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<DATE>2014-09-15</DATE>
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<NAME>Kate Allen</NAME>
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*Correct excusable and inexcusable errors x*If appropriate, check for yoghs. x*If appropriate, check for Latin problems, e.g. oe and ae digraphs x*If appropriate, check for abbreviation and brevigraph problems. x*If appropriate, check for units of measure, symbols (alchemical, astronomical, etc.) and the like. x*Correct illegibles from proofsheet x*Check illegible page, para, line, span, word, dollar signs
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<P><HI>NEWS</HI> From the Fens, <HI>OR,</HI> AN ANSWER TO A PAMPHLET ENTITULED, <HI>Navigation prejudiced by the Fen-Drainers.</HI> (Publi&s;hed lately in defence of the Petition of <HI>Lin,</HI> delivered to the Committee for Petitions)</P>
<P><HI>WHEREIN IS SET FORTH</HI> The Vanitie and Fal&s;hood of that Di&s;cour&s;e, and it is Proved, That <HI>Navigation is Meliorated by the Fen-Drainers.</HI></P>
<P>Written in a Letter to the Right Honourable <HI>WILLIAM</HI> Earl of <HI>BEDFORD:</HI> By A Wel-wi&s;her to his Lord&s;hip, and to the noble Work of Draining.</P>
<Q><HI>Concordi&acirc; parvae res cre&s;cunt, di&s;cordi&acirc; magnae dilabuntur.</HI></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed in the Year, 1654.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="3">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<HEAD>MY MOST HONO&V;RED LORD,</HEAD>
<P>_YOur Lord&s;hip having done me the honour to de|&s;ire my opinion concerning a late Printed Ar|gument, intituled <HI>Navigation prejudiced by the Fen-drainers,</HI> which was publi&s;hed in the de|fence of the <HI>Lin</HI> Petition, lately delivered to the Committee for Petitions; I &s;hall fir&s;t tell your Lord&s;hip what reputation that Petition hath here in the Country among&s;t indifferent and &s;ober men, who do not &s;tick to &s;ay; That it was a &s;en&s;ele&s;s Petition, pre&s;ented in the name of the Town, whereas the chief Merchants and Traders there di&s;claim it, and have &s;ignifyed their di&s;like thereof to the late Parliament under their Hands; That it was exploded by the Commi&s;&s;ioners of Sewers lately &s;itting at <HI>Lin;</HI> One of which (they &s;ay) under&s;tands more of that Outfall, and is more con|cerned in the pre&s;ervation thereof, then all the Petitioners put together. They &s;ay, with much truth likewi&s;e, that the Towns of <HI>Denner, Helgey,</HI> and <HI>Littleport</HI> have counterpetitioned the Parliament, alledging that they ought not to be de&s;troyed (as they mu&s;t be, if this petition take place) upon the vain feares of the Petitioners, unle&s;s they brought more rea&s;on for what they &s;ay.</P>
<P>But that which is mo&s;t wondred at here is, that &s;o little con&s;cience &s;hould be u&s;ed in the framing of that Petition; as fir&s;t, to &s;et
<PB N="2" REF="4">forth the Town of <HI>Lin</HI> in her former flouri&s;hing condition in the time of peace, what number of Ships &s;he had, what Trade they drove, what Countrys &s;he enriched, what Seamen &s;he imployed, what Revenew was rai&s;ed to the Commonwealth, &amp;c. and then to bring her upon the &s;tage (like a de&s;olate Widdow) lament|ing her lo&s;t glory, and imputing all this mi&s;ery (for&s;ooth) to a Dam made by the Adventurers, about one year and an half &s;ince, neer a place called <HI>Salters Load,</HI> and about &s;ixteen miles from the Town of <HI>Lin:</HI> when all men know, that the change (if any &s;uch be) it is the effect of <HI>the late di&s;turbances at Sea;</HI> and that is the com|mon Fate of all the Port Towns of <HI>England.</HI> And they &s;ay confi|dently, that it would have been much wor&s;e with them at <HI>Lin,</HI> if the Fenns had not been undertaken, whereby &s;o much money and Trade hath been brought thither.</P>
<P>But it is &s;uppo&s;ed, that this Artifice was u&s;ed, only to accompa|ny and aggravate the Clamours, which were &s;tirred up in other places by Sir <HI>Iohn Mainard</HI> and his Agents, upon de&s;ign doubtle&s;&s;e to overthrow the whole work, by the forcible impre&s;&s;ion which that noi&s;e might make upon the &s;uddain with per&s;ons, that were not well acquainted with the pre&s;ent and former condition of this Country. And it is thought, that many complaints came in, that would not have appeared, but that Sir <HI>Iohn</HI> gave them a&s;&s;urance by his Letters (that were publiquely read in &s;ome places in the Level) that they &s;hould not doubt to have their Land again; for there were but &s;ix&s;core of the Parliament; and that he was &s;ure of four&s;core of them on his &s;ide.</P>
<P>My Lord, this being the common talk and opinion here of this Petition, I can a&s;&s;ure your Lord&s;hip, that it will receive no increa&s;e of reputation or credit, by any thing that is alledged in this printed Argument; which may as well conclude, That <HI>Ten|terden Steeple is the cau&s;e of Goodwin Sands,</HI> as that <HI>the Dam at Salters Load is the cau&s;e of the filling of Lin Haven.</HI> But now to begin.</P>
<P><HI>The Petitioners are &s;orry,</HI> he &s;aith, <HI>to &s;ee &s;o much tergiver&s;ation u&s;ed, &amp;c.</HI> What is meant by tergiver&s;ation or unwillingne&s;s to give or
<PB N="3" REF="4">receive &s;atisfaction I know not. To the Scandalous Petiti|on of Sir <HI>Iohn Mainard</HI> the Adventurers gave in their An&s;wer at large, and printed it. To the Petitions of <HI>Cambridge</HI> and <HI>Lin,</HI> becau&s;e they contained matter of Fact already heard and determined before Legal Judges, they Petitioned to have the opinion of the Parliament whether they &s;hould An&s;wer or no, and thereunto annexed their rea&s;ons, which are likewi&s;e in Print, and not An&s;wered nor pretended to be by this Cham|pion for the <HI>Lin</HI> Petition. A <HI>Conference with the Drainers</HI> was never de&s;ired, and if it be, it will (no doubt) be embraced, for they are apt enough to believe (as the Defender &s;aith) <HI>that no good work hath its perfection at fir&s;t,</HI> and if they can be convinced of any defects or omi&s;&s;ions in their works, they will no doubt be willing to amend it. But for the <HI>Levitie and Bla&s;phemie</HI> which the Defender is plea&s;ed to note in the ex|pre&s;&s;ion of <HI>not Draining the Seas nor the Skies,</HI> he is too &s;harp and cen&s;orious; it was an Ironical &s;peech, which that Ingeni|ous Gentleman, who wrote tho&s;e &s;hort An&s;wers and publi&s;h|ed them upon his own account, is very well able to de|fend.</P>
<P>And now we are come to <HI>the Dam at Saltars Load,</HI> alledged to be the Principal cau&s;e of the&s;e mi&s;chiefs and fears.</P>
