Page 364 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

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prime and innocence of her youth; it is time she should know how much superior are our soldiers, in courage and cqnstancy, to -vile mercenaries. We must look back no more! We must conquer, or die! We are placed between altars smoking with the most grate l incense of glory and gratitude, on the one part, and blocks and dungeons on the other. Let each, then, rise, and gird himself r the combat. The dearest interests of this world command it: our most holy religion enjoins it: that God, who eter­
nally rewards the vi1-tuous and punishes the wicked, ordains it. Let us accept these happy auguries ; r already the mercenary satellites, sent by wicked ministers to reduce this innocent people to extrem­ ity, are imprisoned within the walls of a single city, where hunger emaciates them, rage devours them, death consumes them. Let us banish every fear, every alarm: rtune smiles upon the e orts of the brave!"
9. By similar discourse, they excited one another, and prepared themselves r defence. The tal mo­ ment is arrived: the signal of civil war is given.
10. General Gage was in rmed, that the provin­ cials had amassed large quantities of arms and am­ munition, in the towns of Worcester and Concord ; which last is eighteen miles distant om the city of Boston. Excited by the loyalists, who had persuaded him that he would nd no resistance, considering the cowardice of the patriots, and, perhaps, not imagin­ ing that the sword would be drawn so soon, he re­ solved to send a few companies to Concord, in order to seize the military stores deposited there, and trans­ port them to Boston, or -destroy them.
READING LESSONS.
11. It was said, also, that he had it in view, by