rovidence
here may not be offensive, but rather a Warning to all others to watch against the wiles of our Grand Adversary."
His subtle sense of humor is proven in The News-Letter of November 5 to 12, 1705, in regard to one Henry Burch, a Quaker: "Only, that he may have his NAME a little stick to him (and because he told us, you know, that he had been at AMSTERDAM) we will Humbly move, that if the Authority see meet, it may be LAID ON after the DUTCH-fashion; that is with good BURCHEN RODS, Tho' such dealing may be too easy for such a SKEELUM to meet withal."
Sarcasm came easily from his pen. To quote from his account of some French and Indian, and English encounters, " And that notwithstanding the negligence of our People, they do acknowl- edge to have lost Two of their principal French Officers, and 50 French & Indians in the action." Or to quote Campbell's words after his removal from the postmastership of Boston in regard to the establishment of The Boston Gazette, by William Brooker, the new postmaster, "I pity the readers of the new paper; its sheets smell stronger of beer than of midnight oil. It is not read- ing fit for people!"
On the other hand, he was public-spirited and appreciative of good work. In The News-Letter of June 3 to 10, 1706, Camp- bell wrote: "There are two things therefore which I shall chiefly recommend to your care, one is the providing a Fund for the Fortifying this City; the other is, the providing a Fund for the Repairing this Her Majesties Fort, which is extreamly out of Order, and for mounting the Guns, most of the Carriages being rotten and unserviceable. And you may be sure, that whatso- ever you shall think fit to give, shall be applied to the Uses for which you give it, and to no other." In another place he said: "I cannot conclude without putting you in mind of the neces- sity of making provision for Out-scouts this next Winter, to be sent from ALBANY." He spoke with appreciation of the in- habitants of the Town of Milton freely offering their services, at a time of the year when laborers were very difficult to be got even for wages, "to then- Reverend Minister, Mr. Peter Thacher, to cut down his Grass, to make his Hay, and to carry it into his Barn, and to their praise and commendation be it spoken: On
