FIrst, He hath disgraced the KINGS Workes, by making weake Bankes, when hee might have made them strong.

SEcondly, by making hollow and counterfeit Bankes of light Moore Hassocks, and Sedge, skimming and destroying three times so much ground as would have performed the service, if he had taken the best of the soyle.

THirdly, he hath disgraced the Kings works in causing divers Sluces and Sasses to bee made of rotten timber, which ought to have [Page 2] beene made of the best Brickes or Stone, in re­gard they are to be placed for perpetuity.

FOurthly, he hath abused the King in misspen­ding his treasure.

FIfthly, hee hath abused the late Earle of Bedford, and divers Noblemen and Gentle­men that adventured with him in his under­taking, by undervaluing the Works which they made, and by hindering their proceedings, to their extream losse and disadvantage, and to the great hindrance of all those Gentlemen that are interessed in that great Levell, consisting of three hundred and seven thousand Acres.

SIxthly, he hath abused divers of his Majesties Subjects, in taking their Lands from them illegally, without any composition or satisfa­ction.

SEventhly, he hath exposed to wilfull and un­necessary hazard the Lands, Cattell, Corne, and other goods of many of his Majesties Sub­jects, so that they are in great danger of being drowned this present winter, as doth appeare by this insuing discourse.

[Page 3] THe first worke hee caused to be made, was a Sea Bank in Wysbeach Saltmarsh, which is so slender, that three Roods of the new Sea Banke hath not so much earth in it as one Rood of the old Sea Banke. Hee ought also to have armed the new Sea Banke with Sods on that side which is next the Sea: for be­ing thus sleightly made, and not armed, the Sea hath lately broke the new Sea Banke in divers places, and weakned it for a great space; but in regard it was an easie flood, the damage is little in comparison of what it might have beene, that Land being alwayes well stored with Sheepe, that may soone be lost.

The second worke which hee caused to bee made, was a Sluce at the outfall of a draine, cal­led the Sheir Draine, which worke he comman­ded to bee made in unseasonable weather, not knowing (I am sure not attending or not heed­ing) the danger, when it was plainly to bee per­ceived at the laying downe of the foundation: for at that time the losse might have beene pre­vented: it is said that that Sluce, with the spade­work and mischances which happened whilest the Pit was making, by the Seas breaking in twice upon them, did cost the King at the least three thousand pounds, which money is every penny lost.

[Page 4] The third worke was the inlarging of a part of Wysbeach River for the space of a mile, wherein he was as much wanting of the depth of the Earle of Bedfords worke, as he exceeded in unnecessary bredth, (leaving the River as narrow as the Earle left it, two miles above the new Worke, and two miles below it,) a worke that is broad and shallow may be made without skill or care. And if the truth may bee spoken without offence, such is that worke. The depth of that new Worke cannot be perceived above one month in the yeare, and that is when the winter floods have recovered the outfall to the Sea; for so soone as the waters doe rise in the River, it seemeth to them that know not the dif­ference, to be a very great inlargement, being very faire to the eie, but wanting depth can per­forme no better then eye-service.

