George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 5, 13th edition.

[395]

Is this your boasted peace? Not to sheath the

chap. XXI.} 1766. Jan.

sword in its scabbard, but to sheath it in the bowels of your brothers, the Americans? Will you quarrel with yourselves, now the whole house of Bourbon is united against you? The Americans have not acted in all things with prudence and temper. They have been driven to madness by injustice. Will you punish them for the madness you have occasioned? Rather let prudence and temper come first from this side. I will undertake for America that she will follow the example.

Be to her faults a little blind;
Be to her virtues very kind.

Upon the whole, I will beg leave to tell the house what is really my opinion. It is, that the Stamp Act be repealed, absolutely, totally, and immediately; that the reason for the repeal be assigned, because it was founded on an erroneous principle. At the same time let the sovereign authority of this country over the colonies be asserted in as strong terms as can be devised, and be made to extend to every point of legislation, that we may bind their trade, confine their manufactures, and exercise every power whatsoever, except that of taking their money out of their pockets without their consent.

Let us be content with the advantages which Providence has bestowed upon us., We have attained the highest glory and greatness. Let us strive long to preserve them for our own happiness and that of our posterity.

French Precis.

Thus he spoke, with fire unquenchable; ‘like a ’