“The events which gave occasion to the following ballad,” says Mr T. Wright in his Political Ballads, published for the Percy Society, “may be summed up in a few words. After the death of Cromwell, his son Richard was without opposition raised to the Protectorate; but his weak and easy character gave an opening to the intrigues of the Royalists, and the factious movement of the Republican party. Fleetwood, who had been named commander-in-chief of the army under the Protector, plotted to gain the chief power in the State, and was joined by Lambert, Desborough, and others. The Republicans were strengthened by the return of Vane, Ludlow, and Bradshaw, to the Parliament called by the new Protector. Lambert, the Protector’s brother-in-law, was the ostensible head of a party, and seems to have aimed at obtaining the power which had been held by Oliver. They formed a council of officers, who met at Wallingford House; and on the 20th April, 1659, having gained the upper hand, and having obtained the dissolution of the Parliament, they determined to restore the old Long Parliament, which they said had only been interrupted, and not legally dissolved, and to set aside the Protector, who soon afterwards resigned. On the 21st April, Lenthall, the old Speaker, with as many members of the Long Parliament as could be brought together, met in the House, and opened their session. The Parliament thus formed, as being the fag-end of the old Long Parliament, obtained the name of the Rump Parliament. Lambert’s hopes and aims were raised by his success against Sir George Booth in the August following, and jealousies soon arose between his party in the army and the Rump. The Parliament would have dismissed him, and the chief officers in the cabal with him, but Lambert with the army in October hindered their free meeting, and took the management of the government into the hands of a council of officers, whom they called the Committee of Safety. Towards the latter end of the year, the tide began to be changed in favour of the Parliament, by the declaration of Monk in Scotland, Henry Cromwell with the army in Ireland, and Hazelrigge and the officers at Portsmouth, in favour of the freedom of the Parliament. This ballad was written at the period when Lambert’s party was uppermost.”
The tune of “Hei ho, my honey,” may be found in Playford’s edition of “The English Dancing Master,” printed in 1686, but in no earlier edition of the same work.
Good-morrow, my neighbours all, what news is this I heard tell
As I past through Westminster-hall by the House that’s neck to hell?
They told John Lambert [72] was there with his bears, and deeply he swore
(As Cromwell had done before) those vermin should sit there no more.
Sing hi ho, Wil. Lenthall, [73] who shall our general be?
For the House to the Devil is sent all, and follow, good faith, mun ye!
Sing hi ho, my honey, my heart shall never rue,
Here’s all pickt ware for the money, and yet a hard pennyworth too.
Then, Muse, strike up a sonnet, come, piper, and play us a spring,
For now I think upon it, these R’s turn’d out their King;
But now is come about, that once again they must turn out,
And not without justice and reason, that every one home to his prison.
Sing hi ho, Harry Martin, [74] a burgess of the bench,
There’s nothing here is certain, you must back and leave your wench.
Sing, hi ho, etc.
He there with the buffle head is called lord and of the same House,
Who (as I have heard it said) was chastised by his ladye spouse;
Because he ran at sheep, she and her maid gave him the whip,
And beat his head so addle, you’d think he had a knock in the cradle.
Sing hi ho, Lord Munson, [75] you ha’ got a park of the King’s;
One day you’l hang like a hounson, for this and other things,
Sing hi, ho, etc.
It was by their master’s orders at first together they met,
Whom piously they did murder, and since by their own they did set.
The cause of this disaster is ’cause they were false to their master;
Nor can they their gens-d’armes blame for serving them the same.
Sing hi ho, Sir Arthur, [76] no more in the House you shall prate;
For all you kept such a quarter, [77] you are out of the councell of state.
Sing hi ho, etc.
Old Noll once gave them a purge (forgetting OCCIDISTI),
(The furies be his scourge!) so of the cure must he;
And yet the drug he well knew it, for he gave it to Dr Huit; [78]
Had he given it them, he had done it, and they had not turn’d out his son yet;
Sing hi ho, brave Dick, Lenthall, and Lady Joane,
Who did against lovalty kick is now for a new-year’s gift gone.
Sing hi ho, etc.
For had Old Noll been alive, he had pull’d them out by the ears,
Or else had fired their hive, and kickt them down the staires;
Because they were so bold to vex his righteous soul,
When he so deeply had swore that there they should never sit more.
But hi ho, Noll’s dead, and stunk long since above ground,
Though lapt in spices and lead that cost us many a pound.
Sing hi ho, etc.
Indeed, brother burgess, your ling did never stink half so bad,
Nor did your habberdin when it no pease-straw had;
Ye both were chose together, ’cause ye wore stuff cloaks in hard weather,
And Cambridge needs would have a burgess fool and knave.
Sing hi ho, John Lowry, [79] concerning habberdin,
No member spake before ye, yet you ne’re spoke againe.
Sing hi, ho, etc.
Ned Prideaux [80] he went post to tell the Protector the news,
That Fleetwood ruld the rost, having tane off Dicke’s shoes.
And that he did believe, Lambert would him deceive
As he his brother had gull’d, and Cromwell Fairfax bull’d.
Sing hi ho, the attorney was still at your command;
In flames together burn ye, still dancing hand in hand!
Sing hi ho, etc.