the conquest of new france-第28章

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Montcalm　embarked　at　Brest　with　his　staff。　War　had　not　yet　been

declared；　but　already　Britain　had　captured　some　three　hundred

French　merchant　ships；　had　taken　prisoner　nearly　ten　thousand

French　sailors；　and　was　sweeping　from　the　sea　the　fleets　of

France。



Owing　to　the　fear　of　British　cruisers；　the　voyage　of　Montcalm　had

its　excitements。　As　usual；　however；　France　was　earlier　in　the

field　than　Britain；　who　had　in　April　no　force　ready　for　America

which　could　intercept　Montcalm。　The　storms　were　heavy；　and　on

Easter　Day；　when　Mass　was　celebrated；　a　sailor　firm　on　his　feet

had　to　hold　the　chalice　for　the　officiating　priest。　On　board

there　were　daily　prayers；　and　always　the　service　ended　with　cries

of　〃God　save　the　King！〃　Some　of　the　officers　on　board　were

destined　to　survive　to　a　new　era　in　France　when　there　should　be

no　more　a　king。



Montcalm　had　with　him　a　capable　staff　and　a　goodly　number　of

young　officers；　gay；　debonair；　thinking　not　of　great　political

designs　about　America　but　chiefly　of　their　own　future　careers　in

France；　and　facing　death　lightheartedly　enough。　Next　to　Montcalm

in　command　was　the　Chevalier　de　Uvis；　a　member　of　a　great　French

family　and　himself　destined　to　attain　the　high　rank　of　Marshal　of

France；　and　a　capable　though　not　a　brilliant　soldier；　whose　chief

gift　was　tact　and　the　art　of　managing　men。　Third　in　command　was

the　Chevalier　de　Bourlamaque；　a　quiet；　reserved　man；　with　no

striking　social　gifts　and　in　consequence　not　likely　at　first　to

make　a　good　impression；　though　Montcalm；　who　was　at　the　beginning

a　little　doubtful　of　his　quality；　came　in　the　end　to　rely　upon

him　fully。　The　most　brilliant　man　in　that　company　was　the　young

Colonel　de　Bougainville；　Montcalm's　chief　aide…de…camp。　Though

only　twenty…seven　years　old　he　was　already　famous　in　the　world　of

science　and　was　destined　to　be　still　more　famous　as　a　great

navigator；　to　live　through　the　whole　period　of　the　French

Revolution；　and　to　die　only　on　the　eve　of　the　fall　of　Napoleon。

In　1756　he　was　too　young　and　clever　to　be　always　prudent　in

speech。　It　is　from　his　quick　eye　and　eager　pen　that　we　learn　much

of　the　inner　story　of　these　last　days　of　New　France。　Montcalm

discusses　frankly　in　his　letters　these　and　other　officers；　with

whom　he　was　on　the　whole　well　pleased。　In　his　heart　he　could　echo

the　words　of　Bougainville　as　he　watched　the　brilliant　spectacle

of　the　embarkation　at　Brest：　〃What　a　nation　is　ours！　Happy　is　he

who　leads　and　is　worthy　of　it。〃



It　was　in　this　spirit　of　confidence　that　Montcalm　faced　the

struggle　in　America。　For　him　sad　days　were　to　come　and　his　sunny；

vivacious；　southern　temperament　caused　him　to　suffer　keenly。　At

first；　however；　all　was　full　of　brilliant　promise。　So　eager　was

he　that；　when　his　ships　lay　becalmed　in　the　St。　Lawrence　some

thirty　miles　below　Quebec；　he　landed　and　drove　to　the　city。　It　is

the　most　beautiful　country　in　the　world；　he　writes；　highly

cultivated；　with　many　houses；　the　peasants　living　more　like　the

lesser　gentry　of　France　than　like　peasants；　and　speaking

excellent　French。　He　found　the　hospitality　in　Quebec　such　that　a

Parisian　would　be　surprised　at　the　profusion　of　good　things　of

every　kind。　The　city　was；　he　thought；　like　the　best　type　of　the

cities　of　France。　The　Canadian　climate　was　health…giving；　the　sky

clear；　the　summer　not　unlike　that　of　Languedoc；　but　the　winter

trying；　since　the　severe　weather　caused　the　inhabitants　to　remain

too　much　indoors。　He　described　the　Canadian　ladies　as　witty；

lively；　devout；　those　of　Quebec　amusing　themselves　at　play；

sometimes　for　high　stakes；　those　of　Montreal；　with　conversation

and　dancing。　He　confessed　that　one　of　them　proved　a　little　too

fascinating　for　his　own　peace　of　mind。　The　intolerable　thing　was

the　need　to　meet　and　pay　court　to　the　Indians　whom　the　Governor；

the　Marquis　de　Vaudreuil；　regarded　as　valuable　allies。　These

savages；　brutal；　changeable；　exacting；　Montcalm　from　the　first

