laden with its own little burdens, then flies, and is succeeded by another no heavier than the last:-if one could be borne, so can another and another.

17. Even looking forward to a single day, the spirit may sometimes faint from an anticipation of the duties, the labors, the trials to temper and patience, that may be expected. Now this is unjustly laying the burden of many thousand moments

upon one.

18. Let any one resolve always to do right now, leaving then to do as it can; and if he were to live to the age of Methuselah, he would never do wrong. But the common error is to resolve to act right after breakfast, or after dinner, or to-morrow morning, or next time; but now, just now, this once, we must go on the same as ever.

19. It is easy, for instance, for the most ill-tempered person to resolve that the next time he is provoked, he will not let his temper overcome him; but the victory would be to subdue temper on the present provocation. If, without taking up the burden of the future, we would always make the single effort at the present moment; while there would, at any one time, be very ittle to do, yet, by this simple process continued, every thing would at last be done.

20. It seems easier to do right to-morrow than to-day, merely because we forget that when to-morrow comes then will be now. Thus life passes with many, in resolutions for the future, which the present never fulfils. It is not thus with those, who, "by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, honor, and immortality."

21. Day by day, minute by minute, they execute the appointed task, to which the requisite measure of time and strength is proportioned; and thus, having worked while it was called day, they at length rest from their labors, and their works "follow them." Let us, then, "whatever our hands find to do, do it with all our might, recollecting that now is the proper and accepted time."

LESSON XIX.

Battle of Lexington.*-WEEMS.

1. APRIL the 19th, 1775, was the fatal day marked out by mysterious heaven, for tearing away the stout infant colonies *Lexington, a town in Massachusetts, 11 miles N. W. of Boston.

from the old mother country. Early that morning, General Gage, whose force in Boston was augmented to 10,000 men, sent a detachment of 1,000 to destroy some military stores which the Americans had collected in the town of Concord, near Lexington.

2. On coming to the place, they found the town militia assembled on the green near the road. "Throw down your arms, and disperse, you rebels," was the cry of the British officer, (Pitcairn,) which was immediately followed by a general discharge from the soldiers; whereby eight of the Americans were killed, and several wounded.

3. The provincials† retired. But finding that the British still continued their fire, they returned it with good interest; and soon strewed‡ the green with the dead and wounded. Such fierce discharges of musketry produced the effect that might have been expected in a land of freemen, who saw their gallant brothers suddenly engaged in the strife of death.

4. Never before had the bosoms of the swains experienced such a tumult of heroic passions. Then throwing aside the implements of husbandry, and leaving their teams in the half finished furrows, they flew to their houses, snatched up their arms, and bursting from their wild shrieking wives and children, hasted to the glorious field where LIBERTY, heaven-born goddess, was to be bought with blood.

5. Pouring in now from every quarter, were seen crowds of sturdy peasants, with flushed cheeks and flaming eyes, eager for battle! Even age itself forgot its wonted infirmities: and hands, long palsied with years, threw aside the cushioned crutch and grasped the deadly firelock. Fast as they came up, their ready muskets began to pour the long, red streams of fiery vengeance.

6. The enemy fell back appalled! The shouting farmers swift-closing on their rear, followed their steps with death. while the British, as fast as they could load, wheeling on their pursuers, returned the deadly fire. But their flight was not in safety. Every step of their retreat was stained with blood

*Thomas Gage was an officer of some distinction in the British army.He was appointed Governor of Massachusetts in 1774, and soon began that course of illegal and oppressive acts which brought on the war of the revolution. Soon after the commencement of the war, he returned to England, where he died, 1787. He was the last Governor of Massachusetts appointed by the King.

Provincials, those troops raised in the provinces, and sent to oppose the British army.

+ Pronounced strowd

every hedge or fence by which they passed, concealed a deadly foe.

6. They would, in all probability, have been cut off to a man, had not General Gage luckily recollected, that born of Britons, these Yankees might possess some of the family valor, and therefore sent 1000 men to support the detachment. This reinforcement met the poor fellows, faint with fear and fatigue, and brought them safely off to Boston.

LESSON XX.

Battle of Bunker's Hill.-CHARLES BOTTA.

1. WHETHER he was deceived by the resemblance of name, or from some other motive unknown, Colone! Prescott, instead of repairing to the heights* of Bunker's Hill to fortify himself there, advanced further on in the peninsula, and immediately commenced his intrenchments upon the heights of Breed's Hill, another eminence, which overlooks Charlestown,† and is situated towards the extremity of the peninsula, nearer to Boston.

2. The works were pushed with so much ardor, that the following morning, by day-break, the Americans had already constructed a square redout, capable of affording them some shelter from the enemy's fire. The labor had been conducted with such silence, that the English had no suspicion of what was passing. It was about four in the morning, when the captain of a ship of war first perceived it, and began to play his artillery. The report of the cannon attracted a multitude of spectators to the shore.

