A WATCHWORD TO THE CITY OF LONDON, ETC.
"All men have stood for Freedom; thou hast kept fasting-days and
prayed in the morning exercises for Freedom; thou hast given thanks
for victories because hopes of Freedom; plenty of Petitions and
Promises thereupon have been made for Freedom. But now the common
enemy is gone, you are all like men in a mist seeking for Freedom,
but know not where nor what it is.... Assure yourselves, if you
pitch not now upon the right point of Freedom in action, as your
Covenant hath it in words, you will wrap up your children in
greater slavery than ever you were in."--WINSTANLEY, _A Watchword
to the City of London_.
The House of Commons, as we have seen, took no notice of Winstanley's
dignified appeal, hence, within a week of its publication in pamphlet
form, Winstanley, on August 26th, 1649, addressed himself to the City of
London, at that time the stronghold of advanced political and religious
thought. The pamphlet, which is one of the most interesting he ever
wrote, appeared the following month: the title-page reads as follows:
"A WATCHWORD TO THE CITY OF LONDON AND THE ARMY:[112:1]
Wherein you may see that England's Freedom, which should be the
result of all our Victories, is sinking deeper under the Norman
Power, as appears by this Relation of the unrighteous
proceedings of Kingston Court against some of the Diggers at
George Hill, under colour of law; but yet thereby the cause of
the Diggers is more brightened and strengthened, so that every
one singly may truly say what his Freedom is and where it lies.
BY JERRARD WINSTANLEY.
When these clay bodies are in grave, and children stand in place,
This shows we stood for truth and peace and freedom in our days;
And true-born sons we shall appear of England that's our Mother,
No Priests nor Lawyers wiles t'embrace, their slavery we'll discover."
This pamphlet, too, commences with a Dedicatory Letter, which opens as
follows:
"TO THE CITY OF LONDON,--Freedom and Peace desired,--{6}Thou City
of London, I am one of thy sons by freedom, and I do truly love thy
peace. While I had an estate in thee, I was free to offer my Mite
into thy Public Treasury, Guildhall, for a preservation to thee and
to the whole Land. But by thy cheating sons in the thieving art of
buying and selling, and by the burdens of and for the soldiery in
the beginning of the War, I was beaten out of both estate and
trade, and forced to accept of the good-will of friends, crediting
of me, to live a Country life. There likewise by the burthen of
Taxes and much Free Quarter my weak back found the burthen heavier
than I could bear. Yet in all the passages of these eight years
troubles, I have been willing to lay out what my talent was, to
procure England's peace inward and outward; and yet all along I
have found such as in words have professed the same cause to be
enemies to me."
It then briefly summarises Winstanley's past actions, as well as the
causes that inspired them, and the position in which he finds himself in
consequence thereof, as follows:
"Not a full year since, being quiet at my work, my heart was filled
with sweet thoughts, and many things were revealed to me which I
never read in books, nor heard from the mouth of any flesh. When I
began to speak of them some people could not bear my words. Amongst
these revelations this was one, _That the Earth shall be made a
Common Treasury of Livelihood to whole mankind without respect of
persons._
"And I had a voice within me that bade me declare it by word all
abroad, which I did obey, for I declared it by word of mouth
wheresoever I came. Then I was made to write a little book called
the New Law of Righteousness, and therein I declared it. Yet my
mind was not at rest, because nothing was acted; and thoughts ran
in me that words and writings were all nothing and must die; for
action is the life of all, and if thou dost not act, thou dost
nothing.
"Within a little time I was made obedient to the word in that
particular likewise. For I took my spade and went and broke the
ground upon George Hill in Surrey, thereby declaring Freedom to the
Creation, and that the Earth must be set free from entanglement of
Lords and Land Lords, and that it shall become a Common Treasury to
all, as it was first made and given to the sons of men.
"For which doing ... the old Norman Prerogative Lord of that Manor
caused me to be arrested for a trespass against him in digging upon
that barren Heath. And the unrighteous proceedings of Kingston
Court I have declared to thee and to the whole Land that you may
consider the case England is in."
