And yet it did not die;
Of these long since it was bereft,
And nothing but the tail was left,
You know as well as I.

And in this tail was a tongue,
Lenthal (42) I mean, whose fame hath rung
In country and in city;
Not for his worth or eloquence,
But for a rebel to his prince,
And neither wise nor witty.

This Speaker's words must needs be wind,
Since they proceeded from behind;
Besides, you way remember,
From thence no act could be discreet,
Nor could the sense o' the House be sweet
Where Atkins was a member.

This tale's now done, the Speaker's dumb,
Thanks to the trumpet and the drum;
And now I hope to see
A Parliament that will restore
All things that were undone before,
That we may Christians be.



Ballad: A Free Parliament Litany