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For now all their orders are quite out of date,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)