The Greatest Works of Charles Carleton Coffin. Charles Carleton Coffin
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of land along the Hudson River, extending back into the country without limit, and they were to have the title of Patroon, or Feudal chief. They were to pay no taxes for ten years; the settlers were to be serfs; the Patroons were to have the exclusive right of trade, except in furs. The wives of the serfs were not to spin any yarn, weave any cloth, or manufacture any hats; but the company and the Patroons were to have all the profits on the sale of goods upon which they could fix their own prices.
Samuel Godyn and Samuel Bloomaert having turned over the scheme before its adoption, sent a trusty agent to prospect the country, who selected a beautiful region on the south side of Delaware Bay, near Cape Henlopen. A company sent out by the two burghers began a settlement — the first in the State of Delaware. Gillis Hosset was governor. He nailed a glittering piece of tin upon a tree, representing the sovereignty of Holland. It shone so brightly, that one of the Indians tore it down and cut it into strips for jewellery. Gillis Hosset, not reflecting that the Indians were like children, that they knew nothing of its meaning, regarded it as an insult and outrage, and put the Indian to death.
The Dutchmen had a great bull-dog, of which the Indians were very much afraid, as the dog always showed his teeth and growled at them. One day, when all the colonists except two were in the field at work, a company of Indians came with beaver-skins as if to open trade, but, watching their opportunity, buried their hatchets in the heads of two men at the trading-house, shot twenty-five arrows into the dog, set the buildings on fire, went into the fields and killed all the others; thus wiping out the settlement.
It was in 1615 that Samuel Champlain set himself to work to build up the empire of New France; years had passed, and instead of an empire there was only a settlement.
At Quebec there was the house which he had built in 1615, and close by were the stores which the traders had built, and around which Indians were ever loitering, looking with longing eyes upon the blankets and trinkets, knives, little mirrors, and tinkling bells, which they could only obtain with skins of the beaver, marten, sable, fox, and other animals.
There was one other building, the chapel of the friars, with its sweet-toned bell tolling for mass or vespers. Within, on the walls, were pictures portraying in bright colors the torments of hell and the bliss of heaven. Overlooking all, upon the cliff, was the fort, and around it fields and gardens.
The whole French population was only about fifty; they were all fur-traders or friars. Some of the fur-traders were Catholics, some Huguenots. The king had forbidden the Huguenots from holding meetings in New France; but the king was far away, and the Huguenots sung and prayed, which gave great offence to the friars.
The company had forbidden all trade with the Indians, except by their permission; but there were sailors on shipboard, and citizens who traded on the sly, to the great vexation of the regular traders. There was constant irritation — everybody picking at everybody.
The Duke de Montmorenci paid eleven thousand crowns for the privilege of being Viceroy of Canada. The river, which pours over a high precipice just below Quebec, and down which the people of the city glide on sleds and sledges in winter, enjoying royal sport, bears his name. He appointed Champlain governor. There was so much trouble between the fur-traders of St. Malo and Rouen, that Montmorenci withdrew their privileges and appointed two Huguenots — William and Emery de Caen — to manage the fur-trade, which was only jumping from the frying-pan into the fire. The old fur-traders refused to give up the privileges by which they were growing rich. They quarrelled with the newcomers. The friars joined with them. Huguenots control the trade with the Indians? Never! One of the friars hastened to France. The Jesuits there were powerful. They besieged the king, who, to make peace, allowed both parties to trade.
The young Duke de Montmorenci, weary of being vice-king of a country which contained only one little miserable village, sold out his title to the Duke de Ventadour, his neighbor, who was so religious that he had turned his back on the gay court at Fontainebleau, bade farewell to all the vanities of the world, became a Jesuit priest, and set himself to make New France a country in which the Jesuits should have full control.
Charles Lalemant, M. and Jean de Brebeuf, obeying the order of their superior, sailed for Canada. A little later. Fathers Noirot and De la Noue landed at Quebec.
The two Huguenot traders were singing and praying in public, and the sailors, and some of the laborers which the Jesuits had taken over, flocked to hear them.
“There shall be no more psalm-singing by Huguenots,” was the order sent over by the Jesuit viceroy. Champlain could stop their singing, but not their praying.
A great man was wielding affairs in France — Cardinal Richelieu — who saw that, to build up an empire in the New World to checkmate England, rigorous measures must be adopted. He founded the company of “New France,” composed of one hundred of the dukes, marquises, and noblemen of France, with merchants and ministers. He placed himself at the head. The king gave them the whole of America, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Sea — from Newfoundland to the Pacific Ocean. They were to have the monopoly of the fur-trade forever. Already the Indians were crossing from the waters of the Far West, bringing twenty-five thousand beaver-skins per annum to Quebec. The company’ was to have control of all traffic for fifteen years. The king gave the company two ships of war, armed and equipped. The company made this stipulation, that every person settling in New France was to be a Catholic. None of the hated Hugnenots were to be allowed to enter.
Perfect the plan for building up an empire in which there should be no heresy, but where everybody would owe allegiance to the Pope, and where the Jesuits would have complete control of the consciences of men. We think our plans perfect, and so they may be, so far as we are concerned; but there are other plans than ours. No one plan can be independent of all others; but on the contrary our plans are constantly interfered with. Richelieu and the Jesuits had their plans. Charles I. of England and the Duke of Buckingham had theirs. Richelieu undertook to put down the Huguenots; the Duke of Buckingham tried to sustain them. War broke out between the two countries. A Scotchman — William Alexander—had tried to establish a colony in Newfoundland, and he put it into the head of the Duke of Buckingham to send a fleet up the St. Lawrence to seize Quebec. David Kirk, a Huguenot, who had been driven from France, was appointed commander of a fleet which sailed up the river and appeared before Quebec. Champlain could make no resistance, and was compelled to see the flag of France give place to that of England on the fort at Quebec.
For the moment all the plans of Richelieu and the Jesuits were upset; but when peace was brought about, the King of England gave up, and the Jesuits and French began once more to build up an empire in America.
Chapter X
The Puritan Beginning
On March 25th, 1625, James died, and Charles I. became King of England. He thought that he could strengthen himself by marrying the sister of the King of France, Henrietta Maria, a young girl who had played in the garden of the old palace of Fontainebleau, but who knew very little about England or the English people. She was only fifteen, while Charles was old enough to be her father. Charles met her at Dover. She was at breakfast when he arrived, but came down-stairs, kneeled at his feet, intending to say, “Sir, I have come to be commanded by you,” but was so frightened she could not recall a word, and was so mortified that she covered her face with her hands and burst into tears; but the king raised her to her feet and kissed them away.
Henrietta was a Catholic, and brought with her a bishop, thirty priests, and a great company of French cooks, servants, chamber-maids, and hangers-on — in all, about four hundred persons. She established the mass in her own chapel, which gave great offence to the people, who had not forgotten the efforts of Bloody Mary to establish popery. The hatred of the Puritans to the Pope was so intense that they would not observe Christmas; the custom, so beautiful and delightful to us, of adorning our homes with evergreens whenever the day comes round, they denounced as idolatrous.
When a man deliberately sets himself to do as he pleases, without any regard for the rights of other men, he is pretty sure to