[m'lachlan] FLEURY MESPLET, FIRST PRINTER AT MONTREAL 205 



Capital." ^ This sti-eet, wide enough at the time it was opened up, 

 but now considered a narrow lane, parallel with and between St. Paul 

 Street and the river front, extends from St. Sulpice (St. Joseph) to 

 St. Francois Xavier Streets; crossing in its course the Market Place, 

 now Place Royale. We may therefore conclude that this house stood 

 on or near the site now occupied by the Sailors Institute. The place 

 Avas fitted up, part as a book store, part as a dwelling, with the garret 

 as the printing room. Here Mesplet remained, from all we can make 

 out, until May, 1788, when he transferred the scene of his labours to 

 44 Notre Dame Street, near the Recollet monastery, which stood between 

 St. Helen and St. Peter Streets. 



But before he was ready for work his patron, Franklin, had 

 departed, convinced of the failure of his mission. The other commis- 

 sioners remained until the 29th of May to close up affairs; and by 

 the 10th of June the Continental army had evacuated Montreal, leaving 

 many unpaid debts behind, besides the Avorthless continental currency 

 with which the countr}^ had been flooded. Mesplet having all his 

 capital locked up in his type and presses and this same continental 

 currency, found it impossible to get away, and probably feeling more 

 at hom.e and more hopeful of succeeding among a people speaking his 

 OAATi language, decided to remain and with his staff continue the busine.-;s. 

 But no sooner had the " loyalists " returned to ]\Iontreal than they 

 began so to regard Mesplet with such suspicion that, on the 18th of 

 June, he and the whole of his party were arrested, as sympathizers 

 with the rebels, and detained in prison for twenty-six days. During 

 tliis imprisonment he was subjected to all sorts of indignities.'' 



On the 14th of July, having been released, he was again ready 

 for business, but the issue of a newspaper had to be postponed, for Mr. 

 Pochard became so disgusted with the unceremonious treatment and 

 imprisonment to which he had l^een subjected, determined to leave the 

 country. He demanded compensation for his time since he had been 

 engaged in Philadelphia and the cost of his passage to France, which 

 items ]\Iesplet had to meet to the extent of $160. '^ This proved an 

 unfortunate occurrence for, while delaying the issue of the proposed 

 paper for two whole years, it brought Mesplet under the questionable 

 influence of the new editor, an influence that did not conduce to his 

 political or moral advancement in the new atmosphere in which he 

 found himself. 



' See appendix E 56. 



' See appendix D No. 33. 



'Ibid Nos. 33 and 42. 



