1675.] ANSWER OF LOUIS XIV. 41 



imprisoning an officer of your guard. To punish 

 him, I have had him placed for a short time in the 

 Bastile, that he may learn to be more circumspect 

 in the discharge of his duty, and that his example 

 may serve as a warning to others. But after 

 having thus vindicated my authority, which has 

 been violated in your person, I will say, in order 

 that you may fully understand my views, that you 

 should not without absolute necessity cause your 

 commands to be executed within the limits of a 

 local government, like that of Montreal, without 

 first informing its governor, and also that the ten 

 months of imprisonment which you have made 

 him undergo seems to me sufficient for his fault. 

 I therefore sent him to the Bastile merely as a 

 public reparation for having violated my author- 

 ity. After keeping him there a few days, I shall 

 send him back to his government, ordering him 

 first to see you and make apology to you for all 

 that has passed ; after which I desire that you re- 

 tain no resentment against him, and. that you treat 

 him in accordance with the powers that I have 

 given him." 1 



Colbert writes in terms equally measured, and 

 adds : " After having spoken in the name of his 

 Majesty, pray let me add a word in my own. By 

 the marriage which the king has been pleased to 

 make between the heiress of the house of Allegre 

 and my son, the Abbe d'Urfe has become very 

 closely connected with me, since he is cousin ger- 

 man of my daughter-in-law ; and this induces me 



1 Le Roi a Frontenac, 22 Avril, 1675. 



