— 331 — 



Galissonniere stopped before a chair covered with red 

 cloth, and stood there during the whole time of the 

 celebration of the Mass, which was celebrated by the 

 Bishop himself. From the Church he went to the 

 Palace, where the gentlemen of note in town after- 

 wards went to pay their respects to him. The religious 

 of the different orders, with their respective superiors, 

 likewise came to him, to testify their joy on account of 

 his happy arrival. Among the number that came to 

 visit him, none staid to dine but those that were invited 

 before hand, among which I had the honor to be. The 

 entertainment lasted very long, and was elegant as the 

 occasion required." 



In earlier times, the military and religious display 

 was blended with an aroma of literature and elaborate 

 indian oratory, combining prose and poetry. 



Our excellent friend, Francis Parkman, will tell us 

 what took place on the arrival,^ on the 28th July, 

 1658, of the Viscount D'Argenson, the Governor of the 

 colony. " When Argenson arrived to assume the 

 government, a curious greeting had awaited him. The 

 Jesuits asked him to dine ; vespers followed the repast ; 

 and then they conducted him into a hall where the 

 boys of their school — disguised, one as the Genius of 

 New France, one as the Genius of the Forest, and others 

 as Indians of various friendly tribes — made him speeches 

 by turn, in prose and in verse. First, Pierre du Quet, 

 who played the Genius of New France, presented his 

 Indian retinue to the Governor in a complimentary 

 harangue. Then four other boys, personating French 

 colonists, made him four flattering addresses, in French 

 verse. Charles Uenis, dressed as a Huron, followed, 

 bewailing the ruin of his people, and appealing to 

 Argenson for aid. Jean Francois Bourdon, in the 

 character of an Algonquin, next advanced on the plat- 

 form, boasted his courage, and declared that he Was 

 ashamed to cry like the Huron. The Genius of the 

 Forest now appeared, with a retinue of wild Indians 



