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