ENGLAND Still Freshly LAMENTING The losse of Her KING, With several of Her Dearest CHILDREN; VVhich have been beheaded, hanged, and shot, by O. Cromwel, and the Long-Parliament.
IN A BRIEF Collection of the Remarkable Passages that have happened to this Land, from the year 1640, to this present year 1660.
By W. P. Gent.
LONDON, Printed by Hen. Blunt, MDCLX.
England still freshly lamenting the losse of her King, &c.
IN sixteen hundred thirty nine, we then
Did think, and say we were unhappy men,
Because that we in many yeares before
Had not a Parliament; nay I'le say more,
We then did murmur, and we did complain
Of many pressures, we did then sustain:
Ship-mony then a burden was unto us,
O Lord, these taxes we cry'd, will undo us;
This coat and conduct mony, is unlawfull,
Lord, send a Parliament, to make us joyfull:
Shall we be made such slaves unto the will
Of such a King, that seeks our lives to kill,
And our estates will take away by force,
Yea, our Religion, which of all is worse,
A Parliament Lord send us, was the song,
Of rich and poor, the old, and eke the young.
Well, God did hear us, and into the heart
Of our sate King, did put it, (to his smart)
To call a Parliament, as I remember,
For to begin the third day of November;
1640.
Which is now nineteen yeares ago compleat,
And doth fit still; with grief we may repeat.
Then presently the taxes, down were voted,
Which were so great, as I before have noted:
Star-chamber then, and high Commission Court
Were then put down, 'tis true what I report.
Then did the King grant unto them to sit,
In Parliament, so long as they thought fit:
And then for a Triennial Parliament
An Act was made, mistakes for to prevent.
Then joyfull were we, this same news to hear,
Rung Bells, made Bonfires, as it did appear;
But now behold, consider, and look back,
And see how we have been put to the wrack,
For first a hundred thousand pound was rais'd,
To give the Scots, at which we were amaz'd,
For their good service done some time before,
This recompence they had then for their lore:
Besides in sixteen hundred forty fix,
Just twice as much the Parliament did fix,
And give unto them, 'cause they should deliver
The King unto them, the like I think was never.
Thus was the King by our dear Brother sold,
For no lesse mony than before was told;
Likewise an hundred thousand pound: scarce less
Was raised, the Irish Rebells to suppress,
And after that, above three thousand pound,
Was raised for Souldiers, which was quickly found,
And listed were, to fight against the King,
What think you now, was't not a goodly thing?
Then fifty subsidies, was raised, beside
Pole mony also, which men did deride;
And other Sums of mony freely given,
To set out Ships for Coles, they were so risen;
Then did they order every one to bring
His Plate, to Guild-Hall: to the very Ring,
Bodkin, and Thimble, brought to maintain the cause,
All which was done; and that with great applause,
And those that would this order not obey,
The twentieth part of his Estate must pay.
Such was the greedy Appetite of those,
Who seem'd our Friends, but I think were our Foes:
Besides all these; yet see how great vast sums,
From every Hall and Corporation comes;
And other places which if I should name,
'Twould add, no glory to them, nor good fame.
Then was there not a farr more worse device
Laid on our Baoks, a thing called the Excise,
For we Excise did pay for meat, and drink,
And all things else, that they upon could think;
Besides at Brainford, when there was a fight,
VVe sent the Souldiers with such great delight,
Cart loads of victuals, with great store of Cloaths,
VVith Shirts, Shooes, Hats, and many a pair of Hose,
And mony too, by some was freely given,
By those who thought thereby for to gain Heaven;
All which was done, as they said with intent,
To bring the King unto his Parliament,
And make him glorious, and a happy King,
This was the cry, though they meant no such thing,
Likewise in sixteen hundred forty three,
The Parliament did order there should be,
The worth in mony of a good meals meat,
For every one that was i'th house did eat,
For half a year together it was paid,
Oh was not this a very gallant traid?
Likewise in sixteen hundred forty five,
'Twas ordered also every man to give,
A penny a week of every Family,
For one whole year together, 'tis no lye;
And this was sent poor Ireland to relieve,
If those that order'd did not us deceive:
Then after this they laid on us great Taxes,
To hew us down as if it were with Axes,
And sixty thousand pound a month, a year
They made us pay, as it did well appear,
And some years ninety thousand every month was paid,
For a whole year together undenayed;
Besides, a hundred twenty thousand pound,
VVas paid a month by all, a whole year round,
All which to many millions doth amount,
Far greater than the wit of man can count,
And whosoever did not pay his Seasement,
VVas either plunder'd or prison'd without releasement,
And by such means, some thousands are undone,
And knew not how, or which way for to run;
And children likewise are made fatherlesse,
That knew not how their wants for to expresse;
With multitudes of widows, that none knowes
The number of them, or their wants disclose.
Besides the maimed, that want hands or feet,
And wounded so, 'twould grieve one for to see't:
And yet besides, the thousands that are slain,
Which can't be numbred, for it is in vain.