The Dedicatory Letter concludes as follows:
"I have declared this truth to the Army and Parliament, and now I
have declared it to thee likewise, that none of you that are the
fleshy strength of this Land may be left without excuse: for now
you have been all spoken to. And because I have obeyed the voice of
the Lord in this thing, therefore do the Freeholders and Lords of
Manors seek to oppress me in the outward livelihood of the world,
but I am in peace. And London, nay England, look to thy Freedom. I
assure you thou art very near to be cheated of it, and if thou lose
it now after all thy boasting, truly thy posterity will curse thee
for thy unfaithfulness to them. Everyone talks of Freedom, but
there are but few that act for Freedom, and the actors for Freedom
are oppressed by the talkers and verbal professors of Freedom. If
thou wouldst know what true Freedom is, read over this and other of
my writings, and thou shalt see it lies in the Community in Spirit
and Community in the Earthly Treasury; and this is Christ, the true
manchild, spread abroad in the Creation, restoring all things unto
himself. And so I leave thee, Being a free Denizon of thee, and a
true lover of thy peace.
JERRARD WINSTANLEY.
"_August 26th, 1649._"
The pamphlet commences with a short and business-like account of the
proceedings at Kingston Court, as follows:
"Whereas we, Henry Bickerstaffe, Thomas Star and Jerrard
Winstanley, were arrested into Kingston Court by Thomas Wenman,
Ralph Verney, and Richard Winwood, for a trespass in digging upon
George Hill in Surrey, being the right of Mr. Drake, Lord of that
Manor, as they say, we all three did appear the first Court-day of
our arrest, and demanded of the Court, What was laid to our
charge? and to give answer thereunto ourselves. But the answer of
your Court was this, that you would not tell us what the trespass
was, unless we would fee an Attorney to speak for us. We told them
we were to plead our own cause, for we knew no Lawyer that we could
trust with this business. We desired a copy of the Declaration, and
profered to pay for it, but still you denied us unless we would fee
an Attorney. But in conclusion the Recorder of your Court told us
that the cause was not entered. We appeared two Court-days after
this, and desired to see the Declaration, and still you denied us
unless we would fee an Attorney, so greedy are these Attornies
after money, more than to justify a righteous cause. We told them
that we could not fee any unless we would wilfully break our
National Covenant, which both Parliament and People have taken
jointly together to effect a Reformation. And unless we would be
professed Traitors to the Nation and Common-wealth of England, by
upholding the old Norman tyrannical and destructive Laws, when they
are to be cast out of equity, and reason to be the Moderator.
"Then seeing that you would not suffer us to speak, one of us
brought the following writing into Court, that you might read our
answer. Because we would acknowledge all righteous proceedings in
Law, though some slander us and say we deny all Law, because we
deny the corruption of Law, and endeavour a Reformation in our
place and calling, according to that National Covenant. And we know
if your Laws were built upon equity and reason, you ought both to
have heard us speak, and to have read our answer. For that is no
righteous Law, whereby to keep a Common-wealth in peace, when one
sort shall be suffered to speak and not another, as you deal with
us, to pass sentence and execution upon us, before both sides be
heard to speak. This principle in the forehead of your Laws
foretells destruction to this Common-wealth. For it declares that
the Laws that follow such refusal are selfish and thievish and full
of murder, protecting all that get money by their Laws, and
crushing all others.
"The writer hereof does require Mr. Drake, and he is a Parliament
man, therefore a man counted able to speak rationally, to plead
this cause of digging with me.[115:1] And if he show a just and
rational title that Lords of Manors have to the Commons, and that
they have a just power from God to call it their right, shutting
out others, then I will write as much against it as ever I wrote
for this cause. [A heavy forfeit, truly!] But if I show by the Law
of Righteousness that the poorest man hath as good a title and just
right to the Land as the richest man, and that undeniably the Earth
ought to be a Common Treasury of Livelihood for all without
respecting persons; then I shall require no more of Mr. Drake but
that he would justify our cause of digging, and declare abroad that
the Commons ought to be free to all sorts, and that it is a great
trespass before the Lord God Almighty for one to hinder another of
his liberty to dig the earth, that he might feed and clothe himself
with the fruits of his labor thereupon freely, without owning any
Land Lord or paying any Rent to any person of his own kind."
After this perfectly safe challenge, he continues:
"I sent this following answer to the Arrest in writing into
Kingston Court:
"In four passages your Court hath gone contrary to the
righteousness of your own Statute Laws. For, _First_, it is
mentioned in 36 Edward III. 15 that no Process, Warrant or Arrest
should be served till after the cause was recorded and entered. But
your Bailiff either could not or would not tell us the cause when
he arrested us, and Mr. Rogers, your Recorder, told us the first
Court-day we appeared that our cause was not entered.
"_Secondly_, We appeared two other Court-days, and desired a copy
of the Declaration, and profered to pay for it, and you denied us.
