l treasury. Was not this a pretty liberal reward?"

"The mothers of the young men, who were killed at the siege of Louisbourg,
would not have thought it so," said Laurence.

"No, Laurence," rejoined Grandfather; "and every warlike achievement
involves an amount of physical and moral evil, for which all the gold in
the Spanish mines would not be the slightest recompense. But, we are to
consider that this siege was one of the occasions, on which the colonists
tested their ability for war, and thus were prepared for the great contest
of the Revolution. In that point of view, the valor of our forefathers was
its own reward."

Grandfather went on to say, that the success of the expedition against
Louisbourg, induced Shirley and Pepperell to form a scheme for conquering
Canada. This plan, however, was not carried into execution.

In the year 1746, great terror was excited by the arrival of a formidable
French fleet upon the coast. It was commanded by the Duke d'Anville, and
consisted of forty ships of war, besides vessels with soldiers on board.
With this force, the French intended to retake Louisbourg, and afterwards
to ravage the whole of New England. Many people were ready to give up the
country for lost.

But the hostile fleet met with so many disasters and losses, by storm and
shipwreck, that the Duke d'Anville is said to have poisoned himself in
despair. The officer next in command threw himself upon his sword and
perished. Thus deprived of their commanders, the remainder of the ships
returned to France. This was as great a deliverance for New England, as
that which old England had experienced in the days of Queen Elizabeth,
when the Spanish Armada was wrecked upon her coast.

"In 1747," proceeded Grandfather, "Governor Shirley was driven from the
Province House, not by a hostile fleet and army, but by a mob of the
Boston people. They were so incensed at the conduct of the British
Commodore Knowles, who had impressed some of their fellow-citizens, that
several thousands of them surrounded the council-chamber, and threw stones
and brick-bats into the windows. The governor attempted to pacify them;
but, not succeeding, he thought it necessary to leave the town, and take
refuge within the walls of Castle William. Quiet was not restored, until
Commodore Knowles had sent back the impressed men. This affair was a flash
of spirit, that might have warned the English not to venture upon any
oppressive measures against their