Page:The Eureka Stockade.djvu/133

123 the rainbow dazzles their dull eyes, bask in their 'well-affected' brains the flaring presumption that 'shortly' there will be demand for sheeps' heads! (Great works!) and pointing at several of us, it is given unto them to behold with glory 'the end of men whose word is their bond!" (Great works!)

"Let us sing with Horace——

——Old Style.

'Quando prosperus et jucundus,

Amicorum es fecundus,

Si fortuna perit,

Nullus amicus erit.


 * Chorus——Cives! Cives!


 * Querenda Pecunia primum,


 * Post nummos virtus.

"Which in English may mean this——

'A friend in need is a friend indeed,' that's true,

But love now-a-days is left on the shelf,

The best of friends, by G—— in serving you

Takes precious care first to help himself.

Ancestors, learning, talent, what we call

Virtue, religion—— beats them all.

"I must now try the power of my old quill, perhaps it has not lost the spell——

"In Rome, by my position in society, and thorough knowledge of the English language, I was now and then of service to Englishmen ; in my adversity is there a generous-hearted Englishman who would give me the hand and see that the government enjoins the restitution of the property I was robbed of at the Camp. Let the restitution come from a Board of Inquiry, a Poor-law Board, a Court-Martial, or any Board except a Board (full) of Petitions. The eternal petitioning looks so 'Italian' to me! And, especially, let the restitution of my new watertight boots be done this winter!

"As for the ignominy I was subjected to, my immense sufferings during four long, long months in gaol, the prospects of my life smothered for a while, we had better leave that alone for the present.

"Were I owned by the stars and stripes, I should not require assistance, of course not; unhappily for the sins of my parents, I was born under the keys which verily open the gates of heaven and hell; but Great Britain changed the padlocks long ago! hence the dreaded 'Civia Romanus sum' has dwindled into 'bottomed on a mullock.'


 * 'CARBONI RAFFAELLO,

"By the grace of spy Goodenough Captain of Foreign Anarchist.

"Prince Albert Hotel, Ballaarat,


 * "Corpus Christi, 1855."

No one did condescend to notice the above letter. I do not wonder at it, and why?

I read in the Saturday's issue of The Star, Ballaarat, October