3. The English Generals doubted the testimony of their senses. Meanwhile the thing appeared too important not to endeavor to dislodge the provincials, or, at least, to prevent them from completing the fortification commenced; for, as the height of Breed's Hill absolutely commands Boston, the town was no longer tenable, if the Americans erected a battery upon this eminence.

4. The English, therefore, opened a general fire of the artillery of the town, of the fleet, and of the floating batteries stationed around the peninsulas of Boston. It hailed a tempest of bombs and balls upon the works of the Americans—they

* Pronounced hites.

+ Charlestown is one mile north of Boston, and is connected with it by a bridge across Charles river.

+ Redout, a small square fort, without defence, except in front.

1

were especially incommoded by the fire of a battery planted upon an eminence named Cop's Hill, which, situated within the town, forms a species of tower in front of Breed's Hill. But all this was without effect.

5. The Americans continued to work the whole day, with unshaken constancy; and towards night, they had already much advanced a trench, which descended from the redout to the foot of the hill, and almost to the bank of Mystic river.The fury of the enemy's artillery, it is true, had prevented them from carrying it to perfection.

6. In this conjuncture, there remained no other hope for the English Generals, but in attempting an assault, to drive the Americans, by dint of force, from this formidable position.This resolution was taken without hesitation; and it was followed, the 17th of June, 1775, by the action of Breed's Hill, known also by the name of Bunker's Hill; much renowned for the intrepidity, not to say the temerity, of the parties; for the number of the dead and wounded; and for the effect it produced upon the opinions of men, in regard to the valor of the Americans, and the probable issue of the whole war.

7. Between mid-day and one o'clock, the heat being intense, all was motion in the British camp. A multitude of sloops and boats, filled with soldiers, left the shore of Boston, and stood for Charlestown; they landed at Moreton's Point, without meeting resistance; as the ships of war and armed vessels effectually protected the debarkation with the fire of their artillery, which forced the enemy to keep within his intrenchments.

8. This corps* consisted of ten companies of grenadiers, as many of light infantry, and a proportionate artillery; the whole under the command of Major-General Howe,† and BrigadierGeneral Pigot. The troops, on landing, began to display, the light infantry upon the right, the grenadiers upon the left; but, having observed the strength of the position, and the good countenance of the Americans, General Howe made a halt, and sent to call a reinforcement.

9. The English formed themselves in two columns. Their plan was, that the left wing, under General Pigot, should attack the provincials in Charlestown; while the centre assaulted the redout; and the right wing, consisting of light infantry, should force the passage near the river Mystic, and thus assail the * Pronounced kore,-a body of armed men.

+General William Howe, a brother of Lord Richard Howe, the Admiral of the British fleet. He succeeded General Gage in the command of the British army, October 10, 1775.

Americans in flank and rear; which would give the English complete victory

10. It appears, also, that General Gage had formed the design of setting fire to Charlestown, when evacuated by the enemy, in order that the corps, destined to assail the redout, thus protected by the flame and smoke, might be less exposed to the fire of the provincials.

11. The dispositions having been all completed, the English put themselves in motion. The provincials, that were stationed to defend Charlestown, fearing lest the assailants should penetrate between this town and the redout, and thus find themselves cut off from the rest of the army, retreated.

12. The English immediately entered the town and fired the buildings as they were of wood, in a moment the combustion became general. They continued a slow march against the redout and trench; halting, from time to time, for the artillery to come up, and act with some effect, previous to the assault. The flames and smoke of Charlestown were of no use to them, as the wind turned them in a contrary direction.

13. Their gradual advance, and the extreme clearness of the air, permitted the Americans to level their muskets. They, however, suffered the enemy to approach, before they commenced their fire; and waited for the assault, in profound tranquillity. It would be difficult to paint the scene of terror presented by these circumstances.

14. A large town, all enveloped in flames, which, excited by a violent wind, rose to an immense height, and spread every moment more and more; an innumerable multitude, rushing from all parts, to witness so unusual a spectacle, and see the issue of the sanguinary conflict that was about to commence.

15. The Bostonians, and soldiers of the garrison, not in actual service, were mounted upon the spires, upon the roofs, and upon the heights. The hills, and circumjacent fields, from which the dread arena could be viewed in safety, were covered with swarms of spectators, of every rank, and age, and sex; each agitated by fear or hope, according to the party he espoused.

16. The English, having advanced within reach of the musketry, the Americans showered upon them a volley of bullets. This terrible fire was so well supported, and so well directed, that the ranks of the assailants were soon thinned and brokenthey retired, in disorder, to the place of their landing-some threw themselves precipitately into the boats. The field of battle was covered with the slain.