Taken from;
The
ancient history of Bridgwater and its neighbourhood; also poems
connected therewith - George Parker, published
1877.
The old
Zummersetshire dialect is fast dying out. It may amuse the reader if
I give a labourer's account of the siege of Bridgwater — a
countryman living at Westonzoyland, who appears to have been enlisted
against his will by Cromwell in 1645:
------------------------------------------------------
In
Weston field I' earn'd my bread
In
sixteen forty-five;
A
very quiet life did lead,
Vor
my family did strive.
And
when I war at work one day
A
turning up zome ground,
I
heard a noise which made me start:
It
waran awful sound.
Aye,
zich a crashing sound it war,
I
never shall forget;
I
dro'd away my spade, by gor,
And
away then I did zet.
And
as I cum'd nigh Oller drove
I
zeed zome zogers run;
I
clim'd a tree, and there above
Thought
I shud zee some fun.
Oh,
how the Red Coats tackled on.
And
tothers atter hied;
They
soon war cum, and soon war gone;
It
zeem'd war's opening tide.
A
company at length appeared,
And
stop'd the tothers' flight.
And
then thej' turned, and then they cheered.
And
vow'd that they would fight.
And
twarden long they had to stay,
Vor
General Cromwell cum.
And
never war there such a day;
Twar
cruel death to some.
Zome
Zogers fall'd by musket shot,
Zome
spiked wi a long spear,
And
zome into the ditches got,
Where
their heads did only peer,
I
cling'd to middle of the tree-
The
leaves war very thick-
And
twar a lucky job vor me,
Vor
I feel'd faint and sick.
To
see the blood and hear the groans,
Twar
savages outright;
Thick
as hail the splinter bones
It
war an awful sight.
At
last the Royalists gi'd in;
The
prisoners vall'd down,
The
rest retreated in a din
Towards
Bridgwater town.
I
climmered down from off the tree;
A
voice said there's a chap:
Cromwell
he catched a sight o' me.
And
ordered me to stap.
Then
down upon my kneea I vall'd;
He
said, “My man, stand op;
Twarden
to kill thee that I called;"
My
head spin'd like a top.
"Wut
list?” zaid he, "I will," said I;
And
list I did there right,
And
made a vow till I did die
Vor
Cromwell I wud fight.
I
noed my life war at a stake,
My
very brains did ring;
At
that time vor my own self's sake
I'd
a promised anything.
Vrom
there we march'd to Weston Moor
And
then the trumpet zound;
That
night wi ly'd upon a floor.
And
that war the bare ground.
I
zend home to my family.
And
told em twar my doom-
A
general's servant I shud be,
Vor
I war Cromwell's groom.
He
zaid he'd make a man o' me,
Vor
that he wud be bown;
War
pleased, he said, to see the way
I
rub'd the bosses down.
He
war a fuss-rate man, I know,
Wud
do what he did dare;
But
as for they about em, tho'.
Their
ways I cud not bare.
They
long'd, they said, to kill the King ;
Twar
that vor they war bent.
And
than zome arguments would bring
About
zome Parliament.
Now
in my heart I loved the King;
His
laws wud 1 obey,
And
hated beyond anything
Such
wicked men as they.
But
I war in their clutches now,
And
bown to act my part,
And
tho' my mouth war forced to bow
It
warden from my heart.
"Come,
join in chorus,” they did cry
When
mornings they did sing;
Inward
I vowed when I did die
Shud
be to sarve my King.
We
marched to Chedzoy; there we ly'd,
And
noed not what to do;
To
teake Bridgweter they had tried,
But
Bridgwater men war true.
They
war no traitors, no, not they,
And
wud stan firm, they zaid;
We
heard about em day by day.
Brave
Wyndham was their head.
He
had a wife war good and brave,
One
day she fired a shot;
Vor
Cromwell twar the closest shave
That
ever he'd a got.
When
Okey cum our force war strong;
Twar
whispered then about
They'd
seize Bridgwater afore long,
And
set em to the rout.
Fairfax
and Cromwell talk'd one night
Whilst
I the hoss rubbed down;
They
zaid the next day they'd go right
Into
Bridgwater town.
That
night no sleep I never found,
Altho'
the moon did shine,
Vor
living in Bridgwater town
War
some old friends o' mine.
Jest
avore day away I sot,
Before
the cock did crow;
I
thought thinks I, I'll blow their plot.
And
let the townsmen know.
When
at. the gate they cried out, "stop!
Or
else I'll make thee spin;"
I
tould the zogers what war op,
And
zoon they let me in.
Right
glad war they to to hear my tale;
Wi
warmth my hands they shook.
And
when they found the facts war real
To
the Castle I war took.
I
told em all, the drums did beat,
And
they begun to arm;
The
news it spread droo every street,
The
town was in alarm.
Brave
Wyndham talk'd em into tears
To
do as they were bid,
"And
now," said he"dree hearty cheers!''
Dree
hearty cheers they gid.
And
soon the roaring guns we heard
Towards
the eastern side;
The
more they roared the more we cheered.
Our
guns, too, they reply'd.
The
tug of war it cannot last;
It
cum wi awful might;
We
know'd our fated die was cast,
Like
dragons we did fight.
They
ring'd the bells, burn'd houses down,
Like
phrenzy volks they were;
File
atter file marched droo the town.
The
dangers vor to share.
But
when the wild dragoons cum op
Droo
Eastover at last
I
noed that Fate had filled the cup,
All
hopes or chance was past.
At
last I zeed how it wud be.
That
they wud gain the day;
I
took't a chance war offered me.
And
scampered far away.
I
never fear'd their hue and cry;
They
sought for me in vain.
I
lived to see old Cromwell die.
And
good King Charlie reign.
With
all their errors or mishaps
It
always seemed to me
Bridgwater
men were plucky chaps
As
ever I did zee.
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