were wont to haue their dependance vpon vs and reliefe from vs. Is the old Actiuity and abilities of the English Nation who in former times were esteemed the greatest vndertakers in the Westerne parts of the world growne now so dull and insufficient that we must pray in ayde of our neighbours to improue our owne Demaynes The Duke of Venice is said to marry the sea as if he had with it but diuisum Imperium wee haue beene alwayes Lords of the sea and our Common Law hath adiudged the sea to be part of our Kingdome shall wee suffer that Regality to become obnoxious to Strangers and not that onely but the fresh waters within our Continent as if our selues were not able to bring them into order Surely our great plenty and abundance of fruitful Land hath beene hitherto one cause why this improuement hath beene neglected but of late the blessing of peace hath so multiplyed our people vnder our last two peacefull Princes that we haue transplanted many Colonies into Ireland Virginea Bermuda St. Christophers New England c. and beside hath stirred vp men at home to gaine much rich Land from the seas and in particular to attempt vpon this surrounded Leuel wherin that they haue not hitherto preuailed hath not beene want of skill or will nor yet of indeauour For diuers worthy men haue appeared in the vndertaking the last and worthiest being our late Soueraigne Lord of blessed memory who thought it no dishonour to declare himselfe an Vndertaker herein but being translated hence hath left The Honour of this Worke to Crowne the Raigne Of his deere Sonne our now dread Soueraigne For matter of security shall wee esteeme it of small moment to put into the hands of Strangers three or foure such Ports and Harbours as Linne Wisbeach Spalding and Boston will be when the out-fals shall bee opened to Low water marke and permit the Countrey within and betweene them to be peopled by ouerthwart neighbours whose strength and vndertakings begin to grow formidable or if they quaile themselues must giue place to our most Auncient dangerous enemies who will be ready enough to take aduantage of so many faire Inlets into the bosome of our Land lying so neere together that an Army landing part in each of them may easily meete and strongly intrench themselues with wals of water and drowne the Countrey about them at their pleasure This very thing was obiected by a worthy Patriot in a late Parliament wherein a bill was preferred for the admitting of Strangers to vndertake this Worke and thereupon cast out Finally if nothing were considerable but the matter of profit would it be thought fit to giue so great a portion of our Land as the third part of that Leuell to Strangers to empty themselues into and leaue our owne Countreymen with so great trauell charge and aduenture to seeke for seates abroad in remote parts when we may comfort both them and our selues by placing them at home Neither yet would I be vnderstood to be so enuious to Strangers as that I had rather the water then they should possesse the Land but the question being whither should be preferred to the Vndertaking of the worke Strangers or men of our owne Countrey I am out of doubt that no true English man will be scrupulous in the choyce Yet I doe ingeniously acknowledge that the industrye of some of our neighbours especially the Dutchmen deserueth commendations and imitation for enlarging themselues into the sea especially in and about Amsterdam and securing themselues from the sea by costly and ingenious deuices but such deuices are not proper for our busines which is to be performed in a farre different manner the error leading vs directly to the remedy which is meerely Naturall for Nature hath giuen to all riuers and waters as well their courses issues and out-fals into the sea as their heads and springs and by the former hath as well prouided for the vse of man as by the latter This guidance of Nature if wee follow and adde Art as a hand-mayd vnto it wee shall by remouing the cause auoyd also the effect and by consideration how the mischiefe hath growne learne to preuent it in the future wherein the sparing of cost is no frugality But if it be questioned Whether those Englishmen that offer to aduenture their estates and the reputation of their skill be able to accomplish the businesse the answer is That beside that they can demonstrate their abilities What praejudice can it be to any man to be an idle spectator whilest they expend their money and exercise their skill they requiring no recompence till the Worke be performed The third and last Question is How a Competent Reward may be apportioned for them that should vndertake so great a Worke This indeed hath beene the great and maine Impediment of the Drayning of the Fennes for many yeeres most men interessed being vnable to disburse Money and also vnwilling to part with any of their Land of how little value soeuer it hath beene vnto them or how great soeuer the improuement of the remainder might be or if some were willing yet the minds of the multitude haue not beene vnlike the Waters of the Fenne which not being contained within due limits but dispersed abroad ouer the surface of so great a Leuell are easily interrupted in their course by the slender opposition of Flagges and Reedes euen so these mens minds not being restrained by Authoritie nor guided by rule of Reason doe stray into