<P>The Condition of the Draining <HI>without prejudice to Naviga|tion</HI> is admitted: and we &s;hall not differ about the word Pre|judice; call it Dammage or Injury, which you will, and he need not trouble the Great Charter of <HI>England,</HI> nor &s;o many other cited Statutes, to prove that <HI>no prejudice ought to be done to Navigation.</HI> For that is not the que&s;tion. The Adventurers deny, any prejudice to be done; and &s;o it appeared at <HI>Ely,</HI> in <HI>March</HI> la&s;t, before the Commi&s;&s;ioners; where the &s;ame Ar|guments were u&s;ed, that are now, and &s;ix Witne&s;&s;es exa|mined on either &s;ide.</P>
<P>But I cannot allow that Inference that he would make; that
<PB N="4" REF="5">becau&s;e a private man may not &s;et a Sa&s;&s;e, or make a <HI>Dam</HI> over a Navigable River; therefore neither Commi&s;&s;ioners of Sew|ers, nor the Drainers (though they have an Act of Parlia|ment, which particularly inables them to &s;et Sluces and Sa&s;&s;es) may do it. If that were &s;o, why is it named in the Act? for every one knoweth that Sa&s;&s;es are only &s;et upon Navigable Ri|vers. And it is well known, that <HI>Francis</HI> late Earl of <HI>Bedford,</HI> your Lord&s;hips Father, did erect a Sa&s;&s;e at <HI>Welcreake</HI> (which the Defender calls the River of <HI>Nean</HI>) by the povver of <HI>Lin</HI> Lavv only, vvhich vvas never pre&s;ented as a Nui&s;ance, but contrarivvi&s;e the Watermen them&s;elves have de&s;ired it might be repaired and upheld, and &s;o it vvas accordingly.</P>
<P>And for that the Defender &s;aith, <HI>becau&s;e they could not be heard,</HI> he meanes, prevaile (for heard all men knovv they vvere, &amp; vvith much patience) <HI>at Peterburgh, nor at Ely, they were forced to flee to the Parliament.</HI> So may any unju&s;t or vexatious per&s;on &s;ay; Becau&s;e I am overthrovvn at Lavv, I vvill try vvhat the Legi&s;lative povver vvill do for me.</P>
<P>But the Defender hath <HI>plain and evident Demon&s;trations and Proofs.</HI> What his Proofs are, it doth not appear, being taken by the Committee of Petitions and not publi&s;hed; but this I &s;hall &s;ay, that if the Deponents be Watermen or Commo|ners they are Parties; and if they depo&s;e to matter of opini|on (towit) that the&s;e Dams and Sa&s;&s;es are the Cau&s;es of the pretended prejudice; they are no competent Witne&s;&s;es, it be|ing matter of Art, wherein they can have no knowledge.</P>
<P>What his Demon&s;trations are comes now to be examined, and <HI>they con&s;i&s;t</HI> he &s;aith <HI>of two heads.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>That their Navigation hath received of late very real and con|&s;iderable prejudice.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>That the &V;ndertakers for Draining are the Authors of it.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The &s;ix Rivers,</HI> there enumerated, <HI>did lye,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>all open, and the Tides from Sea did put into them more or le&s;s, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<PB N="5" REF="5">
<P>It is true, the Tides, at lea&s;t the Spring-Tides, did put up into &s;ome of the&s;e Rivers; which was the occa&s;ion of drowning the Level. For when the Spring Tides meet with the Land Waters that came down tho&s;e Rivers, they were driven over the &s;urface of the Level; and the mouthes of mo&s;t of the&s;e Rivers were &s;o &s;ilted up by the Tides, that they were deeper and broader above, then they were below: and at this time it is like that &s;ome of them might have been land|ed by this two years drought, if not prevented by the Sa&s;&s;e; even <HI>Ou&s;e</HI> it &s;elf as high as <HI>Ely;</HI> and &s;o Navigation lo&s;t, and the Level de&s;troyed, and the Rivers left to find new Channels, (as that of <HI>Wi&s;bich</HI> was, before the Draining) the Tides being &s;tronger then the Fre&s;h water, through the Drought, and therefore not able to &s;coure out the &s;ilt. And he mu&s;t note by the way, that much of this water which now falls out at <HI>Lin,</HI> had formerly its i&s;&s;ue at <HI>Wi&s;bich,</HI> which was then a very con&s;iderable Haven: and this appears by the large Channels of the We&s;t water, &amp; of the old River of <HI>Welnea;</HI> which diver|&s;ion, hapning (as it is &s;uppo&s;ed) by the neglect of Commi&s;&s;i|oners of Sewers, was the decay of <HI>Wi&s;bich</HI> Haven, and the making of <HI>Lin:</HI> by which it is evident, that it is the abound|ance of fre&s;h that keeps the&s;e outfalls open, and not the Tides. For if it were po&s;&s;ible to &s;et a Sluce or Sa&s;&s;e within half a mile of the Town of <HI>Lin,</HI> that &s;hould &s;top out the Tides from com|ing up the River; If the Sa&s;&s;e or Sa&s;&s;es could be made great enough, that Haven, by rai&s;ing the water from within by the &s;alt dore; to let it goe at low Water, might be, as well &s;cowred and kept open, as it is now: and that is clear in <HI>the Harbour of Dover,</HI> (cited by the Defender) that a very &s;mall fre&s;h kept up high by the help of a Sluce, and let goe in the time of the Ebbe, &s;cowres that Harbor and keepes it open. I doe not &s;peake this, that I am again&s;t the coming in of the Tides; Nor have the Adventurers fallen upon that way of
<PB N="6" REF="6">draining. For it is well known that the Sea flowes up from <HI>Lin,</HI> almo&s;t twenty miles in his old Channel; and where he is &s;topped from going the old way, he hath a new River, and a large Wa&s;h provided to receive him; which are of much larger receipt, then all the five Rivers put together. And whereas he &s;aith that <HI>the Old Channel of the Ou&s;e is deeper then the New:</HI> It is not generally true. In &s;ome places it is deeper, and in others it is not two foot deep, as at <HI>Ely, Stretham, Wil|lingham,</HI> &amp;c. when as the new River is eight and ten foot deep in &s;ome places, and in none le&s;&s;e then &s;ix foot. And that was the rea&s;on, why that narrow Cut was made below <HI>Ely,</HI> at <HI>Ra&s;&s;el:</HI> becau&s;e the Water there (which running in a broad Channel, they had not above 14. inches water many times, and the Liters were forced to &s;tay for a Spring-Tide to help them over) being now contracted into a narrower Cut keeps con&s;tantly three and four foot water. But of this there will be occa&s;ion to &s;peak hereafter.</P>
