tour through the eastern counties of england-第6章

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

raise　a　fort　between　Colchester　and　Lexden；　to　cover　the　general's

quarter　from　the　sallies　from　the　town；　for　the　Royalists　having　a

good　body　of　horse；　gave　them　no　rest；　but　scoured　the　fields　every

day；　and　falling　all　that　were　found　straggling　from　their　posts；

and　by　this　means　killed　a　great　many。



The　17th；　Sir　Charles　Lucas　having　been　out　with　1；200　horse；　and

detaching　parties　toward　the　seaside；　and　towards　Harwich；　they

brought　in　a　very　great　quantity　of　provisions；　and　abundance　of

sheep　and　black　cattle　sufficient　for　the　supply　of　the　town　for　a

considerable　time；　and　had　not　the　Suffolk　forces　advanced　over

Cataway　Bridge　to　prevent　it；　a　larger　supply　had　been　brought　in

that　way；　for　now　it　appeared　plainly　that　the　Lord　Fairfax　finding

the　garrison　strong　and　resolute；　and　that　he　was　not　in　a

condition　to　reduce　them　by　force；　at　least　without　the　loss　of

much　blood；　had　resolved　to　turn　his　siege　into　a　blockade；　and

reduce　them　by　hunger；　their　troops　being　also　wanted　to　oppose

several　other　parties；　who　had；　in　several　parts　of　the　kingdom；

taken　arms　for　the　king's　cause。



This　same　day　General　Fairfax　sent　in　a　trumpet　to　propose

exchanging　prisoners；　which　the　Lord　Goring　rejected；　expecting　a

reinforcement　of　troops；　which　were　actually　coming　to　him；　and

were　to　be　at　Linton　in　Cambridgeshire　as　the　next　day。



The　same　day　two　ships　brought　in　a　quantity　of　corn　and　provisions

and　fifty…six　men　from　the　shore　of　Kent　with　several　gentlemen；

who　all　landed　and　came　up　to　the　town；　and　the　greatest　part　of

the　corn　was　with　the　utmost　application　unloaded　the　same　night

into　some　hoys；　which　brought　it　up　to　the　Hythe；　being

apprehensive　of　the　Parliament's　ships　which　lay　at　Harwich；　who

having　intelligence　of　the　said　ships；　came　the　next　day　into　the

mouth　of　the　river；　and　took　the　said　two　ships　and　what　corn　was

left　in　them。　　The　besieged　sent　out　a　party　to　help　the　ships；　but

having　no　boats　they　could　not　assist　them。



18th。　　Sir　Charles　Lucas　sent　an　answer　about　exchange　of

prisoners；　accepting　the　conditions　offered；　but　the　Parliament's

general　returned　that　he　would　not　treat　with　Sir　Charles；　for　that

he　（Sir　Charles）　being　his　prisoner　upon　his　parole　of　honour；　and

having　appeared　in　arms　contrary　to　the　rules　of　war；　had　forfeited

his　honour　and　faith；　and　was　not　capable　of　command　or　trust　in

martial　affairs。　　To　this　Sir　Charles　sent　back　an　answer；　and　his

excuse　for　his　breach　of　his　parole；　but　it　was　not　accepted；　nor

would　the　Lord　Fairfax　enter　upon　any　treaty　with　him。



Upon　this　second　message　Sir　William　Masham　and　the　Parliament

Committee　and　other　gentlemen；　who　were　prisoners　in　the　town；　sent

a　message　in　writing　under　their　hands　to　the　Lord　Fairfax；

entreating　him　to　enter　into　a　treaty　for　peace；　but　the　Lord

Fairfax　returned；　he　could　take　no　notice　of　their　request；　as

supposing　it　forced　from　them　under　restraint；　but　that　if　the　Lord

Goring　desired　peace；　he　might　write　to　the　Parliament；　and　he

would　cause　his　messenger　to　have　a　safe　conduct　to　carry　his

letter。　　There　was　a　paper　sent　enclosed　in　this　paper；　signed

Capel；　Norwich；　Charles　Lucas；　but　to　that　the　general　would　return

no　answer；　because　it　was　signed　by　Sir　Charles　for　the　reasons

above。



All　this　while　the　Lord　Goring；　finding　the　enemy　strengthening

themselves；　gave　order　for　fortifying　the　town；　and　drawing　lines

in　several　places　to　secure　the　entrance；　as　particularly　without

the　east　bridge；　and　without　the　north　gate　and　bridge；　and　to

plant　more　cannon　upon　the　works；　to　which　end　some　great　guns　were

brought　in　from　some　ships　at　Wivenhoe。



The　same　day；　our　men　sallied　out　in　three　places；　and　attacked　the

besiegers；　first　at　their　port；　called　Essex；　then　at　their　new

works；　on　the　south　of　the　town；　a　third　party　sallying　at　the　east

