40 FRONTENAC AND PERROT. [1675. 



them to take passports like laymen when travel- 

 ling about the colony, and even intercepted their 

 letters. These accusations and many others were 

 carried to the king and the minister by the Abbe 

 d'Urfe, who sailed in the same ship with Fenelon. 

 The moment was singularly auspicious to him. 

 His cousin, the Marquise d'Allegre, was on the 

 point of marrying Seignelay, the son of the minis- 

 ter Colbert, who, therefore, was naturally inclined 

 to listen with favor to him and to Fenelon, his 

 relative. Again, Talon, uncle of Perrot's wife, 

 held a post at court, which brought him into close 

 personal relations with the king. Nor were these 

 the only influences adverse to Frontenac and pro- 

 pitious to his enemies. Yet his enemies were dis- 

 appointed. The letters written to him both by 

 Colbert and by the king are admirable for calm- 

 ness and dignity. The following is from that of 

 the king : — 



" Though I do not credit all that has been told 

 me concerning various little annoyances which you 

 cause to the ecclesiastics, I nevertheless think it 

 necessary to inform you of it, in order that, if 

 true, you may correct yourself in this particular, 

 giving to all the clergy entire liberty to go and 

 come throughout all Canada without compelling 

 them to take out passports, and at the same time 

 leaving them perfect freedom as regards their 

 letters. I have seen and carefully examined all 

 that you have sent touching M. Perrot ; and, after 

 having also seen all the papers given by him 

 in his defence, I have condemned his action in 



