tour through the eastern counties of england-第8节

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

to　abide　a　storm；　yet　the　Mayor　and　Aldermen　having　petitioned　them

as　well　as　the　inhabitants；　being　wearied　with　the　importunities　of

the　distressed　people；　and　pitying　the　deplorable　condition　they

were　reduced　to；　they　agreed　to　enter　upon　a　treaty；　and

accordingly　sent　out　some　officers　to　the　Lord　Fairfax；　the

Parliament…General；　to　treat；　and　with　them　was　sent　two　gentlemen

of　the　prisoners　upon　their　parole　to　return。



Upon　the　return　of　the　said　messengers　with　the　Lord　Fairfax's

terms；　the　Lord　Goring；　&c。；　sent　out　a　letter　declaring　they　would

die　with　their　swords　in　their　hands　rather　than　yield　without

quarter　for　life；　and　sent　a　paper　of　articles　on　which　they　were

willing　to　surrender。　　But　in　the　very　interim　of　this　treaty　news

came　that　the　Scots　army；　under　Duke　Hamilton；　which　was　entered

into　Lancashire；　and　was　joined　by　the　Royalists　in　that　country；

making　21；000　men；　were　entirely　defeated。　　After　this　the　Lord

Fairfax　would　not　grant　any　abatement　of　articles　…　viz。；　to　have

all　above　lieutenants　surrender　at　mercy。



Upon　this　the　Lord　Goring　and　the　General　refused　to　submit　again；

and　proposed　a　general　sally；　and　to　break　through　or　die；　but

found　upon　preparing　for　it　that　the　soldiers；　who　had　their　lives

offered　them；　declined　it；　fearing　the　gentlemen　would　escape；　and

they　should　be　left　to　the　mercy　of　the　Parliament　soldiers；　and

that　upon　this　they　began　to　mutiny　and　talk　of　surrendering　the

town　and　their　officers　too。　　Things　being　brought　to　this　pass；

the　Lords　and　General　laid　aside　that　design；　and　found　themselves

obliged　to　submit；　and　so　the　town　was　surrendered　the　28th　of

August；　1648；　upon　conditions　as　follows：…





The　Lords　and　gentlemen　all　prisoners　at　mercy。



The　common　soldiers　had　passes　to　go　home　to　their　several

dwellings；　but　without　arms；　and　an　oath　not　to　serve　against　the

Parliament。



The　town　to　be　preserved　from　pillage；　paying　14；000　pounds　ready

money。





The　same　day　a　council　of　war　being　called　about　the　prisoners　of

war；　it　was　resolved　that　the　Lords　should　be　left　to　the　disposal

of　the　Parliament。　　That　Sir　Charles　Lucas；　Sir　George　Lisle；　and

Sir　Marmaduke　Gascoigne　should　be　shot　to　death；　and　the　other

officers　prisoners　to　remain　in　custody　till　further　order。



The　two　first　of　the　three　gentlemen　were　shot　to　death；　and　the

third　respited。　　Thus　ended　the　siege　of　Colchester。



N。B。　…　Notwithstanding　the　number　killed　in　the　siege；　and　dead　of

the　flux；　and　other　distempers　occasioned　by　bad　diet；　which　were

very　many；　and　notwithstanding　the　number　which　deserted　and

escaped　in　the　time　of　their　hardships；　yet　there　remained　at　the

time　of　the　surrender：



Earl　of　Norwich　（Goring）。

Lord　Capell。

Lord　Loughbro'。

11　Knights。

9　Colonels。

8　Lieut。…Colonels。

9　Majors。

30　Captains。

72　Lieutenants。

69　Ensigns。

183　Serjeants　and　Corporals。

3；067　Private　Soldiers。

65　Servants　to　the　Lords　and　General　Officers　and　Gentlemen。

3；526　in　all。





The　town　of　Colchester　has　been　supposed　to　contain　about　40；000

people；　including　the　out…villages　which　are　within　its　liberty；　of

which　there　are　a　great　many　…　the　liberty　of　the　town　being　of　a

great　extent。　　One　sad　testimony　of　the　town　being　so　populous　is

that　they　buried　upwards　of　5；259　people　in　the　plague　year；　1665。

But　the　town　was　severely　visited　indeed；　even　more　in　proportion

than　any　of　its　neighbours；　or　than　the　City　of　London。



The　government　of　the　town　is　by　a　mayor；　high　steward；　a　recorder

or　his　deputy；　eleven　aldermen；　a　chamberlain；　a　town　clerk；

assistants；　and　eighteen　common　councilmen。　　Their　high　steward

（this　year；　1722）　is　Sir　Isaac　Rebow；　a　gentleman　of　a　good　family

and　known　character；　who　has　generally　for　above　thirty　years　been

one　of　their　representatives　in　Parliament。　　He　has　a　very　good

house　at　the　entrance　in　at　the　south；　or　head　gate　of　the　town；

where　he　has　had　the　honour　several　times　to　lodge　and　entertain

the　late　King　William　of　glorious　memory　in　his　returning　from

Holland　by　way　of　Harwich　to　London。　　Their　recorder　is　Earl

Cowper；　who　has　been　twice　Lord　High　Chancellor　of　England。　　But

his　lordship　not　residing　in　those　parts　has　put　in　for　his　deputy；

…　Price；　Esq。；　barrister…at…law；　and　who　dwells　in　the　town。　　There

