or 



NIVERSITY 



CHAP, IV. SIR CORNELIUS VERMUTDE3T 57 



only man of recognised ability in works of drainage at 

 that time in England. 



The works constructed in pursuance of this new 

 design were these : an embankment on the south side 

 of Morton's Learn, from Peterborough to Wisbeach ; a 

 navigable sasse, or sluice, at Standground ; a new river 

 cut between the stone sluice at the Horse-shoe and the 

 sea below Wisbeach, 60 feet broad and 2 miles long, 

 embanked at both sides ; and a new sluice in the marshes 

 below Tydd, upon the outfall of Shire Drain. These 

 and other works were in full progress, when the political 

 troubles of the time came to a height, and brought all 

 operations to a stand still for many years. The discon- 

 tent caused throughout the Fens by the drainage opera- 

 tions had by no means abated ; but, on the contrary, 

 considerably increased. In other parts of the kingdom, 

 the attempts made about the same time by Charles I. 

 to levy taxes without the authority of Parliament, gave 

 rise to much agitation. In 1637 occurred Hampden's 

 trial, arising out of his resistance to the payment of ship- 

 money : by the end of the same year the King and Par- 

 liamentary party were mustering their respective forces, 

 and a collision between them seemed imminent. At this 

 juncture the discontent which prevailed throughout the 

 Fen counties was an element of influence not to be 

 neglected. It was adroitly represented that the King's 

 sole object in draining the Fens was merely to fill his 

 impoverished exchequer, and enable him to govern 

 without a Parliament. The discontent was thus fanned 

 into a fierce flame ; on which Oliver Cromwell, the 

 member for Huntingdon, until then comparatively un- 

 known, ;i\ ailing himself of the opportunity which offered, 

 of increasing the influence of the Parliamentary party 

 in the Fen counties, immediately put himself at the head 

 of a vigorous agitation against the further prosecution 

 < >f 1 lie scheme. He was very soon the most popular man 

 in 1 he district ; he was hailed * Lord of the Fens ' by the 



