THE COMMITTEE-MANS Last VVill and, Testament: VVith the Lamentation of his miserable and sad condition, being at the point of death.
1.
O Mee, O mee, our Parliament,
Which
[...] hop'd aye would last,
Must now dissolve, the Army's bent,
They shall repentance tast.
2.
And I that have thriv'd very well,
Must now my selfe go hang,
I am esteem'd an Infidell,
Which makes my heart-strings twang.
3.
Those good men that have sate seven yeares,
For to reforme their Nation
The vulgar now them scoffes and jeers,
In an opprobrious fashion.
4.
O they will never have more plate
Brought into Goldsmiths Hall,
And I'm afeard preposterous Fate
Hath nul'd their Votings all.
5.
There's no man now cares what we say,
Nor will obedience give,
Our Orders now none will obey,
But as they list will live.
6.
O that it ere should come to passe,
The King should hope to be
A Monarch, as of late he was,
And we our ruine see!
7.
No man will now stirre at our call,
But each man fully sees,
That they have been deceived all,
And now curse their Trustees.
8.
I shall no more get in one day
Five Marks, due for my sitting,
For why, the sturdy Commons say,
We with their coyne are flitting.
9.
Maynard is gone, and
Hollis too,
But we are left behind,
And
Lewis now is gone to view,
Cambro-Britannias kind.
10.
And
Walter Long is run away,
And
Nicolls that Esquire,
Colonel
Harley durst not stay,
But left us in the fire.
11.
O the brave dayes that I have seene,
Which splits my heart in twaine!
Now I can say such dayes have beene,
Nere shall be seen againe.
12.
When I could sequestrations make,
For my own profit best,
And from men what I listed take,
They'd thank me for the rest.
13.
But now all's gone, all's lost, and we
A true account must give;
Which if it be followed rigorously,
Who can gain a reprieve?
14.
O
Derrick, I do thee implore,
To cast me gently off;
That so I do not stink, before
Thou dost my breeches doff.
15.
And now I do my farewell take
Of King and Parliament;
Yet 'fore I goe, my Will will make,
Pray heare my Testament.
I That have liv'd the longest that I can,
And now must die, a false Committee-man,
Do give my soule to him that gave it me,
But would the Devill should a sharer be:
Or els, because the devill was at my call,
I give him this my body, soule and all,
In hope, mov'd by my love, he may prefer
Me when in hell, to be his Treasurer;
For that in casting up accounts, I'm skild,
And have my bags with filched money fild.
My cheating quirks I to Promoters give,
And such as by the Peoples crimes do live:
My base dissembling, vile hypocrisie
I give the Elders of the Presbyterie.
My trecherie, and falsnesse to my King,
I give to the Scotch Nations mannaging;
That they, well stockt, may'gainst another day,
Not faile succeeding Princes to betray.
All I have bad I have bequeath'd, and more
Alas I have not: I spent all before.
FINIS.
Printed in the Yeere 1647.