George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 6, 10th edition.

[179] not need the support of the troops, nor was it for his

Chap. XXXV.} 1768. July.

Majesty's service or the peace of the Province, that any should be required. Bernard dared not avow his own opinion;¹ but, in his spite, he wrote to Hillsborough for ‘positive orders’² not to call ‘a new Assembly until the people should get truer notions of their rights and interests.’

The advice of the Council was inspired by loy-

Aug.

alty. All attempts at a concert to cease importations had hitherto failed; the menace of the arrival of troops revived the design, and early in August, most of the merchants of the town of Boston subscribed an agreement, that they would not send for any kind of merchandise from Great Britain, some few articles of necessity excepted, during the year following the first day of January, 1769; and that they would not import any tea, paper, glass, paints or colors, until the act imposing duties upon them should be repealed.³

On the anniversary of the fourteenth of August,⁴ the streets of Boston resounded with songs in praise of freedom; and its inhabitants promised themselves that all ages would applaud their courage.

Come, join hand in hand, brave Americans all,
     By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall;
To die we can bear, but to serve we disdain;
     For shame is to Freedom more dreadful than pain.
In freedom we're born, in freedom we'll live;