Written upon the dissolution of the Long Parliament by Cromwell, on the 20th April, 1653, and extracted from the King’s Pamphlets, British Museum. June 3rd, 1653.
To the tune of “Lucina, or, Merrily and Cherrily.”
Cheare up, kind countrymen, be not dismay’d,
True news I can tell ye concerning the nation;
Hot spirits are quench’d, the tempest is layd,
(And now we may hope for a good reformation).
The Parliament bold and the counsell of state
Doe wish them beyond sea, or else at Virginie;
For now all their orders are quite out of date,
Twelve Parliament men shall be sold for peny.
Full twelve years and more these rooks they have sat,
To gull and to cozen all true-hearted people;
Our gold and our silver has made them so fat,
That they lookt more big and mighty than Paul’s steeple.
The freedome of subject they much did pretend,
But since they bore sway we never had any;
For every member promoted self-end,
Twelve Parliament men are now sold for one peny.
Their acts and their orders which they have contrived,
Was still in conclusion to multiply riches:
The Common-wealth sweetly by these men have thrived,
As Lancashire did with the juncto of witches. [38]
Oh! our freedome was chain’d to the Egyptian yoak,
As it hath been felt and endured by many,
Still making religion their author and cloak,
Twelve Parliament men shall be sold for a peny.
Both citie and countrey are almost undone
By these caterpillars, which swarm’d in the nation;
Their imps and their goblins did up and downe run,
Excise-men, I meane, all knaves of a fashion:
For all the great treasure that dayly came in,
The souldier wants pay, ’tis well knowne by a many;
To cheat and to cozen they held it no sinne,
Twelve Parliament men shall be sold for a peny.
The land and the livings which these men have had,
’Twould make one admire what use they’ve made of it,
With plate and with jewels they have bin well clad,
The souldier fared hard whilst they got the profit.
Our gold and our silver to Holland they sent,
But being found out, this is knowne by a many,
That no one would owne it for feare of a shent,
Twelve Parliament men are sold for a peny.
’Tis judged by most people that they were the cause
Of England and Holland, their warring together, [39]
Both friends and dear lovers to break civill lawes,
And in cruell manner to kill one another.
What cared they how many did lose their dear lives,
So they by the bargain did get people’s money,
Sitting secure like bees in their hives?
But twelve Parliament men are now sold for a peny.
THE SECOND PART
To the same tune.