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
from his Bankes and Sluce that were not only torne and in great danger but broken and blowne up which he was intrusted to make on the Salt Marshes Thus That he that shall be entrusted to make bankes for preserving of Marshes intended to be plowed and sowne which Marshes if kept dry the first Crop might have been worth 5 li. an Acre if he shall make such bankes as shall be torne and broken and thereby those Marshes drowned may well be suspected to want judgement or care fit for such a trust But thus it hath fared with those Bankes Sir Cornelius hath been intrusted by his Majesty to make on the Marshes aforesaid intended to bee plowed and sowne Therefore his judgement or care may be justly suspected in matters of so great concernment Another argument of this kinde if needed might be framed from his Sluce he caused to be placed below the Shire drain which hath cost his Majesty some 1000. li. all which is utterly lost But in further answer to this objection one argument now may be framed from divers passages in his book concerning his way of drayning Thus That he that shall perswade his Majesty and other great Lords to turne two or three Rivers into one stopping them of their ancient courses and carrying them another way to the Sea telling his Majesty that by this meanes the Fennes will be drayned at a far lesse charge and made the better for habitation safer for inundation And all this that his Majesty might take him for a skilfull man for devising such a thrifty way so allow him the greater wages although by this designe he deprive Cambridge Ely Linn Peeterborough Wisbitch Spaulding and almost all other Townes in and all the Countries about the Fens except some part of Huntington Shire of their Navigation and wrong all the six Counties in their Lands and Meadows and drown many Townes and Churches and in conclusion wrong his Majesty and all other great Lords in spending their money in vain altogether failing of drayning the Fens ought to bee tryed before he be trusted But all these particulars may be justly charged upon Sir Cornelius Virmuden by this his designe Therefore he ought to be tryed before he be trusted too far I shall conclude with one argument more in full answer to this objection from the manner of his proceedings Thus That he that to bring his own ends to passe hath not cared though he wrong the poore in setting them on work and not paying them their wages nor poore travellours in cutting up London Roade and turning their loaden horses upon his new bank where they slip in and are pittifully foyled Nor other of his Majesties Subjects depriving them wholly of their ancient high-way that of necessity they must goe at least 4. miles about Nor others in cutting and drowning their Lands without giving them any satisfaction Nor his Majesty but mispending his mony contrary to the trust reposed in his promises only to bee revenged on Mr. Burrell not caring though in so doing he drown whole Towns and Churches may also attempt to deceive and wrong this Parliament But Sir Cornelius Virmuden may be justly charged with the sixe former of these particulars Therfore he may be so bold as to attempt the later And now since Sir Cornelius his great and maine designe which is turning two or three Rivers into one and putting all those waters in times of greatest floods betweene bankes set at a great distance made through moorish grounds is not onely dangerous as he himselfe confesseth but is or will be proved to be such a way as will never drayne the Fennes though all the aforesaid townes and countries may receive much prejudice by this workes notwithstanding I shall here in short lay downe some generall rules for drayning of this great levell in such manner that although all cannot yet the greatest part of the Fennes may be made winter grounds and wrong none and secure all and the charge not so great but that they will aboundantly requite it Let Rivers be made large and deepe and there will be matter enough arising thereout with the indikes to make high bankes neere on each side the Rivers these bankes being made high and but a small distance betweene will be a shelter to the water that shall run betwixt them as a hedge or wall will shelter cattell that lie neere unto them so that the windes will have no power to raise violent waves against these bankes to teare them as the others set at a great distance so that here is one maine mischiefe prevented already A second mischiefe will hereby be prevented with a benefit in the roome for wheras such banks though placed at a great distance could be made to hold will restraine the waters of their former liberty and so cause them to rise higher in the Medowes above then formerly and so doe much hurt such deepe and large Rivers will prevent for as soone as the floud begins to rise in the Rivers