time: the refreshing river 



"honest substantive soldiers" and their elected leaders or "Agitators."^ 

 In the following year there appeared as one of the numerous pamphlets 

 of the time, an important programme of reforms, The Agreement of 

 the People^ '*to take away all known and burdensome grievances."^ 

 One of the authors was the indefatigable Lieut.-Col. John Lilburne 

 ("freeborn John").^ At this time, the Levellers numbered among 

 them many interesting and important pioneers, such as Colonel 

 Rainborough and other officers in the Army and Richard Overton 

 and William Walwyn in civil life. Walwyn wrote little, but he said: 

 "The world will never be well till all things are common." It would 

 not by any means be "such difficulty as men take it to be to alter 

 the course of the world in this thing; a very few diligent and valiant 

 spirits may turn the world upside down if they observe the seasons 

 and shall with life and courage engage accordingly." To the objection 

 that community of property would upset all and every Government, 

 he answered that "there would then be less need of government, for 

 then there would be no thieves, no covetous persons, no deceiving 

 and abuse of one another, and so no need of government. If any 

 difference do fall out, take a cobbler from his seat, or any other 

 tradesman that is an honest and just man, and let him hear the case 

 and determine the same, and then betake himself to his work again." 

 There is a remarkably modern ring about these sentiments. They 

 form a contrast indeed to the attitude of Cromwell, who was always 

 protesting that he was a "gentleman born." 



Perhaps the most remarkable pamphlet of the Levellers was The 

 Light Shining in Buckinghamshire^ which laid down what "honest 

 people desire: — (i) a just portion for each man to live, so that none 

 need to beg or steal for want, but everyone may live comfortable; 

 (2) a just rule for each man to go by, which rule is to be found in 

 Scripture;" (3) equal rights; (4) government judges elected by all 



"^ The word (first used at this time) meant a delegate to the Army Council elected 

 by the rank and file of a unit in order to do something, i.e. to see that the Council carried 

 out the wishes of the Regiments (for instance, not to disband until the Agreement of 

 the People was accepted and implemented by Parliament). 



^ It demanded annual Parliaments, elected by a universal manhood suffrage, abolition 

 of all coercive laws respecting religion, a national militia recruitment to which should 

 recognise conscientious objections to bearing arms, replacement of all tithes, tolls, etc., 

 by a single income tax, provision of work for the unemployed, an old age pension, and 

 adequate medical provision for all sick persons. In 1648! Parliament condemned the first 

 edition but the Army continued to produce them. 



^ Cf. J. Clayton's biography of him in Leaders of the People (Seeker, London^ 1910). 

 It is interesting that some of his writings have been translated into Russian, ed. V. 

 Semenov (Moscow 1937). 



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