strong and beautiful city for which the Empire had paid with the life-blood of Wolfe, the queenly, rock-throned citadel, which at that moment was the Thermopyla of British power on this continent.

Irishmen never resort to half measures. Hence they make such good generals and such efficient rulers. The first thing Carleton did, on taking the reins out of Cramahe's hands, was to strengthen the hands of the loyalists, and practically increase his provisions by expelling from the city all who were liable to serve in the militia, but who refused to do their duty. The population numbered about five thousand, of which three thousand or more were women and children. Provisions were abundant, but fire-wood was scarce. Happily the winter was not severe. The venerable Jesuit College in Cathedral Square was the principal barrack, and the chief outposts were at the St. Louis, St. John, and Palace Gates. Palisades were raised where Prescott Gate was afterwards erected. In the Lower Town there were batteries in Little Saultau-Matelot, and at the western end of Près-de-Ville. The French militia, who guarded the Lower Town, sang as they went and came, just as the French Mobiles did during the siege of Paris. But instead of "Aux Armes, Citoyens," the Canadian militia chanted, if we may believe Mr. John Lesperance

"Vive la Canadienne,

Et ses jolis yeux doux."

There was, I doubt not, the same light-heartedness-the same tendency to lay hold of the humour of all things and persons-the same gossip the same curiosity among the women, with their voluble tongues, and half-real half-feigned alarm, as I saw in Paris during the Franco-German War. The siege lasted eight months-twice as long as that of Derry, twice as long as that of Paris, four times as long as that of Limerick.

ber.

Montgomery arrived at Pointe-aux-Trembles on the 1st DecemTheir united forces amounting to about two thousand men, he proceeded to attack Quebec. After three days' march, he arrived before the fatal city, and sent a flag to summon the besieged to surrender. Carleton, acting with the strictest logic, refused to admit that rebels had any right to the usual laws

ATTACK OF AMERICANS REPULSED.

THEY FLY.

85

of war, and ordered the gunners to fire on the herald. A letter brought by a woman was burned, and Carleton said that he would treat every message from the Americans in the same manner, until they craved mercy of the King, and became loyal subjects. Nevertheless, during the following days letters were thrown into the city, some addressed to the Governor, others to the citizens. These last rarely fell under the eyes for which they were intended, for as soon as they were seen by the soldiers, they were carried to the residence of the Governor. The weather was intensely cold. Nevertheless, Montgomery constructed batteries, but his guns were too small to make any impression on the fortifications, from which a destructive fire blazed continually. He determined to take the place by storm. But Carleton was fully informed of his determination, and the attacks of Arnold and himself failed in consequence. Montgomery paid with his life for his temerity. Arnold was wounded while attacking the first barrier on the side of Sault-au-Matelot. Captain Morgan took the command, and drove the guard back to the second barrier. But Carleton was soon on the spot, and owing to his promptness and skill, the Americans were surrounded and driven out of a strong building at the point of the bayonet. Their loss in killed and wounded was about a hundred. Four hundred and twentysix, including twenty-eight officers, surrendered. Carleton would now, under ordinary conditions, have sallied out on the Americans. But these had sympathisers both without and within the walls, and the Governor wisely waited for the succours which would come with the opening up of navigation. He had those houses, in which the enemy might take up his quarters, burned. His vigilance, his activity, his great capacity, let no advantage slip. Pre-occupied, as he was, however, he took care to seek out amid the winter snow, the body of General Montgomery, and place it in the earth with military honours.

Early in May, the "Surprise" frigate and a sloop of war, with one hundred and seventy men and some marines, arrived in the harbour. The moment these men were landed Carleton resolved to attack the enemy, who, disheartened and already demoralized, fled precipitately, leaving behind cannon, stores, ammunition, and even the sick. These were treated as one might expect by Carleton,"

of whom humanity was a distinguishing feature. Every kindness which could alleviate the suffering of the sick, or make the life of the healthy prisoners more pleasant, was lavished on them. For his services during the siege, Carleton was knighted.

Meanwhile, Captain Foster, having had some successful engagements with the Americans on the lakes, was pushing towards Lachine, when he was compelled to defend himself against Arnold, with a force thrice as strong as his own. The defence was so stout that the Americans had to retire to St. Anne's.

The American troops retreating from Quebec, having lost at Sorel their commander, General Thomas, who had taken Arnold's place before Quebec, were joined at the confluence of the Richelieu by about four thousand men. General Sullivan was chief in

command.