above the Fens it finds such fall and current passage to the sea that it is taken downe as it begins to rise so as that which would have beene but a little flood before will be no flood now and so in Summer time will be much advantagious to their Medowes causing their grasse to be lesse flooted then before A third benefit by deepe large Rivers with banks placed neare the sides is this when a great flood comes it finds such fall current passage that it wil be gone halfe into the Sea in such time as without such Rivers it will be climbing up to get above the superfices of the Fens betweene those bankes so farre distant for untill it be got a loft it can goe but slowly as is confessed by Sir Cornelius wanting the fall it had before and the hassockes reedes sedge and long grasse will hinder the passage and as soone as it is aloft the windes will have power to raise violent waves which will whinder the bankes to peeces for it must lie high against those bankes untill the two Rivers will grind out a passage for it foure miles betweene Wisbich-Horshooe and the Sea as he saith it must p. 25. l. 25. but there is a straighter passage before it come out of the Fens besides that Now is it not much better that halfe a great flood be sent speedily into the Sea than to lie by the way tearing and breaking the banks A fourth benefit is a small flood or rise of water being pent up betwixt narrow bankes will goe with force down a deepe River and so scowre and keepe open the Outfalls when the other loseth a small flood by the way Lastly this way with some other necessary works as also some sluces slakers or inlets which Sir Cornelius saith are remedies worse then the disease to conveigh the overplus of the great floods into the old Rivers Meares and many division dikes which will all be low and empty before such great floods come and will receive such overplus and yet the greatest part of the Fens will be dry in the time of the greatest floods And this way there is not a river nor drain nor any other work of the late Earle of Bedfords but will when it is made as it should be of good use and Navigation not so much as hindered in any parts belonging to these Fens no man hurt nor endangered in his estate and the charge to make these workes lesse then one hundred thousand pounds provided that there be foure summers for the doing of them and that the work at no convenient time of the yeare stay or be hindered for want of money And the charge for maintenance of these workes will be far lesse then Sir Cornelius would seeme to make it for when these bankes are setled too low as they will in few yeares the indikes will be growne up and will need deepening and that earth will heighten them againe The bredth and depth of every River the heighth and bredth of every Banke the bignesse of every Sluce and Tunnell and where they should be placed with an estimate of the charge of every particular work as also the reasons why any Sluce to be placed upon the River Owse or Neene more then now are will rather hinder then help Navigation and will never in respect of drayning requite for one halfe of the cost Is set forth in the second part FINIS
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
the Outfall and pa. 22. li 6. and if need be the sooner to gather head by meanes of the Sluce and Sasse which are to be below it on Welland to scoure the Outfall Quer. Whether that a Sluce placed 10. or 12. miles from the Outfall to scoure it be not a conceipt so vaine and ridiculous that it deserves no farther answer Pa. 15. li. 9. He hath another helpe which is the downefall of Deeping and Thorney his words are If it were not to preserve Navigation for Spaulding it were not amisse to bring all the downefall of Deeping and Thorney through Ellow and so to Wisbitch Outfall by a new channell and this is another remedy Quer. The first if the cannot make use of it but hee will want water to preserve Navigation for Spaulding kow is it another remedy Or whether will he turne the downefall of Deeping and Thorney through Ellow and so to Wisbitch Out-fall by a new Channell though he doe destroy Navigation to Spauding Quer. The second whether the downefall usually in Summer time be not so little that the very bottome of the Dikes be dry and will not then Spaulding Outfall Sand quite up and for winter time if the Fennes be drained will not the downefall be low in the Dikes of Deeping Fens two foote or at least one under the superficies of the Fennes and Sir Cornelius saith pa. 15. li. 3. Deeping Fennes are very low and yet the downefall must runne lower hee will confesse then what force can this downefall have to scoure the Outfall and preserve Navigation for Spaulding is non this if well considered of as strange a conceipt as that a Navigable Sluce at Waldron Hall should doe it Quer. Thirdly if it be apparant that the Outfalls of Wisbitch