Whereas the River of Wysbeach runneth from the Towne Bridge to Guyherne fix mea­sured miles of the way towards Peterborough in a neare and safe tract, in regard the soyle where the River now runneth, is clay, earth, or Silt; that substance would have inlarged the Bankes on either side of the River, to so great a proportion, that the Countries lying on either side would have been much better secured then ever they were in the times which are past: yet [Page 5] Sir Cornelius Virmuden either through wilful­nesse or weaknesse, left the safe and nearest way where hee might have enlarged the River to what proportion hee pleased, and secured the Lands on either side from danger, as is said be­fore, and made a new Banke of Hassockes, light spungy Moore, and Sedge, in a Fenne called Walterley, where there is neither Clay, Earth, nor Silt, unlesse it be at the first entrance, for the space of a furlong. The new Banke so made, is more then two miles and three quarters in length; in which Worke he misspent at the least two thousand and three hundred pounds (or thereabouts.) Besides which great losse to the King, and damage to the owners of the Lands, his intent is to lay foure hundred seventy foure Acres of the said Land, waste to the said River, upon which Land there is three Tenements newly erected, and two other that are ancient: and this he will doe, as he falsly pretendeth, to make that Land a receptacle for the common Waters: whereas in truth he doth it of purpose to doe me a mischiefe, in regard I did contra­vert some of his opinions before the late Lord Treasurer, when my selfe was a Commissioner for his Majesty in October 1638. when God knoweth that which I spake was in the sincerity of my heart, for the advancement of his Maje­sties service, without any by respects. One of the [Page 6] Workes which I then propounded, was the ma­king of a Bricke Sluce below Spaulding, to keep out the Sea Floods: and Sir Cornelius disliked it, affirming that there was no way to draine the Fennes, but by making of large Bankes: yet now that he doth what he pleaseth, he himselfe hath very lately not onely approved in speech, (for therein he is very giddy) but he hath cove­nanted with a workman to make a Timber sluce with a Sasse beside it, to bee placed in the same place, for which the King is to pay three thou­sand and five hundred pounds, wherein appea­reth his deceitfull dealing with the Lord Trea­surer, Lord Cottington, and my Lord Banckes, at that time the Kings Atturney. And if the old firme Banke were cut, so that the Common wa­ters might come to the new hollow Bank which he hath caused to be made, it is undoubtedly certaine, that they will drown all the rest of the said Lands, being at the least foure thousand Acres; and if that were effected, it would bee no way beneficiall to the generall Drayning, as doth appear by a Certificate made by the prin­cipall Gentlemen, and Land holders in that Country. These Lands were banked and drai­ned by an Act of Parliament made the fourth of King Iames, and have ever since that time beene maintained and upheld, and were not questio­ned in the Earle of Bedfords undertaking. Be­sides [Page 7] there is no mention of making this Recep­tacle for the Common waters in those Proposi­tions which Sir Cornelius did deliver to the Kings Majesty in Ianuary 1638. Yet contrary to all justice, hee hath taken these Lands from the owners, without any composition or satis­faction, and intends to drowne all the rest.

Fifthly, he hath caused a Banke of H [...]ssockes and light spungy Moore (which in three or four yeares will shrinke to lesse then halfe the pro­portion which it now hath, and after that to be so much lesse, as it will bee little better then no­thing, for it will bee hollow and spungy still.) Such a Banke he hath caused to bee made from Guy herne to the East end of Wittelsey. He hath also continued the same Banke (but in a better Soyle) from the West end of Wittelsey to Stan­ground, intending thereby to keepe the River Neene from drowning those Fennes which lye betwixt these new Bankes and the North Bank of Bedford River: and certainly they will se­cure them this present Winter from Neene. But if the North Banke of Bedford River bee setled so low that the River of Owse overtop it, and make breaches in it (as I beleeve it will) those false fires will soone bee discerned. I have of­ten heard Sir Cornelius fleight all the workes which were made by the late Earle, as if they [Page 8] were rather hurtfull then beneficiall to the Country. But hee did the Earle great wrong, for if those Workes faile, all his Hassock Banks will not be worth three pence. Nor could hee have made them, if the Earle had not open­ed Wysbeach River to the Sea, and kept the Sea from choaking it againe; which was a worke farre exceeding all that Sir Cornelius hath done. His plot is by subtilty to rob the late Earle and those Adventurers of the credit of their works, and after that to make all such as know not the truth, beleeve that himselfe with ten thousand pounds, will presently make one hundred thou­sand Acres fit for the Plow, which is a meere delusion. And as it is wicked in it selfe, so is it attended with a danger much worse then all that hath beene yet discovered. And it is a que­stion whether it be not past recovery. This mis­chiefe hee hath cast upon many of his Majesties Subjects, inhabiting the low Lands, called Hol­land in Lincolne shire, and the North side of Wysbeach, both which Countries are full of people, and well stored with Cattell: they lye betweene the Fennes and the Sea, and are much lower then the Common Fennes: they are pre­served from Inundation by Bankes consisting of a sandy substance, and are so low, that they can­not defend the said Countries from Inundation. Now Sir Cornelius hath turned the Southerne [Page 9] waters upon them; for there will come three times so much water upon them now as did be­fore. The new Bankes were made in regard Neene cannot passe in its owne Chanell to the Sea, nor dilate it selfe over the face of those Fennes which lye on the South side of Wittel­sey, as formerly they did.

