If the next spring Tides will doe it how is it apparant that the Outfalls of VVisbitch and VVelland will utterly decay by the encrease of the Sands for want of fresh waters Pa. 5. li. 29. and how is that the Sands now in Linne Haven overcome the Ebbes in Summer time doe not the Spring Tides keepe their constant course all Summer long Pa. 5. li. 28. The first land waters or next spring tides carry out the Sands againe Quer. Whether it is not plaine and manifest by his owne confession above that the Spring Tides wiâ—l not carry out the Sands they bring in though here bee would make his Reader beleeve they will can any thinke hee would have so contradicted himselfe if he had thought his designe should have beene printed that whom it concernes might make exceptions to it but if the Spring Tides faile he saith the first Land waters will doe it pa. 5. li. 28. but then is it not most plaine by his booke and by the workes set forth in the Mappe at the end of the booke that hee will take away those land waters part of Glean and all VVelland and from Spaulding and Neene wholly from Linne and stop Owse and Mildenhall and Braudon and Stoake and turne them another way and leave no land waters in these Rivers for many miles together but only Graunt must it not then follow by his owne confession that these Rivers will be sanded up and so not Navigation onely destroyed but the Rivers spoyled that they will not so much as carry away the downefall Pa. 26. li. 4. He saith and for instance the Owse from Littleport to Linne keepes his depth by reason of the backe waters Quer. What backe waters doth he meane If he meane Mildenhall and Braudon and the Owse above Littleport which are backe waters from Linne and Littleport these he shewes you plainly he meanes to take away And then if these backe waters were the cause as here he confesseth that Owse keepes his depth now betweene Littleport and Linne then must it not needs follow when these are taken away the Owse will loose his depth and Sand up what neede we any other witnesse in this he himselfe hath confessed it both here and else where pa. 5. li. 29. the mischiefe that will follow upon it Pa. 7. li. 11. he adviseth not to goe the ordinary way of drayning to avoyd inconveniences of great and vast expences many difficulties of inundations which otherwise would depend thereon and pa. 9. figure 1. for these reasons First that the workes may be made at a farre lesse charge Secondly that they will stand with more safetie and no hazzard of inundation and so become habitable Thirdly not subject to halfe that reparation Fourthly and the land of a farre better value then the other way Quer. If the contrary of all these be made to appeare most evident then whether for all these faire pretences this be not the true cause he will not goe the ordinary way First because he would seeme to have more skill in drayning then others Secondly and so indeare his service that hee might have more money yearely for his pay Pa. 10. figure 3. He saith that bankes so much as may be are to be laid out from the moorish grounds and pa. 12. li. 13. bankes made of moorish ground chargeable and dangerous Quer. Then why doth he himselfe swerve so much from his owne rules for may not the waters of Glean and VVelland be sent to the Sea betwixt bankes made of Clay and other indurable earth with such force and strength that will cause and keep open a good Outfall with helpe of a Sluce placed below Spaulding And yet hee adviseth to turne Stow brooke part of Glean and all VVelland into Neene and all these waters in time of greatest floods must be pent betwixt two Bankes made of light Moore and Hassockes betweene Eldernell and Guyhurne is not this a very dangerous way even by his owne confession here Pa. 10. figure 4. Hee saith Rivers are to bee carried on the highest grounds where possibly they may be yet he will have Glean and VVelland which may possibly goe to Spaulding Out-fall and make it very good being as he saith the higher grounds to goe to Neene and so that way to the Sea which he confesseth to be lower pa. 17. li. 8. where it cannot possibly goe as after will appeare Quer. Whether in this also hee doth not contradict himselfe Pa. 7. li. 24. He saith the Townes of Peterborough Erith and many others standing upon the upper ends of the Rivers and but low would be thereby sometimes drowned unlesse great forelands and receptacles be Quer. Whether for all this seeming care for them they will not be drowned more then they had wont the waters being restrained of their former libertie by new bankes and besides the losse and dammages they may sustaine by drowning their houses and Tilth fields by restrayning the water and houlding it up It may prove very hurtfull to their Closings and Meddowes in Summer times when any flood shall come floating and spoyling their Grasse more then formerly and then doth it not much concerne the six Counties to cry downe such a designe as