Lewis H. Berens - The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth

L >> Lewis H. Berens >> The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth

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"1. We find in the word of God that God made the Earth for the use
and comfort of all mankind, and sat him in it to till and dress it,
and said, That in the sweat of his brow he should eat his bread.
And also we find that God never gave it to any sort of people that
they should have it all to themselves, and shut out all the rest,
but He saith, The Earth hath He given to the children of men, which
is every man.

"2. We find that no creature that ever God made was ever deprived
of the benefit of the Earth, but Mankind; and that it is nothing
but covetousness, pride and hardness of heart that hath caused man
so far to degenerate.

"3. We find in the Scriptures, that the Prophets and Apostles have
left it upon record, That in the last day the oppressor and proud
man shall cease, and God will restore the waste places of the Earth
to the use and comfort of man, and that none shall hurt nor destroy
in all His Holy Mountain.

"4. We have great encouragement from these two righteous Acts,
which the Parliament of England have set forth, the one against
Kingly Power and the other to make England a Free Common-wealth.

"5. We are necessitated from our present necessity to do this, and
we hope that our actions will justify us in the gate, when all men
shall know the truth of our necessity:

"We are in Wellinborrow in one parish 1169 persons that receive
alms, as the Officers have made it appear at the Quarter Sessions
last. We have made our case known to the Justices; the Justices
have given order that the Town should raise a stock to set us on
work, and that the Hundred should be enjoyned to assist them. But
as yet we see nothing is done, nor any man that goeth about it. We
have spent all we have; our trading is decayed; our wives and
children cry for bread; our lives are a burden to us, divers of us
having 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 in family, and we cannot get bread for one of
them by our labor. Rich men's hearts are hardened; they will not
give us if we beg at their doors. If we steal, the Law will end our
lives. Divers of the poor are starved to death already; and it were
better for us that are living to die by the Sword than by the
Famine. And now we consider that the Earth is our Mother; and that
God hath given it to the children of men; and that the Common and
Waste Grounds belong to the poor; and that we have a right to the
common ground both from the Law of the Land, Reason and Scriptures.
Therefore we have begun to bestow our righteous labor upon it, and
we shall trust the Spirit for a blessing upon our labor, resolving
not to dig up any man's propriety until they freely give us it. And
truly we have great comfort already through the goodness of our
God, that some of those rich men amongst us that have had the
greatest profit upon the Common have freely given us their share
in it ... and the country farmers have profered, divers of them, to
give us seed to sow it; and so we find that God is persuading
Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem. And truly those that we find
most against us are such as have been constant enemies to the
Parliament Cause from first to last.

"Now at last our desire is, That some that approve of this work of
Righteousness would but spread this our Declaration before the
great Council of the Land; that so they may be pleased to give us
more encouragement to go on; that so they may be found amongst the
small number of those that consider the poor and needy; that so the
Lord may deliver them in the time of their troubles ... and our
lives shall bless them, so shall good men stand by them, and evil
men shall be afraid of them, and they shall be counted the
Repairers of our Breaches, and the Restorers of our Paths to dwell
in. And thus we have declared the truth of our necessity, and
whosoever will come in to labor with us, shall have part with us,
and we with them, and we shall all of us endeavour to walk
righteously and peaceably in the Land of our Nativity.

"Richard Smith, John Avery, Thomas Fardin,
Richard Pendred, James Pitman, Roger Tuis,
Joseph Hitchcock, John Pye, Edward Turner.

_March 12th, 1649 (1650)._"

By some means or other this Declaration seems to have reached the
Council of State; for we find the following reference to it in
Whitelocke, p. 448, under date April:

"A Letter sent from the Diggers and Planters of Commons for
Universal Freedom, to make the Earth a Common Treasury, that
everyone may enjoy food and raiment freely by his labor upon the
Earth, without paying Rents or Homage to any Fellow Creature of his
own kind, that everyone may be delivered from the Tyranny of the
Conquering Power, and so rise up out of that Bondage to enjoy the
Benefit of his Creation.

