1901-2 TRANSACTIONS. 25 



masterful Dollier de Casson ruled the spiritual destinies of 

 Ville-Marie. 



" Marguerite de Roberval," 1 by Mr. T. G. Marquis, 

 Principal of the Collegiate Institute at Brockville, is a 

 romance of the days of Jacques Cartier. h is founded on a 

 picturesque old legend, which the eirl\ French-Canadian his* 

 torians gave credence to, but which ParkuKui would not vouch 

 for. The legend was to the effect that Roberval on his final 

 voyage to New France brought with him his beautiful niece, 

 Marguerite. Her lover slipped on board the vessel withotit 

 Roberval's knowledge or permissioii, and in fact against his 

 express command. His discovery led to a violent scene. Sub- 

 sequently, maiicious friends came to Roberval with scandalous 

 tales involving: Marguerite and her lover. Roberval's rage 

 now knew no bounds, and embraced Marguerite as well as 

 her lover. He left them unpunishe-1 nnlil the vessel reached 

 'a bleak, uninhabited island, .'omewliere near the Straits of 

 Helie Isle, called stiggestively the Isle of Demons. Here he 

 put them ashore with a few provisions, and abandoned them 

 to their fate. In some versions ot the story Marguerite's old 

 nurse was permitted to accompany her unfortunate mistress. 

 The tragic history of their life on the desolate and haunted 

 island, furnishes the substance of Mr. Marquis's romance. 

 Marguerite is finally left the sole survivor, is rescued by 

 a passing vessel, and carried back to France, where she tells 

 her pitiful tale to the nuns of a friendly convent. The same 

 story has been graphically told in a long narrative poem, by 

 the late Mr. Geo. Martin, of Montreal. Colonel Hunter- 

 Duvar, the Prince Edward Island {)oet, also worked it into his 

 drama "Roberval." It will be fotmd, in a somewhat differ- 

 ent form, in the famotis collection of tales, " The Heptamer- 

 on," of Marguerite of Navarre. 



Mr. Edgar M. Smith, is the author of an historical 

 romance entitled " Aneroestes the Gaul,' - which has been 



I London, 1899. 



2. Fisher Unwin, London, 1898. Grafton & Son, Montreal. 



