But notwithstanding his prayer to the contrary, every body recollects how, exactly as Dr. Franklin had predicted, the minister continued to blunder and blunder on with his face constantly towards war--how nothing was trumpeted by the ministerial party, like the ingratitude and baseness of the Americans--how _certain_ newspapers perpetually vilified them as _miscreants_, _rascals_ and _rebels_--how the public mind was so set against them that even the _shoe-blacks_, as Mr. Wilkes said, talked of the colonies as _their plantations_, and of the people there as if they had been their _overseers_ and _negroes_--how the minister determined at last, to enforce the _tea-tax_--how, on hearing the news of this, as of the stamp act, the yankees muffled their drums, and played the _dead march_--how they took the sacrament never to submit to it--how the minister, to test their valour, sent three ships laden with this three-penny tea--how the yankees, dressed like Mohawks, boarded their ships and destroyed their cargoes--how the minister, waxing more in wrath, sent more soldiers to quell the rebels--how the rebels insulted the soldiers--how the soldiers fired on the rebels--how the port of Boston was shut by royal proclamation--how, in spite of the royal proclamation, the colonies would trade with her and send monies to her relief--how the LORDS and COMMONS petitioned the king that, any rebel opposing the officers of his sacred majesty, should be instantly hung up without judge or jury--how the king _thanked_ his noble lords and commons, and was graciously pleased to decree that all rebels thus offending should be thus hung up without judge or jury--how that, notwithstanding this gracious decree, when his majesty's troops attempted to destroy the rebel stores at Concord, the rebels attacked and killed them, without any regard to his majesty's decree. This unpardonable sin against the "Lord's anointed," which happened on the 19th of April 1775, served as the double bolting and barring of the door against all hope of peace. Throughout America, it struck but one deep and awful sentiment, "_the sword is drawn, and we must now throw the scabbard away_." In May, the news got to England, where it excited emotions that beggar all description. They somewhat, however, resembled the effects of the trumpet of the great angel spoken of in the _Revelations_, that sounded "_wo! wo! wo! to the inhabitants_" of America, and proclaimed the pouring forth of _fire_ and sword. But, reserving this tragedy for the next chapter, we will conclude the present with the following anecdote. It will show at least, that doctor Franklin left no stone unturned to carry his point; and that where logic failed he had recourse to wit. THE CAT AND EAGLE. A FABLE, BY DOCTOR FRANKLIN.