aste Land."

The pamphlet opens with the following vigorous and pertinent words:

"We whose names are subscribed, do in the name of all the poor
oppressed people of England, declare unto you that call yourselves
Lords of Manors and Lords of the Land, that, in regard the King of
Righteousness, our Maker, hath enlightened our hearts so far as to
see that the Earth was not made purposely for you to be Lords of
it, and we to be your Slaves, Servants and Beggars, but it was made
to be a common livelihood to all.... And further, in regard the
King of Righteousness hath made us sensible of our burthens, and
the cries and groanings of our hearts are come before Him, we take
it as a testimony of love from Him, that our hearts begin to be
freed from slavish fear of men such as you are, and that we find
Resolutions in us, grounded upon the Inward Law of Love one towards
another, to dig and plough up the Commons and Waste Land through
England; and that our conversations shall be so unblamable that
your Laws shall not reach to oppress us any longer, unless you by
your Laws will shed the innocent blood that runs in our veins."

Subsequently they protest against the Lords of Manors controlling the
use and taking the profit of the Commons, hindering the people from
supplying their wants as regards "Woods, Heath, Turf or Turfeys in
places about the Commons," and continue defiantly:

"Therefore we are resolved to be cheated no longer, nor to be held
under the slavish fear of you no longer, seeing the Earth was made
for us as well as for you. And if the Common Land belong to us who
are the poor oppressed, surely the woods that grow upon the Commons
belong to us likewise. Therefore we are resolved to try the
uttermost in the light of Reason to know whether we shall be
Free-men or Slaves. If we lie still and let you steal away our
birthrights, we perish; and if we petition, we perish also, though
we have paid taxes, given free-quarter, and have ventured our lives
to preserve the Nation's freedom as much as you, and therefore, by
the Law of Contract with you, freedom in the land is our portion
as well as yours, equal with you. And if we strive for Freedom, and
your murdering, governing Laws destroy us, we can but perish."

"Therefore we require and we resolve to take both Common Land and