This is contrary to equity and reason, which is the foundation your
Laws are or should be built upon, if you would have England to be a
Common-wealth, and stand in peace.
"_Thirdly_, We desired to plead our own cause, and you denied us,
but told us we must fee an Attorney to speak for us, or else you
would mark us in default for not appearance. This is contrary to
your own Laws likewise, for in 28 Edward I. chapter ii. there is
freedom given to a man to speak for himself, or else he may choose
his father, friend or neighbour to speak for him, without the help
of any other Lawyer.
"_Fourthly_, You have granted a judgement against us, and are
proceeding to an execution, and this is contrary likewise to your
own laws, which say that no plaint ought to be received or
judgement passed, till the cause be heard, and witnesses present,
to testify the plaint to be true, as Sir Edward Coke, 2nd part of
Institutes upon the 29 chap. of Magna Charta, fol. 51-53. The
Mirror of Justice."
Then, as if ashamed of appealing to mere conventional man-made Laws, he
at once acknowledges what he and his comrades have done, and justifies
their action in the following dignified words:
"But that all men may see that we are neither ashamed nor afraid to
justify that cause we are arrested for, neither to refuse to answer
to it in a righteous way, therefore we have here delivered this up
in writing, and we leave it in your hands, disavowing the
proceedings of your Court, because you uphold prerogative
oppression, though the kingly office be taken away, and the
Parliament hath declared England a Common-wealth, so that
prerogative cannot be in force, unless you be besotted by your
covetousness and envy.
"We deny that we have trespassed against those three men, or Mr.
Drake either, or that we should trespass against any, if we should
dig up and plough for a livelihood upon any of the waste land in
England. For thereby we break no particular Law made by any Act of
Parliament, but only an ancient custom bred in the strength of
kingly prerogative, which is that old Law or Custom by which Lords
of Manors lay claim to the Commons, which is of no force now to
bind the people of England, since the kingly power and office was
cast out. And the Common People who have cast out the oppressor, by
their purse and person, have not authorised any as yet to give away
from them their purchased freedom; and if any assume a power to
give away or withhold this purchased freedom, they are Traitors to
this Common-wealth of England; and if they imprison, oppress, or
put to death any for standing to maintain this purchased freedom,
they are murderers and thieves, and no just rulers.
"Therefore in the light of Reason and Equity, and in the light of
the National Covenant which Parliament and People have taken with
joint consent, all such prerogative customs, which by experience we
have found to burden the Nation, ought to be cast out with the
kingly office, and the Land of England now ought to be a Free Land
and a Common Treasury to all her children, otherwise it cannot
properly be called a Common-wealth."
He then continues:
"Therefore we justify our act of digging upon that Hill to make the
Earth a Common Treasury. First, because the Earth was made by
Almighty God to be a Common Treasury of Livelihood to the whole of
mankind in all its branches, without respect of persons....
Secondly, because all sorts of people have lent assistance of purse
and person to cast out the kingly order as being a burden that
England groaned under. Therefore those from whom money and blood
were received, ought to obtain freedom in the Land to themselves
and posterity, by the Law of Contract between Parliament and
People. But all sorts, poor as well as rich, Tenant as well as Land
Lord, have paid taxes, free-quarter, excise, or adventured their
lives to cast out the kingly office. Therefore all sorts of people
ought to have freedom in this the Land of their Nativity, without
respecting persons, now that kingly power is cast out by their
joint assistance.... Therefore, in that we do dig upon that Hill,
we do not thereby take away other men's rights, nor demand of this
Court, nor from the Parliament, what is theirs and not ours. But we
demand our own to be set free to us, and to them, out of the
tyrannical oppression of ancient customs of kingly prerogative; and
let us have no more gods to rule over us, but the King of
Righteousness only.
"Therefore, as the Freeholders claim a quietness and freedom in
their enclosures, as it is fit they should have, so we that are
younger brothers, or the poor oppressed, we claim our freedom in
the Commons; that so elder and younger brother may live quietly and
in peace, together freed from the straits of poverty and oppression
in this Land of our Nativity."
His written address to the Court at Kingston concludes as follows:
"Thus we have in writing declared in effect what we should say, if
we had liberty to speak before you, declaring withal that your
Court cannot end this controversy in that equity and reason of it
which we stand to maintain. Therefore we have appealed to the
Parliament, who have received our Appeal and promised an answer,
and we wait for it. And we leave this with you, and let Reason and
Righteousness be our Judge. Therefore we hope you will do nothing
rashly, but seriously consider of this cause before you proceed to
execution upon us."