this Pa. 29. li. 14. He saith and to the end the water of Owse should not anoy the Country any further the said Bedford River is to be imbanked on each side thereof to keepe Owse within certaine bounds the bankes thereof must bee a great distance the one from the other so that the water in time of extremitie may goe in a large roome to keepe it from rising too high and the more because there is a great distance of about 25. miles from Erith before it comes to the perfect fall Quer. Whether here he ought not to have set downe how farre distance the bankes are to be made the one from the other whether a quarter or halfe a mile or a whole one or two or three or more or lesse And then how high the water will rise betweene his bankes that the inhabitants of Maine and Welnigh might know how deepe they shall be drowned in their houses whether foure or five or six or seaven foote deepe And their new repaired Chappell at Welnigh which had lately a gathering for through many Counties whether they must not remove their Ministers reading Pue and their owne as high or higher then their Pulpit is now And that likewise Meepall men on the other side might have knowne how high they should be drowned in their Chappell and houses that they might have time to remoove them higher upon the hill side Pa. 5. li. 3. p. 10. li. 1. He faith that the great levell of Fens is broad and of great extent and flat with little or no descent of its owne and growne full of Hassockes Sedge and Reede and the waters goe slowly away from the Lands and out of the Rivers they come swift into and upon it out of the upland Countries
And pa. 10. figure 2. the levell is of great extent 20. miles at least from the upper ends to the fall And yet he saith because he sets his bankes at so great a distance the waters will not rise high against them pa. 23. li. 3. pa. 29. li. 20. Quer. Whether here is not guile or ignorance guile in that he saith the waters will not rise high when it is most certaine they will ignorance if he thinkes as he faith for they will rise 6. or 7. foot high betweene his bankes at least when the floods are foure or five foote over the superfices of the Medowes there needs no other proofe but his owne confession in these words that the levell is flat with little or no descent of its owne and the waters goe slowly away and come swift into and upon the Fens from the upland Countries now is it not most evident that where waters have a great fall that they cannot goe backe againe and a wide and swift passage into a levell betweene bankes and a straite and narrow passage from that flat to the Sea So that the water cannot by reason of such narrow passage and the the tides goe above halfe so fast out of the Fennes to the Sea as it comes into them must it not needs follow in every mans judgement that at such times though his banks be 10. foote high such floods will rise within two foote of the top but if this be not plaine enough By an example I am able to make it appeare to him that hath the least insight into such things Pa. 6. li. 13 He saith the countries of Marshland Wisbitch and Holland are fenced by bankes from the waters of the Fens and sometimes they have beene overflowed by the said waters and have often beene in great danger and they are at continuall charge for the maintenance of the said Bankes And yet he cannot deny but these bankes are made of Clay and other indurable Earth and the waters had libertie to spread over all the great levell of Fens and arose not at any time above three foote in heighth over the levell Quer. Whether the consideration of this truth ought not to have kept him from attempting such a designe as this for might hee not from hence have drawne this conclusion and that truly if banks made of good earth have bin sometimes broken and the Lands overflowne to unspeakeable losse And are often in great danger and they are at a continuall charge to maintaine them and then the water but low having scope to disperce over all the great levell what a vaine designe is mine that I should perswade to turne three Rivers into one to be carryed to the Sea betweene Bankes made of light Moore and Hassocks which will never be able to hold when six or seven foot of water shall rise in heighth betwixt them But if the windes blow as seldome they doe not when the waters are at highest will be sure to be broken and torne to peeces And then what will become of me and my designe wherein I have pretended to his Majestie and other great Lords a farre lesse charge and more safetie and no hazzard of inundation and better for habitation and make the lands be of a better value when they shall finde by costly experience the contrary of all these to be true Pa. 8. li. 19. He saith the Levell would become surrounded and so without perfection from within and by the waters without the bankes will lie in continuall danger of inundation for want of a good fall in the winter and by a Winde-catch