Flawless his heart and tempered to the core Who, beckoned by the forward-leaning wave, First left behind him the firm-footed shore, And, urged by every nerve of sail and oar, Steered for the Unknown which gods to mortals gave, Of thought and action the mysterious door, Bugbear of fools, a summons to the brave: Strength found he in the unsympathizing sun, And strange stars from beneath the horizon won, And the dumb ocean pitilessly grave: High-hearted surely he; But bolder they who first off-cast Their moorings from the habitable Past And ventured chartless on the sea Of storm-engendering Liberty: For all earth's width of waters is a span, And their convulsed existence mere repose, Matched with the unstable heart of man, Shoreless in wants, mist-girt in all it knows, Open to every wind of sect or clan, And sudden-passionate in ebbs and flows. JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL. CHAPTER I THE COMING OF DISCONTENT The close of the struggle with the French for the possession of the continent may be fairly said to mark the beginning of that series of aggressions on the part of England which ended in the revolt of her colonies. True there had been before that arbitrary and tyrannical royal governors, and absurdly perverse enactments on the part of the Lords of Trade; but not until the French troubles had been disposed of did the British government bend its energies seriously to regulating the affairs of a people which it considered fractious and turbulent. In the _Virginia Gazette_ for May 2, 1766, appeared one of the first of those songs, afterwards so numerous, which expressed the discontent of the colonies under this régime. THE VIRGINIA SONG [May 2, 1766] Sure never was picture drawn more to the life, Or affectionate husband more fond of his wife, Than America copies and loves Britain's sons, Who, conscious of Freedom, are bold as great guns, "Hearts of Oak are we still, for we're sons of those men Who always are ready, steady, boys, steady, To fight for their freedom again and again." Tho' we feast and grow fat on America's soil, Yet we own ourselves subjects of Britain's fair isle; And who's so absurd to deny us the name, Since true British blood flows in every vein? "Hearts of Oak," etc. Then cheer up, my lads, to your country be firm, Like kings of the ocean, we'll weather each storm; Integrity calls out, fair liberty, see, Waves her Flag o'er our heads and her words are _be free_! "Hearts of Oak," etc. To King George, as true subjects, we loyal bow down, But hope we may call Magna Charta our own. Let the rest of the world slavish worship decree, Great Britain has ordered her sons to be free. "Hearts of Oak," etc.