Conspiracy, Revolution and then Gerrard

Remember Remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why the gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot.
-Nursery Rhyme

Many people probably find this rhyme familiar, whether they are from England or have had a chance to enjoy the movie V for Vendetta.   Even though we are now focused more on prose than poetry, this rhyme is still a reminder of a conspiracy that threatened to bring a country to its knees because of a few peoples dislike for their king.  The king, and the majority of nobles would have died if the plot had come to fruition.   On the other hand, the same people that decried a conspiracy took it upon themselves to remove a king.   King Charles's execution would herald a large change in England's government.  In Gerrard Winstanley's "To the Parliment and Army" we see one person's response to King Charles's execution and the drastic changes that he hoped would come.

First, let us take a look at King Charles, son of King James and every bit as willing to get involved in running the nation as his father was not according to the introduction.   Described as more prudent and inflexible than his father, Charles's religious beliefs and choice of Laud as Archbishop would start the Revolution that would end in his Execution.   While he would eventually be canonized for how he held himself  up-to his execution, before then his death would be celebrated by some, like Gerrard.   

In Gerrard's letter "To the Parliament and Army" he can easily be seen as one that was opposed to King Charles's reign.   His saying of things like "Wheresoever we spy out kingly power, no man I hope shall be troubled to declare it, nor afraid to cast it out"(page 1752) and constant comparison of kingship to sin, leave his opinions all over his writing.  However, his anger doesn't seem to just stop at kings when he soon focuses the brunt of his letter on what he believes the Parliament must do.

What starts as a reasonable request to no longer have a king on the throne, quickly changes to a call for drastic change in England.  The way in which he writes the second part of his letter also makes it sound like he has the backing of the other people of England and that his letter is more of an ultimatum.      The best example of this is at the end of his third point and goes into his fourth point.  He writes "take away the power of lords of manors and of tithing priests, and the intolerable oppression of judges... and your work will be honorable" and follows it with "If this freedom be denied to the common people to enjoy the common land; then parliament, army and judges will deny equity and reason....And if equity be denied, then there can be no law but club law"(1756).  He essentially tells parliament to  remove the power of nobles, judges and priests and also to give let the land be free to own or else all law is guaranteed to fall apart just because those things didn't happen.

While his desire to have the land be free to use is probably a good idea, the consequences for not doing so, as he writes seem a little unbelievable.   For all established law to fall apart because of Parliament choosing to not do what he wants seems a little far fetched.   When the conspiracy mentioned in the beginning is looked at again, Gerrard's letter begins to sound more like he would have liked if it had happened.   He is essentially asking for the same power vacuum that the gunpowder treason would have created.   Perhaps Gerrard should have thought through his reasons better before trying to order the Parliament to do anything.