[Editor: This is a chapter from The Eureka Stockade by Raffaello Carboni. A glossary has been provided to explain various words and phrases that may be unfamiliar to modern readers.]
XCI.
Accidenti alle spie.
I was soon at the portal of the Supreme Court, a free man. I thought the people would have smothered me in their demonstrations of joy. Requesting silence, I stretched forth my right hand towards heaven, and with the earnestness of a Christian did pray as follows:— I hereby transcribe the prayer as written in pencil on paper whilst in gaol in the lower cell, No. 33.
“Lord God of Israel, our Father in Heaven! we acknowledge our transgressions since we came into this our adopted land. Intemperance, greediness, the pampering of many bad passions, have provoked Thee against us; yet, Oh, Lord our God, if in thy justice, Thou are called upon to chastise us, in Thy mercy save this land of Victoria from the curse of the “spy system.””
Timothy Hayes answered, “Amen,” and so did all the people, present, and so will my good reader answer, Amen.
Source:
Raffaello Carboni. The Eureka Stockade: The Consequence of Some Pirates Wanting on Quarter-Deck a Rebellion, Public Library of South Australia, Adelaide, 1962 [facsimile of the 1855 edition], page 118
Editor’s notes:
*accidenti alle spie = (Italian) “damn spies” (*rough translation)
[Editor: Added a closing quotation after “spy system.”, for the paragraph quote.]
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