seuerall Opinions and receiue Impediment from Oppositions as slender as those Weedes some of them being not ashamed to alleadge that by gayning of Grasse they should loose their Reedes and Sedge not considering the difference of their values But of late receiuing information from the King and his Councel and the Commissioners of Sewers taking into their consideration that the Wisdome of seuerall Parliaments haue thought fit to giue a part of such Lands to those that should improue the whole and pondering how great the benefit of such improuement would be to them and their posteritie haue not many yeeres since fallen vpon an excellent course to encourage men of skill and abilitie to embarke themselues in that Designe Whereupon after a Tax layd vpon the Lands of that whole Countrey by the Acre to enable the Commissioners of Sewers legally to conuey part thereof to beare the charge of aduancing the whole King Iames of blessed memorie declaring himselfe to be the Vndertaker a Decree of Sewers was enacted at Cambridge the 20. day of February in the yeeres of the Reigne of our late Soueraigne Lord King Iames of England France and Ireland the 19. and of Scotland the 55. Whereby was designed to be granted to his Maiestie for the supportation of that vast Charge 120000. Acres of the Fenne Lands to be conueyed vnto his Maiestie his Heires and Successors that is to say out of euery particular part a proportion answerable to the quantitie of
Commissioners of Sewers at Peterborough the 8. of September 1619 were resolued of the possibilitie of the same But what are the reasons men thinke the Fens cannot be drayned Forsooth because many and great men haue attempted it and fayled as if all wisedome and insight were confer'd on great men It may be their misses haue taught other men wisedome there is no greater aduantage then to learne by other mens losses Hence it is that we see many things performed euerie day which our fore-fathers thought bootlesse to attempt besides the causes of mischiefes and so the remedies are often-times not perceiued till the mischiefe be perfected But will you giue me leaue to render you also a reason why those many and great men failed in their enterprises I hold it for a certaintie that it is vtterly vnpossible to drayne or fruitfully to recouer any notable part of the Fen vnlesse all that Leuell of Fen whereof it is a part be ioyntly recouered And this hath beene aboundantly proued by the miscariage of all particular workes except Marshland and that is gayned by imbanking partly because it lyeth on the out-side of all the rest next the Sea and adioyneth vpon the excellent out-fall of Linne partly also because as much cost hath beene and is bestowed vpon it as the verie Soyle is worth for it now costs about 3000. li. a yeere to maintaine the Bankes and so the medicine hath beene as ill as the disease Some-thing might be said also for Holland-Ellow by South of Spalding which is bettered by the Bankes but neither recouered nor secured and likewise of Waldersey and such portions But for the drayning of all together my Lord Popham of worthy memorie may be an example somewhat to stay mens minds from thinking it so vtterly impossible who being a wise experienced Gentleman and of better estate then that he should be contented wilfully to cast it away yet was verie desirous to haue aduentured vpon the drayning of all Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely and surely had put it to the hazzard if he had liued but two yeeres longer But if I may speake without disparagement to his wisedome that course which he intended for I haue seene his Card and the wayes he intended to worke would rather haue bettered much then wonne or secured any After his time and not aboue 13 or 14 yeeres since his Maiestie and the Lords were so afflicted with Petitioners out of those parts all imploring helpe against that common calamitie whereof they are now againe made sensible that it was thought fit by the State to send Sr Clement Edmonds to take view of the Countrey being assisted by the Lords and other Commissioners of Sewers In which his Perigrination for it was an vncouth and wild way he went and a long time he spent in searching into euerie nooke and corner he obserued with all diligence whatsoeuer might inuite him to thinke the drayning feazible or discourage him from it At length in the returne of his Report to the State he resolueth that it may be done Yet not probably by any consent of the Countrey or such as are interested in the Land but rather by others His reasons I forbeare here to touch vpon After that the right noble Patriot the Earle of Arundel by direction from King Iames and the aduice of the Lords of the Councell made a iourney into those parts to promote the generall drayning as a businesse of great honour to his Maiestie with whom ioyned the honourable and worthy Commissioners of Sewers by an vnanimous decree designed vnto his Maiestie 120000 Acres of the Fennes to inable him to accomplish so great a work Which Decree his Maiestie ratified by his Royall assent and acceptation and would certainly haue performed the worke Royally and Really sauing that he was at that time and vnto his death taken and kept off by his weightie and important affaires of State Since whose decease his Royall Maiestie that now is hath greatly desired that the said worke might