[262] January 25th, the anniversary of Saint-Vallier's consecration [as Bishop of Quebec],1 was always a favourite holiday for the religious community as well as for the poor.2 In 1727, it was celebrated in a very extraordinary manner; it would be the last time. Shortly before the event, Bishop Saint-Vallier, wanting to take advantage of the occasion to commend the care of his Hôpital Général to the new Governor and Intendant, asked Father [Pierre] de la Chasse3 to compose a verse-play with this end in mind. "Portray me," the Prelate told him, "portray me like Jacob, near the end of his life, asking his son Joseph to take care of his other children."4
The good Father understood exactly what the venerable pontiff had in mind, and composed the most touching verses for him on behalf of his cherished wards.
This play was recited by the boarding-school pupils prior to the morning meal for the poor.5 The girls addressed themselves in turn to the Marquis de Beauharnois,6 to M. and Mme. Dupuy,7 to the poor, to the nuns, and to Bishop Saint-Vallier himself. Let us imagine ourselves at this charming indoor scene and lend an attentive ear to what each of these innocent children has to say.
[263] Mademoiselle de Saint-Michel8
These climes, once so uncivilized,
Are no longer so today,
Since here we see the rarest virtues shining,
And all who are destitute find here a noble patron,
A charitable Prelate, a Father to the needy,
Who for forty years denied them nothing;
Always full of sincere devotion for the poor,
To the very end, he loves them and looks to their well-being.
Mademoiselle Angélique Guillimin9
How great is his affection for the poor!
How tender is his heart to the hardships in their lives! 10
With ardent resolve, his charity incites
Others to take care of them after his death.
Mademoiselle Marie-Joseph Guillimin
Listen to his words, generous nobles,
Especially you who hold here the highest ranks;
For it's to you above all that this Prelate speaks
And entrusts his children.
Mademoiselle Angélique Guillimin
And so, imagine that in his incomparable love
He speaks here himself;
To open his heart to you, he has chosen us.
Listen! and you will hear him through my voice: 20
"As Jacob of old, ready to appear
"Before Him from whom all men have received their being,
"Gathered his sons together and, saying many prayers,
"Strove to secure for them the gifts of Heaven;
"And, foreseeing the future and touched by their distress,
"Entreated his son Joseph to serve as father to the others
"And to use his position to lighten their lot in life,
"In short, to help them in every way after his death;
[264] "Now, in the same way my weakening strength
"Warns me that shortly I must leave this life. 30
"Eminent Governor and you, wise Intendant,
"I've brought you together to tell you the same:
"The poor gathered here, my dearest flock,
"Always found in me the heart and soul of a father.
"Through them the Gospel revealed to me the Saviour;
"And I esteemed them, in His name, worthy of my ministering.
"Since Heaven desires that I should care for them,
"Until I breathe my last, they'll see my kindness.
"When I am no more, show yourselves to be their protectors,
"And of these orphans, the defenders. 40
"Nearing my demise, I commend them to you,
"That your charity may also extend over them.
"In their sickness, you owe them your care,
"And Heaven will, through you, relieve all their needs.
"As long as health and age permitted me,
"I did what I could to further the work at hand.
"But for this house, no, I can do no more;
"You alone are positioned to assure its well-being.
"Like a sacred trust, I challenge you to take it up;
"And I will die a happy man if you deign to promise, 50
"Never, once I'm dead, to let it slip,
"And always to take an interest in its welfare;
"This is what my love expects from your devotion,
"What, in blessing you, I ask on its behalf;
"Certain that, in order to fulfill your vows,
"You must take on the burden of caring for the destitute."
Thus, sirs, through my mouth the prelate speaks to you,
A prelate whose words I believe will touch you.
Of his cherished children you are the eldest,
And he commits to your care the most forsaken. 60
Mademoiselle Elizabeth Gâtin10 [to Bishop Saint-Vallier, in the name of the Governor and Intendant]:
You desire, distinguished Prelate,
That two men, full of virtue and reason,
Willingly take upon themselves the care of this holy house,
Wherein your piety appears in all its splendour.
Doubt them not; they have both received
From nature too generous and sensitive a heart
To keep them from
Answering your prayers.
[265] To your just desires they are ready to offer themselves;
Unburden yourself on them of a hundred heavy cares. 70
Heaven, in order to prolong your holy career
And procure for you some rest,
Desires that, by entering the duties of pious service,
These men may lighten your labors.