despised。　It　filled　him　with　disgust　to　see　them　swarming　in　the

streets　of　Montreal；　sometimes　carrying　bows　and　arrows；　their

coarse　features　worse　disfigured　by　war…paint　and　a　gaudy

headdress　of　feathers；　their　heads　shaven；　with　the　exception　of

one　long　scalp…lock；　their　gleaming　bodies　nearly　naked　or　draped

with　dirty　buffalo　or　beaver　skins。　What　allies　for　a　refined

grand　seigneur　of　France！　It　was　a　costly　burden　to　feed　them。

Sometimes　they　made　howling　demands　for　brandy　and　for　bouillon；

by　which　they　meant　human　blood。　Many　of　them　were　cannibals。

Once　Montcalm　had　to　give　some　of　them；　at　his　own　cost；　a　feast

of　three　oxen　roasted　whole。　To　his　disgust；　they　gorged

themselves　and　danced　round　the　room　shouting　their　savage

war…cries。



The　Governor　of　Canada；　Pierre　de　Rigaud；　Marquis　de　Vaudreuil；

belonged　to　one　of　the　most　ancient　families　of　France；　related

to　that　of　Levis。　He　had　been　born　in　Canada　where　his　father　was

Governor　for　the　long　period　of　twenty…two　years；　from　1703　to

1725；　and　in　his　outlook　and　prejudices　he　was　wholly　of　New

France；　with　a　passionate　devotion　to　its　people；　and　a　deep

resentment　at　any　airs　of　superiority　assumed　by　those　who　came

from　old　France。　A　certain　admiration　is　due　to　Vaudreuil　for　his

championship　of　the　Canadians　and　even　of　the　savages　of　the　land

of　his　birth　against　officers　of　his　own　rank　and　caste　who　came

from　France。　There　was　in　Canada　the　eternal　cleavage　in　outlook

and　manners　between　the　Old　World　and　the　New；　which　is　found　in

equal　strength　in　New　England；　and　which　was　one　of　the　chief

factors　in　causing　the　American　Revolution。　Vaudreuil；　born　at

Quebec　in　1698；　had　climbed　the　official　ladder　step　by　step

until；　in　1742；　he　had　been　made　Governor　of　Louisiana；　a　post　he

held　for　three　years。　He　succeeded　the　Marquis　Duquesne　as

Governor　of　Canada　in　the　year　before　Montcalm　arrived。　He　meant

well　but　he　was　a　vain　man；　always　a　leading　figure　in　the　small

society　about　him；　and　obsessed　by　a　fussy　self…importance。　He

was　not　clever　enough　to　see　through　flattery。　The　Intendant

Bigot；　next　to　the　Governor　the　most　important　man　in　Canada；　an

able　and　corrupt　rascal；　knew　how　to　manage　the　Governor　and　to

impose　his　own　will　upon　the　weaker　man。　Vaudreuil　and　his　wife

between　them　had　a　swarm　of　needy　relatives　in　Canada；　and　these

and　other　Canadians　who　sought　favors　from　the　Governor　helped　to

sharpen　his　antagonism　to　the　officers　from　France。　Vaudreuil

believed　himself　a　military　genius。　It　was　he　and　not　Montcalm

who　had　the　supreme　military　command；　and　he　regarded　as　an

unnecessary　intruder　this　general　officer　sent　out　from　France。



Now　that　Montcalm　was　come；　Vaudreuil　showed　a　malignant

alertness；　born　of　jealousy；　to　snub　and　check　him。　Outward

courtesies　were；　of　course；　maintained。　Vaudreuil　could　be　bland

and　Montcalm　restrained；　in　spite　of　his　southern　temperament；

but　their　dispatches　show　the　bitterness　in　their　relations。　The

court　of　France　encouraged　not　merely　the　leaders　but　even

officers　in　subordinate　posts　to　communicate　to　it　their　views。　A

voluble　correspondence　about　affairs　in　Canada　has　been

preserved。　Vaudreuil　himself　must　have　tried　the　patience　of　the

French　ministers　for　he　wrote　at　prodigious　length；　exalting　his

own　achievements　to　the　point　of　being　ludicrous。　At　the　same

time　he　belittled　everything　done　by　Montcalm；　complained　that　he

was　ruining　the　French　cause　in　America；　hinted　that　he　was　in

league　with　corrupt　elements　in　Canada；　and　in　the　end　even　went

so　far　as　to　request　his　recall　in　order　that　the　more　pliant

Levis　might　be　put　in　his　place。　The　letters　of　Montcalm　are　more

reserved。　Unlike　Vaudreuil；　he　never　stooped　to　falsehood。　He

knew　that　he　was　under　the　orders　of　the　Governor　and　he　accepted

the　situation。　When　operations　were　on　hand；　Vaudreuil　would　give

Montcalm　instructions　so　ambiguous　that　if　he　failed　he　would　be

sure　to　get　the　discredit；　while；　if　he　su