Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-08-24

auall lCdu buetHs
l will take the sons of the kings,
and the great mes of the earth, and
will mangle them with horrid wounds,
strip them Of wealth, reputation, life
itself, and fill their last hour with tor.
ment. Around their dying couches
will send serpent-forms, unfolding coil
after coil from out the darkness, bran
dishing their forkcd tongue. to sting
and lick their blood, a. q fiery flame
ticks up it, fuel. Thoughts shall be-
come things,living things, to mock.and
curse them. And some in their agony
shall leap into the burning lake, in
hope to escape still greater torture ;
and some will / hold upon tie brink
and rejoice when I see every nerve
shrieking with agony, as open to
their startling gaze the horrors of that
pit into which l plunge them for
ever.
Yet this is not all, know that you
will laugh, (f fends can laugh,) when
[ tell you that mankind shall all along
think me their friend. Though it is
my mission to torture, and destroy the
whole ace of Adam, yet SO will mix
with their business, their pleasures
and their daily habits, so 1atter and de-
hide their stupid senses, that they shall
pronounce m e a /" good creature" nay,
a /" creature of God !" At their we'd
ding feasts l will be the source of Joy,
and at the funeral gathering the solace
of their sorrow. The rank grass shall
grow over those slain by my hand, and
the mourners shall forget, and fall in
their turn. The father shall commend
me to his son, and reeling to- his grave
shall leave him as an inheritance a
fondnesa for me and he shall follow in
the footsteps Of his father, down to per.
dition. The physician shall invoke ms
aid in sickness, and in all circles I viii
plant myself securely, and make my
self a companion and a familiar friend
and men shall never be 80 merry as IL
the presence of their most deadly
foe.
Poetry :hall lend me her rose- gar
land and music her charm e; and tn.
spirit of melody shall speak from my
rlad harps to sound my praises, ane
cheat the world with the idle dream tina
| am the insPirer of misth and the sou
OF happiness and all good fellowship
and IL there be one. of a. that glorious
race, for whom you planets from thei
urns pour down their siie NJ, everlastins
cataract of light who cxcels his fellow,
I will lure him with songs and vision
of beauty, and strew his path with ros
leaves, till at last he shall walk heed.
less into my tolls. And nee my slave
though a thousand would weave thei
fondest he art strings around him, an
weep tears of blood, he shall, in a
his pride and beauty, sink deepe
and deeper into tribalation an
anguish unutterabIs, and dig his on
way down to hell. l will be at tt
feasts of the great and wise of cart
where rank and fashion reign suprem
. where forms nj. less beautiful than tho
o. heaven move in celestial harmonic
! and where Wit and mirth and wine s
round, and whore glasses sparkle
: the board; Twill lap theirseases in Ely
ium and they shall feel richer, wise
> stronger, and more witty than befol
but at the last, l will harry them do,
, one by onc,from their fsncied elevate
! and they shall drag out a wretch
existence in the hunger den. and viii
, purlie, of the earth, and sneak ir
= dishonorcd graves, rejoicing to hi
. from tho whitening scorn of th
. species, and to give their souls to etc
: nal punishment, in fires less fiery tn
l. those in which | have tortured tn
on earth. Nay, the king. and Cover
- ments shall pass laws fer my protect
:. and that Of my emissaries, as we W
u the earth decimating its inhabital
-; and tumbling them into hell. G
me, then oh, Satan, the dominion
earth, and thou shalt behold throu
the ages
"HelPs every wave break On q living Oh
O--.-d i'll kkn lo-~oI liz ~nLhl>. lp