"The Letters were to get money to buy food for them, and corn to
sow the land which they had digged."

Presently we shall lay some evidence before our readers of the view the
Council of State, influenced as it was by men who had recently enriched
themselves by land-grabbing, took of such proceedings, the trend of
which they fully recognised. However, whatever view the Council of State
were likely to take of this touching Declaration, there can be little
doubt but that it appealed most strongly to Winstanley, who within a
fortnight of its issue, on March 26th, replied to it in the following
high-spirited, almost triumphal, address, which also appeared in the
form of a broadsheet:[153:1]

"AN APPEAL TO ALL ENGLISHMEN TO JUDGE BETWEEN BONDAGE AND FREEDOM:
Sent from those that began to dig upon George Hill in Surrey,
but now are carrying on that public work upon the little heath
in the Parish of Cobham, near unto George Hill, wherein it
appears that the work of Digging upon the Commons is not only
warranted by Scripture, but by the Law of the Common-wealth of
England likewise.

"Behold, behold all Englishmen, The Land of England now is your
free inheritance: all Kingly and Lordly entanglements are declared
against by our Army and Parliament. The Norman Power is beaten in
the field, and his head is cut off. And that oppressing Conquest,
that hath reigned over you by King and House of Lords, for about
600 years past, is now cast out by the Armies' Swords, the
Parliament's Acts and Laws, and the Common-wealth's Engagement.

"Therefore let not sottish covetousness in the Gentry deny the poor
or younger bretheren their just Freedom to build and plant corn
upon the common waste land; nor let slavish fear possess the heart
of the poor to stand in fear of the Norman yoke any longer, seeing
that it is broke. Come, those that are free within, turn your
Swords into Ploughshares, and Spears into Pruning Hooks, and take
Plow and Spade, and break up the Common Land, build your houses,
sow corn and take possession of your own Land, which you have
recovered out of the hands of the Norman oppressor.

"The common Land hath laid unmanured all the days of his Kingly and
Lordly power over you, by reason whereof both you and your fathers
(many of you) have been burthened with poverty. And that land which
would have been fruitful with corn, hath brought forth nothing but
heath, moss, turfeys, and the curse, according to the words of the
Scriptures: A fruitful land is made barren because of the
unrighteousness of the people that ruled therein, and would not
suffer it to be planted, because they would keep the poor under
bondage, to maintain their own Lordly Power and conquering
covetousness.

"But what hinders you now? Will you be Slaves and Beggars still
when you may be Freemen? Will you live in straits and die in
poverty when you may live comfortably? Will you always make a
profession of the words of Christ and Scripture, the sum whereof is
this--Do as you would be done unto, and live in love? And now it is
come to the point of fulfilling that Righteous Law, will you not
rise up and act? I do not mean act by the Sword, for that must be
left. But come, take plow and spade, build and plant, and make the
waste land fruitful, that there may be no beggar or idle person
among you. For if the waste land of England were manured by her
children, it would become in a few years the richest, the
strongest, and the most flourishing Land in the world, and all
Englishmen would live in peace and comfort. And this Freedom is
hindered by such as yet are full of the Norman base blood, who
would be Free-men themselves, but would have all others bond-men
and servants, nay Slaves to them....

"Well Englishmen, the Law of the Scriptures gives you a free and
full warrant to plant the Earth, and to live comfortably and in
love, doing as you would be done by, and condemns that covetous
kingly and lordly power of darkness in men, that makes some men
seek their freedom in the Earth and deny others that freedom. And
the Scriptures do establish this Law, to cast out kingly and lordly
self-willed and oppressing power, and to make every Nation in the
World a Free Common-wealth. So that you have the Scriptures to
protect you in making the Earth a Common Treasury for the
comfortable livelihood of your bodies, while you live upon Earth.