Of course, the Court paid no heed to his pleadings, and he details the
subsequent proceedings in the following business-like manner:
"Well, this same writing was delivered into their Court, but they
cast it out again, and would not read it, and all because I would
not fee an Attorney. And then the Court-day following, before there
was any trial of our cause, for there was none suffered to speak
but the Plaintiff, they passed a judgement, and after that an
execution. Now their Jury was made of rich Freeholders, and such as
stand strongly for the Norman power. And though our digging upon
that barren Common hath done the Common good, yet this Jury brings
in damages of £10 a man, and the charges of the Plaintiff in their
Court, twenty-nine shillings and a penny: and this was their
sentence and the passing of the execution upon us."
Winstanley then mentions one instance descriptive of the way he and his
comrades were "boycotted" by his neighbours, and of the men responsible
therefor. He says:
"Before the report of our digging was much known, I bought three
acres of grass from a Lord of the Manor, whom I will not here name
because I know the counsel of others made him prove false to me.
For when the time came to mow, I brought money to pay him
beforehand, but he answered me that I should not have it, and sold
it to another before my face. This was because his Parish Priest
and the Surrey Ministers have bid the people neither to buy nor to
sell us, but to beat us, imprison us, or to banish us."
He then relates that two days later "they sent to execute the execution,
and they put Harry Bickerstaffe in prison, but after three days Mr.
Drake released him again, Bickerstaffe not knowing of it till the
release came. They seek after Thomas Star to imprison his body, who is
a poor man, not worth ten pounds." He continues:
"Then they came privately by day to Gerrard Winstanley's house and
drove away four cows, I not knowing of it. They took away the cows
which were my livelihood, and beat them with their clubs that the
cows' heads and sides did swell, which grieved tender hearts to
see. And yet," he pathetically but somewhat humourously adds,
"these cows never were upon George Hill, nor never digged upon that
ground, and yet the poor beasts must suffer because they gave milk
to feed me. But strangers made rescue of those cows, and drove them
astray out of the Bailiffs' hands, so that the Bailiffs lost them.
But before the Bailiffs had lost the cows, I, hearing of it, went
to them and said--'Here is my body, take me, that I may speak to
those Normans that have stolen our land from us; and let the cows
go, for they are none of mine.' After some time, they telling me
they had nothing against my body, it was my goods they were to
have. Then said I, 'Take my goods, for the cows are not mine.'"
Here follows one of the most touching passages to which Winstanley ever
set pen:
"And so I went away and left them, being quiet in my heart, and
filled with comfort within myself, that the King of Righteousness
would cause this to work for the advancing of His own cause, which
I prefer above estate and livelihood. Saying within my heart as I
went along, that if I could not get meat to eat, I would feed upon
bread, milk and cheese. And if they take the cows, and I cannot
feed on this, or hereby make a breach between me and him that owns
the cows, then I'll feed upon bread and beer, till the King of
Righteousness clears up my innocency and the justice of His own
cause. And if this be taken from me for maintaining His cause, then
I'll stand still and see what He will do with me; for as yet I know
not.
"Saying likewise within my heart as I was walking along--O thou
King of Righteousness, show thy power and do thy work thyself, and
free thy people now from under this heavy bondage of misery. And
the answer in my heart was satisfactory, and full of sweet joy and
peace: and so I said, Father, do what thou wilt, for this cause is
thine, and thou knowest that the love to righteousness makes me do
what I do."
He then continues:
"I was made to appeal to the Father of Life in the speakings of my
heart likewise thus--Father, thou knowst that what I have writ or
spoken concerning this light, that the Earth should be restored and
become a Common Treasury for all mankind, without respect of
persons, was thy free revelation to me, I never read it in any
book, I heard it from no mouth of flesh, till I understood it from
thy teaching first within me. I did not study nor imagine the
conceit of it; self-love to my own particular body does not carry
me along in the managing of this business; but the power of love
flowing forth to the liberty and peace of thy whole Creation, to
enemies as well as to friends: nay, towards those who oppress me,
endeavouring to make me a beggar to them. And since I did obey thy
voice, to speak and act this truth, I am hated, reproached and
oppressed on every side. Such as make professions of thee, yet
revile me. And though they see I cannot fight with fleshy weapons,
yet they will strive with me by that power. And so I see, Father,
that England yet doth choose rather to fight with the Sword of Iron
and Covetousness than with the Sword of the Spirit, which is Love.
And what thy purpose is with this Land or with my body, I know not,
but establish thy power in me, and then do what pleases thee.