Then burning houses followed out right,
With castles wasted, and demolisht quite;
And rowns and cities are by wars undone,
The souldiers spoiling all that they had won:
And every place is so impoverished,
For want of trade, to buy the people bread.
The Churches likewise they were much defaced,
And made like stables, wherein horse were placed:
They took away the vessels every one,
And ornaments, I think they left not one.
Thus did the Churches their privileges loose,
And sects, and errours were brought in to choose:
And Gods true worship it was laid aside,
And in blasphemies they did take a pride:
And toleration of such things that's evil
Was given them, the like did not the Devil.
Thus have you heard the truth of things in brief,
And yet not half, nor do I think the chief
Of what they did, in twelve yeares time they sat,
But if you'l mind, the next shall tell you what.
The first beheaded on the Tower Hill,
12 May 1641.
Was Earl of Strafford, sore against his will.23 Decem. 1641
Sir Alexander Carew was the second,That lost his head, for so it must be reckon'd:
1 January 1644.
And Captain Hotham after him succeeded,2 January 1644.
His father also next day after bleeded.10 January 1644.
The Bishop then of Carterbury nextThat was beheaded, after he preach'd his text.
But now my heart doth sail, the next to tell,
That lost his life, since which we ne're were well:
O Gracious God, was ever such things known,
A King so kil'd by subjects of his own.
30 January 1648.
May that accursed act of killing Kings,
Drink deep the dregs of the internal stings.
Lord Capel next, Duke Hamilton another,
The Earl of Holland also was the tother:
These three together at Westminster were headed,
9 March 1648.
For being true to'th King, this Parliament did it.
Next. Collonel Andrews, and then Sir Henry Hide,
Both on Tower-Hill were headed, and there dyed;
the 22 August 1650. 4 Mar. 1650.
And Captain Bushel in that very place,
VVas headed there when he had run his race.
29 Mar. 1651
Next Mr. Love, and Gibons, in one day,
VVere both beheaded of a truth I say;
22 Aug. 1651.
Loe here 14 to'th' dozen in 12 years,
Beheaded were by these sad Parliamenteers,
Besides what others, in far remoter place [...],
To us unknown who never saw their faces:
Next you shall know; how many we have seen
Hang'd in the City, and shot to death have been.
First, Challaner, and Tomkins, in one day,
where hang'd in London, this is truth I say,
5 July 1643.
Tomkins at Fetter-Lane, tother at the Change,
Thus did their madnesse round about us range,
About some four months after was another,
Hang'd at the Change, whose name I mean to smother,
19 July 1650.
And then another, whose name I forgot,
28 Nov. 1643.
At Westminster was hang'd for I know what;
the beginning [...]f April 1644.
He was a Spy they said came from the King,
And he must suffer therefore in a string.
The next in order, though not he himself,
VVas Sir John Greenevils picture, foolish Else,
That hanged was at the Excha [...]ge; for why,
The beginning of Ma [...]. 1643.
Cause [...]e [...]ef [...]s, and to the King did sly:
Then Poyer, Pitcher, Lo [...]kier, went to'th' pot,
These three at several times, to death were shot:
29 Dec. 1648. 21 Apr. 1649. 27 Apr. 1649
All these near London, and n [...]ar thereabout,
VVere hang'd, and shot to death, which they found out;
Besides all others thorowout the Land,
If't could be known, we should amazed stand;
They having sat twelve years, then commeth Cromwell,
And turns them out, which Act, it doth please some well,
But he his part doth play, as did the rest,
And falls to heading, hanging like a beast.
10 July 1654.
The first was Gerrard, that did feel the smartOf his keen Axe, which went unto the heart.
8 Iune 1658.
Next Doctor Huit in that very place,With Henry Slingsby Knight, of comly grace;
Both in one day, but who can tell for what,
'Twas never known, nor never we shall that.
10 July 1654. 10 Aug. 1654.
Then Mr. Vowel was hang'd at Charing Crosse,And Marston also hang'd, to his friends losse.
7 July 1658.
But after all comes Betterly on the stage,Who in Cheapside was hang'd in Cromwel's rage,
And afterward his bowels burnt in fire,
'Cause they against him, He said, did conspire.
And then another hang'd was in Tower street,
9 July 1650.
And at the Change another, we did see 't.These eight by Cromwel in the City dy'd,
But God doth know how many more beside
Were hang'd, and headed within these three Nations,
Of whom I can't make any true relation.
POSTSCRIPT.
FRom the 3 November 1640. to the 20 April 1653, when Oliver Cromwel turned out the long Parliament, there hath been 29 thanksgiving days for sever [...]l victories obtained by them against the King: and at least 15 days of humiliation, besides the monthly fasts, which was once a month f [...]r very ne [...] 8 years, being cast up together, is at least 90. which in all ma [...] 105. And from the time of their turning out, to the 25 December last 1659, there hath been 10 fasting days, and 6 than [...] [...]iving days, so that the total number of the fasting days to the [...] Decemb. last, is 15. And the thanksgiving days are 35.
In the late wars hath been killed above 100 Lords & Knights, above 400 Officers, besides the common souldiers: above 100 Ministers put out of their places, and died of grief.
FINIS.