History of Westchester County, New York, Vol. I

Yet these mens souls, " dare attempt with their Syren songs, to lull even " virtue itself to sleej), in the hopes that she may yet " split on the rocks. -- One day we are charmed with " peace, clemency, and pardon ; riches and plenty " are to be powered into our dwellings ; tyrants and " heroes are to drop their crowns and their laurels at " our feet, that we may partake of the banquet, if we " will only bow the knee to satan. But, if we arc " stern enough to deny passive obedience, then ti r-

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

" ror and dismay are to assault us, all the British " navy shall knock down our pompous cities ; thou- " sands and tens of thousands of forces are to crimson " o'er the spacious plains with blood; Canadian big- " otry and persecution is to pour in upon us from •" the North ; the Indians, with horrid barbarity, are *' to torment us from the West ; and perhaps pesti- " lence and Spaniards from the South. -- This, ye sor- " did mortals, is the true picture of your base hearts ;

this is the scene, on which you could feast your " eyes with rapture, provided the rocks and the " mountains might cover you. -- But now let me tell " you, that were all this possible, there are fifteen out " of twenty, throughout this vast continent, all Free- " dom's sons, whose blood is neither contaminated " with paltry bribe, or coward fear ; who would face " all this terror, rather than sell their birthright for a " mess of pottage, or be a means of transmitting mis- " ery and infamy to their posterity.