The news of the capture of Louisbourg was received in America and Europe with many rejoicings, and the eleven stands of colours won at this gateway of Canada were deposited in St. Paul's Cathedral {245} amid the roar of cannon. This victory came at an opportune moment, since Abercromby had suffered a humiliating repulse on the banks of Lake Champlain. With a splendid force of regular and provincial troops, from fourteen to fifteen thousand altogether, but entirely destitute of artillery,--an evidence of extraordinary incapacity, or of culpable negligence,--he had thrown himself upon most formidable entrenchments of fallen trees, with their sharp ends pointing outwards, that the French had ingeniously constructed in front of Carillon, which was still incomplete, and defended by less than three thousand men under Montcalm and Levis. The most unhappy incident of this disaster was the death of Lord Howe, described by Wolfe, who knew him well, "as the noblest Englishman that has appeared in my time, and the best soldier in the British army." Abercromby hurriedly retired to the head of Lake George, and was soon afterwards superseded by the cautious Amherst. Montcalm was greatly encouraged by the spirit of his soldiers throughout the attack, and erected a cross on the battle ground with the following inscriptions of his own--the latter his paraphrase of the first: Quid dux? Quid miles? Quid strata ingentia ligna? En signum! en victor! Deus hic, Deus ipse triumphat. "Chretien! ce ne fut point Montcalm et la prudence, Ces arbres renverses, ces heros, ces exploits, Qui des Anglais confus ont brise l'esperance, C'est le bras de ton Dieu, vainqueur sur cette croix." [2] {246} An important event of the year was the taking of Fort Frontenac by Colonel Bradstreet, who had assisted in the first siege of Louisbourg. The capture of this fort was regarded with every reason by the French as "of greater injury to the colony than the loss of a battle." Fort Duquesne, which was the key to the Ohio country, was abandoned by Ligneris on the approach of Brigadier Forbes, a very capable Scotch officer, but not until the French had beaten with considerable loss an advance of the main forces commanded by Major Grant. Ligneris withdrew his troops to Fort Machault (Venango), where he remained until the following year. Fort Duquesne was renamed in honour of Pitt, and a great manufacturing city has grown up on its site in the beautiful valley which, in 1758, passed away forever from the French who had only held possession of it for six short years. [1] His full name was Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm-Gozon de Saint-Veran, whose family seat was Candiac, near Nismes, in the south of France. [2] Parkman gives the following paraphrase of the Latin inscription; "Soldier and chief and ramparts' strength are nought; Behold the conquering cross! 'T is God the triumph wrought." {247} XVIII.