tour through the eastern counties of england-第7章

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

road；　and　finding　that　the　besieged　had　a　party　in　Sir　Harbottle

Grimston's　house；　called；　〃The　Fryery；〃　they　fired　at　it　with　their

cannon；　and　battered　it　almost　down；　and　then　the　soldiers　set　it

on　fire。



This　day　upon　the　townsmen's　treaty　for　the　freedom　of　the　bay

trade；　the　Lord　Fairfax　sent　a　second　offer　of　conditions　to　the

besieged；　being　the　same　as　before；　only　excepting　Lord　Goring；

Lord　Capel；　Sir　George　Lisle；　and　Sir　Charles　Lucas。



This　day　we　had　news　in　the　town　that　the　Suffolk　forces　were

advanced　to　assist　the　besiegers；　and　that　they　began　a　fort　called

Fort　Suffolk；　on　the　north　side　of　the　town；　to　shut　up　the　Suffolk

road　towards　Stratford。　　This　day　the　besieged　sallied　out　at　north

bridge；　attacked　the　out…guards　of　the　Suffolk　men　on　Mile　End

Heath；　and　drove　them　into　their　fort　in　the　woods。



This　day　the　Lord　Fairfax　sent　a　trumpet；　complaining　of　chewed　and

poisoned　bullets　being　shot　from　the　town；　and　threatening　to　give

no　quarter　if　that　practice　was　allowed；　but　Lord　Goring　returned

answer；　with　a　protestation；　that　no　such　thing　was　done　by　his

order　or　consent。



24th。　　They　fired　hard　from　their　cannon　against　St。　Mary's

steeple；　on　which　was　planted　a　large　culverin；　which　annoyed　them

even　in　the　general's　headquarters　at　Lexden。　　One　of　the　best

gunners　the　garrison　had　was　killed　with　a　cannon　bullet。　　This

night　the　besieged　sallied　towards　Audly；　on　the　Suffolk　road；　and

brought　in　some　cattle。



25th。　　Lord　Capel　sent　a　trumpet　to　the　Parliament…General；　but　the

rogue　ran　away；　and　came　not　back；　nor　sent　any　answer；　whether

they　received　his　message　or　not；　was　not　known。



26th。　　This　day　having　finished　their　new　bridge；　a　party　of　their

troops　passed　that　bridge；　and　took　post　on　the　hill　over　against

Mile　End　Church；　where　they　built　a　fort；　called　Fothergall's　Fort；

and　another　on　the　east　side　of　the　road；　called　Rainsbro's　Fort；

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