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LITERATURE OF FRENCH CANADA. 83 
filial and patriotic duty in issuing a new edition, with an introduction from the pen of 
M. Chauveau. With broader means of information, and working on a different plane, 
Ferland followed in the wake of Garneau, producing a work of invaluable importance, 
unfortunately left incomplete by the author’s premature death. The two works supple- 
ment each other nicely, and the details which they have left untold or undeveloped are 
supplied by the monumental work of Faillon, “ Histoire de la Colonie Française dans la 
Nouvelle-France,” of which, however, only three quartos have appeared, and the still later 
volumes of Sulte, “ Histoire des Canadiens-Francais,” now in process of periodical publica- 
tion. Among minor works or monographs restricted to certain periods, I may mention 
with praise Bedard’s “ Histoire de Cinquante Ans,” Turcotte’s history of “ Le Canada sous 
L'Union,” an epoch stretching from the union of the two old Provinces in 1841 to the 
broad era of Confederation in 1867, and the history of the rebellion in 1837-38 by L. O. 
David. M. David has also produced quite a number of biographies of eminent men, 
ecclesiastical and lay, written in a fluent, agreeable style and a rare spirit of impartiality. 
The chief of French-Canadian biographers is, however, the Abbé Casgrain, whose life of 
the Venerable Mother of the Incarnation is sufficient to establish any writer’s fame. But 
the Abbé has by no means contented himself with that work, and I may as well state 
here that this prolific and elegant writer has published with success a number of volumes 
of light literature, descriptive of the legends and traditions of the old Quebec district. He 
deservedly ranks as one of the best pens in the province. Another important contribution 
to biography is “ Les Canadiens de L'Ouest,” by Joseph Tassé, which won for its author a 
place in the Royal Society. This work has special interest from the fact that it chronicles 
the adventures of many of those remarkable Canadians who first explored the Great West 
from Detroit to Vancouver, and abounds with incidents that cannot be found elsewhere. 
The Abbé Desmazures has contributed a number of interesting biographical and historical 
sketces notably on Colbert and Faillon. Another work of inestimable value is “ La Généa- 
logie des Familles Canadiennes,” by l'Abbé Tanguay which is a perfect storehouse of 
useful reference. Of other detached biographies the number runs into the scores, and of 
course I am precluded from naming them. 
Il. 
POETS. 
And now the poets. Here French Canada can afford to smile in the assurance that 
she will never sink into oblivion, caret quia vate sacro. This department is well stored, and 
with works of superior excellence. The limits of my paper, barely allowing of enume- 
ration, will not admit of analysis, and much less of criticism, and hence I will not stop to 
justify the opinion that no country of its size or duration of intellectual life can point to a 
higher record in the realms of verse. The Canadian French are fond of music and song, a 
gay of temperament, particularly susceptible of the tender passion, greedy of adventure, 
and keenly imaginative. All these qualities point to a thirst for the poetical element, and 
the want has been abundantly supplied. The roll is a lengthy one of those who have 
voiced the aspirations of their countrymen, sung of their joys and sorrows, celebrated 
their glories, described the simple life of their village homes, and interpreted the meaning 
of their destinies. They are the two Garneaus, father and son, Lenoir, Fiset, Chauveau, 