Sixtly, he hath caused a Timber Sasse to bee placed neare Stanground, which hath cost the King eight hundred pounds at the least. The use of the Sasse I beleeve will be good (in con­venient time) but I like not his direction, who dares to spend the Kings money in Timber workes, when indeed they ought to be made of the best Brickes or Stone, I thinke rather Stone then Brickes, in regard that Coun­try affordeth great plenty of good Stone at ve­ry cheape rates. This Sasse is not onely made of Timber, but of Firre Timber, and that so rot­ten that it was not fit to be used in the making of a good Stable; and in stead of Oken Plankes three inches thicke, it is planked with Deale boards but one inch thicke, which will be rot­ten before the other works are finished.

Seventhly, he hath caused divers petty Sluces to be made of the like Timber and Deal boards, which ought to have beene made of Brickes or stone, in regard they are intended for perpetuity.

[Page 10] Eightly, he hath misspent the Kings Treasure, in giving over large wages unto many workmen; for since Michaelmasse last, money being wan­ting to forward this goodly designe, Sir Cornelius procured some assistance from those Gentlemen whose Lands lye on the South side of Wittelsey, (in regard these new Bankes will be some advan­tage unto them) paying the workmen part of their wages, in Bullockes, Sheepe, Beere, Cloth, and other commodities; amongst them there were some payd part of their wages in Wheat at fifteene Shillings the Combe, which did the next day sell the same Wheat for nine Shillings the Comb. And if their wages were not extraordi­nary large, the condition of those workmen is such, that they will not worke two weekes to an end, unlesse they doe receive the due of what they earne, much lesse continue working two months without pay, and then accept of nine shil­lings for fifteene. And here I beseech you give me leave to give my deceased Master, and those Noblemen and Gentlemen that adventured with him, their due praise; from the first to the last of their undertaking, their workmen never wanted their wages, but were duly paid every weeke, un­till the untimely difference in the yeare 1637. The reason why I mention this, is, that you may the better discerne how grosly the Kings Majesty hath beene abused, not onely in the losse of his [Page 11] treasure, but in paying the workmen with com­modities, and in commodities much inferiour to them which I have named, and indeed not fit to name, which for their basenesse I omit. And all this to support an unadvised action, which I am confident will occasion a thousand times more losse, then all the good which can be expected, if duly considered.

Lastly, if it be objected, That I have informed against Sir Cornelius in discontent, or because he by his subtilty did defeat me of my imployment in those Workes, after I had undergone the grea­test difficulties, and meanest servitude, from the first day to the last of the late Earles undertaking, or that I have wronged him in this my Informa­tion, and cannot justifie every particular which is here expressed; instead of relieving me, let mee undergoe the displeasure of all them whose helpe I doe implore. But if that which I have discove­red be true, I doe most humbly pray that the re­mainder of my meane estate may by your Justice be kept from utter ruine; and that a Commission of Inquiry may be directed to examine and cer­tifie my present losse, and future danger; and that they may also consider whether the drow­ning of the foure hundred seventy foure Acres [Page 12] before mentioned, will bee beneficiall to the ge­nerall drayning or not. And that in the meane time it may be ordered, that the old Banke may not bee cut.