THE committee-mans' Last will and, Testament: with the Lamentation of his miserable and sad condition, being at the point of death.  

1.  
O me, O me, our Parliament,  
Which 〈◊〉 hoped aye would last,  
Must now dissolve, the Army's bent,  
They shall repentance taste.   

2.  
And I that have thrived very well,  
Must now myself go hang,  
I am esteemed an infidel,  
Which makes my heartstrings twang.   

3.  
Those good men that have sat seven years,  
For to reform their Nation  
The vulgar now them scoffs and jeers,  
In an opprobrious fashion.   

4.  
O they will never have more plate  
Brought into goldsmith's Hall,  
And I'm afeard preposterous Fate  
Hath nuled 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 e'er should come to pass,  
The King should hope to be  
A Monarch, as of late he was,  
And we our ruin see!   

7.  
No man will now stir at our call,  
But each man fully sees,  
That they have been deceived all,  
And now curse their trusties.   

8.  
I shall no more get in one day  
Five Marks, due for my sitting,  
For why, the sturdy Commons say,  
We with their coin 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 days that I have seen,  
Which splits my heart in twain!  
Now I can say such days have been,  
Ne'er shall be seen again.   

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 go, my Will will make,  
Pray hear my Testament.   

I That have lived the longest that I can,  
And now must die, a false Committee-man,  
Do give my soul to him that gave it me,  
But would the devil should a sharer be:  
Or else, because the devil was at my call,  
I give him this my body, soul and all,  
In hope, moved by my love, he may prefer  
Me when in hell, to be his Treasurer;  
For that in casting up accounts, I'm skilled,  
And have my bags with filched money filled.  
My cheating quirks I to Promoters give,  
And such as by the people's crimes do live:  
My base dissembling, vile hypocrisy  
I give the Elders of the presbytery.  
My treachery, and falseness to my King,  
I give to the Scotch Nations managing;  
That they, well stocked, may'gainst another day,  
Not fail succeeding Princes to betray.  
All I have bad I have bequeathed, and more  
Alas I have not: I spent all before.   
FINIS.   

Printed in the year 1647.