“AN APPEAL TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS:[105:1]

Desiring their answer whether the Common People shall have the
quiet enjoyment of the Commons and Waste Land; or whether they
shall be under the will of Lords of Manors still.  Occasioned by
an Arrest made by Thomas Lord Wenman, Ralph Verney Knight, and
Richard Winwood Esq. upon the Author hereof, for a Trespass in
Digging upon the Common Land at Georges Hill in Surrey.

BY GERRARD WINSTANLEY, JOHN BARKER AND THOMAS STAR.

In the name of all the poor oppressed in the Land of England.

Unrighteous oppression kindles a flame, but love, righteousness and
tenderness of heart quenches it again.”

With more than his usual directness, Winstanley at once states the subject of his appeal in the following manner: 

“SIRS,—­The cause of this our presentment before you is, an Appeal to you desiring you to demonstrate to us, and the whole Land, the equity or non-equity of our cause.  And that you would either cast us by just reason under the feet of those we call Task Masters, or Lords of Manors, or else to deliver us out of their tyrannical hands:  In whose hands by way of Arrest we are for the present, for a Trespass to them, as they say, in digging upon the Common Land.  The settling whereof according to Equity and Reason will quiet the minds of the oppressed people; it will be a keeping of our National Covenant; it will be a peace to yourselves, and make England the most flourishing and strongest Land in the world, and the first of Nations that shall begin to give up their Crown and Scepter, their dominion and government, into the hands of Jesus Christ.[106:1]

“The cause is this, we amongst others of the common people, that have ever been friends to the Parliament, as we are assured our enemies will witness to it, have ploughed and digged upon Georges Hill in Surrey, to sow corn for the succour of man, offering no offence to any, but do carry ourselves in love and peace towards all, having no intent to meddle with any man’s enclosures or property till it be freely given to us by themselves, but only to improve the Commons and waste lands to our best advantage, for the relief of ourselves and others, being moved thereunto by the reason hereafter following, not expecting any to be much offended, in regard the cause is so just and upright.

“Yet notwithstanding, there be three men (called by the people Lords of Manors), viz., Thomas Lord Wenman, Ralph Verney Knight, and Richard Winwood Esq., have arrested us for a trespass in digging upon the Commons, and upon the arrest we made our appearance in Kingstone Court, where we understood we were arrested for meddling with other men’s rights; and, secondly, they were encouraged to arrest us upon your Act of Parliament (as they tell us) to maintain the old laws.  We desired to plead our own cause, the Court denied us, and to fee a lawyer we cannot,