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It mildly reflected French aristocracy and supplied 

 agents to distribute lands. It differed from French, 

 feudalism, the censitaire or tenant was not bound to the 

 lord of the manor by military service : " the royai 

 governor called out the militia and set over it what 

 officers he pleased ". The settler's lot on Canadian soil, 

 was far above, in degree of comfort and importance, 

 that of the French peasant. He styled himself habitant ; 

 he had come to habiter le pays, was proud of the title 

 as it distinguished him, he being a permanent, from 

 the transient trader, who arrived in the colony with the 

 spring ships and returned to France in the autumn, and 

 was perhaps only a government official. A f ast land 

 grants or seigniories, were made to distinguished settlers 

 or French officers, on the express condition of fealty and 

 homage to the king, or his representative at the chateau 

 St. Louis, at Quebec and, also, on the express under- 

 taking of themselves, clearing or conceding to settlers to 

 be cleared, the lands patented to them by the crown, 

 under penalty of forfeiture of patent, a not unfrequent 

 occurrence. 



Thus these large tracts of land were prevented from 

 becoming waste. Canadian seigneurs, as a rule were 

 not wealthy, though several, through their thrift and 

 intelligence were prosperous. Among others may be 

 noted, Berthelot, proprietor of the Comte de St. Laurent 

 on the island of Orleans, facing Quebec ; Jacques 

 Le Ber, a Montreal trader, who accumulated wealth, . 

 some 6000 livres, wherewith, he purchased his patent 

 of nobility ; Bobineau, the owner of the Barony of 

 Portneuf, near Quebec ; the younger Charles Le 

 Moyne, later on, Baron de Longueuil, and whose title 

 has been lately revived by our gracious Sovereign. Of 

 the younger Charles Le Moyne, Frontenac the Governor 

 says : " Son fort et sa maison nous donnent une idee 

 des chateaux de France fortifies. " His fort was of 

 stone and flanked with four towers. It was nearly 





