e Ministry to resent it upon a
system, or to resign their offices. Lord Barrington, who approved of the
soldiers' retiring to the Castle, said, that, "where there was no
magistracy there should be no soldiers; and if they intended to have
soldiers sent there again, they should provide for a magistracy, which
could not be done but by appointing a royal Council, instead of the
present democratical one." The Government were perplexed; but the
expectation was general, that General Gage, without waiting for orders
from the Government, would send a reinforcement to Boston, and order the
whole of the troops into the town. "Every one," Governor Bernard wrote,
"without exception, says it must be immediately done. Those in
opposition are as loud as any. Lord Shelburne told a gentleman, who
reported it to me, that it was now high time for Great Britain to act
with spirit." The Governor advised Hutchinson, that, should it turn out
that he had been successful in preventing Captain Preston from being
murdered by the mob, "Government might be reconciled to the removal of
the troops." There was much outside clamor, and those who indulged in it
could not reconcile to themselves "six hundred regular troops giving way
to two or three thousand common people, who, they say, would not have
dared to attack them, if they had stood their ground"; and this class
regarded the affair "as a successful bully." Colonel Barre, in the House
of Commons, disposed of the question in a few words: "The officers
agreed in sending the soldiers to Castle William; what Minister will
dare to send them back to Boston?"

These events stirred the public mind in the Colonies profoundly. The
Spirit evinced by the people of Boston in the whole transaction raised
the town still higher in the estimation of the Patriots; annual
commemorative orations kept alive the tragic scene; and thus the
introduction of the troops, the question involved in their removal, and
the massacre and triumph of the people, contributed powerfully to bring
about that change in affections and principles which finally resulted in
American Independence.

* * * * *

WET-WEATHER WORK.

BY A FARMER.

IV.

We are fairly on English ground now; of course, it is wet weather. The
phenomena of the British climate have not changed much since the time
when the rains "let fall their horrible pleasure" upon the head of the
poor, drenched outcast, Lear. Thunder and light