"These and such like sweet thoughts dwelt in my heart as I went
along; and I feel myself now like a man in a storm, standing under
shelter upon a hill in peace, waiting till the storm be over to see
the end of it, and of many other things that my eye is fixed upon."
The pamphlet concludes as follows:
"You have arrested us for digging upon the common land, you have
executed your unrighteous power, in destraining cattle, imprisoning
our bodies, and yet our cause was never publicly heard, neither can
it be proved that we broke any Law that is built upon equity and
reason. Therefore we wonder whence you had your power to rule over
us by will, more than we to rule over you by our will.... We
request that you would let us have a fair open trial.... let your
Ministers plead with us in the Scriptures, and let your Lawyers
plead with us as to the equity and reason of your own Law. And if
you prove us transgressors, then we shall lay down our work and
acknowledge that we have trespassed against you in digging upon the
Commons, and then punish us. But if we prove by Scripture and
Reason that undeniably the Land belongs to one as well as another,
then you shall own our work, justify our cause, and declare that
you have done wrong to Christ, who you say is your Lord and Master,
in abusing us His servants and your fellow-creatures, while we are
doing His work. Therefore, knowing you to be men of moderation in
outward show, I desire that your actions towards your
fellow-creatures may not be like one beast to another, but carry
yourselves like man to man, for your proceeding in your pretence of
Law hitherto against us is both unrighteous, beastly, and devilish,
and nothing of the spirit of man seen in it. You Attornies and
Lawyers, you say you are Ministers of Justice, and we know that
equity and reason is or ought to be the foundation of Law. If so,
then plead not for money altogether, but stand for Universal
Justice and Equity: then you will have peace; otherwise both you
and the corrupt Clergy will be cast out as unsavoury salt."
As will have been seen from the above, and as we shall show more fully
later on, the little company of Diggers were having a rather troublesome
time. Within two days of the delivery of their first letter to Lord
Fairfax, on June 11th, some of them were grievously assaulted by two of
the local freeholders, accompanied by men in women's garments; but,
according to their own account, they made no attempt to defend
themselves.[122:1] In November of the same year the agitation against
their doings was revived, or became more acute, and early in December
they found themselves compelled again to appeal to Lord Fairfax for
protection.[122:2] After having recapitulated their main arguments, this
letter continues:
"Now, Sirs, divers repulses we have had from some of the Lords of
Manors and their servants, with whom we are patient and loving, not
doubting but at last they will grant liberty quietly to live by
them. And though your tenderness hath moved us to be requesting
your protection against them, yet we have forborne, and rather
waited upon God with patience till he quell their unruly
spirits.... In regard likewise the soldiers did not molest us, for
that you told us when some of us were before you, that you had
given command to your soldiers not to meddle with us, but resolved
to leave us to the Gentlemen of the County and to the Law of the
Land to deal with us, which we were satisfied with, and for this
half-year past your soldiers have not meddled with us.
"But now, Sirs, this last week, upon the 28th of November, there
came a party of soldiers commanded by a Cornet, and some of them of
your own regiment, and by their threatening words forced three
labouring men to help them to pull down our two houses, and carried
away the wood in a cart to a Gentleman's house, who hath been a
Cavalier all our time of war, and cast two or three old people out
who lived in those houses to lie in the open fields this cold
weather (an act more becoming Turks to deal with Christians than
for one Christian to deal with another). But if you inquire into
the business you will find that the Gentlemen who set the soldiers
on are enemies to you, for some of the chief had hands in the
Kentish rising against the Parliament, and we know, and you will
find it true if you trust them so far, that they love you but from
the teeth outward.
"Therefore our request to you is this, that you would call your
soldiers to account for attempting to abuse us without your
commission, that the Country may know that you had no hand in such
an unrighteous and cruel act. Likewise we desire that you would
continue your former kindness and promise to give commission to
your soldiers not to meddle with us without your order."
As we shall presently see, nothing more discouraged the little company
of Diggers than the assistance given to their enemies by the soldiery.
Lord Fairfax, however, had no free hand in this matter; the Council of
State had again received information of what was termed "a tumultuous
meeting at Cobham," which the ordinary power at the disposal of the
local Justices of the Peace "was not sufficient to disperse," and had
consequently sent Lord Fairfax definite instructions to send "such horse
as you may think fit to march to that place."[124:1] This information
had evidently come to Winstanley's knowledge. He had not signed the
foregoing letter, so felt himself at liberty to supplement it by another
and more forcible one, which opens as follows:
"WINSTANLEY'S SECOND LETTER TO LORD FAIRFAX.[124:2]
"TO MY LORD GENERAL AND HIS COUNCIL OF WAR.
