CHAP. IV. SIR CORNELIUS VERMUYDEX. 01 



his father had begun, and steps were shortly after taken 

 to commence the works. Again was Westerdyke, the 

 Dutch engineer, called in to criticise Vermuy den's 

 plans; and again was Vermuyd en triumphant over all 

 his opponents. He was selected, once more, to direct 

 the drainage, which, looking at the defects of the works 

 previously executed by him, and the difficulties in which 

 tlir first Earl had thereby become involved, must be 

 regarded as a marked proof of the man's force of purpose, 

 as well as his recognised integrity of character. 



Yermuyden again collected his Dutchmen about him, 

 and vigorously began operations. But they had not 

 proceeded far before they were again almost at a stand 

 still for want of funds; and throughout their entire 

 progress they were hampered and hindered by the same 

 great difficulty. Some of the participants sold and 

 alienated their shares in order to get rid of further 

 liabilities ; others held on to the last, but were reduced 

 to the lowest ebb. Means were, however, adopted to 

 obtain a supply of cheaper labour ; and application was 

 made by the adventurers for a supply of men from 

 amongst the Scotch prisoners who had been taken at 

 the battle of Dunbar. A thousand of them were granted 

 for the purpose, and employed on the works to the north 

 of Bedford Eiver, where they continued to labour until 

 the political arrangements between the two countries 

 enabled them to return home. 1 When the Scotch la- 

 bourers had left, some difficulty was again experienced 

 in carrying on the works. The local population were 

 still hostile, and occasionally interrupted the labourers 

 employed upon them ; a serious riot at Swaff ham having 

 only been put down by the help of the military. For- 

 tunately, Blake's victory over Van Tromp, in 1652, 

 supplied the Government with a large number of Dutch 



1 Wells, in his * History of the Bed- \ origin of most of the Scotch families 

 lord Level,' adds : "Many, however, ' and names that now exist in the 

 settled in the Fens, and were the- Great Level." (Vol. i. p. 244.) 



