“Governor Tryon and the Asia,” writes he to Washington, “continue between Nutten and Bedlow’s Islands. It has pleased his excellency, in violation of the compact he has made, to seize several vessels from Jersey laden with flour. It has, in return, pleased my excellency to stop all provisions from the city, and cut off all intercourse with him,—a measure which has thrown the mayor, council, and tories into agonies. The propensity, or rather rage, for paying court to this great man, is inconceivable. They cannot be weaned from him. We must put wormwood on his paps, or they will cry to suck, as they are in their second childhood.” We would observe in explanation of a sarcasm in the above quoted letter, that Lee professed a great contempt for the titles of respect which it was the custom to prefix to the names of men in office or command. He scoffed at them, as unworthy of “a great, free, manly, equal commonwealth.” “For my own part,” said he, “I would as lief they would put ratsbane in my mouth, as the excellency with which I am daily crammed. How much more true dignity was there in the simplicity of address among the Romans! Marcus Tullius Cicero, Decius Bruto Imperatori, or Caio Marcello Consuli; than to ’His Excellency Major-general Noodle,’ or to the ’Honorable John Doodle.’” CHAPTER XVII. MONOTONOUS STATE OF AFFAIRS BEFORE BOSTON—WASHINGTON ANXIOUS FOR ACTION—EXPLOIT OF PUTNAM—ITS DRAMATIC CONSEQUENCES—THE FARCE OF THE BLOCKADE OF BOSTON—AN ALARMING INTERRUPTION—DISTRESSES OF THE BESIEGED—WASHINGTON’S IRKSOME PREDICAMENT—HIS BOLD PROPOSITION—DEMUR OF THE COUNCIL OF WAR—ARRIVAL OF KNOX WITH ARTILLERY—DORCHESTER HEIGHTS TO BE SEIZED AND FORTIFIED—PREPARATIONS FOR THE ATTEMPT.