s were beaten upon the Hill, by William
Star and John Taylor, and by men in women's apparel, and so sore
wounded that some of them were fetched home in a Cart.
"9. We had another House pulled down, and the Wood they carried to
Walton in a Cart.
"10. They arrested some of us, and some they cast into Prison, and
from others they went about to take away their Goods, but that the
Goods proved another man's, which one of the Diggers was servant
to.
"11. And indeed at divers times besides, we had all our corn
spoiled. For the enemy were so mad that they tumbled the earth up
and down, and would suffer no Corn to grow.
"12. Another Cart and Wheels were cut to pieces, and some of our
Tools taken by force from us, which we never had again.
"13. Some of the Diggers were beaten by the Gentlemen, the Sheriff
looking on, and afterwards five of them were carried to White Lion
Prison, and kept there about five weeks, and then let out.
"14. The Sheriff, with the Lords of Manors and Soldiers standing
by, caused two or three poor men to pull down another House: and
divers things were stolen from them.
"15. The next day two Soldiers and two or three Countrymen, sent
by Parson Platt, pulled down another House, and turned a poor old
man and his wife out of doors to lie in the fields in a cold
night."
"And this is the last hitherto. And so you Priests, as you were the
last that had a hand in our persecution, so it may be that our
misery may rest in your hand. For assure yourselves God in Christ
will not be mocked by such Hypocrites that pretend to be His
nearest and dearest Servants, as you do, and yet will not suffer
His hungry and naked and houseless members to live quiet by you in
the Earth, by whose Blood and Monies in the Wars you are in peace.
"And now those Diggers that remain have made little Hutches to lie
in, like Calf-cribs, and are cheerful, taking the spoiling of their
Goods patiently, and rejoicing that they are counted worthy to
suffer persecution for Righteousness' sake. And they follow their
work close, and have planted divers acres of Wheat and Rye, which
is come up and promises a very plentiful crop, and have resolved to
preserve it by all the diligence they can. And nothing shall make
them slack but want of food, whic
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