as being intitled, in a legal view, to the benefit
of their clergy, and, in a moral view, to the
compassion, rather than the indignation, of their
countrymen. May the people of Boston, in
whose hands they now are, be inclined to think
of them in this manner, and regain the good opi-
nion of their fellow subjects of Great Britain by
so honourable an instance of their justice and
moderation!

In the Boston Narrative of this affair there is
an attempt to make it believed that some guns
were fired upon the people from the windows of
the custom-house. But this is so very improba-
ble in itself, and so ill supported by proof, that I
imagine few of the readers of that account will
give any credit to it.

However, lest the confidence with which this
charge is brought should mislead any person into
a believe that it is true, I will venture to subjoin
a few observations on the weakness of the evi-
dence by which it is supported.

In the first place, some of the witnesses men-
tioned in the Boston Narrative say, they saw the
flashes of guns at the custom-house.

This deserves little or no regard: for in the
hurry and confusion of that time it must have
been almost impossible to distinguish with exact-
ness the places and heights from which the flashes
came. The soldiers stood just at the custom-
house door, and the flashes of their guns might
naturally enough seem to a hasty observer to
come from the custom-house itself.