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