202 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Now, did Mesplet print a book when at Quebec in 1775, as is 

 claimed by G-aignon.^ Tliis seems altogether impossilile, for the very- 

 good reason that Mesplet's stay in Quebec was not sufficiently prolonged 

 to undertake any extensive work, and then he had no type or press 

 with him. The incorrect attribution by Gagnon of the book, " Cantiques 

 de Marseille," dated 1776 at Quebec - to the year 1775 — of which more 

 later on — will account for tlie error. 



As Mesplet had to pass through Montreal on his way to and from 

 Quebec he had an opportunity of seeing and learning something of the 

 place that was to be the arena of his future labours as a printer. There 

 most likely he secured an order ivoni the Seminary of Montreal for 

 the first edition of " Eèglement de la Confrérie de l'adoration perpétu- 

 elle," ^ which order he executed on his return to Philadelphia ; Init, 

 fearing complications, suppressed his imprint. The " Nouvelle édition, 

 re^me, corrigée et augmentée," * has long been classed as the first book 

 printed in Montreal, although some collectors are inclined to pass back 

 the honour to the first edition; but it seems hardly possible thait two 

 editions of a book of this kind could have been printed within the 

 short space of six months. Then they seem to have been set up from 

 different fonts of type, for the first edition contains a number of var- 

 ieties of ornamental dividing lines, all diflîering from the single variety 

 that occurs in the second edition. The only other alternative is that this 

 first edition was printed at Quebec, or France as is claimed by Dionne.^ 

 But neither of these alternatives seems probable; the first because there 

 would be no reason for suppressing the imprint, and in the second, 

 because the importation of books from France Avas prohibited. 



Shortly after he had resumed operations in Philadelphia he entered 

 into partnership with his friend, C. Berger. One publication bears 

 his oym imprint alone,® two are without imprints;'^ one of these having 

 been printed by an " Imprimeur x\mbulant," Avhile the " Eèglement Mili- 

 taire,"^ for which, by resolution of Congress, dated 23rd of February, 

 1776, he was paid $44,^ was in his first work in partnership with Berger. 

 This partnership continued until September, 1778, when the name C. 

 Berger disappears from the imprints. 



^ Essai de Bibliographie Canadienne, P. Gagnon, Quebec, 1895, page 102. 

 ■■' See appendix A 10. 

 ''Ibid No. 6. 



* See appendix A No. 8, also Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada. 

 Second Series Vol. X. part 2, page 13. 

 ^ Ibid. 



" See appendix A No. 4. 

 ' See appendix A Nos. 3 and 5. 

 " See appendix A No. 6. 

 » See appendix D No. 19. 



