— 34 — 



with a sense of immense warlike preparations, they 

 dragged him over the three barricades of Mountain 

 street, and brought him at last into a large room of the 

 Chateau. Here they took the bandage from his eyes. 

 He stood for a moment with an air of astonishment and 

 some confusion. The governor stood before him, haughty 

 and stern, surrounded by French and Canadian officers, 

 Maricourt, Sainte Helene, Longueuil, Yillebon, Val- 

 renne, Bienville and many more, bedecked with gold 

 lace and silver lace, perukes and powder, plumes and 

 ribbons, and all the martial foppery in which they took 

 delight, and regarding the envoy with keen, defiant 

 eyes. After a moment he recovered his breath and 

 his composure, saluted Frontenac, and expressing a 

 wish that the duty assigned to him had been of a more 

 agreable nature, handed him the letter of Phips. Fron- 

 tenac gave it to an interpreter, who read it aloud in 

 French that all might hear." 



It was a summons, to Frontenac on behalf of their 

 Majesties, William and Mary, King and Queen of 

 England, to surrender the colony and closed thus. 

 " Your answer positive in an hour, returned by your 

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

 the peril that will ensue." 



" When the reading was finished, the Englishman 

 pulled his watch from his pocket, and handed it to the 

 governor, Frontenac could not, or pretended that he 

 could not see the hour. The messenger thereupon told 

 him that it was ten o'clock, and that he must have the 

 answer before eleven. A general cry of indignation 

 arose ; and Valrenne called out that Phips was nothing 

 but a pirate, and that his man ought to be hanged. 

 Frontenac contained himself for a moment, and then 

 said to the envoy : — " I will not keep you waiting so 

 long. Tell your general that I do not recognize King- 

 William ; and that the Prince of Orange, who so styles 

 himself, is a usurper, who has violated the most sacred 

 laws of blood in attempting to dethrone his father-in- 



