Part 2 (1/2)

[25:1] The Apology of the Commons, 1604. See Gardiner's _History of England_, 1603-1642, vol. i. pp. 180-185.

[25:2] _Ibid._ vol. vii. pp. 72-76.

[28:1] _Loc. cit._

[29:1] This was the point of view taken at the time by the Levellers, the most active and progressive politicians of the period. In a ”Humble Pet.i.tion of thousands of well affected people inhabiting the City of London,” presented September 11th, 1648, the pet.i.tioners address the House of Commons as ”the supreme authority of England,” and desire it so to consider itself. They complain that the Commons have declared their intention not to alter the ancient government of King, Lords and Commons, ”not once mentioning, in case of difference, which of them is supreme, but leaving that point, which was the chiefest cause of all our public differences, disturbances, wars, and miseries, as uncertain as ever.” See _Clarke Papers_, vol. ii. p. 76.

[29:2] See ”The Agreement of the People for a firm and present peace,”

as presented to the Council of the Army, October 28th, 1647. Reprinted at the end of the third volume of Gardiner's _History of the Civil War_.

[29:3] _History of the Civil War_, vol. ii. p. 67.

[30:1] _History of the Civil War_, vol. iv. pp. 327-328.

[31:1] _History of the Civil War_, vol. iii. p. 95.

[31:2] See Appendix B.

[32:1] ”The Agreement of the People for a firm and present peace.”

(Italics are ours.)

[33:1] See Carlyle's _Cromwell's Letters and Speeches_, part ii. p. 135, and part x. p. 255.

[33:2] See Gardiner's _History of the Civil War_, vol. iv. pp. 120-121.

[33:3] Cromwell seems early to have foreseen and guarded against such a contingency. See Gardiner, _ibid._ vol. ii. p. 25.

CHAPTER IV

THE DIGGERS

”The way to cast out Kingly Power is not to cast it out by the Sword; for this doth but set him in more power, and removes him from a weaker to a stronger hand. The only way to cast him out is for the people to leave him to himself, to forsake fighting and all oppression, and to live in love one towards another. The Power of Love is the True Saviour.”--WINSTANLEY, _A New Year's Gift for the Parliament and Army_.

The Council of State which, on February 13th, 1649, within a month of the execution of the King, had been appointed to administer the public affairs of England, had scarcely settled down to their work when they received the following information of the mysterious doings of ”a disorderly and tumultuous sort of people” very near to their doors:[34:1]

”INFORMATION OF HENRY SANDERS OF WALTON UPON THAMES.

”Informeth, that on Sunday was sennight last,[34:2] there was one Everard, once of the army but was cas.h.i.+ered, who termeth himself a prophet, one Stewer and Colten, and two more, all living at Cobham, came to St. George's Hill in Surrey, and began to dig on that side the hill next to Campe Close, and sowed the ground with parsnips, carrots, and beans. On Monday following they were there again, being increased in their number, and on the next day, being Tuesday, they fired the heath, and burned at least forty rood of heath, which is a very great prejudice to the town. On Friday last they came again, between twenty and thirty, and wrought all day at digging. They did then intend to have two or three ploughs at work, but they had not furnished themselves with seed-corn, which they did on Sat.u.r.day at Kingston. They invite all to come in and help them, and promise them meat, drink, and clothes. They do threaten to pull down and level all park pales, and lay open, and intend to plant there very shortly. They give out they will be four or five thousand within ten days, and threaten the neighbouring people there, that they will make them all come up to the hills and work: and forewarn them suffering their cattle to come near the plantation; if they do, they will cut their legs off. It is feared they have some design in hand.

”HENRY SANDERS.

”_16 April 1649._”

The Council of State were sufficiently impressed by this letter to forward it the same day to Lord Fairfax, the Lord General of the armed forces of the Commonwealth, with the following despatch:

”THE COUNCIL OF STATE TO LORD FAIRFAX.[35:1]

”MY LORD,--By the narrative enclosed your Lords.h.i.+p will be informed of what relation hath been made to this Council of a disorderly and tumultuous sort of people a.s.sembling themselves together not far from Oatlands, at a place called St. George's Hill; and although the pretence of their being there by them avowed may seem very ridiculous, yet that conflux of people may be a beginning whence things of a greater and more dangerous consequence may grow, to the disturbance of the peace and quiet of the Commonwealth. We therefore recommend it to your Lords.h.i.+p's care that some force of horse may be sent to Cobham in Surrey and thereabouts, with orders to disperse the people so met, and to prevent the like for the future, that a malignant and disaffected party may not under colour of such ridiculous people have any opportunity to rendezvous themselves in order to do a greater mischief.