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Page 47
Accordingly, Grandfather came to the fireside, and seated himself in the
venerable chair. The lion's head looked down with a grimly good-natured
aspect, as the children clustered around the old gentleman's knees. It
almost seemed as if a real lion were peeping over the back of the chair,
and smiling at the group of auditors, with a sort of lion-like
complaisance. Little Alice, whose fancy often inspired her with singular
ideas, exclaimed that the lion's head was nodding at her, and that it
looked as if it were going to open its wide jaws and tell a story.
But, as the lion's head appeared to be in no haste to speak, and as
there was no record or tradition of its having spoken, during the whole
existence of the chair, Grandfather did not consider it worth while to
wait.
CHAPTER II.
"Charley, my boy," said Grandfather, "do you remember who was the last
occupant of the chair?"
"It was Lieutenant-Governor Hutchinson," answered Charley. "Sir Francis
Bernard, the new governor, had given him the chair, instead of putting
it away in the garret of the Province House. And when we took leave of
Hutchinson, he was sitting by his fireside, and thinking of the past
adventures of the chair, and of what was to come."
"Very well," said Grandfather; "and you recollect that this was in 1763,
or thereabouts, at the close of the Old French War. Now, that you may
fully comprehend the remaining adventures of the chair, I must make some
brief remarks on the situation and character of the New England colonies
at this period."
So Grandfather spoke of the earnest loyalty of our fathers during the
Old French War, and after the conquest of Canada had brought that war to
a triumphant close.
The people loved and reverenced the king of England, even more than if
the ocean had not rolled its waves between him and them; for, at the
distance of three thousand miles, they could not discover his bad
qualities and imperfections. Their love was increased by the dangers
which they had encountered in order to heighten his glory and extend his
dominion. Throughout the war, the American colonists had fought side by
side with the soldiers of Old England; and nearly thirty thousand young
men had laid down their lives for the honor of King George. And the
survivors loved him the better, because they had done and suffered so
much for his sake.
But, there were some circumstances, that caused America to feel more
independent of England than at an earlier period. Canada and Acadia had
now become British provinces; and our fathers were no longer afraid of
the bands of French and Indians, who used to assault them in old times.
For a century and a half this had been the great terror of New England.
Now, the old French soldier was driven from the north forever. And, even
had it been otherwise the English colonies were growing so populous and
powerful, that they might have felt fully able to protect themselves
without any help from England.
There were thoughtful and sagacious men, who began to doubt, whether a
great country like America, would always be content to remain under the
government of an island three thousand miles away. This was the more
doubtful, because the English Parliament had long ago made laws which
were intended to be very beneficial to England, at the expense of
America. By these laws, the colonists were forbidden to manufacture
articles for their own use, or to carry on trade with any nation but the
English.
"Now," continued Grandfather, "if King George the Third and his
counsellors had considered these things wisely, they would have taken
another course than they did. But, when they saw how rich and populous
the colonies had grown, their first thought was, how they might make
more profit out of them than heretofore. England was enormously in debt,
at the close of the Old French War, and it was pretended, that this debt
had been contracted for the defence of the American colonies, and that
therefore a part of it ought to be paid by them."
"Why, this was nonsense," exclaimed Charley; "did not our fathers spend
their lives and their money too, to get Canada for King George?"
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