登陆注册
15459300000003

第3章 CHAPTER I(3)

"True words and good, my Lord Bishop," replied the Governor; "the retention of all Flanders now in the strong hands of the Marshal de Saxe would be a poor compensation for the surrender of a glorious land like this to the English."

Flying rumors of some such proposal on the part of France had reached the Colony, with wild reports arising out of the endless chaffering between the negotiators for peace, who had already assembled at Aix la Chapelle. "The fate of America will one day be decided here," continued the Governor; "I see it written upon this rock, 'Whoever rules Quebec will sway the destinies of the continent.' May our noble France be wise, and understand in time the signs of empire and of supremacy!"

The Bishop looked upwards with a sigh. "Our noble France has not yet read those tokens, or she misunderstands them. Oh, these faithful subjects of hers! Look at them, your Excellency." The Bishop pointed toward the crowd of citizens hard at work on the walls. "There is not a man of them but is ready to risk life and fortune for the honor and dominion of France, and yet they are treated by the Court with such neglect, and burdened with exactions that take from life the sweet reward of labor! They cannot do the impossible that France requires of them--fight her battles, till her fields, and see their bread taken from them by these new ordinances of the Intendant."

"Well, my Lord," replied the Governor, affecting a jocularity he did not feel, for he knew how true were the words of the Bishop, "we must all do our duty, nevertheless: if France requires impossibilities of us, we must perform them! That is the old spirit! If the skies fall upon our heads, we must, like true Gauls, hold them up on the points of our lances! What say you, Rigaud de Vaudreuil? Cannot one Canadian surround ten New Englanders?" The Governor alluded to an exploit of the gallant officer whom he turned to address.

"Probatum est, your Excellency! I once with six hundred Canadians surrounded all New England. Prayers were put up in all the churches of Boston for deliverance when we swept the Connecticut from end to end with a broom of fire."

"Brave Rigaud! France has too few like you!" remarked the Governor with a look of admiration.

Rigaud bowed, and shook his head modestly. "I trust she has ten thousand better;" but added, pointing at his fellow-officers who stood conversing at a short distance, "Marshal de Saxe has few the equals of these in his camp, my Lord Count!" And well was the compliment deserved: they were gallant men, intelligent in looks, polished in manners, and brave to a fault, and all full of that natural gaiety that sits so gracefully on a French soldier.

Most of them wore the laced coat and waistcoat, chapeau, boots, lace ruffles, sash, and rapier of the period--a martial costume befitting brave and handsome men. Their names were household words in every cottage in New France, and many of them as frequently spoken of in the English Colonies as in the streets of Quebec.

There stood the Chevalier de Beaujeu, a gentleman of Norman family, who was already famed upon the frontier, and who, seven years later, in the forests of the Monongahela, crowned a life of honor by a soldier's death on the bloody field won from the unfortunate Braddock, defeating an army ten times more numerous than his own.

Talking gayly with De Beaujeu were two gallant-looking young men of a Canadian family which, out of seven brothers, lost six slain in the service of their King--Jumonville de Villiers, who was afterwards, in defiance of a flag of truce, shot down by order of Colonel Washington, in the far-off forests of the Alleghenies, and his brother, Coulon de Villiers, who received the sword of Washington when he surrendered himself and garrison prisoners of war, at Fort Necessity, in 1754.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 完美器灵分身

    完美器灵分身

    少年肖寒,上古神雷入体,修无上雷帝法体,踏破三千界!
  • 邪气老公抱不够:老公,么么哒

    邪气老公抱不够:老公,么么哒

    某女想离婚,她跑,他追。“夜墨轩,老娘要离婚!!!!”说着某女霸气甩出一张离婚协议书,某男淡定的瞥瞥,把离婚协议书撕成了两半,扑倒了女主。“夜墨轩,老娘要告你!!!”说着某女霸气的走向法庭,某男再一次淡定的看了看,直接扛回家进行扑到计划;“夜墨轩,老娘要相亲!!!!”某女大摇大摆走向相亲地点,对方一见钟情,结果…某男开着直升飞机,飞速赶来,“你妈比夜墨轩你把老娘放下来!!!”“哦。”某女被放了下来,但是为什么是床上。“月黑风高正适合干你。”某女第二天苦着一张脸,去上班,尼玛,顶头上司竟然也是他,哎~有完没完了。【本文纯属搞笑、宠文,但是嘞,为了各位身心健康,还是有虐虐小情节的。】
  • 四公主之恋爱

    四公主之恋爱

    书是写有着悲惨童年的四公主的恋爱,他们经历了挫折,终于得到了幸福。。
  • 踏破九霄

    踏破九霄

    在这个世界,天地玄黄二气并存,不过黄气被废,修行者只修玄气不练黄气,机缘巧合二气同体同修。
  • 世间安得双全法:步步倾心

    世间安得双全法:步步倾心

    雍正:我问佛为何让有情的人即使终成眷属,却依然不能长相厮守?佛无奈地看了我一眼,问我可知什么叫不知足?不及我答,便说你这便是。他说,人不可能什么都得到,想要得到一些,就必然会失去另一些。可是阿菲,你可知道我曾经真的愿意为你倾尽天下,放下一切?但是,为什么我们还是走到这番地步?站在金銮殿上,他是令人不寒而栗的冷面君王。浪迹在京城街巷,他是悲天悯人的柔情大夫。他的一生从即位之初到突然辞世都是史学上难解的谜案。有人说他是圣君,也有人说他是暴君。他的一生集毁誉于一身,他就是清世宗雍正爱新觉罗胤禛——我穿越清朝的夫君。本文讲述的是雍正、年妃、年羹尧之间缠绵悱恻的动人故事。
  • 末世狩魔

    末世狩魔

    狂乱的雷暴,倾盆的辐射雨,酷热之天,核尘风暴,天动地摇的地震……一切都和被困在一栋倒塌大楼负五层的洛亚无关,他日复一日,年复一年地用食指控制一条由水管钻到地面的肉质触手去捕捉路过的生物,吸收生物的养份维持生命,进化身体,等待重见天日一天……!外面会变成什么样子呢?在超速进化的生物肆虐下人类还存在么?
  • 执法者的历练之路

    执法者的历练之路

    当天族凌氏冷酷俊美的执法者到达凌云大陆会发生什么呢拭目以待吧
  • 总裁的第一夫人:带着玫瑰来爱你

    总裁的第一夫人:带着玫瑰来爱你

    为了找个住处祈清就把自己“卖了”,跟人家结婚了。可是明明老总裁爱的是他的助理,这怎么一下子转性了呢?婚后生活明明是各过个的,为什么总裁想要亲亲呢?当老总裁拿出证据证明了自己的妈妈是杀人犯的时候,祈清才明白这一切都不是天意而是人为!等一下,说好的要开撕呢?怎么荣大老板把祈清这个二缺的猛货宠上天了呢?
  • 繁年木夏

    繁年木夏

    被人收养就算了,居然还和五个男的同居了,没事,这也就算,竟然还被扯上了这么多事,误会,陷害,背叛......这日子还让不让人活了,可这也忍了,靠,好不容易爱上了一个人,居然航班出事了,女主的爱情结局会怎样?
  • 邪魅校草恋上冷艳校花

    邪魅校草恋上冷艳校花

    少年诚恳的说“米兰,我爱你”女孩莞尔一笑“我也一样…”他们青梅竹马,他们一起享受过纸醉金迷的日子,也一起渡过无家可归的日子,他们陪伴对方走过童年、少时,也同样会陪伴对方走到夕阳西下之时……