<P>The true &s;tate of Navigation here formerly was this. The Fens being under Water, as they were a great part of the year, the Watermen vvere much troubled to keep vvithin the Ri|vers, and therefore they vvere at the charge every year to have them beakoned out. Their hailing Hor&s;es and their Boyes that drove them, vvere forced to go up to the middle in Water, and vvhen they came to a Dike or Slovv, that they vvere to pa&s;&s;e, (vvhich vvere very many in the Fens) they vvere fain to take in the Boy and Hor&s;es into the boat, and &s;et them out again vvhen they vvere pa&s;t it, vvhich vvas no &s;mall hindrance and lo&s;&s;e of time, be&s;ides the death of &s;o many Boyes and Hor&s;es vvith this unrea&s;onable dealing. And vvhen a Land-flood came dovvn from <HI>St. Ives</HI> vvith a We|&s;ternly or Southernly Wind, the current vvas &s;o &s;trong, and the footing &s;o bad for Hor&s;es, that they vvere forced to lye &s;till a vveek together. Their &s;ummer Navigation vvas this,
<PB N="7" REF="6" MS="y">when the Springs were very low they could come with their Keeles no higher then <HI>Modnie Cole</HI> or <HI>Helgie Hou&s;e,</HI> being a|bout twelve miles &s;hort of <HI>Ely,</HI> by rea&s;on of a Cravel there, that at a low Water was not above eighteen inches deep; but mo&s;t commonly the Keeles came up to Lambs Weare, four miles &s;hort of <HI>Ely,</HI> and there they &s;tayed to empty their La|ding into Liters, and tho&s;e Liters when they came to the Gra|vel at <HI>Ra&s;&s;el,</HI> they were forced to &s;tay for a Spring-Tide to help them over, the neaps not coming up &s;o high, and if the Wind &s;at &s;o as to keep back the Tides, they were fain to &s;tay till another Spring. At <HI>Stretham, Twenty Pence</HI> and <HI>Willing|ham</HI> gravels they were in a wor&s;e condition; for the Tides not reaching up thither, they were forced to &s;tay there &s;ometime till a fre&s;h came down, and &s;ometimes to take their gangs of Liters a&s;under, and to hale them over one by one, &s;till empty|ing and taking in again. Which Pa&s;&s;age was &s;o trouble&s;ome, and &s;o farre about, that after <HI>Bedford</HI> River was made, the Watermen pre&s;ently for&s;ook this Navigation round about by <HI>Ely,</HI> and carryed all their Commodities up <HI>Bedford</HI> River, in a Straight Channell from <HI>Salters Lead</HI> to <HI>Erith, St. Jves, Hunting|ton,</HI> and the parts adjacent. Which was a plain confe&s;&s;ion, that the Drainers new Rivers are better for Navigation, then their Old ones. The u&s;e of which <HI>Bedford</HI> river the Country had for the &s;pace of fourteen or &s;ixteen years without paying one farthing for that benefit and I am per&s;waded that if but two pence a Tun had been taken for that pa&s;&s;age (as might in ju&s;tice have been done) it would have rai&s;ed almo&s;t money enough to have perfected this &s;econd draining. But the&s;e Wa|termen are a kind of people, my Lord, that for all the good you do them, you mu&s;t expect nothing but railing; which is &s;o cu&s;tomarie among&s;t them, that they cannot forbear one a|nother. But I wonder it &s;hould be fathered upon <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> the Inhabitants of the Town of <HI>Lin,</HI> who cannot be ignorant that
<PB N="8" REF="7">the improvement of the Fens will make their Port the third (if not the &s;econd) of <HI>England.</HI> But &s;uch is the perver&s;e na|ture of &s;ome men, that when they have once embraced an Er|rour, they will employ all their witts to make it good.</P>
<P>To which end this Defender of the <HI>Lin</HI> Petition, hath ta|ken the pains to trace all the Rivers from one end to the other; and quarrels with your Lord&s;hip, becau&s;e he cannot go the old way from <HI>Lin</HI> to <HI>Peterburgh,</HI> by <HI>March</HI> and <HI>Ram&s;ey</HI> (which is above &s;ixtie miles) whereas now <HI>Wisbich</HI> river is opened by your Lord&s;hip and Participants, he may go that way above twenty miles nearer. The&s;e are the injuries he complaines of.</P>
<P N="1">1. Concerning <HI>the River of Ou&s;e,</HI> he &s;aith, <HI>that it is now laid dry between Erith and Harrim<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">r.</HI> I confe&s;s there is not much water at pre&s;ent, and yet Boats do daily pa&s;s that way, through the Sa&s;&s;e at the Hermitage (as the Sa&s;&s;e-Keeper will be depo&s;ed.) And the rea&s;on why there hath been &s;o little water there this Summer is; becau&s;e the Watermen would not &s;uffer that Sa&s;&s;e to &s;tand open, in regard that it drew down the river &s;o low upwards, that they wanted water to get up to <HI>St. Ives:</HI> But as the Springs ri&s;e again, and the Drainers become Ma&s;ters of their own works (which hitherto they have not been) there will be a &s;ufficient Navigation that way. But for <HI>a Boat of fifteen Tun to pa&s;&s;e that way,</HI> if any &s;uch thing were (whereof I am very doubtfull) I am &s;ure it mu&s;t be when the Fens were extreamly drowned. And &s;uch a depth of water ought not to be expected again.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>At Harrimer,</HI> he &s;aith, <HI>there was eight or nine foot water.</HI> There he equivocates again. For it is vi&s;ible, there cannot be &s;uch a depth of water, unle&s;s it be when the Fens are very much drowned, for the mouth of that River, being gaged, is not four foot deep from the Levell &s;oile; and the Watermen cannot deny, that the Grant there was &s;o &s;topped up with
<PB N="9" REF="7">mud and Ou&s;e, that <HI>St. Ives</HI> water brought down, that no Boat could pa&s;&s;e in and out that River: in &s;o much that a Gentleman of this Country, willing to befriend them, made a &s;hort Cut through his own Several, through which they pa&s;&s;e to this day (paying a &s;mall duty) and left the main Channel, it being un&s;erviceable.</P>
<P N="3">3. For the <HI>narrow Cut at Ra&s;&s;hill</HI> below <HI>Ely, and the Dam there,</HI> or Overtoe, though &s;omewhat hath been &s;aid already, yet thus much more I mu&s;t tell him; That as &s;oon as that &s;top was made, the water in the River at <HI>Ely</HI> was rai&s;ed, from &s;e|venteen inches, to three foot and an half; and that according|ly this &s;top &s;erves to rai&s;e the Water in <HI>Grant</HI> as high, and high|er, then the Tides did formerly rai&s;e it. And for <HI>the narrow|ne&s;&s;e</HI> of the &s;aid Cut, (&s;o much complained of by this Defen|der) it is neer 20. foot wide, and being about one mile in length, there are four Triangles (or broad &s;paces) made on purpo&s;e for boats to pa&s;&s;e by one another; and &s;ince the Sa&s;s is &s;et at the end of it, Boats go up with much ea&s;e, that is to &s;ay, a Gang of Liters is haled up with one or two Hor&s;es at the mo&s;t.</P>
<P>That <HI>the&s;e Rivers are &s;canted with water becau&s;e the Tides are kept out,</HI> is a mi&s;take. For the fre&s;h water doores of the Sa&s;s at Salters Load do hold up the fre&s;h to &s;upply the want of the Tides; So that this Sa&s;s (which he &s;o much quarrels at) hath not only pre&s;erved that part of the River that lyeth behind it from being &s;ilted up this Summer, as high as <HI>Ely,</HI> being about twenty miles off; but likewi&s;e hath kept &s;uch a plump water all this dry &s;ea&s;on in that and the other rivers, &s;ometimes even Level with the &s;oile, that no Waterman (that hath any hone|&s;tie) but mu&s;t confe&s;s and acknowledge the advantage they have had by it.</P>
