tour through the eastern counties of england-第4部分

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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　foot　appeared；　and　our　cannon　saluted　them　in

like　manner；　and　killed　them　a　great　many　men。



Their　first　line　of　foot　was　led　up　by　Colonel　Barkstead；　and

consisted　of　three　regiments　of　foot；　making　about　1；700　men；　and

these　charged　our　regiment　in　the　lane；　commanded　by　Sir　George

Lisle　and　Sir　William　Campion。　　They　fell　on　with　great　fury；　and

were　received　with　as　much　gallantry；　and　three　times　repulsed；　nor

could　they　break　in　here；　though　the　Lord　Fairfax　sent　fresh　men　to

support　them；　till　the　Royalists'　horse；　oppressed　with　numbers　on

the　left；　were　obliged　to　retire；　and　at　last　to　come　full　gallop

into　the　street；　and　so　on　into　the　town。　　Nay；　still　the　foot

stood　firm；　and　the　volunteers；　being　all　gentlemen；　kept　their

ground　with　the　greatest　resolution；　but　the　left　wing　being

routed；　as　above；　Sir　William　Campion　was　obliged　to　make　a　front

to　the　left；　and　lining　the　hedge　with　his　musketeers；　made　a　stand

with　a　body　of　pikes　against　the　enemy's　horse；　and　prevented　them

entering　the　lane。　　Here　that　gallant　gentleman　was　killed　with　a

carabine　shot；　and　after　a　very　gallant　resistance；　the　horse　on

the　right　being　also　overpowered；　the　word　was　given　to　retreat；

which；　however；　was　done　in　such　good　order；　the　regiments　of

reserve　standing　drawn　up　at　the　end　of　the　street；　ready　to

receive　the　enemy's　horse　upon　the　points　of　their　pikes；　that　the

royal　troops　came　on　in　the　openings　between　the　regiments；　and

entered　the　town　with　very　little　loss；　and　in　very　good　order。



By　this；　however；　those　regiments　of　reserve　were　brought　at　last

to　sustain　the　efforts　of　the　enemy's　whole　army；　till　being

overpowered　by　numbers　they　were　put　into　disorder；　and　forced　to

get　into　the　town　in　the　best　manner　they　could；　by　which　means

near　two　hundred　men　were　killed　or　made　prisoners。



Encouraged　by　this　success　the　enemy　pushed　on；　supposing　they

should　enter　the　town　pell…mell　with　the　rest；　nor　did　the

Royalists　hinder　them；　but　let　good　part　of　Barkstead's　own

regiment　enter　the　head…gate；　but　then　sallying　from　St。　Mary's

with　a　choice　body　of　foot　on　their　left；　and　the　horse　rallying　in

the　High　Street；　and　charging　them　again　in　the　front；　they　were

driven　back　quite　into　the　street　of　the　suburb；　and　most　of　those

that　had　so　rashly　entered　were　cut　in　pieces。



Thus　they　were　repulsed　at　the　south　entrance　into　the　town；　and

though　they　attempted　to　storm　three　times　after　that　with　great

resolution；　yet　they　were　as　often　beaten　back；　and　that　with　great

havoc　of　their　men；　and　the　cannon　from　the　fort　all　the　while　did

execution　upon　those　who　stood　drawn　up　to　support　them；　so　that　at

last；　seeing　no　good　to　be　done；　they　retreated；　having　small　joy

of　their　pretended　victory。



They　lost　in　this　action　Colonel　Needham；　who　commanded　a　regiment

called　the　Tower　Guards；　and　who　fought　very　desperately；　Captain

Cox；　an　old　experienced　horse　officer；　and　several　other　officers

of　note；　with　a　great　many　private　men；　though；　as　they　had　the

field；　they　concealed　their　number；　giving　out　that　they　lost　but　a

hundred；　when　we　were　assured　they　lost　near　a　thousand　men　besides

the　wounded。



They　took　some　of　our　men　prisoners；　occasioned　by　the　regiment　of

Colonel　Farr；　and　two　more　sustaining　the　shock　of　their　whole

army；　to　secure　the　retreat　of　the　main　body；　as　above。



The　14th；　the　Lord　Fairfax　finding　he　was　not　able　to　carry　the

town　by　storm；　without　the　formality　of　a　siege；　took　his

headquarters　at　Lexden；　and　sent　to　London　and　to　Suffolk　for　more

forces；　also　he　ordered　the　trained　bands　to　be　raised　and　posted

on　the　roads　to　prevent　succours。　　Notwithstanding　which；　divers

gentlemen；　with　some　assistance　of　men　and　arms；　found　means　to　get

into　the　town。



The　very　same　night　they　began　to　break　ground；　and　particularly　to

raise　a　fort　between　Colc