Yes these pages do have a lot of 'typographical errors' due to much of the
material having been scanned in. But the content should speak for itself.
They paint a picture of the modern world's first Civil War from
the peoples' point of view. They show a
people and popular movements in crisis as they discovered
the aim of all the anti-monarchical anguish, a Commonwealth, was not going
to materialize after all. That the people had been duped into usurping
the king only to have him replaced by a corrupt parliament of self-seeking
merchants.
This civil war put the moneyed classes & land privatisers in a position
of power which over subsequent years they used to great effect, legally tearing
people from the land right across the country and enabling the merchant classes,
the winners of the bourgoise revolution, to find willing workers for the
industrial revolution and build the biggest empire the world has ever seen.
So far.
Admittedly, Oliver Cromwell saw the error of his ways before he died .
Here is one of his late speeches delivered to the House of
Commons - almost as pertinent in the year 2000.
20 April 1653 Oliver Cromwell to the Long Parliament.
It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which
you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice
of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government;
ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country
for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of
money.
Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you
do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God;
which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man
amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?
Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd
the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked
practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were
deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves become
the greatest grievance.
Your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse this Augean stable, by putting
a final period to your iniquitous proceedings in this House; and which by
God's help, and the strength he has given me, I am now come to do; I command
ye therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of
this place; go, get you out!
Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there,
and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go!
Levellers