The Levellers were a crucial component of a radically democratic movement during the civil wars in seventeenth - century England. This was to be democratic at a time when the very idea of democracy conjured up nothing good, with its suggestion of anarchy and the 'levelling' of distinctions in rank and of property-, even the holding of women in common. Whilst unlikely ever to realise their contemporary aspirations, the Levellers have been viewed as men and women'before their time' who anticipated future developments in their writings. Thus these texts form an important part of the liberal and social democratic canon.

在政治理论领域，“剑桥政治思想史原著系列”作为主要的学生教科丛书，如今已牢固确立了其地位。本丛书旨在使学生能够获得从古希腊到20世纪初期西方政治思想史方面所有最为重要的原著。它囊括了所有著名的经典原著，但与此同时，它又扩展了传统的评价尺度，以便能够纳入范围广泛、不那么出名的作品。而在此之前，这些作品中有许多从未有过现代英文版本可资利用。只要可能，所选原著都会以完整而不删节的形式出版，其中的译作则是专门为本丛书的目的而安排。每一本书都有一个评论性的导言，加上历史年表、生平梗概、进一步阅读指南，以及必要的词汇表和原文注解。

本丛书的最终目的是，为西方政治思想的整个发展脉络提供一个清晰的轮廓。

Introduction: the English Levellers, 1645-1649

Chronological table

Bibliographical note

Notes on the texts

Leveller texts

1 John Lilburne, 'On the 15oth page': An untitled broad-

sheet of August 1645

2 William Walwyn, Toleration justified and persecution

condemned. 29 January 1646

3 John Lilburne, Postscript to The freeman's freedom

vindicated, i6June 1646

4 Richard Overton with William Walwyn's collabor-

ation, A remonstrance of many thousand citizens. 7 July

1646

5 Richard Overton, An arrow against all tyrants. 12

October 1646

6 William Walwyn, Gold tried in thefire. 4June 1647

7 Severalhands, Anagreementofthepeopleforafirmand

present peace upon grounds of common right and freedom.

28 October 1647

8 Members of the New Model Army and civilian Level-

lers, Extract from the debates at the General Council of

the Army, Putney. 29 October 1647

9 John Lilburne and others, The petition of II September

1648

10 John Lilburne, England's new chains discovered. 26

February 1649

11 William Walwyn, and on behalf of John Lilburne,

Thomas Prince and Richard Overton, A manifes-

tation,14 April 1649

12 John Lilburne, William Walwyn, Thomas Prince and

Richard Overton, An agreement of the free people of

England. I May 1649

13 John Lilburne, The young men's and the apprentices'

outcry. 29 August 1649

Select biographies

Index