— 357 — 



the rash scheme hatched by de Courcelles ; the con- 

 quest of New York and destruction of the chief settle- 

 ments in New England involving the dispersion of more 

 than eighteen thousand people, in the same manner a 

 British Commander sixty-six years later, (in 1755) tore 

 from their homes the peaceable Acadians of Grand- 

 Prl (1) 



I could enlarge to any extent the gloomy picture 

 which the history of this drooping period discloses. Two 

 skilful novelists, the one in the English language, Wm. 

 Kirby (2), of Niagara, the other in the French, 

 Joseph Marmette (3) of Quebec, have wooven two 

 graphic and stirring historical romances, out of the 

 materials which the career of the Intendant Bigot and 



whole expedition, he thought, might be accomplished in a 

 month ; so that by the end of October, the King would be 



master of the country 



It will be well to observe what were the instructions of the 

 King towards the colony which he proposed to conquer. They 

 were as follows : If any Catholics were found in New York, 

 they might be left undisturbed, provided that they took an 

 oath of allegiance to the King. Officers, and other persons 

 who had the means of paying ransons, were to be thrown into 

 prison. All lands in the colony, except those of Catholics 

 swearing allegiance, were to be taken from the owners, and 

 granted under feudal tenure to the French officers and 

 soldiers. All property, public or private, was to be seized, a 

 portion of it given to the grantees of the land, and the rest 

 sold on account of the King. Mechanics and other workmen 

 might, at the discretion of the commanding officer, be kept 

 as prisoners to work at fortifications and do other labor. The 

 rest of the English and Dutch inhabitants, men, women, and 

 children were to be carried out of the colony, and dispersed 

 in New England, Pennsylvania or other places, in such a 

 manner, that they could not combine in any attempt to 

 recover their property and their country. And that the con- 

 quest might be perfectly secure, the nearest settlements of 

 New England were to be destroyed, and those more remote, 



laid under contribution (Count Frentenac and Neiv France 



under Louis XIV, p. 187-9.) 



(1) See Appendix, verbo u Conquest in New York." 



(2) The Chien d'Or, a Legend of Quebec. 



(3) L'Intendant Bigot. 