be proceeded in and for that purpose finding that he could not presently relieue the great distresse the Countrey is now in by reason of the Inundation hath remitted vnto the said Commissioners the fore-named Decree to inable them to prouide some other more expedite way for the Countries reliefe By all which it appeares that by the iudgement of King Iames of the Lords of the Counsell and the Commissioners of Sewers the worke is feazable and greatly desired For the Soyle I doubt not it is well disposed to a drayning both because it hath a sufficient fall to the sea and because the Sewers though with some difficulty and greater charge which yet the profit will farre surmount may be in a short time sufficiently eased That the Fennes haue a Competent fall to the sea it is argument enough because they at length empty themselues into the Sea which the deepe Meares doe not Whether that fall bee sufficient to emptie them sooner and with a stronger Current then now they haue is the question I leaue the particular fall of euery leuell how many foote it hath to the high water marke to farther examination but it is euident that from the heads of the seuerall draynes vnto the low water marke there is fall sufficient It is also euident that Deeping Fenne lyes lower then Thornie Burrough or Croyland Fennes whence also saith Mr. Cambden it hath his name yet hath the Earle of Exeter made a conueyance of the water from Deeping Fennes vnder Spalding riuer to the sea and that to some good effect if the out fall at sea were kept open whence it followeth that there is a fall into the Sea out of the lowest Fennes and a descent much lower then the bottome of Spalding riuer and yet the Flood at Spalding is not one houre in ordinary Tides and consequently the Ebbe there aboue 10. From which obseruation it may bee gathered that a fall may bee had from Spalding to the low water marke of twenty foote which fall being improued by skilfull workemen will produce a strange effect The like may be said of Wisbich Clowes Crosse Salters Load c. But how that must be done and how the incoueniences thereupon ensuing are to be preuented is the very Elusinium sacrum the mystery of drayning which belongeth not to this place For the out fall at Linne no man maketh question of it onely the difficulty will be thought to be in the placing of the workes which will indeede bee chargeable but of necessary and excellent vse I would haue it also considered that within these few yeeres the Tide from Spalding did flow vp beyond Crowland and neere Thornie where as now the Tides are seldome seene aboue Spalding an euident argument that the Fennes grow euery yeere worse then other For the out fals of Wisbich and Spalding being daily more and more choaked with sands from the sea and mudd out of the draynes which cannot now passe to sea and the riuers
if occasion should require are all publike profits and of excellent consequence to the King and kingdome Such also would be the restoring of the Nauigation vnto the Townes of Wisbich Spalding and Waynflet and from thence vp into the Countreys These are publike benefits and for priuate the drayning would encrease the reuenew of many Corparations both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill and of many his Maiesties particular Subiects as well Lay-men as Rectors and Vicars of many great Parishes which now afford the Incumbents verie small meanes There is one other great commoditie which a drayning will produce worthy to be insisted vpon and that is the securing of Sheepe and other Cattell from the rot For it is a true thing that when the Fens yeeld most pasturage then they doe the most mischiefe to men in their Sheepe and Cattell thence is the common saying of the Countrey From the Farme to the Fenne from the Fenne to Ireland The reason is because the Fen is neuer so dry but there are many watry plashes and much rotting Spire-grasse in it where-with the Sheepe are vsually tainted in the Summer-time and whereof they dye in the Winter if men be not carefull to sell them to the Butcher before if they be so prouident then is the Countrey and Citie too fed with vnholesome food As for other Cattell together with the wet Grasse they slap vp such an aboundance of small Stiklebacks that when they dye of the rot or be killed for vse their Mawes will be found full of them Contrariewise in the Marishes beyond Wainflet in Lincolneshire and such like where the grounds be seuered and trenched it is hard to find a poore man though they sit at great rents for their Cattell are alwayes sound and thriuing and therefore euer merchandable or if they come to a mischance yet fit for food And that this was the opinion of all the Commissioners of Sewers appeareth by the Sessions at Peterborough the eighth of September 1619 there being present the Lord Bishop of Peterborough the Earle of Bedford Sr Francis Fane and 25 other Knights and Gentlemen Commissioners of Sewers assisted by a multitude of the Countrey They agreed and concluded That by a drayning an apparent great profit would arise to the Countreys and Owners of Lands that it would be without preiudice publike or priuate And thereupon did decree the designe should be proceeded in and determined to giue all lawfull ayd assistance thereto according to the extent of the Commission of Sewers Which also was confirmed the 23 of September