I. TI1K NK\V IMVK1I \V()I!KS BEGUN. 115 



nhstinate that in his emergency lie was driven to apply 

 to the King for assistance. 



Though James I. in many respects may have been ridi- 

 culous and unkingly, he nevertheless appears throughout 

 his reign to have exhibited a sensible desire to encourage 

 the industry and develop the resources of the kingdom 

 he governed. It was he who made the right royal 

 declaration with reference to the drowned lands in the 

 Fens, that he would not suffer the waters to retain their 

 dominion over the lands which skill and labour might 

 reclaim for human uses. We have seen that he first 

 employed Vermuyden to drain the park at Windsor, 

 and afterwards made over to him the useless swamp of 

 Ilatfield Chase to be drained, embanked, and reclaimed. 

 He likewise encouraged the reclamation of Sedgemoor 

 and Malvern Chase ; and when the landowners in the 

 Fens took no steps to drain the Great Level, he expressed 

 the determination to become himself the sole undertaker. 

 And now, when Hugh Myddeltoii's admirable project for 

 supplying the citizens of London with water threatened 

 to break down by reason of the strong local opposition 

 offered to it, and while it was spoken of by many with 

 derision and contempt as an impracticable undertaking, 

 t lie same monarch came to his help, and while he rescued 

 Myddelton from heavy loss, it might be ruin, he enabled 

 him to prosecute his important enterprise to completion. 



James had probably become interested in the works 

 from observing their progress at the point at which 

 they passed through the Royal Park at Theobalds, 

 a little beyond Enfield. 1 Theobalds was the favourite 

 residence of the King, where he frequently indulged in 



1 Theobalds, a singularly beautiful 

 plaee, where Klizabeth held counsel 

 with Unrlei^h, .James often lived, and 

 Charles played with his children. 

 The palace was ordered to be pulled 

 down by the Lon^ Parliament, in 

 spite of the commissioners' report that 



it was " an excellent building in very 

 good repair ;" and, the materials hav- 

 ing been sold to the highest bidder, 

 the proceeds were divided amongst 

 the soldiers of Cromwell and Fairfax. 

 The materials alone realised not less 

 than 82757. 11s. 



i 2 



