the conquest of new france-第5章

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some　of　his　rights　and　allow　England　to　retain　a　strip　some　fifty

miles　wide　extending　from　Maine　to　Florida。　France　has　the　right

to　the　whole　of　the　interior。　In　the　mind　of　the　reverend

memorialist；　no　doubt；　there　was　the　conviction　that　England

would　soon　lose　the　meager　strip；　fifty　miles　wide；　which　France

might　yield。



These　dreams　of　power　had　a　certain　substance。　It　seems　to　us　now

that；　from　the　first；　the　French　were　dreaming　of　the　impossible。

We　know　what　has　happened；　and　after　the　event　it　is　an　easy　task

to　measure　political　forces。　The　ambitions　of　France　were　not；

however；　empty　fancies。　More　than　once　she　has　seemed　on　the

point　of　mastering　the　nations　of　the　West。　Just　before　the　year

1690　she　had　a　great　opportunity。　In　England；　in　1660；　the　fall

of　the　system　created　by　Oliver　Cromwell　brought　back　to　the

English　throne　the　House　of　Stuart；　for　centuries　the　ally　and

usually　the　pupil　of　France。　Stuart　kings　of　Scotland；　allied

with　France；　had　fought　the　Tudor　kings　of　England。　Stuarts　in

misfortune　had　been　the　pensioners　of　France。　Charles　II；　a

Stuart；　alien　in　religion　to　the　convictions　of　his　people；

looked　to　Catholic　France　to　give　him　security　on　his　throne。

Before　the　first　half　of　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV　had　ended；　it　was