following at Ely and the 24 at St Iues. And the businesse was prosecuted at Cambridge the 15 of Oct. and at St Iues and Hunting the 16 of Oct. where there was 20. shill set vpon euerie Acre for the accomplishment of the worke If men descend vnto particular obiections then must seuerall answers be giuen them First therefore it is obiected that they find lesse burthen of Foather vpon the ground in dry yeeres then in wet I answer it must be confessed that ground which beareth Reed or Sedge will not be so fruitfull if it be dry because such ranke trash requireth a great deale of moisture but when through want of such store of moisture it improueth into grasse as in a yeere or two it will certainly doe then a little moisture will suffice as we see in ordinarie Meddows It will be vrged that euen in Meddows ouerflowings will doe good It is true if so be the water remaine not long vpon the soyle but to be surrounded or to lye in the suds as we say three quarters or halfe a yeere more or lesse doth mischiefe not helpe the ground I appeale to the Countrey if there were not in the yeere 1619 many thousand loads of Foather gotten where scarce euer any was had in the memorie of man Witnesse the great stacks which were then seene all along the wild Fennes as thicke to mens seeming that road aloofe as shocks of Corne in a Corne-field and that of reasonable good Grasse For if the water be drayned and the cold moisture remoued from the root of Reed-ground that Reed will in one summer returne into Sedge and that Sedge shortly into good Grasse of which there hath beene aboundant experience throughout the Fens in the dry yeeres 1619 and 1620. But the drayning some say will decay Fishing and Fowling I answer it is neither possible nor profitable to drayne Porsen in Crowland or some Deepes in the East-Fen beyond Boston or the Meares of Whittlesea Ramsey c. which be the chiefe places for Fish and Fowle For other Fens there are no Fish or Fowle taken in them but onely in the Riuers or Draynes and those will be both more in number and more enlarged after the drayning and the Fish and Fowle better contained in them and so more easily gotten For now the water ouerflowing all the Fowle are so dispersed that men cannot come at them for there is not nor must there be any shooting in the Fen and the Fry of the Fish is lost or deuoured in the Reed or Sedge which in the deepe Riuers and Draynes would be secured But all this is not considerable in respect of the great benefit that will be made of Grasse in so large proportions of excellent Land It will againe be obiected that although the drayning will be benefitiall to the Lords and Owners yet the poore Commoner shall be in danger to loose his Common by the incroaching Lords or at lest when such Common-Fens are recouered and secured the rich men will so ouercharge them with Cattell that the poore man shall not be able to make any benefit where now he getteth a poore liuing partly by the Pasturage of a few Cowes partly by his labour in Fishing and Fowling which labour the rich man will not take Now saith the poore Fen-man we haue euerie yeere an Order brought from Northampton which layeth a Law vpon the rich that they oppresse not the Commons he meaneth the confluence of waters which drowne all This is a great obiection and of consequence and hath two parts To the first part concerning the Lords incroaching vpon the Commons I know not what prouision the State will thinke fit to make but there is already a good care taken for it in that verie Act of Parliament which was made for Approuements in this kind the 43. Eliz. Cap. 11. the words be these Prouided alwayes and be it enacted That this Act nor any thing therein contained shall not extend to the impairing diminishing letting taking away or extinguishing of the interest of the Commoners or any of them or of the Lords or Owners of the Soyle in or to any part of the residue of the Wasts or Commons which is not or shall not be set forth or assigned to the Vndertakers Nor to any franchises or Liberties or Waife Stray Leete law-Law-day nor other Liberties to be vsed or taken in the part so to the Vndertakers assigned But that as well
the Commoners as Lords and Owners of that Soyle shall and may enioy their Commons in the residue thereof To the second part of the obiection that rich men will ouer-charge the Common when it is secured and so oppresse the poore I confesse it is a common calamitie in all vnstinted Commons and deserueth a great deale of wisedome and care in the State to preuent it especially in such rich Soyles Two helpes there are One that the Commoner who dwelleth vpon or neere the Common will make good shift if the rich man dwell but a Mile off as in the Fen it will often be But if the Land which is set out for the recompence of the drayning be let part to the poorer sort at reasonable rents then the poore man hauing seuerall grounds adioyning to the Common wherein to succour his Cattell at need and whereupon to get Foather for them he may shift with his rich Neighbour so much the better Other helpe I know none but an apportionment which in the Fen will be more difficult then in other vnstinted Commons because in one Fen many Towne-ships haue interest of Common and yet there will be enough for all if it be well ordered It is farther obiected that if the drayning should succeed there will be