The poor committee-mans' account, avouched by BRITANNICUS.  

O Yes! Behold here's my account,  
I'm ready for to make it,  
If any man who loves the King  
will please to come and take it;  
I am not as the Cavaliers  
are pleased to call me, traitor;  
I am a poor Committees clerk,  
a simple harmless Creature;  
That this is true you need not doubt,  
examine Mr. Needam,  
he'll tell you true, and swear it too,  
'tis for the kingdom's freedom.   

Free Pole-money, free money lent  
upon the Propositions,  
Free money raised for Irish Lands,  
but God knows the conditions;  
Free money lent on Ordinance,  
free Subsidies full fifty,  
If our Committees grow not rich,  
I'll never think them thrifty;  
That this is true, &c.   

The fift and twentieth part, Excise,  
Customs and Sequestrations;  
The King's Revenues too we have,  
besides the great Taxation;  
And that great tax is monthly laid  
upon the associated,  
Which comes to threescore thousand pounds  
a month, if rightly stated:  
That this is true, &c.   

But O! that Tophe●Goldsmiths-Hall,  
where men make composition,  
Which gets (they say) the devil and all,  
that Spanish Inquisition:  
If any Dives should fall sick,  
and die (as men are sickly)  
They would his heir a Lazarus make,  
and they would do it quickly:  
That this is true, &c.   

They say they fourscore thousand had,  
some make it up a hundred,  
Suppose four hundred pound a man,  
a sum scarce to be numbered;  
The Bishop's Lands are but a toy  
with such great sums compared,  
Yet those we hope will one day come,  
amongst us to be shared:  
That this is true, &c.   

Ship-money was a hideous thing  
these payments are but trifles,  
That was enjoined by the King,  
all Law and Justice stifles:  
These toys the Parliament enjoins,  
therein all Subjects share too,  
Yet they who at the Stern do sit,  
for this will take a care too;  
That this is true, &c.   

Alas! why should such men pay debts,  
the cavaliers did plunder?  
If not, yet they their charges bear,  
Than is it not a wonder,  
The wicked should say they grow rich,  
who but contrive the payments,  
And of the public stock take care,  
their gains scarce finds them raiments:  
That this is true, &c.   

These men defy all wicked tongues,  
that challenge close Committees,  
Let them throw stones have done no wrong  
is't not a thousand pities,  
Such careful pious men as those,  
who have done their endeavours,  
To purge the Church and wicked state,  
should now be thought deceivers?  
That this is true, &c.   

Suppose they have a public stock  
sure that must be concealed,  
It was but for the public raised,  
and it shall be revealed;  
We know, that were the stock as great as  
Dávids', which amounted  
To such a sum, we have such men,  
it need not to be counted:  
That this is true you need not doubt,  
examine Mr. Needame,  
he'll tell you true, and swear it too,  
'tis for the kingdom's freedom.