"SIR,--I understand that Mr. Parson Platt with some other gentlemen
have made report to you and the Council of State that we that are
called Diggers are a riotous people, and that we will not be ruled
by the Justices, and that we hold a man's house by violence from
him, and that we have four guns in it to secure ourselves, and that
we are drunkards, and Cavaliers waiting an opportunity to bring in
the Prince, and such like. Truly, Sir, these are all untrue
reports, and as false as those which Hamaan of old brought against
sincere-hearted Mordecai to incense king Ahasuerus against him. The
conversation of the Diggers is not such as they report; we are
peaceable men and walk in the light of righteousness to the utmost
of our power."
He then expounds their aims, and justifies their action in the manner
with which our readers will by now be familiar, and continues:
"We know that England cannot be a free Common-wealth, unless all
the poor Commoners have a free use and benefit of the land. For if
this freedom be not granted, we that are the poor commoners are in
a worse case than we were in the King's days; for then we had some
estate about us, though we were under oppression, but now our
estates are spent to purchase freedom, and we are under oppression
still of Lords of Manors tyranny. Therefore unless we that are poor
commoners have some part of the land to live upon freely, as well
as the Gentry, it cannot be a Common-wealth, neither can the kingly
power be removed so long as this kingly power in the hands of Lords
of Manors rules over us.
"Now, Sir, if you and the Council will quietly grant us this
freedom, which is our own right, and set us free from the kingly
power of Lords of Manors, that violently now as in the king's days
hold the commons from us (as if we had obtained no conquest at all
over the kingly power), then the poor that lie under the great
burden of poverty, and are always complaining for want, and their
miseries increase because they see no means of relief found out,
and therefore cry out continually to you and the Parliament for
relief, and to make good your promises, will be quieted.
"We desire no more of you than freedom to work, and to enjoy the
benefit of our labors--for here is waste land enough and to spare
to supply all our wants. But if you deny this freedom, then in
righteousness we must raise collections for the poor out of the
estates, and a mass of money will not supply their wants. Many are
in want that are ashamed to take collection money, and therefore
they are desperate, and would rather rob and steal and disturb the
land, and others that are ashamed to beg would do any work for to
live, as it is the case of many of our Diggers, who have been good
housekeepers. But if this freedom were granted to improve the
common lands, then there would be a supply to answer everyone's
inquire, and the murmurings of the people against you and the
Parliament would cease, and within a few years we should have no
beggars nor idle persons in the land.
"_Secondly_, Hereby England would be enriched with all commodities
within itself which they each would afford. And truly this is a
stain to Christian religion in England [a stain not yet removed]
that we have so much land lie waste and so many starve for want.
Further, if this freedom be granted, the whole Land will be united
in love and strength, that if a foreign enemy, like an army of rats
and mice, come to take our inheritance from us, we shall all rise
as one man to defend it.
"Then, lastly, if you will grant the poor commoners this quiet
freedom to improve the common land for our livelihood, we shall
rejoice in you and the Army in protecting our work, and we and our
work will be ready to secure that, and we hope that there will not
be any kingly power over us, to rule at will and we to be slaves,
as the power has been, but that you will rule in love as Moses and
Joshua did the children of Israel before any kingly power came in,
and that the Parliament will be as the elders of Israel, chosen
freely by the people to advise for and to assist both you and us.
"And thus in the name of the rest of those called Diggers and
Commoners through the land, I have in short declared our mind and
cause to you in the light of righteousness, which will prove all
these reports made against us to be false and destructive to the
uniting of England into peace.
"Per me Gerrard Winstanley, for myself and in the behalf of my
fellow commoners.
"_December the 8th, 1649._"
Amongst Winstanley's disciples was one Robert Coster, who appears to
have been the poet of the Digger Movement, and the next pamphlet which
issued from their camp, on December 18th, some ten days after the date
affixed to the above vigorous letter, was from his pen. It is entitled:
"_A Mite cast into the Common Treasury_:[126:1] Or Queries
propounded (for all Men to consider of) by him who desireth to
advance the work of Public Community. By Robert Coster."
