CHAPTER XX. [i.e., xix.

HOW MADAME LA MARQUISE DE GUERCHEVILLE OBTAINED FROM THE KING THE LANDS OF [187] NEW FRANCE, AND THE HELP WHICH SHE SENT THERE.

SIEUR du Potrincourt having returned to France in the month of August of the year 1611, as has been said above, searched on all sides for ways and means of being able to help his people, who he knew could not continue long without reinforcements and fresh food. The trouble was to find some good Æolus, King of the South and North winds, who would be willing to give them, not as they were given to Ulysses, bound up in a leather bag so as not to blow, but free and propitious to swell the sails, for without this no ship could advance. Now considering that Madame la Marquise de Guercheville had the conversion of the Savages very much at heart; that she had [188] already procured some donations for the Jesuits, which they received very gratefully; and seeing that many rare virtues shone in her character, he thought that she might readily favor this good work. He spoke to her about it, and the Lady responded that she would willingly enter into the partnership which sieur Robin and the Jesuits had formed with him for assisting Canada, provided that this was the wish of the partners, and that she would aid them all with affectionate interest. You may judge whether the Jesuits ought to have refused this proposition, or whether sieur Robin, upon whom Canada already weighed rather heavily, was dissatisfied with it. Thus then the contract of association[33] was entered into, the Lady being authorized to do this by sieur de Liencourt, chief Equerry of his Majesty, and Governor of Paris, her honored [189] and worthy husband.[42] By this contract it was arranged that the Lady should give at once a thousand écus for the lading of a ship, and in consideration of this she would have a share both in the profits which said ship would bring back from the country, and in the lands which his Majesty had given to sieur de Potrincourt, as is amply set forth in the minutes. In this contract, sieur de Potrincourt reserves for himself Port Royal and its lands, and says that it is not to be understood that he enters into partition or transference of other Seigneuries, Capes, Harbors, and Provinces, which he gives to understand he possesses in that country, outside of Port Royal. Now Madame la Marquise summoned sieur de Potrincourt to produce the papers and documents, by which he could prove these his so great appurtenances and domains; he excused himself, saying [190] that he had left them in new France. This answer made the Lady suspicious, and, as she is prudent, means were not lacking to guard against fraud; for she arranged with sieur Pierre du Gua, called de Monts, that he should give up to her all rights, claims and pretensions that he had, and ever had had, in new France, based upon the deed of gift made to him by the late Henry the Great. Also on the other hand she secured letters from his Majesty now reigning, by which a deed of gift was newly granted her of all the lands, ports, and harbors of new France from the great river to Florida, with the sole exception of Port Royal. And in this way he, who was thought to be so shrewd, found himself, against his choice, locked up and confined as in a prison within his Port [181 i.e., 191] Royal; because, in truth, he has not and never has had, other lands, Capes or harbors, Islands or continent, except Port Royal and its coasts. Whereas now this Lady holds all the rest by a double title; namely, by donation or cession of sieur de Monts, and by a deed of gift newly granted by his Majesty now reigning.

Or icelle craignant, que son argent ne fist naufrage auãt que de monter sur mer, elle l'auoit confié entre les mains d'vn Iesuite coadiuteur, qu'on enuoyoit à la nouuelle France, pour aider les Prestres qui ja y estoyent. Le Iesuite deuoit consigner cest argent à Dieppe entre les mains d'vn marchand, qui l'employast en l'achept de victuailles, marchandises, & affretement; mais il fut trop à la bonne foy. Car à la requisition du sieur de Potrincourt il s'en laissa [192] tirer quatre c[~e]ts escus sans autre caution, que d'en retirer vne cedule. Ainsi il n'y eust que six cents escus employez en tout cet affretement; Emplete bien digne de Canada.

Now she, fearing her money might be wrecked before it had embarked upon the sea, confided it to the hands of a Jesuit lay brother,[43] who was being sent to new France to help the Priests who were already there. The Jesuit was to deliver this money at Dieppe into the hands of a merchant, that he might use it in the purchase of food, merchandise, and freight; but he was too confiding. For at the requisition of sieur de Potrincourt, he allowed [192] four hundred écus to be drawn without other security than a note of hand. Therefore he used only six hundred écus for this entire cargo; an investment very worthy of Canada.

