At this our Town-Committee The port’s collector sought;[33] The governor,[33] too, exulting[34] To think his trap had caught. “You mark the fleet and castle; Should trouble brew,” said he; “Your Hancocks, Rowes, and Phillips[34] Might risk as much as we.” But Molineux[35] said only: “They more would risk if slaves; For all they then could wish, would be Enough to give them graves.” “‘If slaves’!” the governor answer’d, And rail’d against their cause; “Aha!—you talk of ‘slaves,’ forsooth, Because your land has laws! And you would dare to break them?— And reason, what of it?— I trust in human nature, When reason should submit.” “We trust in human nature,” Said Young,[36] who near him stood; “And peace that brooks oppression, It does not deem a good. We trust in human nature; The conscience, ruling there, May guard the right, full well as kings With crowns their dearest care. Love rules in human nature, For, all of history through, The slaves have been the many, The tyrants been the few.” The governor turn’d in anger: “Well, well, we then shall see. Your hint of flint can wring no ‘Writ Of Clearance’ here from me.” Then met the town together, Their final vote to take. Not one, of seven thousand[38] there, Desired the peace to break. Said Quincy:[37] “Crowds and shoutings Can never end our strife. But sadder scenes and sounds await Our loss of wealth and life. The structures fair of freedom Men rear beneath the sky, Press down on deep foundations, Where thousands buried lie. Our course we well may ponder: Hope’s rainbow in the cloud May lure a march beneath its arch To flash and bolt and shroud.” The people paused and ponder’d; But not a single hand,[38] When call’d to vote, but voted, “The tea shall never land.” And then we met together; If fighting must be done, We knew we now should do it, We boys of Lebanon. In one day more—one only—[39] The fleet and fort would hold The tea that none could longer keep From being bought and sold. Close by we sought our quarters; And from our knapsacks quick We took our Indian guises; And stain’d our cheeks with brick. Anon, we half were ready, With tomahawks in hand[40]; And half, with muskets only,[40] And heard our last command. A moment then we waited; We knew the danger there; We looked above for courage; We bent below in prayer. We swore by God in heaven, To keep our names from all; We swore to stand together, Till all in death should fall; We swore, by truth and honor, Should half essay to flee, To cast that half the harbor in To perish with the tea.[40]