<P N="4">4. To <HI>the delay and danger of pa&s;&s;ing the Sa&s;&s;e at Salters Load.</HI> I have my Lord, inquired, and I find, that there is a free pa&s;&s;age
<PB N="10" REF="8">granted at all times, even to a &s;mall Boat that comes alone with a load of Turf, or the like; which is more, then is fitt to be done with a Sa&s;&s;e of the con&s;equence this is; and that there is no danger before or behind (if Watermen will not be carele&s;s) not half &s;o much as pa&s;&s;ing through <HI>London</HI> Bridge; and of above 30000. Boats at lea&s;t that have gone through, I cannot hear of above one that was overturned, which was at the &s;topping of the <HI>Ou&s;e</HI> and making of the Dam, the flood being then let in through the Sa&s;s, fir&s;t of all, &amp; all Watermen &s;tay|ed till Level water, except one of them who would venture to have the reputation of the fir&s;t going through the Sa&s;s, &s;o that it was the Watermans fault, who would not be ruled by the Sa&s;&s;e keeper; but no goods or men lo&s;t. Indeed Order was given, that Boats &s;hould not pa&s;&s;e in the night time, or on the Lords Day (and it is fitt it &s;hould be ob&s;erved) but as it was &s;aid before, the Drainers are not Ma&s;ters of their own works; nor can expect to be, as long as the Watermen are encouraged by the like Petitions.</P>
<P>Now he comes to &s;peak again of <HI>the &s;ilting of Lin haven.</HI> It will be nece&s;&s;ary to &s;ay &s;omewhat of the nature of that Ha|ven. It is about ten miles from <HI>Lin</HI> haven to the Deeps; all that way the Tide comes over a quick or moveable &s;and, where the Channel alters very often: in &s;o much that the Town is at the charge of one hundred markes <HI>per an.</HI> to have it marked and beakoned out. And the &s;hips that are inward bound, if they cannot reach the Port with the Tide of flood, they are nece&s;&s;itated to fall back again into the Deeps, for fear of the Sands. And it is no wonder that this Haven is apt to &s;ilt, when the wind &amp; Tides rai&s;e the Sands and lodge them there; but for him to conclude; That <HI>all the&s;e Prejudi|ces and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">nc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">nveniences are to be imputed to the taking away of the fre&s;h water of Nean, and to the Dam made at Salters Load,</HI> I &s;ee not the lea&s;t probable con&s;equence.</P>
<PB N="11" REF="8">
<P>For that part of <HI>Nean,</HI> which came down at <HI>Welcrick,</HI> was not con&s;iderable, but in times of Land Floods, when the Fens were drowned; and the Town of <HI>Wisbich</HI> (to whom that river doth rightly belong, to maintain their Outfals) cannot be with|out it. For &s;eeing the river of <HI>Welland</HI> is appropriated to <HI>Spalding</HI> (by the late Act of Parliament for draining, &amp;c.) and that the We&s;twater, and the old river of <HI>Welnea</HI> are carry|ed to <HI>Lin</HI> (which went formerly to <HI>Wisbich</HI>) it were great in|ju&s;tice to deprive them of one drop of the Nean; unle&s;&s;e he will &s;ay, that no con&s;ideration is to be had of any Town, but <HI>Lin.</HI></P>
<P>And now the Defender is at <HI>the Dam</HI> again, and that mu&s;t be <HI>the principal Cau&s;e,</HI> becau&s;e he &s;aith &s;o; for having followed him in and out (as the river of <HI>Ou&s;e</HI> did formerly run) where he is &s;ometimes at fourthly, then &s;econdly, then thirdly, then &s;econdly again, then thirdly, then fir&s;t, then fourthly, then fifthly, then &s;ixthly, then fourthly, then la&s;tly, then &s;econdly, and then thirdly, I do not find, in all this labyrinth of clau&s;es, any thing like a Demon&s;tration, or indeed like a probable Argument: but (by his leave) I will give him a Demon&s;tra|tion to the contrary, that will trouble him to An&s;wer.</P>
<P>The Outfall of <HI>Lin</HI> hath five rivers, and about an hundred Land Brookes, which di&s;charging them&s;elves into the&s;e rivers, run all out at <HI>Lin</HI> Haven; be&s;ides all the Downfall of the Middle, and South Levels, of <HI>Mar&s;hland, Needham, Coldham,</HI> &s;outh of <HI>Wisbich, Church|field, Playfield,</HI> &amp;c. the Lands on the North &s;ide of <HI>Down|ham,</HI> amounting to above 300000. acres be&s;ides the river which comes from <HI>Pentney,</HI> and the flux and re|flux of the Sea 30. miles into the Land.</P>
<P>The three Outfalls of <HI>Wisbich, Spalding,</HI> and <HI>Bo&s;ton,</HI> are kept open by four &s;mall rivers only, which do not all of them bring down &s;o much water as comes down to <HI>Lin.</HI></P>
<PB N="12" REF="9">
<P>And therefore the Outfall of <HI>Lin</HI> mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily be kept open, and by con&s;equence the Haven and Na|vigation maintained.</P>
<P>And whereas he &s;aith, that <HI>the Outfall may be maintained as to Draining, and yet the Navigation lo&s;t by rea&s;on that the Channel may grow too narrow;</HI> Thats a meer Fancie of his own, for the narrower the deeper; and it can never be &s;o narrow, but that there will be room for &s;hips to pa&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Now to give him the true rea&s;on of the pre&s;ent decay, and &s;ilting of <HI>Lin</HI> Haven and river. I &s;ay, fir&s;t it is &s;o all over <HI>Eng|land:</HI> let him inquire of the Thames, the Severn, the Trent, (the noble&s;t rivers of this I&s;land) or, which are neerer, <HI>Nean, Welland, Glin, Withen;</HI> and he will find, they are all this year extreamly &s;ilted, and the water carriage much ri&s;en; for this cau&s;e alone, that the fre&s;h hath been &s;o weak and low the&s;e two la&s;t years that it hath not been able to carry away the &s;ilt which the Tides put up. And when Providence will, that the Springs ri&s;e, and the Brooks run again, all this &s;ilt and &s;and will be &s;cowred out and carryed away.</P>
<P>And this &s;hall be confirmed by the rea&s;on, he urgeth from Sir <HI>Cornelius Vermuyden,</HI> and which is taken as granted by him&s;elf, where he &s;aith, that <HI>the height and &s;wift running of the fre&s;h is that, which grindeth and keeps open a Channel.</HI> Now pray, my Lord, let me ask him this que&s;tion. When <HI>Bedford</HI> water comes down contracted and lifted up, between the North and the South Banks, from <HI>Erith</HI> to <HI>Salters Load,</HI> whe|ther doth he not think that it will be a higher water, then ever yet was upon the Fens; and (by con&s;equence) come &s;wifter, and with a greater force towards <HI>Lin,</HI> then when it came twenty miles about by <HI>Ely,</HI> and &s;pread it &s;elf over the whole Level, where it was carryed up and down with every wind, and there lay &s;ocking into the Fens, till a great part of it was dryed up by the Sun, which &s;hall hereafter (by rea&s;on of tho&s;e