are　in　Colchester　eight　churches　besides　those　which　are　damaged；

and　five　meeting…houses；　whereof　two　for　Quakers；　besides　a　Dutch

church　and　a　French　church。





Public　Edifices　are　…





1。　　Bay　Hall；　an　ancient　society　kept　up　for　ascertaining　the

manufacture　of　bays；　which　are；　or　ought　to　be；　all　brought　to　this

hall　to　be　viewed　and　sealed　according　to　their　goodness　by　the

masters；　and　to　this　practice　has　been　owing　the　great　reputation

of　the　Colchester　bays　in　foreign　markets；　where　to　open　the　side

of　a　bale　and　show　the　seal　has　been　enough　to　give　the　buyer　a

character　of　the　value　of　the　goods　without　any　further　search；　and

so　far　as　they　abate　the　integrity　and　exactness　of　their　method；

which　I　am　told　of　late　is　much　omitted；　I　say；　so　far；　that

reputation　will　certainly　abate　in　the　markets　they　go　to；　which

are　principally　in　Portugal　and　Italy。　　This　corporation　is

governed　by　a　particular　set　of　men　who　are　called　governors　of　the

Dutch　Bay　Hall。　　And　in　the　same　building　is　the　Dutch　church。



2。　　The　guildhall　of　the　town；　called　by　them　the　moot　hall；　to

which　is　annexed　the　town　gaol。



3。　　The　workhouse；　being　lately　enlarged；　and　to　which　belongs　a

corporation　or　a　body　of　the　inhabitants；　consisting　of　sixty

persons　incorporated　by　Act　of　Parliament　Anno　1698　for　taking　care

of　the　poor。　　They　are　incorporated　by　the　name　and　title　of　the

governor；　deputy　governor；　assistants；　and　guardians　of　the　poor　of

the　town　of　Colchester。　　They　are　in　number　eight…and…forty；　to

whom　are　added　the　mayor　and　aldermen　for　the　time　being；　who　are

always　guardians　by　the　same　charter。　　These　make　the　number　of

sixty；　as　above。　　There　is　also　a　grammar　free…school；　with　a　good

allowance　to　the　master；　who　is　chosen　by　the　town。



4。　　The　castle　of　Colchester　is　now　become　only　a　monument　showing

the　antiquity　of　the　place；　it　being　built　as　the　walls　of　the　town

also　are；　with　Roman　bricks；　and　the　Roman　coins　dug　up　here；　and

ploughed　up　in　the　fields　adjoining；　confirm　it。　　The　inhabitants

boast　much　that　Helena；　the　mother　of　Constantine　the　Great；　first

Christian　Emperor　of　the　Romans；　was　born　there；　and　it　may　be　so

for　aught　we　know。　　I　only　observe　what　Mr。　Camden　says　of　the

Castle　of　Colchester；　viz。：　In　the　middle　of　this　city　stands　a

castle　ready　to　fall　with　age。



Though　this　castle　has　stood　one　hundred　and　twenty　years　from　the

time　Mr。　Camden　wrote　that　account；　and　it　is　not　fallen　yet；　nor

will　another　hundred　and　twenty　years；　I　believe；　make　it　look　one

jot　the　older。　　And　it　was　observable　that　in　the　late　siege　of

this　town；　a　common　shot；　which　the　besiegers　made　at　this　old

castle；　were　so　far　from　making　it　fall；　that　they　made　little　or

no　impression　upon　it；　for　which　reason；　it　seems；　and　because　the

garrison　made　no　great　use　of　it　against　the　besiegers；　they　fired

no　more　at　it。



There　are　two　charity　schools　set　up　here；　and　carried　on　by　a

generous　subscription；　with　very　good　success。



The　title　of　Colchester　is　in　the　family　of　Earl　Rivers；　and　the

eldest　son　of　that　family　is　called　Lord　Colchester；　though　as　I

understand；　the　title　is　not　settled　by　the　creation　to　the　eldest

son　till　he　enjoys　the　title　of　earl　with　it；　but　that　the　other　is

by　the　courtesy　of　England；　however；　this　I　take　AD　REFERENDUM。



From　Colchester　I　took　another　step　down　to　the　coast；　the　land

running　out　a　great　way　into　the　sea；　south　and　south…east　makes

that　promontory　of　land　called　the　Naze；　and　well　known　to　seamen

using　the　northern　trade。　　Here　one　sees　a　sea　open　as　an　ocean

without　any　opposite　shore；　though　it　be　no　more　than　the　mouth　of

the　Thames。　　This　point　called　the　Naze；　and　the　north…east　point

of　Kent；　near　Margate；　called　the　North　Foreland；　making　what　they

call　the　mouth　of　the　river　and　the　port　of　London；　though　it　be

here　above　sixty　miles　over。



At　Walton…under…the…Naze　they　find　on　the　shore　copperas…stone　in

great　quantities；　and　there　are　several　large　works　called　copperas

houses；　where　they　make　it　with　great　expense。



On　this　promontory　is　a　new　mark　erected　by　the　Trinity　House　men；

and　at　the　public　expense；　being　a　round　brick　tower；　near　eighty

feet　high。　　The　sea　gains　so　much　upon　the　land　here　by　the

continual　winds　at　south…west；　that　within　the　memory　of　some　of

the　inhabitants　there　they　have　lost　above　thirty　acres　of　land　in

one　place。



From　hence　we　go　back　into　the　county　about　four　miles；　beca