“CAPTAIN JOHN GLADMAN TO LORD FAIRFAX.[36:1]
     (Slightly Abridged.)

“SIR,—­According to your order I marched towards St. Georges Hill and sent four men before to bring certain intelligence to me; as they went they met with Mr. Winstanlie and Mr. Everard (which are the chief men that have persuaded these people to do what they have done).  And when I had enquired of them and of the officers that lie at Kingston, I saw there was no need to march any further.  I cannot hear that there have been above twenty of them together since they first undertook the business.  Mr. Winstanlie and Mr. Everard have engaged both to be with you this day:  I believe you will be glad to be rid of them again, especially Everard, who is no other than a mad man.  Sir, I intend to go with two or three men to St. Georges Hill this day, and persuade these people to leave this employment if I can, and if then I see no more danger than now I do I shall march back again to London tomorrow....  Indeed the business is not worth the writing nor yet taking notice of:  I wonder the Council of State should be so abused with informations....

“JO.  GLADMAN.

“KINGSTON, April 19th, 1649.”

As they had undertaken, Winstanley and Everard duly appeared before Lord Fairfax at Whitehall, and under date April 20th the following account of their interview appears in the ponderous pages of Bulstrode Whitelocke’s Memorial of English Affairs:[37:1]

“Everard and Winstanley, the chief of those that digged at St.
George’s Hill in Surrey, came to the General and made a large
declaration to justify their proceedings.

“Everard said he was of the race of the Jews, that all the liberties of the people were lost by the coming in of William the Conqueror, and that ever since the people of God had lived under tyranny and oppression worse than that of our forefathers under the Egyptians.

     “But now the time of deliverance was at hand, and God would bring
     his people out of this slavery, and restore them to their freedom
     in enjoying the fruits and benefits of the Earth.

     “And that there had lately appeared to him a vision, which bad him
     arise and dig and plough the earth, and receive the fruits thereof.

“That their intent is to restore the Creation to its former condition.  That as God had promised to make the barren land fruitful, so now what they did was to restore the ancient community of enjoying the fruits of the Earth, and to distribute the benefits thereof to the poor and needy, and to feed the hungry and to clothe the naked.

“That they intend not to meddle with any man’s property nor to break down any pales or enclosures, but only to meddle with what was common and untilled, and to make it fruitful for the use of man.  That the time will suddenly be, when all men shall willingly come in and