Catalogue description LORD WYLLUGHBY to the EARL OF ESSEX, as "Lord Generall of all har Majestie's forces by sea and land."

--"I hould my self the freer to deale againste the gennerall bill of dreaining for as mutche as I may well reckon my selfe amongst the number that is likely to receave benefits, thoughe not in sutche infinite and great measure as others. The bill promisethe fayre as a sunn shine daye that towards night setts with a tempest. I may mistake it, bycause I nether have nor cann see it, being in Mr. Atturneis hand, but as I hear, it pretendeth to inable and releve a multitude of pore men for her Majesties service and the Commonwelths good by dreaning of sunkenn grounds and making that pasture which is fenn." But whereas now a multitude of poor men enjoy it as a common, this bill gives liberty to three sorts to dispose of it, viz., the owners, the engineer or drainer, and some commoners, the common being thus drawn into three parts. It is not to be supposed that the owners and engineer would voluntarily spend their money without the return of a competent gain, "which being private can hardlye be strecht so farre as the bill would importe to the publique multitude, and for those 'some commoners,' ... suth some may eather be baylifs, byars of cattell, servants or fearfull tenants" who to please their lords and masters will yield their own shares and other commoners' parts also.

"Hear may also be distinguished what sorte of drowned growndes or fenns is intended, for some lye onely surrouwnded with water in winter, which in sommor ar excellent pasture and yeelde great profitt." If under colour of draining, these which, as they are, are worth six shillings an acre, should be drawn into the tripartite division, "instead of helping the gennerall pore, it would undo them and make those that ar allreddye ritch farr more ritch." This will appear more plainly when it is set out "what quantetie of these grounds ar in the possession of some owners and lords and what small portions will be in the commoners hands. ... Here may allso be compared for those fenns allwayes overflowne, whether a pore man may [not] make more commoditie of a fenn full of fishe, foule and reed, rented for litle or nothing, then of grounde made pasture and improuved to hye rent, as the chardges of the drayning will require, for cattell and kine to feed on. But a pore man will easelye gett 16s. a weeke by cuttinge downe of three or four loads of reede for thacke and fewell to bake and brew withall, whearof that countrye hath greate wante, every load of the same being worth four or five shillings at the least, and likewise three or four shillings a weeke in fishe and foule, serving the next marketts, where it will be some moneths ether by kyne, milke or grasing, paying such a rent as the Lord and enginer must let his land for, eer he can recover so good means and commodities as it is sade he hathe weeklye by the other, which I speake not of hear say butt of myne owne knowledge.

"Lastly, methinks it is to be considered how it agreeth with other coursses in this parliament, as the bill of Tillage, Depopulations, &c., all to comforte the peoples minds, not a litle throwne downe with the miserie of the dearth and other accedents of time to have this called uppon, which heretofore, when in a more fruitfull and quiet time my Lord Treasorer and my Lord of Lincoln did go about such a like thing as this was in a fenn called Wildmore, the commons and pore people war not a litle trubled and mouved," and in the service of Sewers in which I have laboured in our shire (taking delight in it for that it had some correspondency with fortifications) I have heard many cry out "that thear could be nothing more unhappye for them then to have a beast fedd where a gouse or ducke did grase, and whensoever that should happen unto them they would thinke themselves, there families and the most part of that country overthrowne. "I will not take uppon me further to censure of this matter. I wishe the end of the bill such as it pretends, and the compared profits to fall to those share that have most right and need," and shall be well contented to crave pardon if I have been mistaken. Signed.

+ The Parliament which passed the Act of Tillage mentioned below met in October, 1597, and ended in February, 1597-8.