Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-02-21
And let him answer for himself

Now up here brandy and declare
From whence, of whom, and what you are.
And speak ont loud and plain and clear
That al your votaries may hear.
as We wish to have the truth,
/ think IN put you on your OATH
So lay your hand upon the book,
Andin my face directly look
You swear that you to me viii give
A true account Of where Yol live,
0fwhom you are, from whence you came;
Your nature, character and name.
The mischief, also, you have done,
In fighting, Predicting and fun -
In short, relate, sir, all your guilt,
And erime, and how much blood you've split
How many penitehtiaries filed,
How many husbands, fathers killed
How many Sidows and orphans made
To fall into the beggars shade
The cash and property destroyed,
And peaceful citizens annoyed,
With your noisy night caronsing,
When they wished to be a browsing:
Nor may Il be amiss to tell
How many souls you've sent 10 he'll,
And husbands whom their wives forsook,
10 follow you-so kiss the book,
Aad with your tale proceed, forsooth,
And tell US nothing but the truth.
My uamc Is brandy, as you know
And was born iSny d0lTn bel0e.
ALCOHOL was my fathers name,
My mothers, sin, and mine the same
So long as / remained bcL0ac,
But when 1 camc above. you know,
My name was changed from sin 10 brandy,
BY : bloated, red-nosed dandy
And thus they've called me since that time
To tell you, sir,of all the crime,
Which I've committed from my birth,
With books, perhaps, would I'll the earth;
For Of all evil I'm the root,
And agreat deal more to boot.
For upwards Of Thousand years
Pve been shedding blood and tears,
And this world, sir, could not hold
The half I've killed Of young and old
For more than war and famine's Sigh,
Ihave made to sicken, sir, and die,
Eve densely populated hell,
With souls that should in heaven dwell.
And not a few, I,ve sent 70 heaven,
Who died. perchance, their sins forgiven.
or iaiIs and peniientiaries filled
With canvicts who for blood hath spilled
The number Of widows and orphans made
OF every color class and grade
The paupeTs and heggafs, too, likewise
To tell would strike yeu with surprise.
Indeed the number none could count
Or if he could, il would amount,
dare say, to : great deal more
Than sands upon the oceans shore.
The cash aud property, sir, wasted,
When men Of me had freely tasted
Il nightly spent in education,
Would amply school this mighty nation.
I've hurled talent in the dust
I've stained mems character with lust,
And many a pure young virgins name,
I've bl0tted, blasted, sirs with shame.
doubt. sir, whether under sun,
OF spiris. there's . single one,
That causes more unfFiendly strife
Than !. 'twixt husband, child and wife.
I've made the father once 50 mild, !
A feRdisk brute, to kill his child,
And in the bosom Of his wife
His dagger plunge, and take her life.
I've made kind neighbours kill each other
Friend kill friend, and bFuther brother
Have put whole nations in commosion
And buried millions in the OCEAN
Indeed I've broken all the laws
OF God and man-but here | pause,
For I perceive you're turning pale
Don't be alarmed III change my tale,
For Notwithstanding all my crimes,
Pm very useful many times
For though ! make men fight and frolic,
also cure them Of the cholic,
Tooth and head ache, govt and sprains-
Dyspepsia and rheumatic pains
Sick siomachs, fevsrs, sir, and chillsE
And in fact all other ills.
Why. bless your soul, sir, doctors pills,
Which cost you such tremendous bills
Won't cure you half 50 sonn asI,
And if you don't believe il, try.
And then, you know, when pills you take,
They make you sick and keep you wake;
Blu, | can make you sleep quite sound,
Whether on the bed or ground.
To drive away dull cares and sorrows
To cure the blues and kill the horrors
I'm the thing Cor men and women,
'oN Soldiers. citizens and seamen.
And for poor discarded lovers
My equal cam be found above Us.
just here III stop and tell a tale
About a lover sick and pale,
Who but a very short lime since,
I found beside a lock Of fence.
His g gal" il seem'd, had lately kicked !
, And 10 q fight his . riUaI Lickedp him.
81 there he lay sobbing and rying,
With rage and passion nearly dying;
or course my sympathy was raised;
Aud always fond q being praised,
EreHtuFed up and thus began
: Whats the matter dear young man
Al this be raised his dropping head,
Aud gazing at me softlyssaid /:
NY friend (for such he me regsrded)
Alasi I've been :. licked andsdiscGrded ,
It's awful. awful ~ be s.kicked''
But sill more awful TO be $ lickedF'
o dear, q dear, what shall | do
Rise up IN tell you what 10 do,
Come cheer up now and be a man,
And foll1w me, for | can
Care and relieve you in an hour.
Don't you know | have this poweF2
All frisndi this aching, bleeding heart
Wounded by capid's fatal dart
Canaat be cured save with the love,
Hand. and heart Q my sweet dove