tions, (his oppofition to the draining (N) of the fens, projected by a powerful nobleman, excepted) till the parliament fummoned, through

But

the bufinefs of foreign plantations.' Nothing could be more barbarous than this! To impofe laws on men which in confcience they thought they could not comply with; to punish them for their non-complyance, and continually revile them as undutiful and difobedient subjects by reafon thereof, and yet not permit them peaceably to depart and enjoy their own opinions in a distant part of the world, yet dependant on the fovereign: to do all this, was bafe, barbarous and inhuman. perfecutors of all ages and nations are near the fame : they are without the feelings and without the underftandings of men. Cromwell or Hampden could have given little oppofition to the measures of Charles in the wilds of North America. In England they engag'd with spirit against him, and he had reafon to repent his hindring their voyage. May fuch at all times be the reward of those who attempt to rule over their fellow men with rigour may they find that they will not be flaves to Kings or priefts! But that they know the rights, by nature conferr'd on them, and will affert them! This will make princes cautious how they give themselves up to arbitrary counfels, and dread the confequences of And may every minifter, who forgets or tramples on the laws of humanity, have his character at least as much branded as are Strafforde's and Laud's.

(N) He opposed the draining of the fens, &c.] The fenny country reaches fixty eight miles from the borders of Suffolk, to Wainfleet in Lincolnshire, and contains fome millions of acres in the four counties of Cambridge, Huntington, Northampton and Lincoln. The draining of it had frequently been confidered and debated in Parliament in former times; but, though deem'd ufeful, was laid afide, through fear that it would foon return to its old ftate, like the Pontine marshes in Italy, after their drain

through neceffity, by Charles I. in November, one thousand fix hundred and forty; a parliament ever memorable in the British an

nals!

1722.

ing (p). The Earl of Bedford, and divers of the prin- (p) Cambcipal gentlemen, whofe habitations confined upon den's Brithe fens, and who, in the heat of fummer, faw vaft tannia by Gibson, • quantities of lands, which the fresh waters overflowed vol. i. c. in the winter, lie dry and green, or drainable: whe- 499, 490. ⚫ther it was publick fpirit, or private advantage, which Fol. Lond. led them thereunto, a stranger cannot determine; they • make propofitions unto the King to iffue out commiffions of fewers to drain thofe lands, and offer a pro'portion freely to be given to the crown for its countenance and authority therein: and as all thefe great and publick works muft neceffarily concern multitudes of perfons, who will never think they have exact justice done to them for that fmall pretence of right they have unto fome commons; fo the commiffioners, let them do what they can, could never fatisfy fuch a ⚫ body of men. And now the King is declared the principal undertaker for the draining; and by this time the vulgar are grown clamorous against these first popular lords and undertakers, who had joined with the King in the fecond undertaking, though they had much better provifions for them than their intereft was ever before: and the commiffioners must by • multitudes and clamours be withftood; and, as a head of this faction, Mr. Cromwell, in the year 1639, at Huntington, appears; which made his activity fo well known to his friend and kinsman, Mr. Hampden, that he, in this parliament, gave a character of Cromwell, of being an active perfon, and one that would fit well (9) Warat the mark (4).'—Dugdale tells us, his boldness wick, p. and eloquence in this bufinefs gained him fo much 250. credit, as that, foon after, being neceffitated, through his low condition, to quit a country farm, which he held at St. Ives, and betake himself to mean logings in Cambridge, the fchifmatical party there chofe

(t) Gibson's Cambden,

vol. i. p. 479.

nals! ever to be celebrated and admired by the lovers of liberty, for its refolution, firmnefs

him a burgefs, for their corporation, in that unhappy long parliament, which began at Westminster the third of November 1640 (r).' What were Cromwell's motives to oppose the drainings of the fens is hard, at this distance of time, to fay. Ignorance of its utility, fuppos'd injury to the common people, who paftured their cattle there, or a defire of ingratiating himself with the country to whom this project was odious, may feparately or jointly have occafioned it. However his fuccefsful oppofition gave his enemies an occafion afterwards to dignify him with the title of Lord of the Fenns (5).' The reader may perhaps be pleafed to hear, that, long fince the times I am now writing of, the county of Cambridge hath received a very confiderable improvement, by draining the fens in the ifle of Ely, a work that was carried on at a vaft expence, but has at laft turned to double account, both in gaining much ground, and mending the reft; and alfo in refining and clearing the air of this country (t).' It were to be wifhed we had more of fuch improvements. Since writing the above, I find an act of parliament, paffed in the year 1649, for draining the great level of the fens. In the preamble of this act it is faid, That whereas the faid great level, by reason of frequent overflowings of the rivers

