266 DEFENCE OF QUEBEC. [1600 



" Sir William Phips, Knight, General and Commander-in-chief in and over 

 their Majesties* Forces of New England, by Sea and Land, to Count 

 Frontenac, Lieutenant- General and Governour for the French King at 

 Canada ; or, in his absence, to his Deputy, or him or them in chief com~ 

 mnnd at Quebeck : 



" The war between the crowns of England and France doth 

 not only sufficiently warrant, but the destruction made by the 

 French and Indians, under your command and encouragement, 

 upon the persons and estates of their Majesties' subjects of New 

 England, without provocation on their part, hath put them 

 under the necessity of this expedition for their own security and 

 satisfaction. And although the cruelties and barbarities used 

 against them by the French and Indians might, upon the present 

 opportunity, prompt unto a severe revenge, yet, being desirous 

 to avoid all inhumane and unchristian-like actions, and to pre- 

 vent shedding of blood as much as may be, 



" I, the aforesaid William Phips, Knight, do hereby, in the 

 name and in the behalf of their most excellent Majesties, Wil- 

 liam and Mary, King and Queen of England, Scotland, France, 

 and Ireland, Defenders of the Faith, and by order of their said 

 Majesties' government of the Massachuset-colony in New Eng- 

 land, demand a present surrender of your forts and castles, 

 undemolished, and the King's and other stores, unimbezzled, 

 with a seasonable delivery of all captives ; together with a sur- 

 render of all your persons and estates to my dispose : upon the 

 doing whereof, you may expect mercy from me, as a Christian, 

 according to what shall be found for their Majesties' service 

 and the subjects' security. Which, if you refuse forthwith to 

 do, I am come provided, and am resolved, by the help of God, 

 in whom I trust, by force of arms to revenge all wrongs and 

 injuries offered, and bring you under subjection to the Crown 

 of England, and, when too late, make you w r ish you had ac- 

 cepted of the favour tendered. 



" Your answer positive in an hour, returned by your own 

 trumpet, with the return of mine, is required upon the peril 

 that will ensue." 1 



1 See the Letter in Mather, Magnolia, I. 186. The French kept a 

 copy of it, which, with an accurate translation, in parallel columns, was 

 sent to Versailles, and is still preserved in the Archives de la Marine. 

 The text answers perfectly to that given by Mather. 



