320 AN INTERLUDE. [1691-93. 



minister. " He is spending a great deal of money ; 

 but he is master, and does what he pleases. I can 

 only keep the peace by yielding every thing." * 

 " He wants to reduce me to a nobody." And, 

 among other similar charges, he says that the gov- 

 ernor receives pay for garrisons that do not exist, 

 and keeps it for himself. " Do not tell that I said 

 so," adds the prudent Champigny, " for it Avould 

 make great trouble, if he knew it." 2 Frontenac, 

 perfectly aware of these covert attacks, desires the 

 minister not to heed " the falsehoods and impos- 

 tures uttered against me by persons who meddle 

 with what does not concern them." 3 He alludes 

 to Champigny's allies, the Jesuits, who, as he 

 thought, had also maligned him. "Since I have 

 been here, I have spared no pains to gain the good- 

 will of Monsieur the intenclant, and may God grant 

 that the counsels which he is too ready to receive 

 from certain persons who have never been friends 

 of peace and harmony do not some time make divi- 

 sion between us. But I close my eyes to all that, 

 and shall still persevere." 4 In another letter to Pon- 

 chartrain, he says : " I write you this in private, be- 

 cause I have been informed by my wife that charges 

 have been made to you against my conduct since 

 my return to this country. I promise you, Mon- 

 seigneur, that, whatever my accusers do, they will 

 not make me change conduct towards them, and 

 that I shall still treat them with consideration. I 



1 Champigny au Ministre, 12 Oct., 1691. 



2 Ibid. ,4 Nov., 1693. 



3 Frontenac au Ministre, 15 Sept., 1692. 



4 Ibid., 20 Oct., 1691. 



