effect that, having made early offers of service, on terms less
objectionable in every point than those of many offers subsequently
made and accepted, unless their offer was accepted, they would
consider themselves as having the authority of his majesty's
government to believe and to represent, that there was, in truth, no
reason to apprehend that the enemy meditated any invasion and these
resolutions they sent off to London forthwith, before the
magistrates had time to hear or to remonstrate against the use of
such novel language from our burgh to his majesty's ministers.

We, however, heard something; and I wrote my lord, to inform him
that the volunteers had renewed their offer, (for so we understood
their representation was;) and he, from what he had heard before
from the secretary of state, not expecting the effect it would have,
answered me, that their offer could not be accepted. But to our
astonishment, by the same post, the volunteers found themselves
accepted, and the gentlemen they recommended for their officers
gazetted; the which, as I tell frankly, was an admonition to me,
that the peremptory will of authority was no longer sufficient for
the rule of mankind; and, therefore, I squared my after conduct more
by a deference to public opinion, than by any laid down maxims and
principles of my own; the consequence of which was, that my
influence still continued to grow and gather strength in the
community, and I was enabled to accomplish many things that my
predecessors would have thought it was almost beyond the compass of
man to undertake.



CHAPTER XXIX--CAPTAIN ARMOUR