then as much want of water as there hath beene formerly too much I answer that when the Riuers and Draynes are deepened which is a thing must be performed they will hold a world of water more then they now doe and it will ordinarily be held vp also to a sufficient height by the Works for the drayning except when a Flood is feared which if it come there will be water enough and two much if it come not yet within a few houres if the Current of the water at the Workes be inhibited the Countrey will be full enough beside the partitions of the Land assigned for recompence of the drayning will in a short time make Ditches enowe to containe more water then the Cattell in those parts will vse and by common intendment all good Husbands will make Ditches for diuisions in their owne grounds and Sluces to detaine or let goe the water at their pleasure Finally some will say they are many times drayned from Heauen and therefore need not mans helpe True it is that God Almightie hath taught them by the experience of some dry yeeres though rarely the difference between a wildernesse of water a goodly greene Meddow to lead them by sence who are hardly gouerned by reason to discerne what may be best for themselues and their posteritie of which great document if they make sinister vse vainly fancying to themselues that which is to mans reason impossible they must be content to be punished according to reason That is to say whereas such dry yeeres shall haue drunke vp the waters if not of the Riuers yet of many of the Draynes which thereupon are growne vp and pestered with weeds and rubbish it followeth necessarily that vpon the next confluence of waters into that Leuell the Sewers which contained them being stifled they haue bred a greater and more fearfull Inundation Beside these there be certaine Tacite and silent obiections which some are either afraid or ashamed to vtter and yet are obstinately gouerned by them I will name but two The one is the losse of their Land The other is meere enuie or if you will giue it a gentler name Priuate Emulation The former I may more boldly auouch because it pleased his late Maiestie to fasten vpon it when he gaue gratious audience to a hearing of this businesse in the yeere 1619. viz. The Lord or Owner had rather be said to be Lord or Owner of 1000 Acres though they be scarcely worth to him 1000. shill in the yeere then part with 500 to make the rest worth 500 Angels by the yeere In like manner the Commoner Reason for this if they could giue any it is likely I also were able to render some but in truth I cannot nor any shaddow of reason but as a sullen Bird that is taken when it is old will rather dye then feed so such Fen-men not considering that though the alotment for the reward of drayning should be in Land yet the expence being necessarily to be in money much of the Land must be sold for supply thereof which they that are able and willing may purchase before any other to keepe their inheritances entire being exceedingly improued For Emulation it is so notorious so diffusiue a vice amongst them as a man may imagine it to be bread there as Hydra was in the Fen of Lerna I will put a case Iohn a Stile hath 2000 Acres in the Fen worth him haply 50. li. a yeere and no other Liue-load Iohn a Nokes hath 200 Acres in the same Fen worth 50. li. a yeere but besides he hath an Inheritance of 300. li. a yeere and thinkes himselfe and so is a Gentleman of some reckoning the other is but a poore man and liues hardly When the question of the drayning of the Fens comes Iohn a Stile is glad and promoteth it all he may But Iohn a Nokes his rich Neighbour what saith he shall Iohn a Stile be a better man then I who hath beene alwayes glad to shroud himselfe vnder my wings that I cannot I must not endure For if the Fen be drayned his Land may be worth 500. li. a yeere though he part with one halfe for the drayning my improuement will be little worth no drayning therefore by my consent But enough in an vnpleasing Argument it being against my disposition to haue but touched so harsh a string Hauing thus long held the Candle to the Sunne that is proued what no reasonable man can denie that the drayning of the Fens in the sixe Counties will be both honourable and profitable to the King and Kingdome and many particular persons and answered the obiections which some ignorant or wilfull people stand most vpon giue me leaue to proceed to the second Question that is whether it be feazable or no. First Let it be for the time admitted not granted that this great worke cannot be accomplished I aske what shall the Countrey loose For they that vndertake it must haue no benefit till the worke be done If it be not done they indeed loose both labour and cost the Countrey looseth nothing but on the contrarie must gaine much For it cannot be indeauoured that all the Fens should be drayned but at lest some must necessarily reape great benefit all some by such indeauour But the wisedome of the Parliament thought the worke feazable and that not long since to wit in the last Parliament of Queene Elizabeth the words are these Wherein it is apparant to such as haue trauailed in execution of the Commission of Sewers in the Isle of Ely and Counties adioyning that the Wastes Commons Marishes and Fenny-grounds there subiect to surrounding may be recouered by skilfull and able vndertakers And the