1642.] MARGUERITE BOURGEOYS. 201 



All was ready ; the ships set sail ; but Oher, 

 Dauversiere, and Fancamp remained at home, as 

 did also the other Associates, with the exception 

 of Maisonneuve and Mademoiselle Mance. In the 

 following February, an impressive scene took place 

 in the Church of Notre Dame, at Paris. The As- 

 sociates, at this time numbering about forty-five,^ 

 with Olier at tlieu' head, assembled before the altar 

 of the Virgin, and, by a solemm ceremonial, conse- 

 crated Montreal to the Holy Family. Henceforth 

 it was to be called Villemarie de Montreal,^ — a 

 sacred town, reared to the honor and under the 

 patronage of Christ, St. Joseph, and the Virgin, to 

 be typified by three persons on earth, founders 

 respectively of the three destined communities, — 

 Olier, Dauversiere, and a maiden of Troyes, Mar- 

 guerite Bourgeoys : the seminary to be consecrated 

 to Christ, the Hotel-Dieu to St. Joseph, and the 

 college to the Vu'gin. 



But we are anticipating a little ; for it was sev- 

 eral years as yet before Marguerite Bourgeoys took 

 an active part in the work of Montreal. She was 

 the daughter of a respectable tradesman, and was 

 now twenty-two years of age. Her portrait has 

 come down to us ; and her face is a muTor of 

 frankness, loyalty, and womanly tenderness. Her 

 qualities Avere those of good sense, conscientious- 

 ness, and a warm heart. She had known no mu'a- 

 cles, ecstasies, or trances ; and though afterwards, 



1 Dollier de Casson, A.D. 1641-42, MS. Vimont says thirty-five. 



2 Vimont, Relation, 1642, 37. Compare Le Clerc, Etablissement de U 

 Fay, n. 49. 