<PB N="13" REF="9">banks) come down in a &s;wift current, whole, and without any diminution?</P>
<P>The proof whereof is apparent, by the wa&s;h that runs from <HI>Peterburgh</HI> to <HI>Guyhern;</HI> when (in the year 1650. and 1651.) the water came down in &s;ix hours, from <HI>Peterburgh</HI> to <HI>Wisbich,</HI> which was formerly a week, or a forthnight in coming; and was, at the lower end of that wa&s;h, five or &s;ix foot above the Levell &s;oile; which &s;ent &s;uch a &s;tream through <HI>Withich</HI> Town, that the like was never &s;een before; Boats could hardly &s;teere through the Bridge; and it did grind the Channell (below the Hor&s;hoe) nine or ten foot deeper, then it was; which is almo&s;t an incredible thing to be done with one flood; it check|ed the Tide (which u&s;ually flowes up to <HI>Eldernel</HI>) and turned it back to Sea, at the Hor&s;hoe; which I can very well affirm; for I &s;aw it my &s;elf, and I doubt not, but I may &s;ee the like on the other &s;ide of the Country.</P>
<P>To that he &s;aith (my Lord) that <HI>the water is a free Element and ought not to be re&s;trained,</HI> all that is but childi&s;h Rhetorick. For all men know, that Fire and Water are good Servants, but ill Ma&s;ters; and that it ought to be re&s;trained, when other|wi&s;e it would drown a whole Country, as this did. And for the di&s;cour&s;e, <HI>de Mari libero, &amp; Mari Clau&s;o,</HI> I confe&s;&s;e they are much better handled, then his Argument; and yet he may ob&s;erve thus much by the way; That the Hollanders (who plead &s;o much for <HI>Mare liberum</HI>) are the greate&s;t Impri&s;oners and re&s;trainers of waters in the world.</P>
<P>For the Sa&s;&s;es and Sluces in their Country are innumerable; by which they have the benefit of water carriage to and from every Town: and quite contrary here in <HI>England,</HI> men have &s;et Mills, and erected weares over mo&s;t of the Navigable ri|vers, to the great ob&s;truction of Navigation; But if a Sa&s;&s;e be &s;et up for the advantage of it (as this clearly is) <HI>The great Clar|ter of England</HI> mu&s;t be called upon to beat down a &s;uppo&s;ed
<PB N="14" REF="10"><HI>Prejudice;</HI> which could not in tho&s;e times be thought of; That ingenious Invention being &s;ome hundreds of years younger, then that Statue. Whereas the Navigation from <HI>London</HI> to <HI>Reading</HI> and &s;o We&s;tward, could not be maintained, but by the Locks and Sa&s;&s;es upon the River, and &s;o likewi&s;e upon many other Navigable Rivers of <HI>England.</HI></P>
<P>As for his <HI>Milkie way;</HI> if he cite that, in commendation of the river of <HI>Ou&s;e;</HI> I mu&s;t tell him, that it was one of the wor&s;t Navigable Rivers of <HI>England</HI> and (before the Drainers remo|ved them) the fulle&s;t of Weares, Shallows, and Gravels. For it was u&s;uall here in the Fens (to &s;ave the charges of ma|king Bridges) to fill the rivers with gravell, which (as it wore away) they &s;upplyed every year by common dayes work: and I mu&s;t do the Fen-men that right, that in this particular they were very indu&s;trious.</P>
<P>Now the Defender is at his Rhetorick again, and (having fancied to him&s;elf the lo&s;&s;e of the Port of <HI>Lin</HI>) he declames upon <HI>the Con&s;equence and impertance, that Sea Ports are to this Na|tion,</HI> which is confe&s;&s;ed; but it is told him again, that the de|cay of Trade and &s;hipping is cau&s;ed by the di&s;turbance at &s;ea, as afore&s;aid, whereas he &s;aith, that <HI>they had eighty &s;ail of &s;hips formerly.</HI> I can tell him, that the Port of <HI>Dover</HI> (by him here mentioned) had before the late Warre, above a hundred faile of better &s;hips; and I could wi&s;h, that they had twenty left; Their cu&s;tomes came to above fifty thou&s;and pounds <HI>per an.</HI> and do not now ri&s;e to four thou&s;and pound <HI>per an.</HI> which is a greater fall, then that he &s;peakes of; and yet no Drainers came neer them.</P>
<P>But &s;uppo&s;ing with him, that <HI>the Trade &s;hould return again.</HI> (I perceive by this, that he hath &s;ome hope left) <HI>there will not be Keeles and Boats enough (he feares) to carry up all their Com|modities.</HI> What Keeles and Boats do belong to all the rivers, that run through the great Level, is more then any man living
<PB N="15" REF="10">can tell; and it would require more time and charge to bring in a true particular of them, then the knowledge is worth; &s;o that for a man to affirm, <HI>that there are not ve&s;&s;els enough to carry up eight voyages in a year,</HI> (not knowing what Ve&s;&s;els there are belonging to the &s;aid Rivers) is an A&s;&s;ertion at Random; and no credit ought to be given to any con|clu&s;ion, drawn from &s;o uncertain premi&s;&s;es. If they have not Keeles or Lighters enough, who hinders from building more? for if their Gangs of Lighters did reach from Lambs Weare to <HI>Cambridge</HI> (which is above thirty miles) what hinders but that they may all pa&s;&s;e, one after another, and move all toge|ther. For they never had but one haling &s;ide, and (by con&s;e|quence) came one after another, which they may &s;till do with much more ea&s;e and convenience; for they come up now with their Keeles to <HI>Lambs Weare,</HI> and &s;ometimes to the Sluce or Sa&s;&s;e at <HI>Ra&s;&s;el,</HI> as they did formerly; there they unload into Liters, as they did formerly: and I would fain know why they &s;hould be above ten or twelve hours getting up to <HI>Cam|bridge,</HI> being le&s;s then thirty miles; con&s;idering, that they &s;top for no Gravell, as before; and having a con&s;tant Water; and that they have dry Land for their haling Hor&s;es and Boyes, which they had not before; and that they can hale in the night time, which before they could not, the fens being drowned. From <HI>Lin</HI> to the great Sa&s;&s;e they come in four hours, from thence to <HI>Lambs Weare</HI> four hours, from thence to <HI>Cambridge</HI> twelve houres (in all twenty houres) the Navigation from <HI>Lin</HI> to <HI>Cambridge</HI> is performed. So that his <HI>Multiplex Prejudicium,</HI> is indeed <HI>Multiplex Beneficium;</HI> and he might have &s;pared his expre&s;&s;ion of <HI>Halfing out the Navigation,</HI> and that <HI>half the Marriners mu&s;t either beg or &s;tarve,</HI> and an&s;wer to this que&s;tion. What would have become of half their Watermen, the&s;e two la&s;t years, when their Forraign Trade failed them, if they had not taken four or five thou&s;and pound of the Drainers money, for carrying of Cole-&s;eed, Wheat,
