— 168 — 



Despite some blemishes, which it were easy to remove 

 and a few mannerisms, peculiar to Mr. Garneau, these 

 effusions commend themselves to the reader, by the 

 enduring loftiness of ideas and the nobleness of the 

 sentiments. In those creations of a less ambitious 

 flight, the poet, has been still happier ; for instance 

 those bearing the title, a mon fits (1838), les Oiseaux 

 Blancs (1839) ; VHiver (1840) and le Papillon (1841). 

 In the first piece " a mon ftls " the influence of Beran- 

 ger and his school is quite marked: "let us quote the 

 opening lines - : 



" Lorsque tu dors sur le sein de ta mere 

 Souvent mes yeux s'arretent sur tes traits 

 Ou les Zephirs sous la gaze legere." 



But space precludes me from giving more of this exqui- 

 site poem. Garneau's Oiseau Blanc, has ever been a 

 favorite. It is indeed pleasant to think that the blithe, 

 hardy friend of our boyhood, the Snow-bird, should 

 have furnished to both Garneau and Frechette the 

 subject of one of their most graceful effusions : — 

 Garneau's Oiseau Blanc begins thus : 



" Salut, petits oiseaux qui volez sur nos tetes, 

 Et de l'aile en passant, effleurez les frimas ; 

 Vous qui bravez le froid, berces par les tempetes 

 Venez tous les hivers voltiger sous nos pas." 



Frechette's Oiseau Blanc thus holds forth : 



" Quand sur nos plaines blanches, 

 Le givre des hivers 

 Commence a fondre aux branches, 

 Des sapins toujours verts ; 

 Quand chez nous se fourvoie 

 Avril, le mois des fleurs, 

 Le printemps nous envoie 

 Ces gais avant-coureurs." 



L Oiseau Blanc and Les Fleurs BorMes, were the 

 two poems which brought to Mr. Frechette his acade- 