In it Coster first recapitulates Winstanley's main arguments and
contentions, and then shows that he for one fully realised their
far-reaching scope, by indicating their probable effects in the
following words:
"As, 1. If men would do as aforesaid rather than to go with cap in
hand and bended knee to Gentlemen and Farmers, begging and
entreating to work with them for 8d. or 10d. a day, which doth give
them an occasion to tyrannise over poor people, who are their
fellow-creatures; if poor men would not go in such a slavish
posture, but do as aforesaid, the rich Farmers would be weary of
renting so much land of the Lords of Manors.
"2. If the Lords of Manors and other Gentlemen who covet after so
much land, could not let it out by parcels, but must be constrained
to keep it in their own hands, then would they want those great
bags of money (which do maintain pride, idleness and fullness of
bread) which are carried in to them by the Tenants, who go in as
slavish a posture as well may be, namely, with cap in hand and
bended knee, crouching and creeping from corner to corner, while
his Lord (rather Tyrant) walks up and down the room with his proud
looks, and with great swelling words questions him about his
holding.
"3. If the Lords of Manors and other Gentlemen had not those great
bags of money brought to them, then down would fall the lordliness
of their spirits, and then poor men might speak to them, and there
might be an acknowledging of one another to be Fellow-Creatures.
"For what is the reason that great gentlemen covet after so much
land? Is it not because Farmers and others creep to them in a
slavish manner, profering them so much money for such and such
parcels of it, which doth give them occasion to tyrannise over
their Fellow-Creatures, which they call their Inferiors?
"And what is the reason that Farmers and others are so greedy to
rent land of the Lords of Manors? Is it not because they expect
great gains, and because poor men are so foolish and slavish as to
creep to them for employment, although they will not give them
money enough to maintain themselves and their families comfortably?
All which do give them an occasion to tyrannise over their
Fellow-Creatures, which they call their Inferiors.
"All which considered, if poor men which want employment and others
which work for little wages would go to dress and improve the
Commons and Waste Lands, whether it would not bring down the price
of Land, which doth principally cause all things to be dear?"
The pamphlet concludes with the following lines:
"The Nation is in such a state as this,
to honor rich men because they are rich;
And poor men, because poor, most do them hate.
O, but this is a very cursed state;
But those who act from love which is sincere,
will honor truth wherever it doth appear.
And no respecting of persons will be with such,
but tyranny they will abhor in poor and rich.
And in this state is he whose name is here,
your very loving friend, Robert Costeer."
By way of appendix the author adds a long poem, of nine verses, entitled
"A Digger's Ballad," of which the following verse, the last one, will
give our readers a sufficient idea:
"The glorious state
which I do relate
Unspeakable comfort shall bring,
The corn will be green
and the flowers seen,
Our Storehouses they will be filled.
The birds will rejoice
with a merry voice,
All things shall yield sweet increase.
Then let us all sing
and joy in our King,
Who causeth all sorrows to cease."
As will be seen in the following chapter, the time the above pamphlet
was published was one of great anxiety in the brave little community
which had ventured so much to lay the foundations of a better society
than ever they knew, of a Social State based upon Justice, in which all
should equally enjoy the benefits of their Creation. They had thrown
their little possessions into a Common Treasury; they had taken
possession of their birthright, the Commons of England; they had
patiently endured all possible wrongs, injuries and insults, and had
still remained steadfast to the Law of Reason and Love, to the express
command of their acknowledged Master and King--Resist not evil. However,
though their courage and endurance remained unabated, their little stock
of provisions was becoming exhausted, and the end of their high
endeavour was in sight. However this may be, it was about this time,
during the bleak winter months, that they composed two Christmas Carols
to sing round their camp-fires, which were given to the world the
following April in a little book bearing the following title:
"THE DIGGERS MIRTH:[129:1]
OR
Certain Verses composed and fitted to tunes, for the delight and
recreation of all those that dig, or own that work, in the
Commonwealth of England.
Wherein is shewed how the Kingly Power doth still reign in several
sorts of men.
With a hint of that Freedom which shall come,
When the Father shall reign alone in His Son.
Set forth by those who were the original of that so righteous a
work, and continue still successful therein at Cobham in Surrey.
LONDON.
Printed in the year 1650."
It contains but two long pieces, both of which merit more than a passing
notice. The first, probably from the pen of Robert Coster, entitled "The
Diggers Christmasse Caroll," contains some twenty-eight verses of six
lines each. The view and hopes of the Diggers, as well as references to
recent public events, are amusingly related, and in conclusion the
reader is reminded that--"Freedom is not won, neither by sword nor gun,"
and therefore entreated to discard his faith in the efficacy of force,
of Money and the Sword, and to share their belief in the power of Love,
Righteousness, and Co-operative Labour, for the satisfaction of the
needs and desires of all.
