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feet, and to which you afcend by a double flight of 

 flairs. The garden front which faces the little river, 

 which ftands very near upon a level with it, is much 

 more agreeable than that by which you enter. The 

 king's magazines face the court on the right fide, 

 and behind that is the prifon. The gate by which 

 you enter is hid by the mountain, on which the 

 upper town ftands, and which on this fide affords 

 no profpedt, except that of a fteep rock, extremely 

 difagreeable to the fight. It was ftill worfe before 

 the fire, which reduced fome years ago this whole 

 palace to afhes \ it having at that time no outer 

 court, and the buildings then facing the ftreet which 

 was very narrow. As you go along this ftreet, or to 

 fpeak more properly, this road, you come firft of 

 all into the country, and at the di fiance of half a 

 quarter of a league you find the Hofpital- General. 

 This is the fineft houfe in all Canada, and would 

 be no difparagement to our largeft cities in France ; 

 the Fathers -Recollects formerly owned the ground 

 on which it ftands. M. de St. Vallier, bifhop of 

 Quebec, removed them into the city, bought their 

 fettlement, and expended a hundred thoufand crowns 

 in buildings, furniture, and in foundations. The only 

 fault of this hofpital is its being built in a marfii ; 

 they hope to be able to remedy it by draining this 

 marfh * but the river St. Charles makes a winding 

 in this place, into which the waters do not eafily 

 flow, fo that this inconvenience can never be effec- 

 tually removed. 



The prelate, who is the founder, has his apart- 

 ment in the houfe, which he makes his ordinary re- 

 fidence \ having let his palace, which is alfo his own 

 building, for the benefit of the poor. He even is 

 not above ferving as chaplain to the hofpital, as 

 well as to the nuns, the functions of which office, 



he 