and Welland will decay by the increase of Sands as now they are when they have so much fresh water to keepe them open that sometimes it cannot be conteined between the bankes then how shall the water that must come through the Sluce at Waldron Hall and the downefall of Deeping and Thorney which is lower then it preserve Navigation for Spaulding or keepe open the Outfall of Welland Pa. 23. li. 26. He saith Welland and the Shire Drayne will be turned to be good servants in stead of ill masters Quer. Whether by this way Sir Cornelius hath set forth it be not most certaine that Welland will doe no service at all no not so much in Summer time as carry the smallest boate nor any part of the downefall Pa. 23. li. 11. He saith the Fen waters for that part of the countrey must goe part to Crowland and so by Spaulding to the Sea and by Murro Plash as need shall require And if the fall can be gained at Guyhurne part may goe by Wisbitch otherwise Welland and Plash must remaine the onely draines for the downefall which are not sufficient to receive it Quer. Whether this like many other passages in his booke be not very uncertaine observe his words if the fall can be gained at Guyhurne but if not Welland and Murro Flash must be the only draines which he saith are not sufficient to receive it So that if the fall cannot be gained at Guyhurne this must remaine an imperfect worke but then if the Outfall of Welland be quite sanded up then he hath but Murro Plash alone and if two be not sufficient what will one of them doe Pa. 26. li. 8. He saith it may be objected that the inhabitants of Peterborough have Navigation from their towne to Linne by the River Neene as now it runneth which will then be taken away he answereth that the workes being thus contrived they shall not need to fetch and carry their commodities so farre but goe the nearest way to Wisbitch Quer. Whether this satisfactory seeming answer to omit here the dammage Linne may suffer thereby doth give any satisfaction at all if he meane they shall goe to Wisbitch and so by the Sea to Linne then whether these watermen and their vessells be fit for a Sea voyage or no if not then what shall the inhabitants of Peterborough doe untill the two rivers meeting above have ground out the Channell that VVisbitch may be made an Haven towne may not his bankes placed at such a great distance be broken or torne and cut as they were this last winter and then how many yeares may the inhabitants of Peterborough part of Northampton Leicester shire and Rutland waite by a tedious expectation untill VVisbitch may serve their turne as Linne now doth what shall they doe in the meane time Pa. 29. li. 6. He saith Owse may not goe downe the Fennes as now it doth but the best way is to turne the River at Erith into and the next unto Bedford River and to shut the passage of Owse as now it goeth by a crosse banke through the River to the firme land and li. 26. the three Rivers of Mildenhall Brandon and Stoake must bee made one River And to that end Mildenhall must bee brought into Brandon and both into Stoake and all into Owse and in that manner that the downefall of the Levell may be brought through a draine to be made to a better fall then that of Stoake for the downefall of Graunt to goe in Quer. Whether when old Owse is stopped and Mildenhall Brandon and Stoake bee turned another way and fall into Owse neere Stow Bridge as is set forth in the Mappe at the end of his booke whether then the Tides which now flow up in Summer time foure miles above Ely will not then flow up into old Owse also as farre as his stop at Erith and into the other Rivers of Mildenhall and Brandon which then will be emptie and fill them with Sand causing them in short time to be so much sanded up that they will not doe so much as carry away the downefall having no quantitie of fresh water to carry our their Sands againe Quer. Second whether when all Owse is stopped at Erith and must not come into old Owse againe untill it come to Salters Load and Mildenhall Brandon and Stoake must not come into Owse untill a little above Stow Bridge and all Neene turned to VVisbitch so that for above 30. miles space there will be but Graunt onely which in Summer time will scarce cover the bottome of the old Owse can there possibly be a foote of water in many places will there be six inches of water upon Ely Hards which are shallow and broad and what a designe is this to deprive Cambridge Linne VVisbitch Spaulding Ely and Peterborough of Navigation and doth it not greatly behoove those great townes of Navigation and countries about them to seeke in time to prevent the prosecution of such a designe Pa. 5. li. 23. Hee confesseth that the sands in Summer time now overcome the Ebbes somewhat in Linne haven yet hee saith they doe not lie long for the first land waters or next spring tides carry them away Quer.