— 182 — 



LES ANCIENS CANADIENS — LES MEMOIES. 



II 



In the previous chapter, the reader has followed 

 M. de Gaspe through his bright, sunny boyhood, his 

 boisterous youth, his sport-loving manhood, so full of 

 promise and professional success at its dawn, in its 

 zenith, clouded and very dark. 



His first work, Les Anciens Canadiens, by its fresh- 

 ness and piquancy of style and by its wealth of old 

 souvenirs, and traditions accumulated in its copious 

 appendix, had quite taken by storm the little literary 

 world of the " Ancient Capital ; " congratulations, eulog- 

 istic reviews and critiques, poured in from all quarters. 

 De Gaspe's heroes and heroines, Jules de Haberville, 

 his lovely sister Blanche, Archy Lockeil, the old gen- 

 tilhomme M. d'Egmont, were in every one's mouth, 

 discussed, admired. 



" Les Anciens Canadiens " was more than a pleasing 

 tale, illustrative of early colonial life and Canadian 

 scenes : it struck one as an artistic canvass, alive with 

 romantic personages and dramatic events, recalling the 

 days of alarm, rout and blooshed of 1759. Under the 

 veiled figure of M. d'Egmont, a careful eye could recog- 

 nize the still genial, but saddened face of the Laird of 

 Haberville Manor in his exile. 



In the graphic description of the shipwreck of the 

 transport August e, on the storm-beaten shores of Cape 

 Breton, in 1761, the harrowing drowning-scene of a 

 group of distinguished Canadians expatriating them- 

 selves and returning to France, was reproduced with 

 marvellous, realistic effect. 