<PB N="16" REF="11">and other Commodities, which grew in the Fens by occa&s;i|on of this Draining?</P>
<P>And whereas he &s;aith, that <HI>though the Con&s;tomes be rai&s;ed to one thou&s;and three hundred pound this year at Lin by the Fen-commodi|ties, yet there is as much more lo&s;t in the revenew of Coles and &s;alt.</HI> Every one knoweth, that there was never any Cu&s;tome paid for Coles, and Salt, that were brought from <HI>Newca&s;tle</HI> to <HI>Lin.</HI></P>
<P>Now he goes on. <HI>The&s;e the Petitioners proofs of preju|dice, &amp;c.</HI> He mu&s;t not make me believe, that he hath proved any thing as yet; nor hath been in the way to do it, the que|&s;tion not being rightly &s;tated. And that which follows, con|cerning <HI>Nean, Harrimer, and the Cutt of Ra&s;&s;hill</HI> (being but re|petitions, and already an&s;wered) I pa&s;&s;e by; and meet him (the third time) a&s;&s;aulting <HI>the Dam at Salters Load;</HI> meaning to blow it up with <HI>an Argument of</HI> (him that made it) <HI>Sir Cor|nelius Vernyden,</HI> wherein (though enough hath been &s;aid al|ready, to &s;atisfie any indifferent man, yet) becau&s;e I hope this will be his la&s;t A&s;&s;ault, I &s;hall edeavour to defend it.</P>
<P><HI>It is a Principle,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>not denyed by the undertakers, that no Inland Harbour can po&s;sibly be pre&s;erved without a &s;ufficient backwa|ter to &s;coure it out.</HI> This is confe&s;&s;ed: but if he mean by his back|water, that it mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily be the Tides; that is not gene|rally true. For all the Havens in the Mediterranean, and in the Arches, and the Black Sea, are pre&s;erved by the fre&s;h only; there being (as all men know) no flux or reflux in tho&s;e &s;eas. But to an&s;wer him again: &s;uppo&s;ing that the five Rivers, Brooks, and Downfall (as afore&s;aid) be not &s;ufficient (which certainly they are) to keep open <HI>Lin</HI> Haven; yet they have the Tides flowing up thirty miles into the Country; and a large Receptacle to boot, which will hold much more water, then all the other Rivers. Will nothing &s;erve his turn, but that they mu&s;t flow in, ju&s;t the &s;ame way they did before? That the Haven of <HI>Lin,</HI> and the Channel to Sea are &s;ufficiently
<PB N="17" REF="11">Pre&s;ervd, this will confute all hath been &s;aid to the contrary. About ten dayes &s;ince, there was a Ship of four hundred Tun, laden with Wheat (of the grouth of the Fens) &s;et &s;ail from that Port bound for <HI>Spain,</HI> as I take it; and though &s;he did not take in her full lading, till &s;he came to the Deeps; yet &s;he could not draw le&s;&s;e then &s;ixteen foot water, when &s;he fell down. I do believe (my Lord) that a Ship of that burthen hath not formerly been &s;een there; and indeed the Defender (when he &s;peakes of the Shipping belonging to <HI>Lin</HI>) &s;aith, that <HI>they had eighty &s;aile, from two hundred Tun downwards.</HI> Let this be well weighed; and then let him tell me, whether there were any ju&s;t cau&s;e for this great outcry to the late Par|liament, which (I hear) hath co&s;t them two hundred pound in bringing up their witne&s;&s;es, and other charges.</P>
<P>What the operation of a Receptacle (or Indraught) is, I will give him one pregnant in&s;tance; and that is in <HI>Newenden Levell,</HI> in <HI>Kent,</HI> where Sir <HI>Thomas Culpeper</HI> (a mo&s;t experienced, and ingenious Commi&s;&s;ioner of Sewers) by making a &s;mall Indraught, hath gained &s;uch a Channel, that a Ship of two hun|dred Tun may ride at a low water, where a &s;mall boat could hardly come before: and the rea&s;on is clear. For that the Tides &s;tanding in a Receptacle (which ebbs drie) the filt &s;et|teth to the bottome, and the Water returns clearer and thin|ner, then it came in; and &s;o hath the &s;ame operation in &s;cow|ring out the Channell, as if it were a fre&s;h: which is not &s;o when it flovves up into the five Rivers (as he vvould have it) by rea&s;on that (being alvvaies in motion) it hath not time to &s;ettle &s;o much; nor can it (that vvay) ever ebbe dry; Which is enough to prove, that the nevv vvay (the Tides novv flovv) is much better for the keeping open of the Channell and Out|fall, then the Old.</P>
<P>I de&s;ire to knovv of the Defender, vvhy the Haven and Channel at <HI>Lin</HI> is ever better in Winter then in Summer; and
<PB N="18" REF="12">vvhy, in the year 1648. the Outfall became deeper then it had been in many years before or &s;ince? vvas it not the great fre&s;h that came dovvn that year? All the Sluce-keepers on Mar&s;h|land &s;ide can tell him this; and that in Summer time the Tides gain upon the fre&s;h, &s;ilting the Channell in &s;ome places four, &s;ix, and ten foot high; and that in Winter the fre&s;h gains upon the Tides, and carryes all that &s;and out again, vvhich the Sum|mer had brought in.</P>
<P>As for the Argument he takes from <HI>Sir Cornelius:</HI> nothing can make more again&s;t him (as vvas &s;aid before.) For if the higher and contracted Water do the execution, it mu&s;t be that which comes down between the new banks.</P>
<P>What <HI>Fall</HI> there is <HI>between Ely and Lin,</HI> is not materiall, for the &s;ame fall remains &s;till for the four le&s;&s;er Rivers: but the Adventurers have mended the fall of the <HI>Ou&s;e;</HI> which by new <HI>Bedford</HI> River, hath the &s;ame fall in twenty one miles run|ning, that it had before in forty. But where he &s;aith, That <HI>the Keeles came up within twelve miles of Cambridge,</HI> he mu&s;t be ar|re&s;ted for that fallacie; and told, that (if ever any &s;uch thing was) the Fens were then very much drowned: otherwi&s;e I do affirm (upon view taken) that it is impo&s;&s;ible. And truly in this particular he mu&s;t be looked to, when he &s;peakes of <HI>eight or nine foot water at Harrimer; of ten foot above the low water Marke at Salters Load;</HI> and of <HI>Keeles coming up to Willingham,</HI> or <HI>Erith;</HI> it mu&s;t be when the Fens are deep covered with water. For when there is eight foot water at <HI>Harrimer,</HI> the Fens are drowned then five foot deep, gaged by W. P. And then (for ought I know) a Keele might have gone any where cro&s;&s;e the Fens; But I hope he doth not expect this from the Drainers, who mu&s;t keep the water rather two foot below the &s;oyl, then two foot above it.</P>
<P>And now, my Lord, being almo&s;t quite tyred with following this wanderer, through his perplexed method, and vain repe|titions,
