The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth: As Revealed in the Writings of Gerrard Winstanley, the Digger, Mystic and Rationalist, Communist and Social ReformerBerens, Lewis Henry
History
The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth: As Revealed in the Writings of Gerrard Winstanley, the Digger, Mystic and Rationalist, Communist and Social Reformer
Berens, Lewis Henry
Communism; Land use; Winstanley, Gerrard, 1609-
"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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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