第 8 节
作者:
西门在线 更新:2021-02-20 18:43 字数:9322
swords in their hands rather than yield; and had maturely resolved
to abide a storm; yet the Mayor and Aldermen having petitioned them
as well as the inhabitants; being wearied with the importunities of
the distressed people; and pitying the deplorable condition they
were reduced to; they agreed to enter upon a treaty; and
accordingly sent out some officers to the Lord Fairfax; the
Parliament…General; to treat; and with them was sent two gentlemen
of the prisoners upon their parole to return。
Upon the return of the said messengers with the Lord Fairfax's
terms; the Lord Goring; &c。; sent out a letter declaring they would
die with their swords in their hands rather than yield without
quarter for life; and sent a paper of articles on which they were
willing to surrender。 But in the very interim of this treaty news
came that the Scots army; under Duke Hamilton; which was entered
into Lancashire; and was joined by the Royalists in that country;
making 21;000 men; were entirely defeated。 After this the Lord
Fairfax would not grant any abatement of articles … viz。; to have
all above lieutenants surrender at mercy。
Upon this the Lord Goring and the General refused to submit again;
and proposed a general sally; and to break through or die; but
found upon preparing for it that the soldiers; who had their lives
offered them; declined it; fearing the gentlemen would escape; and
they should be left to the mercy of the Parliament soldiers; and
that upon this they began to mutiny and talk of surrendering the
town and their officers too。 Things being brought to this pass;
the Lords and General laid aside that design; and found themselves
obliged to submit; and so the town was surrendered the 28th of
August; 1648; upon conditions as follows:…
The Lords and gentlemen all prisoners at mercy。
The common soldiers had passes to go home to their several
dwellings; but without arms; and an oath not to serve against the
Parliament。
The town to be preserved from pillage; paying 14;000 pounds ready
money。
The same day a council of war being called about the prisoners of
war; it was resolved that the Lords should be left to the disposal
of the Parliament。 That Sir Charles Lucas; Sir George Lisle; and
Sir Marmaduke Gascoigne should be shot to death; and the other
officers prisoners to remain in custody till further order。
The two first of the three gentlemen were shot to death; and the
third respited。 Thus ended the siege of Colchester。
N。B。 … Notwithstanding the number killed in the siege; and dead of
the flux; and other distempers occasioned by bad diet; which were
very many; and notwithstanding the number which deserted and
escaped in the time of their hardships; yet there remained at the
time of the surrender:
Earl of Norwich (Goring)。
Lord Capell。
Lord Loughbro'。
11 Knights。
9 Colonels。
8 Lieut。…Colonels。
9 Majors。
30 Captains。
72 Lieutenants。
69 Ensigns。
183 Serjeants and Corporals。
3;067 Private Soldiers。
65 Servants to the Lords and General Officers and Gentlemen。
3;526 in all。
The town of Colchester has been supposed to contain about 40;000
people; including the out…villages which are within its liberty; of
which there are a great many … the liberty of the town being of a
great extent。 One sad testimony of the town being so populous is
that they buried upwards of 5;259 people in the plague year; 1665。
But the town was severely visited indeed; even more in proportion
than any of its neighbours; or than the City of London。
The government of the town is by a mayor; high steward; a recorder
or his deputy; eleven aldermen; a chamberlain; a town clerk;
assistants; and eighteen common councilmen。 Their high steward
(this year; 1722) is Sir Isaac Rebow; a gentleman of a good family
and known character; who has generally for above thirty years been
one of their representatives in Parliament。 He has a very good
house at the entrance in at the south; or head gate of the town;
where he has had the honour several times to lodge and entertain
the late King William of glorious memory in his returning from
Holland by way of Harwich to London。 Their recorder is Earl
Cowper; who has been twice Lord High Chancellor of England。 But
his lordship not residing in those parts has put in for his deputy;
… Price; Esq。; barrister…at…law; and who dwells in the town。 There
are in Colchester eight churches besides those which are damaged;
and five meeting…houses; whereof two for Quakers; besides a Dutch
church and a French church。
Public Edifices are …
1。 Bay Hall; an ancient society kept up for ascertaining the
manufacture of bays; which are; or ought to be; all brought to this
hall to be viewed and sealed according to their goodness by the
masters; and to this practice has been owing the great reputation
of the Colchester bays in foreign markets; where to open the side
of a bale and show the seal has been enough to give the buyer a
character of the value of the goods without any further search; and
so far as they abate the integrity and exactness of their method;
which I am told of late is much omitted; I say; so far; that
reputation will certainly abate in the markets they go to; which
are principally in Portugal and Italy。 This corporation is
governed by a particular set of men who are called governors of the
Dutch Bay Hall。 And in the same building is the Dutch church。
2。 The guildhall of the town; called by them the moot hall; to
which is annexed the town gaol。
3。 The workhouse; being lately enlarged; and to which belongs a
corporation or a body of the inhabitants; consisting of sixty
persons incorporated by Act of Parliament Anno 1698 for taking care
of the poor。 They are incorporated by the name and title of the
governor; deputy governor; assistants; and guardians of the poor of
the town of Colchester。 They are in number eight…and…forty; to
whom are added the mayor and aldermen for the time being; who are
always guardians by the same charter。 These make the number of
sixty; as above。 There is also a grammar free…school; with a good
allowance to the master; who is chosen by the town。
4。 The castle of Colchester is now become only a monument showing
the antiquity of the place; it being built as the walls of the town
also are; with Roman bricks; and the Roman coins dug up here; and
ploughed up in the fields adjoining; confirm it。 The inhabitants
boast much that Helena; the mother of Constantine the Great; first
Christian Emperor of the Romans; was born there; and it may be so
for aught we know。 I only observe what Mr。 Camden says of the
Castle of Colchester; viz。: In the middle of this city stands a
castle ready to fall with age。
Though this castle has stood one hundred and twenty years from the
time Mr。 Camden wrote that account; and it is not fallen yet; nor
will another hundred and twenty years; I believe; make it look one
jot the older。 And it was observable that in the late siege of
this town; a common shot; which the besiegers made at this old
castle; were so far from making it fall; that they made little or
no impression upon it; for which reason; it seems; and because the
garrison made no great use of it against the besiegers; they fired
no more at it。
There are two charity schools set up here; and carried on by a
generous subscription; with very good success。
The title of Colchester is in the family of Earl Rivers; and the
eldest son of that family is called Lord Colchester; though as I
understand; the title is not settled by the creation to the eldest
son till he enjoys the title of earl with it; but that the other is
by the courtesy of England; however; this I take AD REFERENDUM。
From Colchester I took another step down to the coast; the land
running out a great way into the sea; south and south…east makes
that promontory of land called the Naze; and well known to seamen
using the northern trade。 Here one sees a sea open as an ocean
without any opposite shore; though it be no more than the mouth of
the Thames。 This point called the Naze; and the north…east point
of Kent; near Margate; called the North Foreland; making what they
call the mouth of the river and the port of London; though it be
here above sixty miles over。
At Walton…under…the…Naze they find on the shore copperas…stone in
great quantities; and there are several large works called copperas
houses; where they make it with great expense。
On this promontory is a new mark erected by the Trinity House men;
and at the public expense; being a round brick tower; near eighty
feet high。 The sea gains so much upon the land here by the
continual winds at south…west; that within the memory of some of
the inhabitants there they have lost above thirty acres of land in
one place。
From hence we go back into the county about four miles; beca