<PB N="19" REF="12">(in pur&s;uit of <HI>the Demon&s;tration</HI> he promi&s;ed long agoe) I do find, that he hath proved nothing: but that he is put upon a Subject, which he doth not under&s;tand. And I am at length arrived at his <HI>An&s;wers to the Drainers Objections,</HI> as he calls them; though indeed very few of them belong to the Drain|ers, but to the Gentlemen (mentioned before) who wrote <HI>the &s;hort and full An&s;wers;</HI> but to &s;uch as are materiall (and not an&s;wered in the precedent di&s;cour&s;e) I &s;hall give &s;hort Replies.</P>
<P>He &s;aith, That <HI>the bottome of the old river is deeper then the new.</HI> In &s;ome places it is, &amp; in &s;ome places it is not, as afore&s;aid. That <HI>the Tides are half &s;pent, before they run up into the new Rivers.</HI> They may be half &s;pent at <HI>Lin;</HI> but if he &s;ay, that they are half &s;pent at <HI>Salters Load,</HI> it is apparantly otherwi&s;e. For at this pre&s;ent they flow between three and four hours there, as they did formerly. And for his exception to that expre&s;&s;ion, That <HI>the Tides do flow as high into the Country as formerly;</HI> the mean|ing is plain. The Tides have rai&s;ed the water at the <HI>Hermitage;</HI> and they did no more at <HI>Harrimer;</HI> and that <HI>Harrimer</HI> is no further from <HI>Salters Load</HI> (in a &s;traight line) then the <HI>Hermitage.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. To his An&s;wer to <HI>the &s;econd Objection.</HI> It is true, that at <HI>Ely</HI> &s;ome of the Country did object, that <HI>it was not the &V;nder|takers but the dry Sea&s;on had drained the Fens, and &s;o de&s;ired re&s;pite of judgement, and to hold the po&s;&s;e&s;sion of their Lands till further triall of the works.</HI> But doth any man think, that this was a rea|&s;onable motion? you contract with me for five hundred pound to build you an hou&s;e; and when 'tis fini&s;hed, I demand my money. No, you will have a years tryall, to &s;ee if the hou&s;e will &s;tand or no, and after another year, &amp; &s;o <HI>in infinitum.</HI> This is the Drainers Ca&s;e. They were tyed by the Act to imbank the rivers, &s;o as they &s;hould not overflow the Level; this was proved to be done &s;ufficiently and according to the Act. What could the Lords and other Commi&s;&s;ioners at <HI>Ely,</HI> (or any ju&s;t man &s;ay) but that they mu&s;t have their Land after the perform|ance of their undertaking, according to their contract?</P>
<PB N="20" REF="13">
<P>And yet their Lord&s;hips, and the re&s;t of the Commi&s;&s;ioners did &s;o farre incline to the Country, as that an offer was made by them, (with the con&s;ent of the undertakers) that the Coun|try, (giving &s;ecurity for the rent of the Lands, to be paid only in ca&s;e they were not drowned) &s;hould have the experience of another year; but the Country, after con&s;ideration had, returned a Negative.</P>
<P>But he &s;aith, That <HI>they made u&s;e of a dry &s;ea&s;on to gain a judgment, and of the &s;ame drought to excu&s;e the prejudices done to Navigation.</HI> I do wonder with what forehead this can be affirmed, for it is well known, that the Drainers did not go about to excu&s;e any Prejudices done to Navigation; but they &s;tood upon it then (as they do &s;till) that no Prejudice at all was, or is done; And they did prove it, both by Watermen, Merchants, and others of skill, who came then from &s;ounding the Channell; and did depo&s;e preci&s;ely, to the &s;everall depths, both below, and on this &s;ide <HI>Lin;</HI> which did &s;o clearly evince, what the Watermen had alledged; that the Court was fully &s;ati&s;|fied. And the &s;aid Commi&s;&s;ioners upon examination drew this Confe&s;&s;ion from one of their chief Watermen of <HI>Lin;</HI> (whom they brought as a Witne&s;&s;es, <HI>Ellis,</HI> by name) that if the fre&s;h Water doores of the Sa&s;&s;e at <HI>Salters Load</HI> be kept &s;hut, the Navigation was as good as ever.</P>
<P N="3">3. That <HI>Navigation was never &s;o bad formerly in the greate&s;t droughts.</HI> I make &s;ome Que&s;tion of that. For it will be pro|ved, that in a dry Sea&s;on formerly, an empty Boat could hardly get up to <HI>Cambridge;</HI> And that the Keeles could not get higher then <HI>Stow</HI> Bridge: whereas this Summer the Keeles have come up con&s;tantly to <HI>Lambs Weare,</HI> and &s;ome|times to the Sa&s;&s;e at <HI>Ra&s;&s;hill;</HI> and the Liters have daily (with|out any impediment) gone from thence to <HI>Cambridge.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. To his very pertinent In&s;tance of <HI>making a Dam over the Thames at Greenwich, or at London Bridge,</HI> it is worth no better an&s;wer then this.</P>
<PB N="21" REF="13">
<P>That if &s;uch a Dam would &s;ave the City of <HI>London</HI> from being drowned (as the Dam at <HI>Salters Load</HI> doth all the South Level) and that a better River were made to uphold the Na|vigation; and all this Authori&s;ed by an Act of Parliament; I &s;ee not where the crime would lye. And I &s;hould be very &s;orry, that the Sa&s;&s;e at <HI>Salters Load</HI> &s;hould bring half that danger and impediment to the Watermen here, as doth the pa&s;&s;ing through <HI>London</HI> Bridge to tho&s;e there: And yet for the common benefit, the Watermen there are contented to di&s;|pence with their own Intere&s;t. And yet I know not, whether that Bridge was &s;et by Authority of an Act of Parliament, as the &s;aid Sa&s;&s;e undoubtedly was.</P>
<P>The Adventurers do not &s;ay, <HI>That more cannot be done by man:</HI> but they &s;ay, That <HI>what is already done hath been &s;ufficient to improve the Navigation.</HI> And here the Defender begins to confe&s;&s;e, That <HI>the Navigation may be the better above the Sa&s;&s;es, by keeping up the water; but what availes that, if the Channell be lo&s;t below?</HI> Let him take no care for that; for if there were any danger of that, the Drainers would be as &s;en|&s;ible thereof as he, or the Town of <HI>Lin</HI> can be.</P>
<P N="5">5. That <HI>the Commi&s;sioners &s;itting at Ely in March La&s;t, did not view the Navigation at Lin.</HI> It was enough, that they did &s;ee the Navigation within the Level; and for that of <HI>Lin,</HI> they were &s;ufficiently informed by good witne&s;&s;es upon oath, as afore&s;aid.</P>
<P N="6">6. He wonders, <HI>with what confidence the undertakers could affirm, that it was proved, at the Adjudication, that full as much (if not more) fre&s;h water did run out at Lin Haven, as for|merly.</HI></P>
<P>This is undenyably true. But to under&s;tand it, the De|fender mu&s;t know, that the River of <HI>Nean</HI> (being pa&s;&s;ed <HI>Pe|terburgh</HI> Bridge) did Branch it &s;elf formerly into three &s;treams; whereof one went towards <HI>Crowland,</HI> another towards <HI>Wi&s;|bich,</HI>
