MONTCALM AID LEVIS. 



For those desirous of following the main incidents of 

 the memorable Seven Year's War, 1756-63 in Canada, 

 as well as studying the social record of the period in 

 its minute details, two recent standard works are now 

 available : Parkman's, " Montcalm and Wolfe " for 

 the English reader, and Casgrain's, " Montcalm and 

 Levis " for French Canadians. 



The story told by both writers may be the same, but 

 the frame-work, the colouring, the lights and shades of 

 the picture often materially differ. Nor is the summing 

 up of the case and the verdict likely to be entered, the 

 same ; for here, we are face to face with two different — 

 shall we say antagonistic, schools of thought ? 



This extremely interesting phase of the subject, lack 

 of space forbids us entering into. We shall merely, 

 confine ourselves to a few glimpses of the two French 

 commanders in their every-day life. 



Able generals, Montcalm and Levis unquestionably 

 proved themselves ; both equally free of the taint of 

 malversation of office and speculation ; as such, very 

 unlike the members of La Grande SociSte', of which 

 Francois Bigot, the Intendant, was the High priest. 

 But was their influence and that of their military fol- 

 lowers morally beneficial to the colony ? Old memoirs, 

 corroborated by the recently published correspondence 

 of the military leaders, leave strong grounds to doubt. 



The sole object of French officers in accepting com- 

 mands, in what they styled the Canadian wilderness, 

 was military promotion. At each page of the corres- 

 pondence, we find them asking, as Abbe Casgrain well 



