reason to believe that Heaven will crown with success so just a cause. The
enemy will endeavor to intimidate by show and appearance; but remember they
have been repulsed on various occasions by a few brave Americans. Their
cause is bad,--their men are conscious of it; and, if opposed with firmness
and coolness on their first onset, with our advantage of works, and
knowledge of the ground, the victory is most assuredly ours. Every good
soldier will be silent and attentive, wait for orders, and reserve his fire
until he is sure of doing execution.
Washington.


XVII.

CHARACTER OF CHATHAM.

The secretary stood alone; modern degeneracy had not reached him. Original
and unaccommodating, the features of his character had the hardihood of
antiquity. His august mind overawed majesty; and one of his sovereigns
thought royalty so impaired in his presence, that he conspired to remove
him, in order to be relieved from his superiority. No state chicanery, no
narrow system of vicious polities, no idle contest for ministerial
victories, sunk him to the vulgar level of the great; but, overbearing,
persuasive, and impracticable, his object was England, his ambition was
fame.

Without dividing, he destroyed party; without corrupting, he made a venal
age unanimous. France sunk beneath him. With one hand he smote the house of
Bourbon, and wielded in the other the democracy of England. The sight of
his mind was infinite; and his schemes were to affect, not England, not the
present age only, but Europe and posterity. Wonderful were the means by