"Secondly, you have both what the Army and the Parliament have done
to protect you.... Our Common-wealth's Army have fought against the
Norman Conquest, and have cast him out, and keeps the field.... And
by this victory England is made a Free Common-wealth; and the
common land belongs to the younger brother, as the enclosures to
the elder brother, without restraint.... The Parliament since this
victory have made an Act or Law to make England a Free
Common-wealth. And by this Act they have set the people free from
King and House of Lords that ruled as conquerors over them, and
have abolished their self-will and murdering Laws with them that
made them. Likewise they have made another Act or Law, to cast out
Kingly Power, wherein they free the people from yielding obedience
to the King, or to any that holds claiming under the King. Now all
Lords of Manors, Tything Priests and Impropriators hold claiming or
title under the King, but by this Act of Parliament we are freed
from their power.

"Then, lastly, the Parliament have made an engagement to maintain
this present Common-wealth's government comprised within those Acts
or Laws against King and House of Lords. And called upon all
officers, tenants, and all sort of people to subscribe to it,
declaring that those that refuse to subscribe shall have no
privilege in the Common-wealth of England, nor protection from the
Law.

"Now behold all Englishmen, that by virtue of these two Laws and
the Engagement, the Tenants of Copyhold are free from obedience to
their Lords of Manors, and all poor people may build upon and plant
the Commons, and Lords of Manors break the Laws of the Land, and
still uphold the Kingly and Lordly Norman Power, if they hinder
them, or seek to beat them off from planting the Commons. Nor can
the Lords of Manors compel their Tenants of Copyholds to come to
their Court Barons, nor to be of their Juries, nor to take an oath
to be true to them, nor to pay fines, heriots, quit-rents, nor any
homage as formerly while the Kings and Lords were in their power.
And if the Tenants stand up to maintain their freedom against their
Lords' oppressing power, the Tenants forfeit nothing, but are
protected by the Laws and Engagement of the Land.

"And if so be that any poor men build them houses and sow corn upon
the Commons, the Lords of Manors cannot compel their Tenants to
beat them off: and if the Tenants refuse to beat them off, they
forfeit nothing, but are protected by the Laws and Engagement of
the Land. But if so be that any fearful or covetous Tenant do obey
their Court Barons, and will be of their Jury, and will still pay
fines, heriots, quit-rents, or any homage as formerly, or take new
oaths to be true to their Lords, or at the command of their Lords
do beat the poor men off from planting the Commons, then they have
broke the Engagement and Law of the Land, and both Lords and
Tenants are conspiring to uphold or bring in the Kingly or Lordly
Power again, and declare themselves to the Army, and to the
Parliament, and are Traitors to the Commonwealth of England. And if
so be that they are to have no protection of the Law that refused
to take the Engagement, surely they have lost their protection by
breaking their Engagement, and stand liable to answer for this
their offence to their great charge and trouble if any will
prosecute against them.

"Therefore you Englishmen, whether Tenants or Labouring-men, do not
enter into a new bond of slavery, now you are come to the point
that you may be free, if you will but stand up for freedom. For the
Army hath purchased your freedom. The Parliament hath declared for
your freedom. And all the Laws of the Commonwealth are your
protection. So that nothing is wanting on your part but courage and
faithfulness to put those Laws in execution, and so take possession
of your own Land, which the Norman power took from you and hath
kept from you about 600 years, and which you have now recovered out
of his hand.

"And if any say that the old Laws and Customs of the Land are
against the Tenant and the poor, and entitle the land only to Lords
of Manors still, I answer, all the old Laws are of no force, for
they were abolished when the King and House of Lords were cast out.
And if any say, I, but the Parliament made an Act to establish the
old Laws, I answer, this was to prevent a sudden rising upon the
cutting off the King's head; but afterwards they made these two
Laws, to cast out the Kingly Power, and to make England a
Common-wealth. And they have confirmed these two by the Engagement,
which the people now generally do own and subscribe: Therefore by
these Acts of Freedom they have abolished that Act that held up
bondage.

