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

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A few days after the publication of this declaration, viz., on Sunday,
April 1st, 1649, the Diggers commenced their labours on the Commons
around George's Hill, in Surrey, the first results of which we have
already recorded. Within a few days of Winstanley and Everard's visit to
Lord Fairfax and his Council of War, they and their followers drafted
yet another pamphlet, which bears date April 26th, 1649, the very day
Lockyer, "The Army's Martyr," was condemned to death, and the title-page
of which reads as follows:

"THE TRUE LEVELLERS STANDARD ADVANCED:[95:1]

OR

THE STATE OF COMMUNITY OPENED AND PRESENTED TO THE SONS OF MEN.

BY

WILLIAM EVERARD.
JOHN PALMER.
JOHN SOUTH.
JOHN COURTON.
WILLIAM TAYLOR.
CHRISTOPHER CLIFFORD.
JOHN BARKER.
GERRARD WINSTANLEY.
RICHARD GOODGROOME.
THOMAS STARRE.
WILLIAM HOGGRILL.
ROBERT SAWYER.
THOMAS EDER.
HENRY BICKERSTAFFE.
JOHN TAYLOR, etc.

Beginning to plant and manure the Waste Land upon Georges Hill, in
the Parish of Walton, in the County of Surrey."

The pamphlet opens with a Preface by a certain John Taylor, whose name
appears last on the list of signatures attached thereto, and who was
probably one of Winstanley's more recent converts. In it he states that
he has had "some conversation with the author of this ensuing
declaration, and the persons subscribing, and by experience find them
sweetly acted and guided by the everlasting Spirit, the Prince of Peace,
to walk in the paths of Righteousness." "Such as these," he declares,
"shall be partakers of the promise--_Blessed are the meek, for they
shall inherit the Earth._"

The body of the pamphlet itself is headed:

"A DECLARATION TO THE POWERS OF ENGLAND, AND TO ALL THE POWERS OF
THE WORLD, shewing the cause why the Common People of England
have begun and give consent to dig up, manure, and sow corn
upon George Hill in Surrey, by those that have subscribed, and
thousands more that give consent."

It commences as follows:

"In the beginning of time the great Creator, Reason, made the Earth
to be a Common Treasury to preserve beasts, birds, fishes and man,
the Lord who was to govern this Creation. For man had dominion
given him over the beasts, birds and fishes; but not one word was
spoken in the beginning that one branch of mankind should rule over
another.... But since human flesh began to delight himself in the
objects of the Creation more than in the Spirit of Reason and
Righteousness ... and selfish imagination ruling as King in the
room of Reason therein, and working with Covetousness, did set up
one man to teach and rule over another; and thereby the Spirit was
killed, and Man was brought into bondage and became a greater slave
to some of his own kind than the beasts of the field were to him.
Hereupon the Earth (which was made to be a Common Treasury of
Relief for all, both beasts and men) was hedged into enclosures by
the Teachers and Rulers, and the others were made Servants and
Slaves. And the Earth, which was made to be a Common Storehouse for
all, is bought and sold and kept within the hands of a few, whereby
the Great Creator is mightily dishonoured, as if He were a
respecter of persons, delighting in the comfortable livelihood of
some, and rejoicing in the miserable poverty and straits of
others."

Winstanley then makes his appeal to those who had been entrusted with
the government of the Nation, in the following touching and yet
suggestive words:

"O thou Powers of England! though thou hast promised to make this
people a Free People, yet thou hast so handled the matter, through
thy self-seeking humour, that thou hast wrapped us up more in
bondage, and oppression lies heavy upon us.... If some of you will
not dare to shed your blood to maintain tyranny and oppression
upon the Creation, know this, That our blood and life shall not be
unwilling to be delivered up in meekness to maintain Universal
Liberty, that so the Curse, on our part, may be taken off the
Creation. We shall not do this by force of arms; we abhor it, for
it is the work of the Midianites to kill one another, but by
obeying the Lord of Hosts, by laboring the Earth in Righteousness
together, to earn our bread by the sweat of our brows, neither
giving hire nor taking hire, but working together and eating
together as one man, or as one house in Israel restored from
Bondage. And so by the power of Reason, the Law of Righteousness in
us, we endeavour to lift up the Creation from that bondage of Civil
Propriety which it groans under."