bridge；　brought　in　some　booty　from　the　Suffolk　troops；　having

killed　several　of　their　stragglers　on　the　Harwich　road。　　They　also

took　a　lieutenant　of　horse　prisoner；　and　brought　him　into　the　town。



19th。　　This　day　we　had　the　unwelcome　news　that　our　friends　at

Linton　were　defeated　by　the　enemy；　and　Major　Muschamp；　a　loyal

gentleman；　killed。



The　same　night；　our　men　gave　the　enemy　alarm　at　their　new　Essex

fort；　and　thereby　drew　them　out　as　if　they　would　fight；　till　they

brought　them　within　reach　of　the　cannon　of　St。　Mary's；　and　then　our

men　retiring；　the　great　guns　let　fly　among　them；　and　made　them　run。

Our　men　shouted　after　them。　　Several　of　them　were　killed　on　this

occasion；　one　shot　having　killed　three　horsemen　in　our　fight。



20th。　　We　now　found　the　enemy；　in　order　to　a　perfect　blockade；

resolved　to　draw　a　line　of　circumvallation　round　the　town；　having

received　a　train　of　forty　pieces　of　heavy　cannon　from　the　Tower　of

London。



This　day　the　Parliament　sent　a　messenger　to　their　prisoners　to　know

how　they　fared；　and　how　they　were　used；　who　returned　word；　that

they　fared　indifferent　well；　and　were　very　civilly　used；　but　that

provisions　were　scarce；　and　therefore　dear。



This　day　a　party　of　horse；　with　300　foot；　sallied　out；　and　marched

as　far　as　the　fort　on　the　Isle　of　Mersey；　which　they　made　a　show　of

attacking；　to　keep　in　the　garrison。　　Meanwhile　the　rest　took　a　good

number　of　cattle　from　the　country；　which　they　brought　safe　into　the

town；　with　five　waggons　laden　with　corn。　　This　was　the　last　they

could　bring　in　that　way；　the　lines　being　soon　finished　on　that

side。



This　day　the　Lord　Fairfax　sent　in　a　trumpet　to　the　Earl　of　Norwich

and　the　Lord　Goring；　offering　honourable　conditions　to　them　all；

allowing　all　the　gentlemen　their　lives　and　arms；　exemption　from

plunder；　and　passes；　if　they　desired　to　go　beyond　sea；　and　all　the

private　men　pardon；　and　leave　to　go　peaceably　to　their　own

dwellings。　　But　the　Lord　Goring　and　the　rest　of　the　gentlemen

rejected　it；　and　laughed　at　them；　upon　which　the　Lord　Fairfax　made

proclamation；　that　his　men　should　give　the　private　soldiers　in

Colchester　free　leave　to　pass　through　their　camp；　and　go　where　they

pleased　without　molestation；　only　leaving　their　arms；　but　that　the

gentlemen　should　have　no　quarter。　　This　was　a　great　loss　to　the

Royalists；　for　now　the　men　foreseeing　the　great　hardships　they　were

like　to　suffer；　began　to　slip　away；　and　the　Lord　Goring　was　obliged

to　forbid　any　to　desert　on　pain　of　present　death；　and　to　keep

parties　of　horse　continually　patrolling　to　prevent　them；

notwithstanding　which　many　got　away。



21st。　　The　town　desired　the　Lord　Goring　to　give　them　leave　to　send

a　message　to　Lord　Fairfax；　to　desire　they　might　have　liberty　to

carry　on　their　trade　and　sell　their　bays　and　says；　which　Lord

Goring　granted；　but　the　enemy's　general　returned；　that　they　should

have　considered　that　before　they　let　the　Royalists　into　the　town；

that　to　desire　a　free　trade　from　a　town　besieged　was　never　heard

of；　or　at　least；　was　such　a　motion；　as　was　never　yet　granted；　that；

however；　he　would　give　the　bay…makers　leave　to　bring　their　bays　and

says；　and　other　goods；　once　a　week；　or　oftener；　if　they　desire　it；

to　Lexden　Heath；　where　they　should　have　a　free　market；　and　might

sell　them　or　carry　them　back　again；　if　not　sold；　as　they　found

occasion。



22nd。　　The　besieged　sallied　out　in　the　night　with　a　strong　party；

and　disturbed　the　enemy　in　their　works；　and　partly　ruined　one　of

their　forts；　called　Ewer's　Fort；　where　the　besiegers　were　laying　a

bridge　over　the　River　Colne。　　Also　they　sallied　again　at　east

bridge；　and　faced　the　Suffolk　troops；　who　were　now　declared

enemies。　　These　brought　in　six…and…fifty　good　bullocks；　and　some

cows；　and　they　took　and　killed　several　of　the　enemy。



23rd。　　The　besiegers　began　to　fire　with　their　cannon　from　Essex

Fort；　and　from　Barkstead's　Fort；　which　was　built　upon　the　Malden

road；　and　finding　that　the　besieged　h