The second piece, which we suspect to be from Winstanley's pen, is
headed:
"A hint of that Freedom which shall come,
When the Father shall reign alone in His Son,"
and the first two verses seem to us worthy of being given in full. They
run as follows:
"The Father He is God alone,
nothing besides Him is;
All things are folded in that one,
by Him all things subsist.
He is our Light, our Life, our Peace,
whereby we our being have;
From Him all things have their increase,
the Tyrant and the Slave."
It was probably also about this time that Winstanley composed the
following much more lively piece, which is to be found in the _Clarke
Papers_,[130:1] and which may here find a fitting place:
"THE DIGGERS SONG.
"You noble Diggers all, stand up now, stand up now,
You noble Diggers all, stand up now,
The waste land to maintain, seeing Cavaliers by name
Your digging do disdain and persons all defame.
Stand up now, stand up now.
Your houses they pull down, stand up now, stand up now,
Your houses they pull down, stand up now;
Your houses they pull down to fright poor men in town,
But the Gentry must come down, and the poor shall wear the crown.
Stand up now, Diggers all!
With spades and hoes and plowes, stand up now, stand up now,
With spades and hoes and plowes, stand up now;
Your freedom to uphold, seeing Cavaliers are bold
To kill you if they could, and rights from you withhold.
Stand up now, Diggers all!
Their self-will is their law, stand up now, stand up now,
Their self-will is their law, stand up now;
Since tyranny came in, they count it now no sin
To make a goal a gin, to starve poor men therein.
Stand up now, stand up now.
The Gentry are all round, stand up now, stand up now,
The Gentry are all round, stand up now;
The Gentry are all round, on each side they are found,
Their wisdom's so profound to cheat us of our ground.
Stand up now, stand up now.
The Lawyers they conjoin, stand up now, stand up now,
The Lawyers they conjoin, stand up now;
To arrest you they advise, such fury they devise,
The devil in them lies, and hath blinded both their eyes.
Stand up now, stand up now.
The Clergy they come in, stand up now, stand up now,
The Clergy they come in, stand up now;
The Clergy they come in, and say it is a sin
That we should now begin our freedom for to win.
Stand up now, Diggers all!
The tithes they yet will have, stand up now, stand up now,
The tithes they yet will have, stand up now;
The tithes they yet will have, and Lawyers their fees crave,
And this they say is brave, to make the poor their slave.
Stand up now, Diggers all!
'Gainst Lawyers and 'gainst Priests, stand up now, stand up now,
'Gainst Lawyers and 'gainst Priests, stand up now;
For tyrants they are both, even flat against their oath,
To grant us they are loath, free meat and drink and cloth.
Stand up now, Diggers all!
The club is all their law, stand up now, stand up now,
The club is all their law, stand up now;
The club is all their law, to keep poor men in awe;
But they no vision saw to maintain such a law.
Stand up now, Diggers all!
The Cavaliers are foes, stand up now, stand up now,
The Cavaliers are foes, stand up now;
The Cavaliers are foes, themselves they do disclose
By verses, not in prose, to please the singing boys.
Stand up now, Diggers all!
To conquer them by love, come in now, come in now,
To conquer them by love, come in now;
To conquer them by love, as it does you behove,
For He is King above, no Power is like to Love.
Glory here, Diggers all!"
FOOTNOTES:
[112:1] King's Pamphlets. British Museum, Press Mark, E. 573. Also at
the Guildhall Library.
[115:1] Mr. Drake was the Lord of the Manor, and the patron of Parson
Platt. He was made an Ejector for the County of Surrey by Cromwell, and
Platt made Lay Ejector.
[122:1] See _A Declaration of the Bloody and Unchristian Acting of
William Star and John Taylor of Walton, with divers men in women's
apparell, in opposition to those that dig upon St. Georges Hill_. King's
Pamphlets. British Museum, Press Mark, E. 561.
[122:2] _Clarke Papers_, vol. ii. pp. 215-217. No date is attached; but
Winstanley's second letter, which immediately follows it, is dated
December 8th, 1649.
[124:1] See _Calendar of State Papers_, Domestic, 1649-1650, p. 335.
[124:2] _Clarke Papers_, vol. ii. pp. 217-220.
[126:1] King's Pamphlets. British Museum, Press Mark, E. 585.
[129:1] King's Pamphlets. British Museum, Press Mark, E. 1365.
[130:1] Vol. ii. p. 221.