Jump to content

A First Latin Reader/34

Unchecked
E Wikisource
Lesson 34. The Outbreak of the Revolution


1912
 33. Later Events of the War 35. Operations about Boston 
LESSON 34
The Outbreak of the Revolution

Nunc mihi dīcendum est dē bellō, quod colōnī paucīs post annīs cum Britannīs ipsīs gessērunt. Diū rēx senātusque Britannōrum ā prōvinciīs vectīgālia[1] quaedam exigere erant cōnātī, etsī hae lēgēs[2] lātae erant in conciliō, in quō suffrāgium ferre[3] Americānō nūllī licēbat. Id[4] colōnī molestē ferēbant; ac postrēmō, cum iam tanta iniūria nōn diūtius ferenda[5] vidērētur, omnibus ex prōvinciīs in unum locum[6] virī dēlēctī, in eīs Vasingtō, ad cōnsilium commūne capiendum convocātī sunt. Hī, conciliō habitō, litterās[7] ad rēgem Britannōrum mīsērunt, quibus[8] postulābant ut colōnīs iūra eadem concēderentur, quae domī cīvēs reliquī obtinēbant.[9] Quibus litterīs acceptīs, rēx īrātus nōn sōlum iūra concēdere nōluit, sed etiam in Americam mīsit mīlitēs multōs, quī ā colōnīs audāciae[10] poenās repeterent.

Apud[11] oppidum parvum, nōmine Lexingtōnem, prīmum[12] pugnātum est, magnā cum caede Britannōrum; nam agricolae, murīs interpositīs, tēla plūrima inmīsērunt in hostēs, quī ita[13] sex milia passuum sē recipere coāctī sunt ad urbem, unde paulō ante profectī erant. Quibus rēbus factīs, concilium[14] idem, quod ad rēgem litterās mīserat, quaerere coepit imperātōrem, quī omnīs copiās Americānās dūceret. Cīvēs scīlicet memoriā tenēbant[15] rēs gestās Vasingtōnis in bellō, quod paucīs ante annīs cum Gallīs Indīsque gestum erat; quārē ille summō assēnsū omnium dux brevī factus est.

————————
  1. vectīgālia: vectīgālia, -ium, n., taxes.
  2. lēgēs: lēx, lēgis, f., measure, or law.
  3. suffrāgium ferre: cast a vote (suffrāgium, -ī, n.).
  4. id: this (state of affairs).
  5. ferenda: bearable: lit. what?
  6. in unum locum: with convocātī sunt.
  7. litterās: for the force of the plural, see the Vocab.
  8. quibus: in which; strictly, abl of means.
  9. obtinēbant: freely, enjoyed
  10. audāciae: for (lit. of) their insubordination.
  11. apud: near.
  12. prīmum: the adverb.
  13. ita:, i.e. under a hot fire.
  14. concilium: (deliberative) body.
  15. memoriā tenēbant: i.e. had not forgotten.