tour through the eastern counties of england-第6部分

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so　that　the　town　was　entirely　shut　in；　on　that　side；　and　the

Royalists　had　no　place　free　but　over　east　bridge；　which　was

afterwards　cut　off　by　the　enemy's　bringing　their　line　from　the

Hythe　within　the　river　to　the　stone　causeway　leading　to　the　east

bridge。



July　1st。　　From　the　26th　to　the　1st；　the　besiegers　continued

finishing　their　works；　and　by　the　2nd　the　whole　town　was　shut　in；

at　which　the　besiegers　gave　a　general　salvo　from　their　cannon　at

all　their　forts；　but　the　besieged　gave　them　a　return；　for　they

sallied　out　in　the　night；　attacked　Barkstead's　fort；　scarce

finished；　with　such　fury；　that　they　twice　entered　the　work　sword　in

hand；　killed　most　part　of　the　defendants；　and　spoiled　part　of　the

forts　cast　up；　but　fresh　forces　coming　up；　they　retired　with　little

loss；　bringing　eight　prisoners；　and　having　slain；　as　they　reported；

above　100。



On　the　second；　Lord　Fairfax　offered　exchange　for　Sir　William　Masham

in　particular；　and　afterwards　for　other　prisoners；　but　the　Lord

Goring　refused。



5th。　　The　besieged　sallied　with　two　regiments；　supported　by　some

horse；　at　midnight；　they　were　commanded　by　Sir　George　Lisle。　　They

fell　on　with　such　fury；　that　the　enemy　were　put　into　confusion；

their　works　at　east　bridge　ruined；　and　two　pieces　of　cannon　taken；

Lieutenant　Colonel　Sambrook；　and　several　other　officers；　were

killed；　and　our　men　retired　into　the　town；　bringing　the　captain；

two　lieutenants；　and　about　fifty　men　with　them　prisoners　into　the

town；　but　having　no　horse；　we　could　not　bring　off　the　cannon；　but

they　spiked　them；　and　made　them　unfit　for　service。



From　this　time　to　the　11th；　the　besieged　sallied　almost　every

night；　being　encouraged　by　their　successes；　and　they　constantly　cut

off　some　of　the　enemy；　but　not　without　loss　also　on　their　own　side。



About　this　time　we　received　by　a　spy　the　bad　news　of　defeating　the

king's　friends　almost　in　all　parts　of　England；　and　particularly

several　parties　which　had　good　wishes　to　our　gentlemen；　and

intended　to　relieve　them。



Our　batteries　from　St。　Mary's　Fort　and　steeple；　and　from　the　north

bridge；　greatly　annoyed　them；　and　killed　most　of　their　gunners　and

firemen。　　One　of　the　messengers　who　brought　news　to　Lord　Fairfax　of

the　defeat　of　one　of　the　parties；　in　Kent；　and　the　taking　of　Weymer

Castle；　slipped　into　the　town；　and　brought　a　letter　to　the　Lord

Goring；　and　listed　in　the　regiment　of　the　Lord　Capel's　horse。



14th。　　The　besiegers　attacked　and　took　the　Hythe　Church；　with　a

small　work　the　besieged　had　there；　but　the　defenders　retired　in

time；　some　were　taken　prisoners　in　the　church；　but　not　in　the　fort；

Sir　Charles　Lucas's　horse　was　attacked　by　a　great　body　of　the

besiegers；　the　besieged　defended　themselves　with　good　resolution

for　some　time；　but　a　hand…grenade　thrown　in　by　the　assailants；

having　fired　the　magazine；　the　house　was　blown　up；　and　most　of　the

gallant　defenders　buried　in　the　ruins。　　This　was　a　great　blow　to

the　Royalists；　for　it　was　a　very　strong　pass；　and　always　well

guarded。



15th。　　The　Lord　Fairfax　sent　offers　of　honourable　conditions　to　the

soldiers　of　the　garrison　if　they　would　surrender；　or　quit　the

service；　upon　which　the　Lords　Goring　and　Capel；　and　Sir　Charles

Lucas；　returned　an　answer　signed　by　their　hands；　that　it　was　not

honourable　or　agreeable　to　the　usage　of　war　to　offer　conditions

separately　to　the　soldiers；　exclusive　of　their　officers；　and

therefore　civilly　desired　his　lordship　to　send　no　more　such

messages　or　proposals；　or　if　he　did；　that　he　would　not　take　it　ill

if　they　hanged　up　the　messenger。



This　evening　all　the　gentlemen　volunteers；　with　all　the　horse　of

the　garrison；　with　Sir　Charles　Lucas；　Sir　George　Lisle；　and　Sir

Bernard　Gascoigne　at　the　head　of　them；　resolved　to　break　through

the　enemy；　and　forcing　a　pass　to　advance　into　Suffolk　by　Nayland

Bridge。　　To　this　purpose　they　passed　the　river　near　Middle　Mill；

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。　　H