34 JOHN LESPERANCE. 



landers. That flag is religiously preserved at Quebec by M. Baillairgé, who is expected to 

 display it in the procession of St. Jean Baptiste Day, which will take place in Montreal ou 

 the 24th of June. Superior even to the two pieces just mentioned is the Promenade des 

 Trois Mois, a weird fantasy, wherein the dialogue between the worm and the corpse is 

 replete with terrible thoughts of death and the dread Hereafter. 



Next in merit to Crémazie, and haud longo intervallo, is M. Frechette, President for the 

 year of the French Section of the Eoyal Society. Of all Canadian poets he is the best 

 known to English readers, because of his adequate knowledge of our language, his social 

 relations with our people, and the circumstance of his having received the Mouthyon 

 award of the French Academy, an honour somewhat akin to the Newdegate Prize. 

 M. Frechette is a very careful writer, chiselling his verses according to the most approved 

 Horatian rule. The flowers of his youthful genius were gathered in a small volume, en- 

 titled ilfes Loisirs, which at once established his reputation. This was followed by Pel Mel, 

 a work of richer promise and riper fruit. The equipment with which he presented him- 

 self before the French Academy was two little collections appropriately called Fleurs 

 Boréales and Oiseaux de Neige. He has written constantly ever since, and I happen 

 to know that he has ready two important volumes, containing a series of narrative poems 

 designed to celebrate the principal events of the history of Canada from the beginning of 

 the Colony. The poet excels in this species of composition and from the few examples 

 lately published, such as " 18'70," Notre Histoire, Le Drapeau Fantôme, and others, we may 

 expect the most valuable contributions yet made to the literature of French Canada. 

 M. Frechette plays with success on many notes. His verse, always perfect in form, 

 breathes strength and tenderness, while the thought is always thoroughly limpid. He is 

 a master of the sonnet, in which frame some of his prettiest conceits are enshrined. Among 

 his lyrical efforts, La Découverte du Mississippi is, perhaps, the best, and I think that he is him- 

 self of that opinion. His vision of the romantic figirres that passed along the mighty river 

 in the heroic days of discovery and exploration is very poetical, and the contrast between 

 the ancient wilderness and the progress of to-day is set forth with power. Victor Hugo 

 could not have written more splendid strophes than these : — 



" Oui, deux siècles ont fui. La solitude vierge 

 N'est plus là ! Du progrès le flot montant submerge 

 Les vestiges derniers d'un passé qui finit. 

 Où le désert dormait grandit la métropole ; 

 Et le fleuve as.servi courbe sa largo épaule 



Sous l'arche aux piliers de granit. 



Plus de forêts sans fin ; la vapeur les sillonne ! 



L'astre des jours nouveaux sur tous les points rayonne; 



L'enfant de la nature est evangelise ; 



Le soc du laboureur fertilise la plaine, 



Et le surplus doré de sa gerbe trop pleine 



Nourrit le vieux monde éjjuisé." 



M. Pamphile Lemay now deserves our attention. In 1865 he published his Essais 

 Poétiques, which included his remarkable translation of Longfellow's Evangeline, revised 

 and re-edited by him in 18*70. This work is sufficient of itself to establish any writer's 

 reputation. In 186;' appeared La Découverte du Canada, a poem which was crowned by 