the　boast　of　the　French　that　the　King　of　England　was　vassal　to

their　King；　that　the　states　of　continental　Europe　had　become　mere

pawns　in　the　game　of　their　Grand　Monarch；　and　that　France　could

be　master　of　as　much　of　the　world　as　was　really　worth　mastering。

In　1679　the　Canadian　Intendant；　Duchesneau；　writing　from　Quebec

to　complain　of　the　despotic　conduct　of　the　Governor；　Frontenac；

paid　a　tribute　to　〃the　King　our　master；　of　whom　the　whole　world

stands　in　awe；　who　has　just　given　law　to　all　Europe。〃



To　men　thus　obsessed　by　the　greatness　of　their　own　ruler　it

seemed　no　impossible　task　to　overthrow　a　few　English　colonies　in

America　of　whose　King　their　own　was　the　patron　and　the　paymaster。

The　world　of　high　politics　has　never　been　conspicuous　for　its

knowledge　of　human　nature。　A　strong　blow　from　a　strong　arm　would；

it　was　believed　both　at　Versailles　and　Quebec；　shatter　forever　a

weak　rival　and　give　France　the　prize　of　North　America。　Officers

in　Canada　talked　loftily　of　the　ease　with　which　France　might

master　all　the　English　colonies。　The　Canadians；　it　was　said；　were

a　brave　and　warlike　people；　trained　to　endure　hardship；　while　the

English　colonists　were　undisciplined；　ignorant　of　war；　and

cowardly。　The　link　between　them　and　the　motherland；　said　these

observers；　could　be　easily　broken；　for　the　colonies　were　longing

to　be　free。　There　is　no　doubt　that　France　could　put　into　the

field　armies　vastly　greater　than　those　of　England。　Had　the　French

been　able　to　cross　the　Channel；　march　on　London　and　destroy

English　power　at　its　root；　the　story　of　civilization　in　a　great

part　of　North　America　might　well　have　been　different；　and　we

should　perhaps　find　now　on　the　banks　of　the　Hudson　what　we　find

on　the　banks　of　the　St。　Lawrencevillages　dominated　by　great

churches　and　convents；　with　inhabitants　Catholic　to　a　man；

speaking　the　language　and　preserving　the　traditions　of　France。

The　strip　of　inviolate　sea　between　Calais　and　Dover　made

impossible；　however；　an　assault　on　London。　Sea　power　kept　secure

not　only　England　but　English　effort　in　America　and　in　the　end

defeated　France。



England　had　defenses　other　than　her　great　strength　on　the　sea。　In

spite　of　the　docility　towards　France　shown　by　the　English　King；

Charles　II；　himself　half　French　in　blood　and　at　heart　devoted　to

the　triumph　of　the　Catholic　faith；　the　English　people　would

tolerate　no　policies　likely　to　make　England　subservient　to

France。　This　was　forbidden　by　age…long　tradition。　The　struggle

had　become　one　of　religion　as　well　as　of　race。　A　fight　for　a

century　and　a　half　with　the　Roman　Catholic　Church　had　made

England　sternly；　fanatically　Protestant。　In　their　suspicion　of

the　system　which　France　accepted；　Englishmen　had　sent　a　king　to

the　scaffold；　had　overthrown　the　monarchy；　and　had　created　a

military　republic。　This　republic；　indeed；　had　fallen；　but　the

distrust　of　the　aims　of　the　Roman　Catholic　Church　remained

intense　and　burst　into　passionate　fury　the　moment　an

understanding　of　the　aims　of　France　gained　currency。



There　are　indeed　few　passages　in　English　history　less　creditable

than　the　panic　fear　of　Roman　Catholic　plots　which　swept　the

country　in　the　days　when　Frontenac　at　Quebec　was　working　to

destroy　English　and　Protestant　influence　in　America。　In　1678；

Titus　Oates；　a　clergyman　of　the　Church　of　England　who　had　turned

Roman　Catholic；　declared　that；　while　in　the　secrets　of　his　new

church；　he　had　found　on　foot　a　plot　to　restore　Roman　Catholic

dominance　in　England　by　means　of　the　murder　of　Charles　II　and　of

any　other　crimes　necessary　for　that　purpose。　Oates　said　that　he

had　left　the　Church　and　returned　to　his　former　faith　because　of

the　terrible　character　of　the　conspiracy　which　he　had　discovered。

His　story　was　not　even　plausible；　he　was　known　to　be　a　man　of

vicious　life；　moreover；　Catholic　plotters　would　hardly　murder　a

king　who　was　at　heart　devoted　to　Catholic　policy。　England；

however；　was　in　a　nervous　state　of　mind；　Charles　II　was　known　to

be　intriguing　with　France；　and　a　cruel　fury　surged　through　the

nation。　For　a　share　in　the　supposed　plots；　a　score　of　people；

among　them　one　of　the　great　nobles　of　England；　the　venerable　and

innocent　Earl　of　Stafford；　were　condemned　to　death　and　executed。

Whatever　Charles　II　himself　might　have　thought；　he　was　obliged

for　his　own　safety　to　acquiesce　in　the　policy　of　persecution。



Catholic　France　was　not　less　malignant　than　Protestant　England。

Though　cruel　severity　had　long　been　shown　to　Protestants；　they

seemed　to　be　secure　under　the　law　of　France　in　certain　limited

rights　and　in　a　restricted　toleration。　In　1685；　however；　Louis

XIV　revoked　the　Edict　of　Nantes　by　which　Henry　IV　a　century

earlier　had　guaranteed　this　toleration。　All　over　France　there　had

already　burst　out　terrible　persecution；　and　the　act　of　Louis　XIV

brought　a　fiery　climax。　Unhappy　heretics　who　would　not　accept

Roman　Catholic　doctrine　found　life　intolerable。　Tens　of　thousands

escaped　from　France　in　spite　of　a　law　which；　though　it　exiled　the

Protestant　ministers；　forbade　other　Protestants　to　leave　the

country。　Stories　of　plots　were　made　the　excuse　to　seize　the

property　of　Protestants。　Regiments　of　soldiers；　charged　with　the

task；　could　boast　of　many　enforced　〃conversions。〃　Quartered　on

Protestant　households；　they　made　the　life　of　the　inmates　a　burden

until　they　abandoned　their　religion。　Among　the　means　used　were

torture　before　a　slow　fire；　the　tearing　off　of　the　finger　nails；

the　driving　of　the　whole　families　naked　into　the　streets　and　the

forbidding　of　any　one　to　give　them　shelter；　the　violation　of

women；　and　the　crowding　of　the　heretics　in　loathsome　prisons。　By

such　means　it　took　a　regiment　of　soldiers　in　Rouen　only　a　few

days　to　〃convert〃　to　the　old　faith　some　six　hundred　families。

Protestant　ministers　caught　in　France　were　sent　to　the　galleys

for　life。　The　persecutions　which　followed　the　revocation　of　the

Edict　of　Nantes　outdid　even　Titus　Oates。



Charles　II　died　in　1685　and　the　scene　at　his　deathbed　encouraged

in　England　suspicions　of　Catholic　policy　and　in　France　hope　that

this　policy　was　near　its　climax　of　success。　Though　indolent　and

dissolute；　Charles　yet　possessed　striking　mental　capacity　and

insight。　He　knew　well　that　to　preserve　his　throne　he　must　remain

outwardly　a　Protestant　and　must　also　respect　the　liberties　of　the

English　nation。　He　cherished；　however；　the　Roman　Catholic　faith

and　the　despotic　ideals　of　his　Bourbon　mother。　On　his　deathbed　he

avowed　his　real　belief。　With　great　precautions　for　secrecy；　he

was　received　into　the　Roman　Catholic　Church　and　comforted　with

the　consolations　which　it　offers　to　the　dying。　While　this　secret

was　susp