A DECLARATION OF THE Levellers, Delivered in a Speech to his Excellency the Lord Generall Fairfax, by Mr. Everard, a late member of the Army.

UPon the 19 of this inſtant Aprill, 1649. the Councell of State received infor­mation that one Mr. Everard formerly of the Army, who calls himſelf profit, with others, came ſeverall dayes laſt week to St. Georges Hill in Surrey, and began to dig, then to ſowing the ground with Parſnips, Carrets, and Beanes; their number increaſe every day, they began with five, and are now about fifty, but they ſay they wil ſhortly be above five thouſand: They have prepared2 Seed Corn, and intend to plow up the ground in Oat­lands park, Windſor park, and other places, and to levell the pales, &c. inviting all to come in, and promiſe them meat, and drink, and clothes, declaring to the people, that they will ſhortly make them come up to the Hills and work; and threaten the people, that if they let their Cattell come in amongſt them, they will cut off their uſurping heads, and the four-footed legs. For,

Upon the 20, of this inſtant, the ſaid Mr. Everard and one Wistanly came to White-Hall to give his Ex­cellency an account of their proceedings in digging up the grounds on St. Georges〈◊〉as aforeſaid, Everard, declared, That he was of the Race of the Jewes, & that all the liberties of the people were loſt by the coming in of William the Conquerour and that ever ſince, the people of God have lived unde•tyranny and oppreſſi­on, worſe then that of our forefathers under the Egip­tians.

But now the time of deliverance was at hand, and God would bring his people out of this ſavery and reſtore them their freedoms in the enjoying the〈◊〉and benefits of the Earth: And that there had lat•ly appeared a Viſion to him, which bade him〈…〉dig, and plow the Earth and rec•ive the•r•…〈…〉And that their intent is to•…ore the〈…〉former Condition: And that as God〈…〉make the barren ground fr••tfull. So〈…〉did, was to renew the ancient Com•…〈…〉Joying the fruits of the Earth, and to〈…〉•…nefits thereof to the poor and Needy〈…〉•…gry,3 and to cloath the naked; And that they intend not to meddle with any mans propriety, nor to breake down any pailes or Incloſures, but onely to meddle with what was common and untilled, and to make it fruitfull for the uſe of man. But that the time would ſuddenly be that all men ſhould willingly come in, and give up their Lands and Eſtates, and willing to ſubmit to this Community; and for thoſe which ſhall come in, and work, they ſhall have meat, drink, and clothes, which is all that is neceſſary for the life of man; and that for money there was not any need of it, nor of any clothes more then to cover their nakedneſſe; and that they will not defend themſelvei by arms, but will ſub­mit unto Authority, and wait till the promiſed oppor­tunity be offered, which they conceived to be neere at hand: and that as their fore-fathers lived in Tents, ſo it would be ſuitable to their condition now to live in the ſame.

Here (they ſay) they are reſolved to ſtand, and do account their fore fathers principles, a perfect Rule and Standard for them to walk by.

It is obſerveable, That while Everard and Wiſtanley ſtood before the Lord Generall they ſtood with their Hats on, and being demanded the reaſon, ſaid, Hee was but their fellow Creature: Being askt the meaning of that place, Give honour to whom honour is due. They ſee­med to be offended, and ſaid, That their mouths ſhould be ſtopped who gave them that offence.

