not avail them for the
accomplishment of their enterprize. The _eagle-eyes_ of a watchful and
wary people, justly jealous of every measure of their oppressors, are
not easily evaded. Their motions were observed, and such timely notice
given, that such numbers were collected and such measures taken, before
they arrived, as effectually frustrated their design and obliged them to
return defeated and chagrined."

So, throughout the winter, the garrison and its governor accomplished
nothing--or less than nothing, if one considers that Gage proved to the
provincials the weakness of his character, while at the same time he
angered them by issuing, when the provincial congress appointed a day of
prayer, a proclamation against hypocrisy.

As the winter passed there was at times hope that the political
situation might be relieved by action of Parliament. Yet though the
worst House of Commons in history had been dissolved, the one which took
its place was, at its beginning, little better. It learned wisdom only
from the events of the war. To this Parliament Chatham and Burke now
appealed in vain; even Fox, at last definitely taking his stand with the
supporters of America, could not move it from its subservience to the
king. When finally a bill was introduced to deprive America of its
fisheries, it began to seem that legislative oppression could go no
further.

And now to other Americans than Samuel Adams it became evident that
there was no hope of concession from England. The second provincial
congress began its sittings. Warren was still on the Committee of
Safety. Preble, Ward, and Pomeroy were reappointed generals, and to them
were added Thomas and Heath. Supplies were voted for an army of fifteen
thousand. There was still hope of conciliation, but, wrote Warren,
"every day, every hour, widens the breach."

The town of Boston knew how wide the breach was, and how different the
points of view. The letters and diaries of the time show the constant
little irritations which exasperated both sides. In those days, if the
British soldier was not so sober as now, the British officer was far
more given to drink. From "the Erskine incident" until almost the
outbreak of hostilities, drunken officers made trouble with the
inhabitants, and found them less submissive than the average British
citizen. Yankee burghers had an uncomfortable trick of arming themselves
with cudgels and returning to the attack; the watch occasionally locked