breake and undoe all againe Quer. Whether the Serious consideration of this also ought not to have staid him in presenting this designe and have caused his thoughts to have reasoned thus If when the Levell is but surrounded a little wanting perfection from within and by the waters without the bankes will be in continuall danger of inundation and by a wind catch breake and teare all the bankes to peeces and so undoe all againe What will become of my bankes in time of such Wind-catches when the waters will rise 6. or 7. foot betweene them how will they be torne and broken and all undone again And then what may the charge be to make them up the next Summer And they will be broken and torne and undone againe the next winter And so every Summer as long as money will last they may be made up and every winter be undone againe and then where is farre lesser charge and where is safety from inundation and where will they become habitable and of what value will these lands be of And then lastly how shall I looke for any favour from his Majestie and those Lords whom I have deceived they trusted to my skill and honesty and I shall proove no better then some cheater or Mountebanke to them sure I will never doe this though for the present it might gaine mee a thousand pounds a yeare Pa. 12. li. 7. And in case all the Rivers should be inned and fenced with bankes to free the lands and that great distances should be left betweene banke and banke yet still it must bee confessed that a multitude of bankes in this levell must be made through Moorish grounds in length about 70000. rodde which would be very chargeable and dangerous And if all be considered impossible that way to make a sure worke Quer. Whether here hee doth not plainely confesse bankes made to fence lands with great distances betweene them made through Moorish grounds are dangerous and if all be considered impossible that way to make a sure worke doth not this confession then confute or at least wise contradict what he said before pa. 9. figure 2. that they will stand with more safetie and no hazzard of inundation for though he may seeme to lessen the charge by avoyding multiplicitie of Bankes yet here can be no colour to lessen the danger but make it more unavoydable because he will turne two or three Rivers into one which will charge his Moorish Bankes farre more then one single River And by what might be said concerning the charge of his bankes and his cuts through hard and stony grounds and the maintenance it would plainely appeare that if his designe were followed it would prove intollerable for charge Pa. 25. li. 3. He saith it is needfull to make the opening of Wisbitch River in a larger manner then now it is but forbeares to set downe how farre in length he will inlarge it how broad and deepe he will make it and the charge with the purchase of those lands he must cut worth 20. shillings an Acre per annum that the charge might appeare and that others might discerne whether that Outfall will conveigh three Rivers to the Sea in time of greatest floods before the Bankes above be torne and broken to peeces Quer. Whether in stead of imitating nature pa. 13. li. 1. doth he not in this and divers other darke
passages rather imitate the popish Clergy who keepe men as ignorant as they can that they may the more easily deceive them and leade them whether they list Pa. 25. l. 25. It shall not be widened any more the two Rivers meeting will grinde the channell through the Marsh and make Wisbitch an Haven towne like that of Linne though not in such measure of widenesse Quer. If his two Rivers shall lie 7. or 8. foot high betweene his Bankes made of light Moore and Hassockes untill it have grinded the Channell 4. or 5. miles through the Marsh how often will those bankes be broken and torne to peeces before the Channell bee ground out and when they are torne and broken to peeces will not both the Fennes be drowned and the water lost that should doe the businesse Pa. 24. he tels his Majestie that he would make a Banke from Stand Ground to the fields of Wittleseii and from Eldernell to Guyhurne on that side But as it is verily beleeved by many that hee might be revenged on Master Burrell who would not stoope to him he hath caused a banke to bee made on the same side through his severall and others in length two miles nearer Wisbitch by which meanes he hath not onely wronged Mr. Burrell and others many hundred pounds for the present and cut up London Roade to the pittifull foiling of Travelours and deprived others of his Majesties Subjects wholly of their high way but hath indangered the utter ruining of Master Burrell and others and the drowning of whole townes and Churches not caring though hee spent his Majestie many thousand pounds in vaine to teach Master Burrell and others hereafter not to oppose him Quer. Whether this be not Haman-like because Mordecay would not stoope to him he was not contented to be revenged on