have been of fmall and uncertain profit, but (if drained) may be improved and made profitable, and of great advantage to the commonwealth, and the particular owners, &c.And whereas Francis, late Earl of Bedford, did undertake the faid work, and had ninety-five thousand acres, parcel of the faid great level, decreed and fet forth, in October, in the thirteenth year of the reign of the late King Charles, in recompenfe thereof; and he and his participants, and their heirs and affigns, have made a good progrefs therein, with expence of great and vaft fums of mo

nefs and public fpirit! In this memorable period Oliver joined the glorious band (o) of

pa

ney; but by reafon of fome late interruptions, the works ⚫ there made have fallen into decay: Be it therefore enact⚫ed and ordained, that William, now Earl of Bedford,

&c. in recompence of the aforefaid charge and ad• venture, and for bearing the charge of draining, and maintaining the works from time to time, fhall have and enjoy the faid whole ninety-five thoufand acres. Oliver Cromwell, Lieutenant-General, is appointed one of the commiffioners, to hear, determine, order, adjudge and execute all fuch things as are prefcribed by this act.Another act paffed May 26, 1654, under (u) Scobel's the protectorship of Cromwell, for the fame purpofe (u). collection of From these acts of parliament it plainly appears, that, acts and orwhatever oppofition was made to Lord Bedford, and the May 1649. other undertakers, yet it hindered not their proceedings; and May that the parliament of the commonwealth of England 1654. Fol was attentive to the publick utility; and that Cromwell Lond. 1658. was wife enough to overcome his prejudices, and join in promoting the common good.

(0) He joined the glorious band of patriots] 'Tis well known how hateful the measures of the court were at the meeting of this parliament. Every thing unpopular, unjust and odious had been put in practice, in order to be able to do without parliaments, and to rule by will and pleafure. Those who had fuffered for their oppofition to injuftice and tyranny, were now the favourites of the people. They were applauded and careffed every where; nor could any, with fafety, open their mouths against them. In this temper were the people when Charles, by dire neceffity, was compelled to call this ever-memorable parliament. The people rejoiced; they hoped the time was now come when they might utter their grievances with impunity, and expec redrefs. Accordingly they, for the most part, took great care in the choice of their reprefentatives, as esteeming it of the utmost importance to their religion and liberties. Whoever hoped for the honour of a

dinances,

patriots, who wished well to their king, their country, their religion and laws. Here, al

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moft

feat in parliament muft, at least, have promised fair, and appeared hearty in the cause of his country. Men of this character were not wanting; and, though fome friends to tyranny, and future apoftates, found means to enter, the majority were honeft and upright, of fair intentions and firm refolutions. Lord Clarendon, Speaking of them, fays, "In the houfe of commons were many perfons of wisdom and gravity, who being poffeffed of great and plentiful fortunes, though they were undevoted enough to the court, had all imaginable duty for the King, and affection for the go⚫vernment established by law or antient custom; and, without doubt, the major part of that body confifted of men who had no mind to break the peace of the kingdom, or to make any confiderable alteration in the government of church and flate; and therefore all inventions were fet on foot from the beginning to ⚫ work on them and corrupt them, by fuggeftions "of the dangers which threatened all that was precious to the fubject in their liberty and their property, by over< throwing or overmaftering the law, and fubjecting it to an arbitrary power, and by countenancing popery to the fubverfion of the proteftant religion;" and then, by infufing terrible apprehenfions into fome, and fo working upon their fears of being called in queftion for fomewhat they had done, by which they would ftand in need of their protection ;" and raifing the hopes of others, "that, by concurring with them, they fhould be fure to obtain offices, and honours, and any kind of preferment." Though there were too many corrupted and mifled by these feveral temptations, and others who needed no other temptations than from the fiercenefs of their own natures, and the malice they had contracted against the church and against the court; yet the number was not great of thofe in whom the government of the

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