairfax　for　leave　to　all　the

inhabitants　to　come　out　of　the　town；　that　they　might　not　perish；　to

which　the　Lord　Goring　consented；　but　the　Lord　Fairfax　refused　them。



12th。　　The　rabble　got　together　in　a　vast　crowd　about　the　Lord

Goring's　quarters；　clamouring　for　a　surrender；　and　they　did　this

every　evening；　bringing　women　and　children；　who　lay　howling　and

crying　on　the　ground　for　bread；　the　soldiers　beat　off　the　men；　but

the　women　and　children　would　not　stir；　bidding　the　soldiers　kill

them；　saying　they　had　rather　be　shot　than　be　starved。



16th。　　The　general；　moved　by　the　cries　and　distress　of　the　poor

inhabitants；　sent　out　a　trumpet　to　the　Parliament…General；

demanding　leave　to　send　to　the　Prince；　who　was　with　a　fleet　of

nineteen　men　of　war　in　the　mouth　of　the　Thames；　offering　to

surrender；　if　they　were　not　relieved　in　twenty　days。　　The　Lord

Fairfax　refused　it；　and　sent　them　word　he　would　be　in　the　town　in

person；　and　visit　them　in　less　than　twenty　days；　intimating　that

they　were　preparing　for　a　storm。　　Some　tart　messages　and　answers

were　exchanged　on　this　occasion。　　The　Lord　Goring　sent　word　they

were　willing；　in　compassion　to　the　poor　townspeople；　and　to　save

that　effusion　of　blood；　to　surrender　upon　honourable　terms；　but

that　as　for　the　storming　them；　which　was　threatened；　they　might

come　on　when　they　thought　fit；　for　that　they　（the　Royalists）　were

ready　for　them。　　This　held　to　the　19th。



20th。　　The　Lord　Fairfax　returned　what　he　said　was　his　last　answer；

and　should　be　the　last　offer　of　mercy。　　The　conditions　offered

were；　that　upon　a　peaceable　surrender；　all　soldiers　and　officers

under　the　degree　of　a　captain　in　commission　should　have　their

lives；　be　exempted　from　plunder；　and　have　passes　to　go　to　their

respective　dwellings。　　All　the　captains　and　superior　officers；　with

all　the　lords　and　gentlemen；　as　well　in　commission　as　volunteers；

to　surrender　prisoners　at　discretion；　only　that　they　should　not　be

plundered　by　the　soldiers。



21st。　　The　generals　rejected　those　offers；　and　when　the　people　came

about　them　again　for　bread；　set　open　one　of　the　gates；　and　bid　them

go　out　to　the　enemy；　which　a　great　many　did　willingly；　upon　which

the　Lord　Goring　ordered　all　the　rest　that　came　about　his　door　to　be

turned　out　after　them。　　But　when　the　people　came　to　the　Lord

Fairfax's　camp　the　out…guards　were　ordered　to　fire　at　them　and

drive　them　all　back　again　to　the　gate；　which　the　Lord　Goring

seeing；　he　ordered　them　to　be　received　in　again。　　And　now；　although

the　generals　and　soldiers　also　were　resolute　to　die　with　their

swords　in　their　hands　rather　than　yield；　and　had　maturely　resolved