326 AN INTERLUDE. [1694. 



Mareuil, who, he says, " uses language capable of 

 making Heaven blush," and whom he elsewhere 

 stigmatizes as "worse than a Protestant." x It was 

 Mareuil who, as reported, was to play the part of 

 Tartuffe ; and on him, therefore, the brunt of epis- 

 copal indignation fell. He was not a wholly ex- 

 emplary person. " I mean," says La Motte, " to 

 show you the truth in all its nakedness. The 

 fact is that, about two years ago, when the Sieur 

 cle Mareuil first came to Canada, and was carousing 

 with his friends, he sang some indecent song or 

 other. The count was tolcl of it, and gave him a 

 severe reprimand. This is the charge against him. 

 After a two years' silence, the pastoral zeal has 

 wakened, because a play is to be acted which the 

 clergy mean to stop at any cost." 



The bishop found another way of stopping it. 

 He met Frontenac, with the intendant, near the 

 Jesuit chapel, accosted him on the subject which 

 filled his thoughts, and offered him a hundred 

 pistoles if he would prevent the playing of " Tar- 

 tuffe." Frontenac laughed, and closed the bargain. 

 Saint- Vallier wrote his note on the spot ; and the 

 governor took it, apparently well pleased to have 

 made the bishop disburse. " I thought," writes 

 the intendant, " that Monsieur de Frontenac would 

 have given him back the paper." He did no such 

 thing, but drew the money on the next clay and 

 gave it to the hospitals. 2 



1 Mandement an Sujet des Comedies, 16 Jan., 1694 ; Mandement an Sujet 

 de certaines Personnes qui tenoient des Discours impies, me me date ; Registre 

 du Conseil Souverain. 



2 This incident is mentioned by La Motte-Cadillac ; by the intendant, 