He again explains the work they are entered upon, and their reasons for
attempting it, as follows:

"The work we are going about is this, To dig up Georges Hill and
the waste grounds thereabouts, and to sow corn, and to eat our
bread together by the sweat of our brows.

"And the First Reason is this, THAT WE MAY WORK IN RIGHTEOUSNESS,
AND LAY THE FOUNDATION OF MAKING THE EARTH A COMMON TREASURY FOR
ALL, BOTH RICH AND POOR, THAT EVERYONE THAT IS BORN IN THE LAND MAY
BE FED BY THE EARTH HIS MOTHER THAT BROUGHT HIM FORTH, ACCORDING TO
THE REASON THAT RULES IN THE CREATION."

Then follows this impressive declaration of the motives inspiring their
actions:

"For it is showed us, That so long as we, or any other, do own the
Earth to be the peculiar Interest of Lords and Land Lords, and not
common to others as well as to them, we own the Curse, and hold the
Creation under Bondage. And so long as we or any other do own Land
Lords and Tenants, for one to call the land his, or another to hire
it of him, or for one to give hire and for another to work for
hire: This is to dishonour the work of Creation, as if the
righteous Creator should have respect to persons, and therefore
made the Earth for some and not for all. So long as we, or any
other, maintain this Civil Propriety, we consent still to hold the
Creation in that bondage it groans under; and so we should hinder
the Work of Restoration, and sin against the Light that is given
into us, and so, through fear of the flesh man, lose our peace."

And the pamphlet concludes with the following somewhat mystic words:

"Thus you Powers of England, and of the whole World, we have
declared our Reasons why we have begun to dig upon George Hill in
Surrey. One thing I must tell you more, which I received in voice
likewise at another time; and when I received it my eye was set
towards you. The words were these--_Let Israel go free._

"Surely as Israel lay four hundred and thirty years under Pharaoh's
bondage, before Moses was sent to fetch them out, even so Israel
(the Elect Spirit spread in Sons and Daughters) hath lain three
times so long already.... But now the time of Deliverance hath
come.... For now the King of Righteousness is arising to rule in
and over the Earth.... Therefore once more, _Let Israel go free_,
that the Poor may labour the waste land, and suck the Breasts of
their Mother Earth, that they starve not. In so doing thou wilt
keep the Sabbath Day, which is a Day of Rest, sweetly enjoying the
Peace of the Spirit of Righteousness, and find Peace by living
among a people that live in Peace: This will be a Day of Rest which
thou never knew yet.

"But I do not entreat thee, for thou art not to be entreated. But
in the Name of the Lord, that hath drawn me forth to speak to thee,
I, yea I say, I command thee, _To let Israel go free, and quietly
to gather together into the place where I shall appoint; and hold
them, no longer in bondage_.... But if you will not, but
Pharaoh-like cry, _Who is the Lord that we should obey him?_ and
endeavour to oppose, then know, that He that delivered Israel from
Pharaoh of old is the same Power still, in whom we trust, and whom
we serve. For this, Conquest over thee shall be got, _not by Sword
or Weapon, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts._"

Such, then, were the first "official pronouncements" of the body of men
known in the History of England as the Diggers, whose proud privilege it
was to be the first in our native land, as against the rights of
property, boldly to proclaim the rights of man. Poor in worldly goods
they may have been, but they were rich in hope and in love, in broad
thoughts and elevating ideals, in a firm belief in the power and
ultimate triumph of the Inward Light of Equity and Reason, and in
unflinching resolution, not only to proclaim the steps necessary to
social salvation, but to adventure their lives and persons to lay the
foundations of a better, of a more equitable and beneficial, social
state than ever they knew. Certain it is that they were inspired by the
highest motives that impel men to action; hence even those who may deem
their views erroneous should not withhold from the men themselves their
meed of respect, admiration, and sympathy. To those who deem their views
true, we need make no appeal. Monuments are erected in stone, in marble,
or in gold, to those whose actions in peace or in war commend themselves
to their own generation; the monuments to those in advance of their
times and of our times, are to be found only in the hearts of thinkers.
It was but yesterday, after some two hundred and fifty years, that
public sentiment tolerated the erection of a public monument to the
memory of the man who delivered his country from under the tyranny of
Kings. Before another similar period has passed away, a similar tribute
may be paid to the memory of those who, during the same tumultuous but
inspiring times, would have saved all future generations of their
countrymen from under the tyranny of Land-Lords.