"Well, by these you may see your freedom; and we hope the Gentry
hereafter will cheat the poor no longer of their Land; and we hope
the Ministers hereafter will not tell the poor they have no right
to the Land. For now the Land of England is and ought to be a
Common Treasury to all Englishmen, as the several portions of the
Land of Canaan were the common livelihood to such and such a Tribe,
both to elder and younger Brother, without respect of persons. If
you do deny this, you deny the Scriptures. And now we shall give
you some few encouragements out of many to move you to stand up for
your freedom in the Land by acting with plow and spade upon the
Commons:

"(1) By this means, within a short time, there will be no beggar
or idle person in England, which will be the glory of England, and
the glory of that Gospel which England seems to profess in words.

"(2) The waste and common land being improved will bring in plenty
of all commodities, and prevent famine, and pull down the price of
corn, to 12d. a bushel, or less.

"(3) It will prove England to be the first of Nations which falls
off from the covetous beastly government first; and that sets the
Crown of Freedom on Christ's head, to rule over the Nations of the
World, and to declare him to be the joy and blessing of all
Nations. This should move all Governors to strive who shall be the
first that shall cast down their Crowns, Sceptres and Government at
Christ's feet: and they that will not give Christ his own glory
shall be shamed.

"(4) This Commonwealth's Freedom will unite the hearts of
Englishmen together in love; so that if a foreign enemy endeavour
to come in, we shall all with joint consent rise up together to
defend our inheritance, and shall be true one to another. Whereas
now the poor see if they fight and should conquer the enemy, yet
either they or their children are like to be slaves still, for the
Gentry will have all. And this is the cause why many run away and
fail our Armies in the time of need. And so through the Gentry's
hardness of heart against the Poor, the Land may be left to a
foreign enemy for want of the Poor's love sticking to them. For say
they, we can as well live under a foreign enemy, working for day
wages, as under our own bretheren, with whom we ought to have equal
freedom by the Law of Righteousness.

"(5) This freedom in planting the common land will prevent robbing,
stealing and murdering, and prisons will not so mightily be filled
with prisoners; and thereby we shall prevent that heart-breaking
spectacle of seeing so many hanged every Session as there are. And
surely this imprisoning and hanging of men is the Norman Power
still, and cannot stand with the freedom of the Commonwealth, nor
warranted by the Engagement. For by the Laws and Engagement of the
Commonwealth, none ought to be hanged nor put to death, for other
punishment may be found out. And those that do hang or put to death
their fellow Englishmen, under colour of Laws, do break the Laws
and Engagements by so doing, and cast themselves from under the
protection of the Commonwealth, and are Traitors to England's
Freedom, and upholders of the kingly, murdering power.

"(6) This Freedom in the Common Earth is the Poor's Right by the
Law of Creation and Equity of the Scriptures. For the Earth was not
made for a few, but for whole mankind; for God is no respecter of
persons."

Winstanley then concludes as follows:

"Now these few considerations we offer to all England, and we
appeal to the judgement of all rational and righteous men whether
this we speak be not that substantial truth brought forth into
action, which Ministers have preached up, and all Religious Men
have made profession of. For certainly God, who is the King of
Righteousness, is not a God of words only, but of deeds; for it is
the badge of hypocrisy for man to say and not to do. Therefore we
leave this with you all, having peace in our hearts by declaring
faithfully to you this Light that is in us, and which we do not
only speak and write, but which we do easily act and practice.

"Likewise we write it as a letter of congratulation and
encouragement to our dear Fellow Englishmen that have begun to dig
upon the Commons, thereby taking possession of their Freedom, in
Wellinborow in Northamptonshire, and at Cox Hall in Kent, waiting
to see the chains of slavish fear to break and fall off from the
hearts of others in other countries till at last the whole Land is
filled with the knowledge and righteousness of the Restoring Power,
which is Christ Himself, Abraham's seed, who will spread Himself
till He become the joy of all Nations.

"Jerrard Winstanley, Richard Maidley, Thomas James, John Dickins,
John Palmer, John South, _Elder_, Nathaniel Halcomb, Thomas Edcer,
Henry Barton, John Smith, Jacob Heard, Thomas Barnet, Anthony Wren,
John Hayman, William Hitchcock, Henry Hancocke, John Batty, Thomas
Starre, Thomas Adams, John Coulton, Thomas South, Robert Sawyer,
Daniel Ireland, Robert Draper, Robert Coster, and divers others
that were not present when this went to the Presse.

