ifled with; the sages forthwith repaired to the council chamber,
seated themselves with the utmost tranquillity, and lighting their long
pipes, gazed with unruffled composure on his excellency and his
regimentals; being, as all counsellors should be, not easily flustered,
nor taken by surprise. The governor, looking around for a moment with a
lofty and soldier-like air, and resting one hand on the pommel of his
sword, and flinging the other forth in a free and spirited manner,
addressed them in a short but soul-stirring harangue.

I am extremely sorry that I have not the advantages of Livy, Thucydides,
Plutarch, and others of my predecessors, who were furnished, as I am told,
with the speeches of all their heroes taken down in short-hand by the most
accurate stenographers of the time, whereby they were enabled wonderfully
to enrich their histories, and delight their readers with sublime strains
of eloquence. Not having such important auxiliaries, I cannot possibly
pronounce what was the tenor of Governor Stuyvesant's speech. I am bold,
however, to say, from the tenor of his character, that he did not wrap his
rugged subject in silks and ermines, and other sickly trickeries of
phrase, but spoke forth like a man of nerve and vigor, who scorned to
shrink in words from those dangers which he stood ready to encounter in
very deed. This much is certain, that he concluded by announcing his
determination to lead on his troops in person, and rout these
costard-monger Swedes from their usurped quarters at Fort Casimir. To this
hardy resolution, such of his council as were awake gave their usual
signal of concurrence; and as to the rest, who had fallen asleep about the
middle of the harangue (their "usual custom in the afternoon"), they made
not the least objection.

And now was seen in the fair city of New Amsterdam a prodigious bustle and
preparation for iron war. Recruiting parties marched hither and thither,
calling lustily upon all the scrubs, the runagates, and tatterdemalions of
the Manhattoes and its vicinity, who had any ambition of sixpence a day,
and immortal fame into the bargain, to enlist in the cause of glory; for I
would have you note that you warlike heroes who trudge in the rear of
conquerors are generally of that illustrious class of gentlemen who are
equal candidates for the army or the bridewell, the halberds or the
whipping-post, for whom Dame Fortune has cast an even die whether they
shall make their exit by