Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Laval, François de, 1623-1708
On their arrival the Recollet Fathers lodged not far from the Ursuline
Convent, till the moment when, their former monastery on the St. Charles
River being repaired, they were able to install themselves there. Some
years later they built a simple refuge on land granted them in the Upper
Town. Finally, having become almoners of the Chateau St. Louis, where
the governor resided, they built their monastery opposite the castle,
back to back with the magnificent church which bore the name of St.
Anthony of Padua. They reconquered the popularity which they had enjoyed
in the early days of the colony, and the bishop entrusted to their
devotion numerous parishes and four missions. Unfortunately, they
allowed themselves to be so influenced by M. de Frontenac, in spite of
repeated warnings from Mgr. de Laval, that they espoused the cause of
the governor in the disputes between the latter and the intendant,
Duchesneau. Their gratitude towards M. de Frontenac, who always
protected them, is easily explained, but it is no less true that they
should have respected above all the authority of the prelate who alone
had to answer before God for the religious administration of his
diocese.
FOOTNOTES:
[4] Racine's _Athalie_.
[5] A sort of porridge of water and pounded maize.
CHAPTER VIII
THE PROGRESS OF THE COLONY
This year, 1668, would have brought only consolations to Mgr. de Laval,
if, unhappily, M. de Talon had not inflicted a painful blow upon the
heart of the prelate: the commissioner obtained from the Sovereign
Council a decree permitting the unrestricted sale of intoxicating drinks
both to the savages and to the French, and only those who became
intoxicated might be sentenced to a slight penalty. This was opening the
way for the greatest abuses, and no later than the following year Mother
Mary of the Incarnation wrote: "What does the most harm here is the
traffic in wine and brandy. We preach against those who give these
liquors to the savages; and yet many reconcile their consciences to the
permission of this thing. They go into the woods and carry drinks to the
savages in order to get their furs for nothing when they are drunk.
Immorality, theft and murder ensue.... We had not yet seen the French
commit such crimes, and we can attribute the cause of them only to the
pernicious traffic in brandy."
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