Lihhy — Pseudo-Histories of the American Revolution. 423 



Travels.^ A few samples will suffice to illustrate liis predomi- 

 nant weakness. 



Speaking of the flour destroyed by the soldiers at Concord : — 



"About a year after, that flour would have been of some serv- 

 ice to the same troops, when they were cooped up in Boston. 

 It argues a great malignity of temper to destroy the bounties 

 of providence for fear that our enemies should enjoy them." 



In describing the retreat he makes the following original com- 

 ment: — "They were uow in a very critical situation and much 

 distressed, which evils they had brought upon themselves by 

 their rashness in shedding blood when they had no occasion."^ 



Again in commenting on the British treatment of the Caribs 

 of St. Vincent Island he says: — "In spite of all the 

 thick daubings of falsehood and the fair strokes of flattery, the 

 vile complexion of the men and their measures Avill appear to 

 the view of impartial observers. Ages to come will stand 

 amazed when they read in the annals of Britain that in an aera 



of liberty, and under the government of a pious and religious 

 sovereign, such unjust and arbitrary proceedings should have 

 been carried on."' 



Perhaps the worst example of all is the following reference 

 to the killing of Jane M'Crea : — "This tragedy will stand as a 

 deep blot in the annals of the present government as long as the 

 sun revolves in his course around this terrestrial globe. This 

 massacre, and others its concomitants, will in somje future reck- 

 oning make that coward tremble who is said to have given it 

 sanction by the authority of his master on this side of the At- 

 lantic ; and that hero who boasted great things in his sanguinary 

 proclamations will find the ghosts of innocents haunt him when 

 the weapons of warfare are buried in peace."* 



'No one will doubt after reading these .quotations that Murray 

 has a style and that his rhetoric is consistently bad. There is 

 a unity of method and a certain unvarying senility in the way 

 he dilutes his modicum of fact with a flood of platitudes. 



Winsor's treatment of Murray is peculiar and lays the great 



^Murray, II., 1S3. An explanation is liere given of the true reason for the in- 

 adequate stores at Fort Washington at the time of its capture by the British. 

 'Murray, I., 441 ff. 

 8 lb., I., 354. 

 *Ib., II., 32a-321. 



