According to Dollier de Casson, M. Fancamp had also read with similar
emotion the same account which had influenced his friend. On his return
from the "Jesuits" M. de la Dauversière immediately related the reply
he had received and forthwith M. le Baron offered to associate himself
with him in his design and they both resolved to go to Paris together
to form some charitable body which should be ready to contribute to the
enterprise. A dramatic meeting took place there.[37]
"M. de la Dauversière," so says Dollier de Casson, "betook himself to a
mansion whither our lord conducted M. Olier." This is the celebrated M.
Olier who was afterwards the founder of the Seminary of St. Sulpice in
Paris and, indirectly, that of Montreal.
[Illustration: M. JEAN-JACQUES OLIER
Founder of Saint Sulpice in Paris and Montreal.]
Dollier de Casson continues: "These two servants of Jesus Christ
meeting in this mansion, were on a sudden enlightened by a heavenly and
altogether extraordinary gleam. They forthwith saluted one another and
embraced. They knew one another to the very depths of their souls, like
St. Francis and St. Dominic, without speaking, without anyone having
said a word to either of them, and without having previously seen one
another. After these tender embraces M. Olier said to M. Dauversière:
"I know your design. I am going to recommend it to God at the holy
altar."
This said, he left them and went to say holy mass, which M. Dauversière
heard, with a devotion altogether difficult to express when the
mind is not aglow with the same fire that consumed these great men.
Thanksgiving over, M. Olier gave M. de la Dauversière one hundred
pistoles, saying to him: "Take this then to commence the work of God!"
Thus the first interview ended.
Dollier de Casson leaves his readers to imagine with what joy and
eagerness this news is received by the "dear Baron le Fancamp." This
M. Fancamp afterwards became a priest and joined Dollier de Casson at
Montreal and no doubt he had told the first historian of Ville Marie
his story himself _per longum et latum_. Three new associates, friends
of M. Olier, were induced to finance the new venture, of whom the first
was the Baron de Renty, a man of admirable qualities, pious and filled
with apostolic zeal. These six, forming the nucleus of the Société de
Notre Dame de Montréal, determined to fit out an expedition to embark
in the spring of 1641.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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