<PB N="22" REF="14">by <HI>Mortons Leame;</HI> and the third came dowe to <HI>Wittle&s;ea,</HI> and <HI>Ram&s;ey Meare,</HI> and from thence (by <HI>Bevills Leame,</HI> and Lower by <HI>Plantwater</HI>) part went out by <HI>Wisbich;</HI> and the remainder of this third part of the <HI>Nean</HI> (which did not i&s;&s;ue by <HI>Wisbich</HI>) fell down to Well Creake, (a narrow Chan|nel) and &s;o to <HI>Lin;</HI> which cour&s;e it holds &s;till. But if he &s;ay, That <HI>more water would come that way by Stanground Sa&s;&s;e, if it were not re&s;trained;</HI> it will be made appear (as was hinted be|fore) that a greater part of the <HI>Ou&s;e</HI> went to <HI>Wisbich</HI> by the VVe&s;twater, and <HI>Welnea</HI> river (which is now carryed wholly to <HI>Lin</HI>) then will countervaile the &s;top that is made of that part of the <HI>Nean</HI> at <HI>Stanground</HI> Sa&s;&s;e, which Sa&s;&s;e was &s;et about fourteen years &s;ince, and &s;o the water <HI>Nean</HI> diverted from com|ing to <HI>Lin;</HI> and by the late works, the water of <HI>Ou&s;e</HI> is prevent|ed from going to <HI>Wisbich</HI> So that the diver&s;ion was before, and the addition of waters &s;ince; and yet before the benefit there was no complaint for Navigation.</P>
<P>The &s;eventh is an&s;wered formerly.</P>
<P N="8">8. That <HI>the rai&s;ing of the princes of water carriages was a contri|vance of the watermen.</HI> It was proved at <HI>Ely,</HI> that <HI>Allen</HI> the waterman went every week with his Boats from <HI>Cambridge</HI> to <HI>Lin,</HI> and back again; commonly with five Tun weight; and for the &s;ame rate he formerly took; which weekly pa&s;|&s;age he hath continued all this &s;ummer. It will re&s;t upon the Defender to name any man before the draining, that made this voyage (being 120. miles) con&s;tantly, with &s;uch a lading in le&s;&s;e then a weeks time: and this will trouble him more then <HI>his Demon&s;tration.</HI></P>
<P N="9">9. That <HI>there was never any con&s;tant and certain Navigation between Lin and Cambridge (in &s;ummer time) till &s;ince the drain|ing.</HI> Which is a truth; and it &s;tands upon this bottom. That in &s;ummer time the neap Tides were not high enough, to help their Liters over the gravel below <HI>Ely:</HI> which &s;hall be proved (if he plea&s;e) by an hundred witne&s;&s;es.</P>
<PB N="25" REF="14" MS="y">
<P>The conclu&s;ion of that Clau&s;e, to wit, <HI>Therefore the Petiti|oners were not to be relieved, even in Parliament,</HI> is not any where (that I know) a&s;&s;erted by the adventurers; but is his own infe|rence. That which they &s;aid, was this (and they think they have rea&s;on on their &s;ide) That <HI>they did de&s;ire to know the opini|on of the Hou&s;e, in this Particular, whether matter of Fact, already heard and determined before Legal Judges (not at all impeached as cri|minous or corrupt) &s;hould be reexamined before the Committee of Petitions;</HI> which was &s;o &s;ober a demand; that I do wonder any man of con&s;cience (or indeed of Common &s;ence) can in|terpret this, to the <HI>que&s;tioning of the power of Parliament;</HI> and much le&s;&s;e, to <HI>the giving of Laws to the Supream Authority.</HI></P>
<P>And for that he &s;peaketh of <HI>the want of power in the Commi&s;|&s;ioners after the Adjudication;</HI> and would make that the ground of <HI>their appeal to the Hou&s;e:</HI> It is clear by the Act for Draining, that (notwith&s;tanding the judgement given) they are for three years after, a &s;tanding Judicature; and that they now are, and hereafter are to be, without limitation of time, Commi&s;&s;io|ners of Sewers within this Level. But for the <HI>Incon&s;i&s;tencie,</HI> which he hath di&s;covered, <HI>between Navigation and Draining,</HI> There is no &s;uch thing. They do agree (for ought I know) like man and wife together; and may alwaies do &s;o, if bu&s;ie and envious men do not rai&s;e jealou&s;ies, and foment quarrels between them purpo&s;ely to ruine both: which hath been too much practi&s;ed of late.</P>
<P>To that he &s;aith, That <HI>Prejudice is done to Navigation &s;ince the Adjudication,</HI> and would make that another ground for <HI>an appeal to the Hou&s;e.</HI> Though there can be no pretence for any &s;uch thing (the contrary being manife&s;t) yet let me aske him this que&s;tion: why he did not trie the Commi&s;&s;ioners here in the Country, or the Commi&s;&s;ioners &s;itting at <HI>London,</HI> before he flew to the Hou&s;e? for if they had either &s;hewn want of
<PB N="26" REF="15">will, or want of power to relieve him, he might have had &s;ome colour for his appeal. But I am apt to believe, that this Gentleman had heard of <HI>Sir John Maynards letters</HI> (before mentioned) and from thence grew con&s;ident that he &s;hould carry all before him.</P>
<P>For I am certainly informed, that the Enemies (or rather the enviers) of this noble work; when they had long (in vain) laboured to prove the <HI>Levell not drained,</HI> then fell to al|ledge that <HI>Draining did not meliorate;</HI> which mi&s;take, or ra|ther fal&s;hood, being &s;o irrationall, that all men condemned it; they (as a la&s;t refuge) flew to the <HI>Navigation;</HI> (as knowing that if the &s;ame had not been pre&s;erved, it was the overthrow of the work, as indeed it is;) And (through the dryne&s;s of the &s;ea&s;on) they indeavoured by fallacies to overthrow the work; but the fal&s;hood and &s;ubtilty of their allegations being ea&s;ie to be di&s;covered by knowing men upon the place, they leave the Judges, appointed to determine upon the place, and en|deavoured to have their complaints heard by the Committee of Petitions, who they knew could not be &s;pared to go to the place, and di&s;cover their fallacies.</P>
<P>To that which followes, An&s;wers have already been given; and every part of his Argument, either confe&s;&s;ed and avoy|ded, or fully refuted; though not alwaies in the &s;ame Order they &s;tand in his Di&s;cour&s;e; le&s;t I &s;hould have made this (confu&s;ed enough already) as intricate and perplexed as his.</P>
<P>And now, my Lord (after tyring your Lord&s;hip, and my &s;elf) I am quitt, I hope, of this tedious wrangler, who hath forced me to draw out this Scroll beyond the ordinary length of a Letter; le&s;t he might have thought that he had &s;aid &s;omething, that could not be An&s;wered; And I doubt not, but your Lord&s;hip, and all Intelligent men
<PB N="27" REF="15">are fully &s;atisfied, that the <HI>Navigation is not prejudiced by the works of Draining;</HI> but contrarywi&s;e made <HI>more Con&s;tant, Ea&s;ie, and Certain, then it was before.</HI> So craving pardon for this long trouble, I humbly ki&s;&s;e your Lord&s;hips hand, and re&s;t</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>My Lord,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your Lord&s;hips mo&s;t Humble <HI>SERVANT.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE><DATE>Jan. 18. 1653</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
