— 358 — 



the desertion of the colony in its hour of trial, by France, 

 so abundantly supply. One redeeming trait, one 

 flash of sunshine lights up the last hour of French 

 domination ; the devotion of the Canadian militia 

 towards their oblivious mother-country ; their dauntless 

 courage, at the Beauport engagement, after the battle 

 of the Plains, 13 Sept., 1759 — and at the battle of Ste. 

 Foye, on the 29th April, 1760, a day glorious to French 

 arms, but at best, a bootless victory. 



Ladies and Gentlemen. — You were told at the opening 

 of this address, that the carnival of riotous dissipation, 

 gambling and public plunder, kept up for ten years at 

 Bigot's luxurious palace, on the banks of the St. Char- 

 les, by his pampered minions and low-born parasites 

 " would close with the wail of anguish and the roll of 

 the muffled drum. " You shall not have long to wait. 



The Morning of the 13th September, 1759, has 

 dawned ; an astounding rumour fills the air ; the 

 citizens of Quebec repeat with bated breath : Wolfe's 



ARMY IS AT THE CITY GATES 



Hark ! What means this deafening roar of artillery, 

 this hissing of shot and shell, these rolling, murderous 

 volleys of musketry in the direction of the heights of 

 Abraham ? 



Hark ! to these loud cheers, British cheers mixed 

 with the discordant yells of those savage warriors, 

 Fraser's Highlanders ! The fate of a continent has just 

 been decided. The genius of William Pitt has trium- 

 phed, though victory was bought at a dear price. 



Here comes from St. Louis Gate (1) on his way to 



(1) In accepting the Chateau St. Louis as the spot where 

 Montcalm expired, we still wish to leave the question an 

 open one. Did Montcalm expire at the Chateau f under 

 Dr. Arnoux' roof, ? at the General Hospital ? as averred by 

 Capt. John Knox, or possibly, under his own roof, on the 

 Eamparts, near Hope Gate ? this point is not yet cleared up. 

 See disquisition in Album du Touriste " Ou est mort Mont- 

 calm ? " 



