Ch.VíI. SOUTH AMERICA. 3S1 



Bofton, who, alirmed at the recent example, began 

 to look upon their own welfare as in danger: accord- 

 ingly the.y held confiikaiions on the means of prevent- 

 ing further mifchief, and taking facisfadion for the 

 late infult : they, with reafon, apprehended that the 

 French muft carry all before them in a country like 

 theirs, every way open, without fortreíTes or troops j 

 and they imagined that the French, from the faci- 

 lity of its execution, had really formed fuch a de- 

 fign; and that the firft fuccefs fo eafily obtained, 

 would naturally animate that ambitious nation to 

 greater enierprizes. This colony had ever looked 

 upon the neighbourhood of the French as danger- 

 ous ; and in order to have them at a proper dif- 

 tance, the people of Boilon had made repeated fo- 

 licitations to the court of England, that Acadia 

 might be delivered up to that crown, in order to 

 form a barrier becvvixt the other dominions of t];e two 

 powers. 



The reafon that the colony of New-England, and 

 its capital, Bofton, is without any fortrefs or regular 

 troops, is owing to the apprehenfion of its inhabi- 

 tants, that they might be brought into fubjection to 

 the laws of England and acts of parliament, to the 

 prejudice of thole liberties under which they have 

 rofe to fuch a height of profperity. Thus the whole 

 country lies open without any other defence than 

 the great number of people it contains. The king 

 of England fends over a governor, but with fuch a 

 commiiTion as is entirely compatible with its free 

 conftitution. This defencelefs ftate of Bofton 

 awakened in them a jealoufy of farther enterprizes 

 from the French; that in a confultation, at which 

 the governor and the chief perfons of the colony 

 aíTifted, it was refolved that New-England could 

 not be fafc by land or fea, till the French were dif- 

 poíTeíIed of Eouifbourg; but that in order to fuc- 

 cred, the defign mull: be conduftcd with iuch im- 

 penetrable 



