And of the publike stock take care?

their gains scarce finds them rayments. That this is true, &c.

These men defie all wicked tongues,

that challenge close committees. Let them throw stones have don no wrong. is't not a thousand pitties,

Such carefull pious men as those

To

who have done their endeavors

purge the church and wicked state, should now be thought deceivers?

That this is true, &c.

Suppose they have a publick stock,
sure that must be concealed;
It was but for the publike rais'd,

and it shall be revealed.

We know that were the stock as great as Davids, which amounted

To such a summe, we have such men, it need not to be counted.

That this is true you need not doubt, examine Mr. Needame;

Hee'l tell you true, and sweare it too,

'tis for the kingdomes freedome.

THE COMMITTEE-MANS COMPLAINT AND THE SCOTS HONEST USAGE.

[London, Aug. 26, 1647.]

THIS ballad relates to the same subject as the foregoing. The Scots army had been called in to the aid of the parliament in the latter part of the war. Their discipline was not equal to that of the English army, and, frequently labouring under want of money and provisions, their behaviour had in some instances given considerable dissatisfaction. This was at the present time much increased by the strong Presbyterian bias of the Scots, and the jealousy thereby excited among the English Independents.

I am a poore committee-man,
(although there be not many);
Yet where the bonny blue-caps come,

those sure are poore, if

any.

The north was call'd the barren land,

we pittied were at London;
To us the plagues of Egypt came,

and have our countries undone.

You need not goe too farre to aske;

examine Mr. Needam,

Hee'le sweare all that the Scots have done, is for the kingdomes freedome.

That money was first sent to them,
but summon'd them together;

The next great sum was for them rays'd,
that was to bring them hither;

Our loyall friends who call'd the Scots,

now heartily abhorre them;
But that Sir Thomas Fairfax came,

they had not now sent for them.
You need not, &c.

Then northern locusts to us came
in swarmes like bees together;

But they may thanke their generall King,
or they had nere raught hither.
Had he beene like Sir Marmaduke,*
we then had struck a battell,
And made the bonny blue-cap run

to Tweede like summer cattell.
You need not, &c.

But they into our country came;
and will you know the reason:
"Twas for our gudes they came, they say,
and that could be no treason.

No sooner were they come, but they
our gudes began to plunder,†
And left us nothing but our soyle,

that they could beare or sunder.
You need not, &c.

* Sir Marmaduke Langdale.

†The Scots, who had been called in to the aid of the parliament, were ill-disciplined, and committed many depredations and vexations on the country through which they had to pass, or where they were stationed.

They left us sicknesses and sinnes,
(the darlings of that nation;)
The flux, the nastie pestilence,
lust, pride, dissimulation.
Besides they have infected us

with strange religious treasons;
And maskt them with a covenant,*

more to abuse our reasons.

You need not, &c.

*

Besides their money monthly rays'd,
our lands were sequestrated,

Two hundred thousand pounds they got
and all their demands stated.

All what they likt, our horse and armes
they tooke, so they disarm'd us;

And left the north as poore as Job,

and swore our wealthe but harm'd us. You need not, &c.

They out of Yorkshire carryed more
than would have bought two Scotlands;

Yet could not keepe our horse alive,

they have lesse grass than oat-lands.

Our men in Scotland dy'd like dogs,
with change of ayre and dyet,

With gude oatmeale, long and short keale,

yet will they not be quiet.

You need not, &c.

* The Scots, when they were called in, demanded, as one of the conditions, a covenant for the establishment and support of the Presbyterian church government.

This Needam is Britannicus,*

so they mis-name the creature ; There's scarce a car-man in the towne, but dares proclaime him traytor. And for the bonny Blue-Cap,

we'll be so bold to tell him,

Had he his gude king Charles againe
for siller he would sell him.†
But since the south to save themselves,
the royall north have undone,

We hope there is a northern man

may now come even with London,

You need not goe too far to aske,

examine Mr. Needam;

Hee'le sweare all that the Scots have done,

is for the kingdomes freedome.

* Needham's pseudonyme of Britannicus (see our former note, p. 56), is of frequent occurrence in the political writings of the day. Among the Rump Songs (Ed. 1665) we have a poem entitled, "On Britannicus his leap three story high, and his escape from London," of which the opening lines are,— "Paul from Damascus in a basket slides,

Cran'd by the faithful brethren down the sides
Of their embattel'd walls, Britannicus,

As loath to trust the brethren's God with us,

Slides too, but yet more desp'rate, and yet thrives

In his descent; needs must! the devil drives!"

†The Scots had sold the king to the parliament, or at least they had delivered him up on an understood condition of receiving satisfaction to their pecuniary demands.