Mordecai alone but upon all the Jewes though he in no wise was able to recompence the Kings dammages by his wicked act ANd now having spent some time in reading and taking some Notes out of his booke and finding how one part of it crosseth and contradicts another And if some part of it be true the other must needs be false and so needs no other proofe to confute it but his owne words I might rest here but because this way of keeping water aloft betweene bankes set at a great distance is of such dangerous consequence not onely to such as shall be the adventurers but to the inhabitants adjoyning neare to such bankes and having such plentifull matter to make it evident to all men to be a most deceitfull way and the money so expended to be utterly lost altogether failing of the end it shall be disbursed for namely the drayning of the Fens I shall adde to what I have already observed in his booke 3. or 4. Arguments more first from the costly experience of others the next from his owne workes alteady done and lastly from his proceedings and propositions set forth in this designe It is most apparant by what hath beene already said that when the land floods shall descend from Northampton Bedford or other upland countries and shall arise in height 4. or 5. foote over the Superfices of the Medowes they will arise 6. or 7. foote high betweene his Bankes though placed at a great distance betweene them and when the waters are thus aloft neare the top of the bankes the winds will have such power to raise violent waves against them that will breake and teare them to peeces they being made of light and spungie stuffe And that they will doe so all indifferent men that have experience of the Fennes will witnesse with me It is well knowne there was a banke made betweene Upwell and Welnigh about foure miles in length made to preserve Fens called the Londoners Fennes which Banke by its often tearing breaking and blowing up after great summes of money expended it wearied out the undertakers And yet the waters arose not at any time above three foote in height in the Levell against that Banke they having libertie to spread themselves over the great Levell of the Fennes from whence I draw this conclusion That if a Banke made in the same Fens which cost many thousand pounds and but foure miles in length could not bee made to hold but was torne in peeces broken and blowne up and but 3. foot of water against it whereby those undertakers though men of great estates were forced to leave them and loose all their labour and cost Then the Bankes made by Sir Cornelius being of no better stuffe when 6. or 7. foote of waters shall with violent waves beate against them cannot possibly hold but will be torne in peeces broken and blowne up But what neede I instance in Bankes of like nature for this very Banke which Sir Cornelius hath already made was so neare breaking and blowing up this yeare that it hath cost much money in bringing Earth Brush Faggots and Fodder sheaves and many hundred of Fir deales cut to preserve it And yet was dangerously torne in so much that if one living neare unto it had not espyed it one Lords day at night little before his going to bed and called up neighbours out of their beds and road to Wisbitch for more helpe in their judgements in one two houres it had been broken and had not onely drowned Walderseii but Wisbitch and Elme From whence I frame this argument that those Bankes that will not hold one yeare but require good cost to preserve them And yet that cost would not preserve them from tearing nor secure them from breaking when the waters had libertie to spread and so could not rise high whereby the windes might have power to raise violent waves against them cannot possibly hold when the waters shall be pent up betweene two bankes and so lie high against them But the new Banke Sir Cornelius hath caused to be made in Walderseii hath had great cost bestowed upon it by bringing Earth Fodder Sheaves Brush Faggots and cutting many hundred of Deales to preserve it and yet was fearefully torne and in great danger to breake untill it was cut in a convenient place or two above notwithstanding the waters had scope to spread themselves over 30. thousand Acres whereby they could rise to nothing neare that height they will when restrained of that liberty Therefore the bankes made and propounded to be made by Sir Cornelius Virmuden cannot possibly hold long nor secure the Lands adjoyning Object But that banke did not breake nor blow up and Sir Cornelius is taken for a man of judgement and experience sure he would never have been so bold as to perswade his Majesty and other great Lords and now the Parliament to disburse such great summes of money if he did not well know his workes would hold and cause a perfect draining Answer The cause that banke did not breake hath been shewed sufficiently already But for further answer hereto I shall frame two or three arguments more And first