FOOTNOTES:

[90:1] British Museum, Press Mark, 1027, i. 16 (3). We say "mainly from
Winstanley's pen," for though the arguments are his, the style of the
pamphlet, with its long, involved, never-ending sentences, so unlike
Winstanley's crisp, epigrammatic, vigorous style, suggests to us that
the writing was probably left to some other member of his company, or
probably to a Committee appointed for the purpose.

[93:1] This fairly represents the general spirit and feeling prevailing
in the Model Army, who repeatedly contended, to quote the words of the
Declaration of the Army of June 14th, 1647, that--"We are not a mere
mercenary army hired to serve any arbitrary power of a State, but called
forth and conjured by the several Declarations of Parliament to the
defence of our own and the people's just Rights and Liberties; and so we
took up arms in judgment and conscience to those ends, and have so
continued in them, and are resolved according to your first just desires
in your Declarations, and such principles as we have received from your
frequent informations, and our own common sense concerning those our
fundamental rights and liberties, to assert and vindicate the just power
and rights of this Kingdom in Parliament for those common ends promised
against all arbitrary power, violence and oppression, and against all
particular parties or interests whatsoever."

[95:1] King's Pamphlets. British Museum, Press Mark, E. 552. In the
British Museum Catalogue the Preface is attributed to John Taylor the
Water Poet; but, to judge from his other writings, this is probably an
error.

CHAPTER X

A LETTER TO LORD FAIRFAX AND HIS COUNCIL OF WAR; AND AN APPEAL TO THE
HOUSE OF COMMONS

"For you must either establish Commonwealth's Freedom in power,
making provision for everyone's peace, which is Righteousness, or
else you must set up Monarchy again. Monarchy is twofold, either
for one king to reign, or for many to rule by kingly principles.
For the king's power lies in his laws, not in his name. And if
either one king rule, or many rule by kingly principles, much
murmuring, grudges, troubles, and quarrels may and will arise among
the oppressed people upon every gained opportunity."--WINSTANLEY,
_The Law of Freedom_.

Within a few days of Lord Fairfax's visit to the Diggers, already
recorded, and about two months after the publication of _The True
Levellers Standard Advanced_, Winstanley, on June 9th, 1649, again made
his appearance at the headquarters of the Army, the bearer of a letter,
which, as he tells us, he himself delivered to the Lord General, "who
very mildly promised to read it and consider of it":

"A LETTER TO LORD FAIRFAX AND HIS COUNCIL OF WAR:[100:1]

With divers questions to the Lawyers and Ministers: Proving it an
undeniable equity that the Common People ought to dig, plow,
plant and dwell upon the Commons without hiring them or paying
Rent to any.

Delivered to the General and his Chief Officers, June 9th, 1649, by
Gerrard Winstanley in the behalf of those who have begun to dig
upon George Hill in Surrey."

The letter opens as follows:

"Our digging and ploughing upon George Hill in Surrey is not
unknown to you, since you have seen some of our persons, and heard
us speak in defence thereof; and we did receive kindness and
moderation from you and your Council of War, both when some of us
were at Whitehall before you, and when you came in person to George
Hill to view our works. We endeavour to lay open the bottom and
intent of our business as much as can be, that none may be troubled
with doubtful imaginations about us, but may be satisfied in the
sincerity and universal righteousness of the work."

It then continues:

"We understand that our digging upon that Common is the talk of the
whole Land, some approving, some disowning; some are friends filled
with love, and see that the work intends good to the Nation, the
peace whereof is that which we seek after; others are enemies
filled with fury, who falsely report of us that we have intent to
fortify ourselves, and afterwards to fight against others and take
away their goods from them, which is a thing we abhor. And many
other slanders we rejoice over, because we know ourselves clear,
our endeavour being no otherwise but to improve the Commons, and to
call off that oppression and outward bondage which the Creation
groans under, as much as in us lies, and to lift up and preserve
the purity thereof."