A body of troops arrived from England, all of that type which made a French General say it was well English soldiers were not more numerous. There was no longer anything now to prevent Carleton taking a vigorously offensive attitude. Brigadier Fraser, with the first division, he sent on to Three Rivers. Sullivan thought he saw an opportunity of surprising the town, and inflicting serious damage on part of the British army. He accordingly sent General Thompson, with eighteen hundred men, against Three Rivers. But he was met by Fraser, who had been informed of his design, and sustained a signal defeat. Five hundred prisoners, including Thompson himself, were taken, and the retreat of the main body was cut off. These repaired for shelter to a swampy wood. There they spent a night of misery, and might have died there of want and ague, had not Governor Carleton, with a rare chivalrous pity, drawn the guard from the bridge spanning River du Loup. They were thus allowed to make their escape, and rejoin Sullivan at Sorel. No longer equal either in the quality or numbers of the British troops, Sullivan mounted the Richelieu, and was joined by Arnold at St. Johns. They then retreated to Crown Point. Thus ended the American invasion, which, says a French writer, was wholly fruitless, save in affording an opportunity to the colonists of showing their courage, and bringing out the military and civil virtues of Richard Montgomery. From our point of view it may be remarked that it emphasized the qualities of another hero not

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87

less distinguished for military and civil virtues, Guy Carle

ton.

Carleton, after several naval actions, made himself master of Lake Champlain, and had beaten the Americans along their whole line, by the time it was necessary to go into winter quarters. The Canadians gladly received the troops quartered on them, for they had learned to regard the Americans as invaders and enemies, owing to the necessities laid on all troops in a foreign country.

Meanwhile, the Declaration of Independence had been adopted by the Continental Congress, July 4th, 1776. The British, in other directions, had not been so successful. They had evacuated Boston. They had been repulsed before Charleston. But they had gained an important victory at Long Island, taken possession of New York, and driven Washington across the Delaware. But Washington's victories at Trenton and Princeton left the result of the campaign in favour of the colonists.

General Burgoyne, when he went back to England, closeted himself with ministers, and drew up the plan of a campaign by way of Lake Champlain. He arrived at Quebec the 9th of May, 1777, endowed with the chief command. Carleton was deeply wounded by the slight which had been cast upon him. He had saved Canada, and his reward was to be superseded by a man whose claims were not fit to be mentioned in the same breath as his. Nevertheless, he contented himself with demanding his recall, and proceeded to second the plans of Burgoyne with all his might. There is a lesson in subordination of priceless value. Burgoyne having opened the campaign prosperously, was compelled, a few months later, to surrender his whole army at Saratoga.

Of the conduct of Carleton during the invasion, Mr. J. M. Lemoine, in his "History of Quebec," says: "Had the fate of Canada on that occasion been confided to a Governor less wise, less conciliating than Guy Carleton, doubtless the 'brightest gem in the colonial crown of Britain,' would have been one of the stars on Columbia's banner; the star-spangled streamer would now be floating on the summit of Cape Diamond.”

Carleton, relieved from military duty, was able to devote more time

to the peaceable administration of the Province. The first Legislative Council, under the Quebec Act, was held in the spring of 1777. Sixteen Acts were passed. Courts of King's Bench, Common Pleas and Probate were erected. The Governor, the Lieut.-Governor, the Chief Justice, and any five of the Council constituted a Court of Appeal. A Militia Act was passed, which made, with few exceptions, all Canadians arrived at the required age liable to military service. This Act created great dissatisfaction, and it has been bitterly attacked by French Canadian writers. But we have come to live in times when the most enlightened English thinkers have advocated a like system for the mother countries.

Major-General Haldimand, a man perfectly ignorant of the laws and customs of Canadians, or. for that matter, of the empire, arrived in July, 1778, to assume the government of the colony. Carleton was followed with many regrets and many kind wishes on the part of the people of Canada, and the people of Quebec presented him, as he was about to embark, with addresses which showed what had been the character of his rule. Haldimand was in all respects a contrast to Carleton; he was, if we may believe the writings of the time, cruel, inquisitorial, iniquitously extortionate, in a word, a tyrant, without either sagacity or self-respect. The burdens of the peasantry were increased until they became not burdens but scourges. One of the judges was a retired captain of infantry on half pay; another an army doctor; and it may well be believed that not having had legal training, they often allowed undue weight to their own prejudices and preferences. All the defects of the Act of 1774 were brought into striking relief under the rule of Haldimand. It was seen that the delusive constitution was no protection against tyranny. M. du Calvere, the forerunner of men like Gourlay, Mackenzie, and Baldwin, went to England to demand the recall of General Haldimand.

In the November of 1782, the independence of the United States was acknowledged, and this had a momentous effect upon the character of the Canadian population. Thousands of U. E. Loyalists left the States for Nova Scotia and Canada. They founded the town of St. John, on the St. John River; they swelled the population of Halifax; they settled along the Bay of Fundy; they faced the wilderness in Ontario, settling along the