cheerful toils, unstarved and uncrushed by the inhuman few. But alas! the inhuman few, with fleets and armies, had pursued her flight! Her sons had gathered around her, but they had failed-some, on their bloody beds; others dispersed; all desponding. One little band alone remained! and, now, resolved to defend her or perish, were in rapid march to face her foes. Pale and in tears, with eyes often lifted to Heaven, she moved along with her children to witness perhaps the last conflict. The Sun had just tipped with gold the adjacent hills, when snowy Trenton, with the wide-tented fields of the foe, hove in sight. To the young in arms this was an awful scene: and Nature called a shortlived terror to their hearts. But not unseen of Washington was their fear. He marked the sudden paleness of their cheeks, when first they beheld the enemy, and quick, with half-stifled sighs, turned on him their wistful looks. As the big lion of Zara, calling his brindled sons to battle against the mighty rhinoceros, if he mark their falling manes, and sees them crouching to his side, instantly puts on all his terrors-his eyes roll in blood-he shakes the forest with the deepening roar, till, kindled by their father's fire, the maddening cubs swell with answering rage, and spring undaunted on the monster. Thus stately and terrible rode Columbia's first and greatest son, along the front of his halting troops. The eager wish for battle flushed over his burning face, as, rising on his stirrups, he waved his sword towards the hostile camp, and exclaimed, "There! my brave friends! there are the enemies of your country! and now, all I ask of you, is, just to remember what you are about to fight for. March!" His looks and voice rekindled all their fire, and drove them undaunted to the charge. The enemy saw their danger when it was too late! but, as if resolved by taxing their courage, to pay for their carelessness, they roused the thunder of their drums, and flew to arms. But before they could form, the Americans, led on by Washington, advanced upon them in a stream of lightning, which soon decided the contest. By the musket of the intrepid captain (now General) Frelinghuysen, of New Jersey, fell Col. Rahl, a brave German who conimanded the enemy. The ghosts of forty of his countrymen accompanied him; and very nearly one thousand were made prisoners. Five hundred British horse effected their escape to Bordentown. Could Ewing and Cadwallader have crossed the river, agreeably to Washington's plan, the enemy's whole line of cantonments would have been com pletely swept!! To rouse his desponding countrymen Washington immediately marched down to Philadelphia, and made triumphal entry with his prisoners, preceded by their cannon and colours, and wagons, bristling with muskets and bayonets. The poor tories could scarcely believe their own eyes. Many of the whigs wept for joy. To remove from the minds of the Hessians, their ill-grounded dread of the Americans, Washington took great care, from the moment they fell into his hands, to have them treated with the utmost tenderness and generosity. He contrived that the wealthy Dutch farmers should come in from the country and converse with them. They seemed very agreeably surprised at such friendly attentions. The Dutchmen at length proposed to them to quit the British service and become farmers.-At this the Hessians paused a little, and said something about parting with their country. "Your country!" said the farmers. "Poor fellows! where is your country? You have no country. To support his pomps and pleasures your prince has torn you from your country, and for 304, a-head sole you like slaves to fight against us, who never troubled you. Then leave the vile employment and come live with us. Our lands are rich. Come help us to cultivate them. Our tables are covered with fat meats, and with milk and honey. Come sit down and eat with us like brothers. Our daughters are young and beautiful and good. Then shew yourselves worthy, and you shall have our daughters: and we will give you of our lands and cattle, that you may work, and become rich and happy as we You were told that General Washington and the Americans were savages and would devour you! But from the moment you threw down your arms, have they not been as kind to you as you had any right to expect?" are. "O yes!" cried they, "and a thousand times more kind than we deserved. We were told the Americans would show us no pity, and so we were cruel to them. But we are sorry for it now, since they have been so good to us: and now we love the Americans, and will never fight against them any more !" Such was the effect of Washington's policy; the divine policy of doing good for evil. It melted down his iron enemies into golden friends. It caused the Hessian soldiers to join with the American farmers! -not only so, but to write such letters to their countrymen, that they were constantly breaking loose from the British to run over to the Americans -insomuch that in a little time the British would hardly trust a Hessian to stand sentinel! Though this victory was gained on the 26th of December, yet we find Washington again, on the 1st of January, across the angry Delaware, with his country's flag bold waving over the heights of Trenton. Lord Cornwallis advanced in great force to attack him. The Americans retreated through the town, and crossing the Sanpink (a creek that runs along its eastern side,) planted their cannon near the ford, to defend its passage. The British army following, close in their rear, entered the town about four o'clock; and a heavy cannonade commenced between the two armies, which were separated only by the Sanpink and its narrow valley. "Now, sir!” said Sir William Erskine to Cornwallis, "now is the time to make sure of Washington. "Oh no!" replied Cornwallis, "our troops have marched a good way to-day and are tired. And the old fox can't make his escape; for, with the help of the Delaware now filled up with ice, we have completely surrounded him. To-morrow morning, fresh and fasting we'll fall upon him, and take him and his ragamuffins all at once!" "Ah! my Lord!" returned Sir William, "if Washington be the soldier that I fear he is, you'll not see him there to-morrow morning!" Night coming on, the artillery ceased to roar; and lighting up their fires, both armies proceeded to supper and to sleep. About midnight, having renewed all the fires, Washington put his little army in motion, and passing along the enemy's rear, hasted to surprise a large body of their troops at Princeton. Soon as it was day Cornwallis was greatly mortified to find there was no American army on the banks of the Sanpink. "That's exactly what I feared," said Sir William. Just as they were in deep thought on the matter, they heard the roar of Washington's cannon at Princeton. "There," continued Sir William, "There is Washington now, cutting up our troops." And so it was; for on arriving at Princeton, about sunrise, Washington met three British regiments, who had just struck their tents, and were coming on in high spirits to attack him at Trenton. In a moment, both parties attacked like heroes. At the first onset the Americans gave way; but sensible that all was at stake, Washington snatched a standard, and advancing on the enemy, called to his countrymen to follow his countrymen heard, and rushed on to the charge. Then flash and clash went the muskets and bayonets. Here the servants of George, and there the sons of liberty, wrapped in clouds and flames, and inflicting mutual wounds. "God save the king!" the British heroes cried, The name of Washington imparted its usual animation to his troops. The enemy gave way in all quarters, and were pursued four miles. The victors returned with 400 prisoners; the bayonet had stopped 120 on the field. But they fell not alone The gallant Mercer, and sixty-three of his brave countrymen sleep with them. But the strife of the heroes was but for a moment; and they have forgotten their wounds. Together now, they feast in Paradise, and when meet their eyes of love, their joys are not dashed by the remembrance of the past. The British officers gave Washington full credit for such fine strokes of generalship, and began to look thoughtful whenever his name was mentioned. The enemy on the 15th of January drew in all their forces to winter-quarters at Brunswick, where Washington continued to thin their numbers by cutting off their foraging parties; so that every load of hay, or dish of turnip's they get, was at the price of their lives. Thus gloriously, in ten days, was turned the tide. of victory in favour of America, by him whom Heaven, in mercy not to America aloue, but to Britain, and to the world, had raised up to found here a wide empire of liberty and virtue. The character of Washington was exalted to the highest pitch, even throughout Europe, where he was generally styled the American Fabius, from the famous Roman general of that name, who opposed Hannibal with success. A distinction to which he was justly entitled, from the invincible firmness with which he rejected every finesse of the British generals; as also, that admirable judgment with which he suited the defence of the nation to the genius and abilities of the people, and to the natural advantages of the |