Ce n'est pas tout. Le sieur de Potrincourt cõmit à l'administratiõ du nauire, & maniem[~e]t des affaires vn certain sien seruiteur, appellé Simon Imbert, anciennement tauernier à Paris, & alors cherchant parmy les bois de la nouuelle France de quoy payer ses creanciers. Le nauire appartenoit à vn Capitaine, appellé Nicolas l'Abbé, de Dieppe, honneste, & sage personne. Ce nauire donc ainsi equippé & freté partit de Dieppe le 31. de Decembre au le plus fort de l'hyuer, & paruint heureusement à Port Royal le 23. de Ianuier en l'an suiuant 1612. n'ayant consumé que deux moys en chemin.

This is not all. Sieur de Potrincourt confided the administration of the ship and the management of affairs, to a certain servant of his called Simon Imbert, a former innkeeper at Paris, and at that time seeking in the woods of new France something with which to pay his creditors. The ship belonged to a Captain, called Nicolas l'Abbé, of Dieppe, an honest and prudent man. So this vessel, thus equipped and freighted, departed from Dieppe the 31st of December in the very depth of winter, and arrived happily at Port Royal on the 23rd of January in the following year, 1612, having consumed only two months in the journey.

CHAPITRE XXI. [i.e., xx.]

[193] LE COMMENCEMENT DES DISPUTES ENTRE LE SIEUR DE BIENCOURT, & LES IESUITES & LES CAUSES D'ICELLES, L'ACCUSATION, QU'ON FIT DE GILBERT DU THET, & SA DEFENSE.

LA ioye fut grande aux secourus de ceste arriuée de nauire pour l'estroitte necessité où ils se retrouuoyent, & les frayeurs, qu'ils auoyent conçeu de l'aduenir. Mais ceste resiouissance ne fut pas longue, le sieur de Biencour n'estant point à son aise dés que Simon Imbert, luy eust porté nouuelles de l'association faicte auec Madame la Marquise de Guercheuille. Or parce que le Iesuite Gilbert du Thet, estant dans le nauire, quoy qu'il ne se fust meslé des affaires, toutesfois [194] n'auoit pas esté si borgne (comme l'on dit) qu'il ny eust tousiours veu d'vn oeil; comme il en auoit charge, & commandement. Iceluy doncques pour s'acquitter de son deuoir, & garder le droit, s'en alla trouuer le sieur de Biencourt, en presence du P. Biard luy dit, Qu'il s'esmerueilloit bien fort, que Simon Imbert ayant eu l'administration de tout l'embarquement, ce neantmoins il n'auoit apporté aucun roolle, ny charte-partie, ny memoires de ce qui auoit esté embarqué, ny où, ny comment l'argent de Madame la Marquise auoit esté employé. Qu'il deuoit bien l'auoir faict au moins pour iustification de sa probité, & bonne foy mesmes, puis qu'il apportait plusieurs marchandises qu'il asseuroit estre à luy en proprieté, & desquelles on pourroit auoir soupçon, qu'il se fust accommodé [195] au detriment de la dicte Dame, & d'eux. Qu'ils ne vouloyent point l'accuser auant que de l'auoir trouué coulpable, neãtmoins qu'auant aussi de le recognoistre non coulpable, il y auoit bien de quoy s'enquerir en tout cela, & mesmes de ce qu'il auoit vendu à Dieppe du bled, qui luy auoit esté dõné pour l'embarquement: chose qui tournoit au grand preiudice de l'habitation, laquelle defailloit principalement en victuailles. Item, qu'il comptoit sept barrils de Galette despensez durant le voyage, & il ne disoit rien que de ces sept il y en auoit deux, qu'vn certain Robert de Roüen auoit fourny pour sa part: car en ceste façon il ne falloit pas compter sur la compagnie sept barrils, ains cinq tant seulement. Qu'on supplioit ledit sieur de s'enquester de tout l'affaire prudemment, [196] & s'y conduire tousiours comme nous deuons par tout, auec charité, & retenuë. Telle fut la simple remonstrance, que luy fit le Iesuite, & le sieur de Biencourt a souuent depuis rendu tesmoignage, qu'on ne luy pouuoit indiquer ce mesnage, auec plus de modestie que lon fit. Neantmoins au lieu de faire ce dequoy on l'auoit requis, & à quoy il estoit tenu, il s'en alla rapporter le tout audit Simon Imbert, adioustant que le Iesuite coadiuteur l'auoit accusé.