Winstanley then declares that their opponents were but "one or two
covetous freeholders that would have all the Commons to themselves, and
that would uphold the Norman tyranny," and still further explains his
position, as follows:

"We told you, upon a question you put to us, that we were not
against any that would have Magistrates and Laws to govern, as the
Nations of the World are governed, but that, for our own parts, we
shall need neither the one nor the other in that nature of
government. For as our land is common, so our cattle is to be
common, and our corn and fruits of the earth common, and are not to
be bought and sold among us, but to remain a standing portion of
livelihood to us and our children, without that cheating
entanglement of buying and selling; and we shall not arrest one
another. And then what need have we of imprisoning, whipping or
hanging laws to bring one another into bondage? And we know that
none of those that are subject to this righteous law dares arrest
or enslave his brother for or about the objects of the Earth,
because the Earth is made by our Creator to be a Common Treasury of
Livelihood to one equal with another, without respect of
persons.... What need have we of any outward, selfish, confused
laws, made to uphold the Power of Covetousness, when we have the
Righteous Law written in our hearts, teaching us to walk purely in
the Creation."

Winstanley then complains of the action of some of the soldiers, but
expresses the desire that they should not be punished, only cautioned
not to offend again; and states the readiness of himself and companions
to come to headquarters "upon a bare letter." He reiterates his
contention that their demand is only to enjoy freedom "according to the
law of contract between you and us"; freedom to till the common land,
not to trespass upon any enclosures. He continues:

"We desire that your Lawyers may consider these questions, which we
affirm to be truths, and which give good assurance, by the law of
the land, that we that are the younger brothers, or common people,
have a true right to dig, plow up and dwell upon the Commons, as we
have declared."

QUESTIONS TO THE LAWYERS.

"1. Did not William the Conqueror dispossess the English, and thus
cause them to be servants to him?

"2. Was not King Charles the direct successor of William the First?

"3. Whether Lords of the Manor were not the successors of the chief
officers of William the First, holding their rights to the Commons
by the power of the sword?

"4. Whether Lords of the Manor have not lost their royalty to the
common land by the recent victories?

"5. Whether any laws since the coming in of kings have been made in
the light of the righteous law of our Creation, _respecting all
alike_, or have not been grounded upon selfish principles in fear
or flattery of their king, to uphold freedom in the gentry and
clergy, and to hold the common people under bondage still, and so
respecting persons?

"6. Whether all laws that are not grounded upon equity and reason,
not giving an universal freedom to all, but respecting persons,
ought not to be cut off with the king's head? We affirm they ought.
If all laws be grounded upon equity and reason, then the whole land
of England is to be a Common Treasury to everyone born in the Land.

"7. Whether everyone without exception, by the Law of Contract,
ought not to have liberty to enjoy the earth for his livelihood,
and to settle his dwelling in any part of the Commons of England,
without buying or renting land of any, seeing that everyone by
agreement and covenant among themselves have paid taxes, given
free-quarter, and adventured their lives to recover England out of
bondage? We affirm they ought.[103:1]

"8. Whether the laws that were made in the days of the king do give
freedom to any but the gentry and clergy?"

Winstanley then puts a string of similar questions to Public Preachers,
"that say they preach the Righteous Law," from which, however, we need
only quote the following:

"QUESTIONS TO PUBLIC PREACHERS.

"First we demand, Yea or No, Whether the Earth, with her fruits,
was made to be bought and sold from one to another; And whether one
part of mankind was made to be a Lord of the Land, and another part
a servant, by the Law of Creation before the Fall?

"I affirm (and I challenge you to disprove) that the Earth was made
to be a Common Treasury of Livelihood for all, without respect of
persons, and was not made to be bought and sold.... And this being
a truth, as it is, then none ought to be Lords and Land Lords over
another, but the Earth is free to every son and daughter of mankind
to live upon."

