CHAP. iv. sin roiiXFLirs VKIIMTYDKN. 59 



much cost, they had succeeded in draining, enclosing, 

 and cultivating an extensive tract of rich land, and 

 they were peaceably occupied with their farming pur- 

 suits, when a mob of Fen men collected from the sur- 

 rounding districts, and under pretence of playing at 

 football, levelled the enclosures, burnt the corn and the 

 1 louses, destroyed the cattle, and even killed many of the 

 people who occupied the land. They then proceeded to 

 destroy the drainage works, by cutting across the em- 

 bankments and damming up the drains, by which the 

 country was inundated, and restored to its original con- 

 dition. 



The greater part of the Level thus again lay waste, 

 and the waters were everywhere extending their domi- 

 nion over the dry land through the choking up of the 

 drains and river outfalls by the deposit of silt. Matters 

 were becoming even worse than before, but could not 

 he allowed thus to continue. In 1641 the Earl of 

 Bedford and his participants made an application to the 

 Long Parliament then sitting, for permission to re-enter 

 upon the works ; but the civil commotions which still 

 continued prevented any steps being taken, and the 

 Earl himself shortly after died, in a state of comparative 

 penury, to which he had reduced himself by his devo- 

 tion to this great work. Again, however, we find Sir 

 Cornelius Yermuyden upon the scene. Undaunted by 

 adversity, and undismayed by the popular outrages com- 

 n n't ted upon his poor countrymen in Lincolnshire and 

 Yorkshire, he still urged that the common weal of Eng- 

 land demanded that the rich lands lying under the waters 

 of t lie Fens should be reclaimed, and made profitable for 

 human uses. He saw a district almost as large as the 

 whole of the Dutch United Provinces remaining waste 

 and worse than useless, and he gave himself no rest 

 until he had set on foot some efficient measure for its 

 drainage and reelaniation. What part he took in the 

 political discussions of the time, we know not; but we 



