Before The Battle.

By the hope within us springing,
Herald of the coming strife;
By the land-sharks who are bringing
Purse-proud plutocrats to life,
Every man who would be free,
Must boldly rise and follow me.

Who, in dark Adullam's Cave,
Who, I ask, would die a slave,
'Midst the dew-fall of a nation's tears ?
Bless'd is he o'er whose decline
Traitor knaves may howl and whine,
And run him down, too, o'er their beers;
But, oh, how grand he sinks to rest,
Who for his country lights his best !

O'er the fight of last September,
Won by cunning, cheek, and spite,
Memory stirs each warlike ember,
Vengeance in the coming fight.

page 77

Never let them bind again,
Chains in which they bound us then.
Hark ! the drums of combat call,
Down with Atkinson and Hall !
May we pledge their fall in triumph round;
Many a heart that now beats high,
Many a tongue that tells a lie,
Shall sink before our victory's sound;
The 'cute old Fox may growl and creep,
The people now no longer sleep.

Whin the milody was inded, I wint down to the wharf to see Sir George off. Av coorse he gev me all the necessary insthructions about marshallin' our ranks for the 28th. I'll sind ye a full account o' the openin' o' the session.

Paddy Murphy.