the conquest of new france-第7章

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monopoly　and　it　was　unfair　that　a　needy　governor　should　share　its

profits。　But；　after　all；　such　a　quarrel　was　only　between　rival

monopolists。　Better　a　trading　governor　than　one　who　plundered　the

people　or　who　by　drunken　profligacy　discredited　his　office。



While　all　Canada　was　devoted　to　the　Roman　Catholic　Church；　the

diversity　of　religious　beliefs　in　the　English　colonies　was　a

marked　feature　of　social　life。　In　Virginia；　by　law　of　the　colony；

the　Church　of　England　was　the　established　Church。　In

Massachusetts；　founded　by　stern　Puritans；　the　public　services　of

the　Church　of　England　were　long　prohibited。　In　Pennsylvania　there

was　dominant　the　sect　derisively　called　〃Quakers；〃　who　would　have

no　ecclesiastical　organization　and　believed　that　religion　was

purely　a　matter　for　the　individual　soul。　Boston　jeered　at　the

superstitions　of　Quebec；　such　as　the　belief　of　the　missionaries

that　a　drop　of　water；　with　the　murmured　words　of　baptism；

transformed　a　dying　Indian　child　from　an　outcast　savage　into　an

angel　of　light。　Quebec　might；　however；　deride　Boston　with　equal

justice。　Sir　William　Phips　believed　that　malignant　and　invisible

devils　had　made　a　special　invasion　of　Massachusetts；　dragging

people　from　their　houses；　pushing　them　into　fire　and　water；　and

carrying　them　through　the　air　for　miles　over　trees　and　hills。

These　devils；　it　was　thought；　took　visible　form；　of　which　the

favorite　was　that　of　a　black　cat。　Witches　were　thought　to　be　able

to　pass　through　keyholes　and　to　exercise　charms　which　would

destroy　their　victims。　While　Phips　and　Frontenac　were　struggling

for　the　mastery　of　Canada；　a　fever　of　excitement　ran　through　New

England　about　these　perils　of　witchcraft。　When；　in　1692；　Phips

became　Governor　of　Massachusetts；　he　named　a　special　court　to　try

accused　persons。　The　court　considered　hundreds　of　cases　and

condemned　and　hanged　nineteen　persons　for　wholly　imaginary

crimes。　Whatever　the　faults　of　the　rule　of　the　priests　at　Quebec；

they　never　equaled　this　in　brutality　or　surpassed　it　in　blind

superstition。　In　New　England　we　find　bitter　religious

persecution。　In　Canada　there　was　none：　the　door　was　completely

closed　to　Protestants　and　the　family　within　were　all　of　one　mind。

There　was　no　one　to　persecute。



The　old　contrast　between　French　and　English　ideals　still　endures。

At　Quebec　there　was　an　early　zeal　for　education。　In　1638；　the

year　in　which　Harvard　College　was　organized；　a　college　and　a

school　for　training　the　French　youth　and　the　natives　were　founded

at　Quebec。　In　the　next　year　the　Ursuline　nuns　established　at

Quebec　the　convent　which　through　all　the　intervening　years　has

continued　its　important　work　of　educating　girls。　In　zeal　for

education　Quebec　was　therefore　not　behind　Boston。　But　the　spirit

was　different。　Quebec　believed　that　safety　lay　in　control　by　the

Church；　and　this　control　it　still　maintains。　Massachusetts　came

in　time　to　believe　that　safety　lay　in　freeing　education　from　any

spiritual　authority。　Today　Laval　University　at　Quebec　and　Harvard

University　at　Cambridge　represent　the　outcome　of　these　differing

modes　of　thought。　Other　forces　were　working　to　produce

essentially　different　types。　The　printing…press　Quebec　did　not

know；　and；　down　to　the　final　overthrow　of　the　French　power　in

1763；　no　newspaper　or　book　was　issued　in　Canada。　Massachusetts；

on　the　other　hand；　had　a　printing…press　as　early　as　in　1638　and

soon　books　were　being　printed　in　the　colony。　Of　course；　in　the

spirit　of　the　time；　there　was　a　strict　censorship。　But；　by　1722；

this　had　come　to　an　end；　and　after　that　the　newspaper；　unknown　in

Canada；　was　busy　and　free　in　its　task　of　helping　to　mold　the

thought　of　the　English　colonies　in　America。







CHAPTER　III。　France　Loses　Acadia



The　Peace　of　Ryswick　in　1697　had　settled　nothing　finally。　France

was　still　strong　enough　to　aim　at　the　mastery　of　Europe　and

America。　England　was　torn　by　internal　faction　and　would　not