"_March 26th, 1650._"

We are afraid that the enterprise at Wellinborrow did not have a very
long life; for in the _Calendar of State Papers_, Domestic, Green, p.
106, under date April 15th, 1650, we note the following letter, which
seems to us to show that the Rulers of England were fully alive to "the
mischief these designs tend to," and to prove that it was the theories
of the Diggers, not their actions, that filled the breasts of the
privileged classes with the determination to nip their enterprise in the
bud, before it had time to influence the life and thought of the Nation:

"COUNCIL OF STATE to Mr. PENTLOW, Justice of Peace for County
Northampton.

"We approve your proceedings with the Levellers in those parts, and
doubt not you are sensible of the mischief those designs tend to,
and of the necessity to proceed effectually against them. If the
laws in force against those who intrude upon other men's
properties, and that forbid and direct the punishing of all riotous
assemblies and seditious and tumultuous meetings, be put in
execution, there will not want means to preserve the public peace
against the attempts of this sort of people. Let those men be
effectually proceeded against at the next Sessions, _and if any
that ought to be instrumental to bring them to punishment fail in
their duty, signify the same to us_, that we may require of them an
account of their neglect; but till we find the ordinary means
unable to preserve the peace, we would not have recourse to any
other."

The sentence we have italicised seems to show that even amongst the
Justices of the Peace and Officers of the Land the doctrines of the
Diggers had found sympathisers, who were unwilling that they should be
proceeded against. Nor can we be surprised at this when we bear in mind
the terrible state of the rural population of the "meaner sort" at the
time. Some idea of same may be gathered in the Declaration from
Wellinborrow, which is more than fully confirmed in the pages of
Whitelocke, from which we take the following brief entries:

(P. 398.) Under date April 30th, 1649:

"Letters from Lancashire of their want of bread, so that many
families were starved."

(P. 399.) Under date May 1649:

"Letters from Newcastle that many in Cumberland and Westmoreland
died in the Highways for want of bread, and divers left their
habitations, travelling with their wives and children to other
parts to get Relief, but could have none. That the Committees and
Justices of the Peace of Cumberland signed a certificate, that
there were Thirty Thousand Families that had neither seed nor bread
corn, nor money to buy either, and they desired a collection for
them, which was made, but much too little to relieve so great a
multitude."

(P. 404.) Under date May 1649:

"Letters from Lancashire of great scarcity of corn, and that the
famine was sore among them, after which the plague overspread
itself in many parts of the country, taking away whole families
together, and few escaped where any house was visited, and that the
Levellers got into arms, but were suppressed speedily by the
Governor."

(P. 421.) Under date August 1649:

"Letters of great complaints of the taxes in Lancashire: and that
the meaner sort threaten to leave their habitations, and their
wives and children to be maintained by the Gentry; that they can no
longer bear the oppression, to have the bread taken out of the
mouths of their wives and children by taxes; and that if an army of
the Turks came to relieve them, they will join them."

Under such circumstances we cannot be surprised that Winstanley's
revolutionary, though to our mind eternally true, doctrines, upholding
the equal claim of all to the use of the land, proclaimed as they were
with all the eloquence, zeal and fire of his noble spirit, should have
awakened an echo in the hearts of the more thoughtful, as well as of the
more necessitous, of his fellow-citizens. But all in vain. In his time,
as in our time, the Inward Light could not overcome the Outward
Darkness, nor Universal Love, which is Justice and Righteousness,
overcome Self Love, which is Covetousness. Then, as now, the Spirit of
Equity, of Reason and of Love was impotent when opposed by the power of
the Sword, of Force. And yet, and yet--more especially in view of the
thought to-day stirring advanced political circles in every
constitutionally governed country in the world--who dare maintain that
Winstanley lived in vain!

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