4WHereas by order of the late Lord Major of the City of London, and the Commiſſioners, a precept or order came to the Deputy and Common-councell men of the Ward of Walbrook, requiring them to call to their aſſiſtance, ſuch able perſons as they ſhall think meet, to aſſeſs upon the Inhabitants of their Ward, the ſum of 50 l. which was in arrears of the 4. former aſſeſments of the 12, 10, 6, & 4 months, for the L. Gen. Fairfax his army, the Common counſell men in obedience to that precept, did call to aſſiſtance 8. other perſons Inhabitants in their Ward, for the more qual rating and aſſeſſing of the aforeſaid ſum, and af­er long and ſerious conſultation and debate, did finde that the real eſtates, viz. the Rents of houſes had not been rated at all, or not conſiderable in thoſe 4 aſſeſſe­ments; did therefore adjudge it, to be juſt to lay ſome conſiderable part of the 500. l. upon the aforeſaid Rents, and they alſo finding that the Aſſeſſors in thoſe 4 aſſeſments had exceeding overrated the poor people of ſmall eſtates, and alſo had exceedingly under rated themſelves, and the men of great Eſtates in the Ward. The now Common councell men finding this great partiality and inequality, did Judge it juſt before God, and all juſt men, to lay the greateſt part of that which remained and not laid on the real eſtates, upon thoſe of great eſtates that had bin ſo much under-rated, that if the rich men had bin rated, proportionably to thoſe of ſmall eſtates, there would have bin little or none of thoſe arrears, judging it very unjuſt and contrary to Gods command, to and oppreſſion to oppreſſion, alſo contrary to the true intent and meaning of the Ordinan­ces of parl. Having taken this courſe for the more ſpe­dy5 getting in of the aforeſaid arrears, & alſo to prevent future arrears, did finiſh the books, and according to order ſent them in. But upon the complaint of ſome of the War•, together with ſuch of the Comoncoun­cel as were aſſeſſors of thoſe unequal aſſeſments, to the Lord Mayor and Commiſ. We the now aſſeſſors were ſent for before them, and notwithſtanding we made it clear to the commiſ. that we had ſo aſſeſſed it as was moſt agreeable to Gods command to take of heavy burdens, & to relieve the oppreſſed, which we alſo de­clared was the true intent and meaning of the Ordi. of parl. & alſo diſcharge our truſt; yet were we overaw­ed and commanded to take the book & alter it, to take off from the rich, and to lay it on ſuch as wee knew to be over rated before, and yet had paid which we judg­ed unreaſonable, we alſo told the Aldermen, that their evill example in rating themſelves ſo low in every aſſeſment upon occaſion that no rich men in any Ward, would be rated proportionably to the eſtates, & did plead & do ſtill plead that an Alderman was but ſo much, & ſhould they be rated equal­ly with, or more then an Ald. We alſo told them that we did expect that as it was their duty ſo they would have given us incommand all the aſſeſſors of every Ward in London, to have conſidered ſuch as had bin over-rated to have eaſed them, & alſo ſuch as had been under rated, to have laid the more on them. This was much ſtood upon and by ſome anſwred with bitter expreſſions, and angry countenances; but our concluſi­ons was with them thus, That we did hope in the ſincerity o•our hearts we had obeyed Gods〈◊〉demand, in taking oft hea­vy burdens and in relieving of ſome of the oppreſſed and let­ting others that were more oppreſſed go free, and that if they (the Commiſſioners) did lay thoſe burdens on again, the ſin ſhould lie at their doors, and they ſhould anſwer for if we had di•charged our truſt. We know it to be juſt, that he that is worth 1000. l. ſhould be rated ten times ſo much as hee that6 is worth 100. l. and ſo proportionably from the leaſt eſtate to the greateſt, and he that hath the greateſt eſtate hath the grea­teſt advantage by this Rule of proportion, and if the Wards men be wiſe in their elections of common councell men, let them look upon ſuch as are godly, wiſe men, of the middle rank of men, and make choice of ſuch men they will find will act moſt and beſt for them and the publique. What injuſtice, unequality, and oppreſſion hath bin uſed and exerciſed upon the poor and men of ſmall eſtates in all former aſſeſments, the like hath been in a great meaſure in every Ward in levying men and armes to attend their Captains and Commanders in the Trayned Bands, as an Alderman, or great rich man to ſend three men and peradventure ſends but one, it may be none at all; when a poor man of ſmall eſtate ſhall go forth, and find his own armes; this is alſo a great injuſtice and op­preſſion,

Letters from Sir Charles Coot in Ireland, ſay That he is ſtraightly beſieged in London-Derry, and unleſſe hee have ſpeedy relief, he wil be forced to ſurrender upon mercy. Dublin is in great diſtreſs, and col. Monk in the North even at the laſt gaſp: But ſeveral Regiments of Horſe and Foot are now deſigned for their relief, and the Councel of the Army to avoid all differences, re­ſolved, that lots ſhould be caſt for thoſe Regiments that were to goe, and accordingly on Friday laſt, the Colonels of each Regiments caſting, the Lots fel upon thoſe Regiments to go, viz.

Of Foot, Colonel Ewers, Col. Cooks, Col. Deans, Col. Hewſons. Of Horſe, Commiſſary Gen. Ireton, Major Gen. Lamberts, Col. Scroops, Col. Harloes.

Of Col. Okey's Dragoons, five Troops, viz. Major Abbots, Capt. Mercers, Capt. Fulchars, Cap. Boltars, and Captain Garlands.