tour through the eastern counties of england-第4章

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thousand　Britons　slain。　　I　say；　unless　I　should　enter　into　this

story；　I　have　nothing　more　to　say　of　Malden；　and；　as　for　that

story；　it　is　so　fully　related　by　Mr。　Camden　in　his　history　of　the

Romans　in　Britain　at　the　beginning　of　his　〃Britannia；〃　that　I　need

only　refer　the　reader　to　it；　and　go　on　with　my　journey。



Being　obliged　to　come　thus　far　into　the　uplands；　as　above；　I　made

it　my　road　to　pass　through　Witham；　a　pleasant；　well…situated　market

town；　in　which；　and　in　its　neighbourhood；　there　are　as　many

gentlemen　of　good　fortunes　and　families　as　I　believe　can　be　met

with　in　so　narrow　a　compass　in　any　of　the　three　counties　of　which　I

make　this　circuit。



In　the　town　of　Witham　dwells　the　Lord　Pasely；　oldest　son　of　the

Earl　of　Abercorn　of　Ireland　（a　branch　of　the　noble　family　of

Hamilton；　in　Scotland）。　　His　lordship　has　a　small；　but　a　neat；

well…built　new　house；　and　is　finishing　his　gardens　in　such　a　manner

as　few　in　that　part　of　England　will　exceed　them。



Nearer　Chelmsford；　hard　by　Boreham；　lives　the　Lord　Viscount

Barrington；　who；　though　not　born　to　the　title；　or　estate；　or　name

which　he　now　possesses；　had　the　honour　to　be　twice　made　heir　to　the

estates　of　gentlemen　not　at　all　related　to　him；　at　least；　one　of

them；　as　is　very　much　to　his　honour；　mentioned　in　his　patent　of

creation。　　His　name　was　Shute；　his　father　a　linendraper　in　London；

and　served　sheriff　of　the　said　city　in　very　troublesome　times。　　He

changed　the　name　of　Shute　for　that　of　Barrington　by　an　Act　of

Parliament　obtained　for　that　purpose；　and　had　the　dignity　of　a

baron　of　the　kingdom　conferred　on　him　by　the　favour　of　King　George。

His　lordship　is　a　Dissenter；　and　seems　to　love　retirement。　　He　was

a　member　of　Parliament　for　the　town　of　Berwick…upon…Tweed。



On　the　other　side　of　Witham；　at　Fauburn；　an　ancient　mansion　house；

built　by　the　Romans；　lives　Mr。　Bullock；　whose　father　married　the

daughter　of　that　eminent　citizen；　Sir　Josiah　Child；　of　Wanstead；　by

whom　she　had　three　sons；　the　eldest　enjoys　the　estate；　which　is

considerable。



It　is　observable；　that　in　this　part　of　the　country　there　are

several　very　considerable　estates；　purchased　and　now　enjoyed　by

citizens　of　London；　merchants；　and　tradesmen；　as　Mr。　Western；　an

iron　merchant；　near　Kelendon；　Mr。　Cresnor；　a　wholesale　grocer；　who

was；　a　little　before　he　died；　named　for　sheriff　at　Earl's　Coln；　Mr。

Olemus；　a　merchant　at　Braintree；　Mr。　Westcomb；　near　Malden；　Sir

Thomas　Webster　at　Copthall；　near　Waltham；　and　several　others。



I　mention　this　to　observe　how　the　present　increase　of　wealth　in　the

City　of　London　spreads　itself　into　the　country；　and　plants　families

and　fortunes；　who　in　another　age　will　equal　the　families　of　the

ancient　gentry；　who　perhaps　were　brought　out。　　I　shall　take　notice

of　this　in　a　general　head；　and　when　I　have　run　through　all　the

counties；　collect　a　list　of　the　families　of　citizens　and　tradesmen

thus　established　in　the　several　counties；　especially　round　London。



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；