The National Archives
Education
Civil War
Simplified transcript
A poem from May 1649 commenting on the new situation in England
(Catalogue ref: SP 9/246/21)
[This is an explanation of each of the four verses of the poem, not a word for word transcript.]
| Verse | Explanation |
| 1 | Religious behaviour by rebels? They are not saints but devils, doing murders, sins and evils in the name of God. |
| 2 | Do they think God approves democracy? No, they'll find it will soon be removed by monarchy. |
| 3 | Their snivelling talk of rebellion from the church pulpit angers our God. It will only lead to God putting young King Charles [son of Charles I] on the throne. |
| 4 | Then the rebel leaders will drive on a sledge up Holborn Hill to Tyburn, [where criminals are put to death. The names are: Tom - who might be Sir Thomas Fairfax, commander of the New Model Army, or one of the two men named Thomas who signed the king's death warrant Nol - Oliver Cromwell Henry Ireton - Cromwell's son-in-law Phil - maybe Colonel Philip Jones Pryde - Colonel Pride, who led Pride's Purge of Parliament.] |