And the letter concludes with the following eloquent and heart-stirring
words:

"Thus I have declared to you and to all the world what that Power
of Life is that is in me; and knowing that the Spirit of
Righteousness doth appear to many in this Land, I desire all of you
seriously, in love and humility, to consider of this business of
Public Community, which I am carried forth in the Power of Love and
clear light of Universal Righteousness to advance as much as I can;
and I can do no other, the Law of Love in my heart does so
constrain me; by reason whereof I am called fool and madman, and
have many slanderous reports cast upon me, and meet with much fury
from some covetous people; under all of which my spirit is made
patient and is guarded with joy and peace. I hate none, I love all,
I delight to see everyone live comfortably, I would have none live
in poverty, straits and sorrows; therefore if you find any
selfishness in this work, or discover anything that is destructive
of the whole Creation [Mankind], that you would open your hearts as
freely to me, in declaring my weakness to me, as I have been
open-hearted in declaring that which I find and feel much life and
strength in. But if you see Righteousness in it, and that it holds
forth the strength of Universal Love to all, without respect to
persons, so that our Creator is honored in the work of His hand,
then own it and justify it, and let the Power of Love have his
freedom and glory."

In his interview with the Diggers, Lord Fairfax had expressed his
intention to leave them to "the Gentlemen of the County and the Law of
the Land." The former soon put the latter in motion, and on July 11th,
1649, the day before Cromwell set out with much pomp and ceremony for
his notorious expedition to Ireland, Winstanley, under circumstances
that will presently be revealed, found himself compelled to address an
eloquent appeal for protection to the House of Commons, long extracts
from which we feel impelled to place before our readers. It appeared in
pamphlet form with the following title-page:

"AN APPEAL TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS:[105:1]

Desiring their answer whether the Common People shall have the
quiet enjoyment of the Commons and Waste Land; or whether they
shall be under the will of Lords of Manors still. Occasioned by
an Arrest made by Thomas Lord Wenman, Ralph Verney Knight, and
Richard Winwood Esq. upon the Author hereof, for a Trespass in
Digging upon the Common Land at Georges Hill in Surrey.

BY GERRARD WINSTANLEY, JOHN BARKER AND THOMAS STAR.

In the name of all the poor oppressed in the Land of England.

Unrighteous oppression kindles a flame, but love, righteousness and
tenderness of heart quenches it again."

With more than his usual directness, Winstanley at once states the
subject of his appeal in the following manner:

"SIRS,--The cause of this our presentment before you is, an Appeal
to you desiring you to demonstrate to us, and the whole Land, the
equity or non-equity of our cause. And that you would either cast
us by just reason under the feet of those we call Task Masters, or
Lords of Manors, or else to deliver us out of their tyrannical
hands: In whose hands by way of Arrest we are for the present, for
a Trespass to them, as they say, in digging upon the Common Land.
The settling whereof according to Equity and Reason will quiet the
minds of the oppressed people; it will be a keeping of our
National Covenant; it will be a peace to yourselves, and make
England the most flourishing and strongest Land in the world, and
the first of Nations that shall begin to give up their Crown and
Scepter, their dominion and government, into the hands of Jesus
Christ.[106:1]

"The cause is this, we amongst others of the common people, that
have ever been friends to the Parliament, as we are assured our
enemies will witness to it, have ploughed and digged upon Georges
Hill in Surrey, to sow corn for the succour of man, offering no
offence to any, but do carry ourselves in love and peace towards
all, having no intent to meddle with any man's enclosures or
property till it be freely given to us by themselves, but only to
improve the Commons and waste lands to our best advantage, for the
relief of ourselves and others, being moved thereunto by the reason
hereafter following, not expecting any to be much offended, in
regard the cause is so just and upright.

"Yet notwithstanding, there be three men (called by the people
Lords of Manors), viz., Thomas Lord Wenman, Ralph Verney Knight,
and Richard Winwood Esq., have arrested us for a trespass in
digging upon the Commons, and upon the arrest we made our
appearance in Kingstone Court, where we understood we were arrested
for meddling with other men's rights; and, secondly, they were
encouraged to arrest us upon your Act of Parliament (as they tell
us) to maintain the old laws. We desired to plead our own cause,
the Court denied us, and to fee a lawyer we cannot, for divers
reasons, as we may show hereafter.

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