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.
CHAPTER XII
A NEW YEAR'S GIFT FOR THE PARLIAMENT AND ARMY
"Hear, O thou Righteous Spirit of the Whole Creation, and judge,
who is the thief, he who takes away the Freedom of the Common Earth
from me, which is my Creation Right; Or I, who take the Common
Earth to plant upon for my free livelihood, endeavouring to live as
a Free Commoner, in a Free Common-wealth, in Righteousness and
Peace."--WINSTANLEY, _The Law of Freedom_.
It was probably during the anxious times that beset the little community
of Diggers during the winter of 1649-1650, that Winstanley wrote the
long and bitter pamphlet, to which is attached a detailed list of the
injuries inflicted upon them, and which early in 1650 appeared in book
form under the following title:
"A NEW YEAR'S GIFT FOR THE PARLIAMENT AND ARMY:[132:1]
Showing what the Kingly Power is; and that the Cause of those they
call Diggers is the Life and Marrow of that Cause the
Parliament hath declared for and the Army fought for.
Pages:
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198