prepare　to　face　her　menacing　enemy。　Always　the　English　have

disliked　a　great　standing　army。　Now；　despite　the　entreaties　of　a

king　who　knew　the　real　danger；　they　reduced　the　army　to　the

pitiable　number　of　seven　thousand　men。　Louis　XIV　grew　ever　more

confident。　In　1700　he　was　able　to　put　his　own　grandson　on　the

throne　of　Spain　and　to　dominate　Europe　from　the　Straits　of

Gibraltar　to　the　Netherlands。　Another　event　showing　his　resolve

soon　startled　the　world。　In　1701　died　James　II；　the　dethroned

King　of　England；　and　Louis　went　out　of　his　way　to　insult　the

English　people。　William　III　was　King　by　the　will　of　Parliament。

Louis　had　recognized　him　as　such。　Yet；　on　the　death　of　James；

Louis　declared　that　James's　son　was　now　the　true　King　of　England。

This　impudent　defiance　meant；　and　Louis　intended　that　it　should

mean；　renewed　war。　England　had　invited　it　by　making　her　forces

weak。　William　III　died　in　1702　and　the　war　went　on　under　his

successor；　Queen　Anne。



Thus　it　happened　that　once　more　war…parties　began　to　prowl　on　the

Canadian　frontier；　and　women　and　children　in　remote　clearings　in

the　forest　shivered　at　the　prospect　of　the　savage　scourge。　The

English　colonies　suffered　terribly。　Everywhere　France　was

aggressive。　The　warlike　Iroquois　were　now　so　alarmed　by　the

French　menace　that；　to　secure　protection；　they　ceded　their

territory　to　Queen　Anne　and　became　British　subjects；　a

humiliating　step　indeed　for　a　people　who　had　once　thought

themselves　the　most　important　in　all　the　world。　By　1703　the

butchery　on　the　frontier　was　in　full　operation。　The　Jesuit

historian　Charlevoix；　with　complacent　exaggeration；　says　that　in

that　year　alone　three　hundred　men　were　killed　on　the　New　England

frontier　by　the　Abenaki　Indians　incited　by　the　French。　The

numbers　slain　were　in　fact　fewer　and　the　slain　were　not　always

men　but　sometimes　old　women　and　young　babies。　The　policy　of

France　was　to　make　the　war　so　ruthless　that　a　gulf　of　hatred

should　keep　their　Indian　allies　from　ever　making　friends　and

resuming　trade　with　the　English；　whose　hatchets；　blankets；　and

other　supplies　were；　as　the　French　well　knew；　better　and　cheaper

than　their　own。　The　French　hoped　to　seize　Boston；　to　destroy　its

industries　and　sink　its　ships；　then　to　advance　beyond　Boston　and

deal　out　to　other　places　the　same　fate。　The　rivalry　of　New

England　was　to　be　ended　by　making　that　region　a　desert。



The　first　fury　of　the　war　raged　on　the　frontier　of　Maine；　which

was　an　outpost　of　Massachusetts。　On　an　August　day　in　1703　the

people　of　the　rugged　little　settlement　of　Wells　were　at　their

usual　tasks　when　they　heard　gunshots　and　war…whoops。　Indians　had

crept　up　to　attack　the　place。　They　set　the　village　on　fire　and

killed　or　carried　off　some　twoscore　prisoners；　chiefly　women　and

children。　The　village　of　Deerfield；　on　the　northwestern　frontier

of　Massachusetts；　consisted　of　a　wooden　meeting…house　and　a

number　of　rough　cabins　which　lodged　the　two　or　three　hundred

inhabitants。　On　a　February　night　in　1704　savages　led　by　a　young

member　of　the　Canadian　noblesse；　Hertel　de　Rouville；　approached

the　village　silently　on　snowshoes；　waited　on　the　outskirts　during

the　dead　of　night；　and　then　just　before　dawn　burst　in　upon　the

sleeping　people。　The　work　was　done　quickly。　Within　an　hour　after

dawn　the　place　had　been　plundered　and　set　on　fire；　forty　or　fifty

dead　bodies　of　men　and　women　and　children　lay　in　the　village；　and

a　hundred　and　eleven　miserable　prisoners　were　following　their

captors　on　snowshoes　through　the　forest；　each　prisoner　well

knowing　that　to　fall　by　the　way　meant　to　have　his　head　split　by　a

tomahawk　and　the　scalp　torn　off。　When　on　the　first　night　one　of

them　slipped　away；　Rouville　told　the　others　that；　should　a

further　escape　occur；　he　would　burn　alive　all　those　remaining　in

his　hands。　The　minister　of　the　church　at　Deerfield；　the　Reverend

John　Williams；　was　a　captive；　together　with　his　wife　and　five

children。　The　wife；　falling　by　the　way；　was　killed　by　a　stroke　of

a　tomahawk　and　the　body　was　left