Mademoiselle Louise Cugnet11
But in order to work to greater profit,
They wish to toil beside you in carrying out your work.
Mademoiselle Foucault12 (a very young child)
Please don't think to follow
The inclination which makes you seek your end;
If you should cease so soon to live,
What would be the fate, alas! of your children. 80
Mademoiselle Charlotte GuilliminTheir whole desire,
In answering the call
Of the greatest of kings,
Is to lessen the hardships of this colony.
They have crossed seas and defied dangers
Only to come and comfort you.
Mademoiselle Louise Cugnet
No, no, fear not that this holy place,
Founded in compassion, might perish.
Their faith will sustain the institutions
For which religion has laid the foundations. 90
Mademoiselle Françoise de Saint-Michel (to the poor)
You, who live deprived of earthy goods,
You, the playthings of misfortune,
Tormented by a multitude of miseries night and day,
Wretched outcasts from the rest of humanity!
Through hymns fused with gladness
Chase the sadness from your hearts.
Pack up your troubles; taste the sweet hope
This fortuitous day ordains for you.
With the propitious succour
Which your two new patrons, two guardian angels, 100
Today give you reason to hope for,
Why let yourself be consumed by dark sorrows? [266]
Mademoiselle Angélique Guillimin
You who are poor, since today your weaknesses and misfortunes
Are in no way repulsive to these generous hearts,
And since, which must be comforting for you,
They are willing to serve you like fathers,
Show a grateful heart!
Mademoiselle Marie-Joseph Guillimin
Saint-Vallier showered you with his most bountiful kindness;
He knew how to bring you abundance and peace.
Beauharnois and Dupuy will follow his example, 110
You will overflow with their good deeds.
Mademoiselle Louise Cugnet
Since for the happiness of all they are so essential,
Heaven, prolong their years;
May these three guardian angels
Govern us a long time!
They will bring to this refuge
Tranquility.
Far from seeing it perish,
Under their vigilant care, we will see it flourish.
[to Madame Dupuy]
They find here more than just a father, 120
Which they have, Madam, in your renowned husband;
They all fondly hope
That in you
They will also find a mother.
You will not limit your generosity
To those whom your presence charms today,
For all of New France
Is counting on your benevolence.
Mademoiselle Elizabeth Gâtin (to the nuns)
You, who, by a holy vocation
And in order to please God, 130
Are united in this cloister
To the works of charity;
Virgins, who full of holy zeal
To imitate your Model
In His suffering limbs, look fixedly upon Jesus Christ;
Be triumphant today, since with this celebration
A triple power unites and prepares
To help your house with its most weighty authority.
[267] Mademoiselle Charlotte Guillimin
Tender charity alone binds the knot
Of this worthy union. 140
Through your sighs and prayers
Work eagerly to make it long-lasting.
Admire the generosity of your three protectors;
Pray for their prosperity.
May he, left to languish here below,
Like St. Paul of old, sighing for his God,
And entreating Heaven to hasten his death,
Be raised only later to the heavenly empire.
----------------------
His monument, the assured promise, has long been prepared for him.
How tender was his charity for the needy, 150
When even after his death, we will hear his ashes
Speaking and preaching.13
-----------------------
Saint-Vallier shares the wishes of Jacob;
May he live as long -- witnessing the wisdom
Of the two noble aides given him in his old age.
Leaning on their support, may he tire no more;
In the joy of the day may his health be strengthened;
May he, like the eagle, be rejuvenated
In order to assure new stipends for the poor.
Mademoiselle Marie-Joseph Guillimin
The Lord, always obliging, 160
Grants your prayers with favour.
Give eternal honour to His Holy Name!
Through solemn hymns,
Bless, this day, his loving providence.
Celebrate His greatness, burn incense at His altars,
Pray God grant to the charitable rich
His eternal tabernacles.
Mademoiselle Françoise de Saint-Michel
Yes, all those of the highest station, who care
For those beneath them touched with poverty,
Oh Lord, one day from Your mouth, 170
Joyfully, they will hear this judgement of salvation:
"Come, blessed of my Father,
"Come, reign with me,
"Come, receive the reward
"Which I promised for your fidelity;
"I claim that eternal glory
"Shall be your recompense for the succour
"Which the poor, through your devotion,
"Received in My name over time."
[268] Mademoiselle Elizabeth Gâtin
Loving Providence 180
Watches o'er our needs;
We are not wise
To scorn her care.
Daily we see appear
Remarkable relief;
Through her our hope must thus increase
Each and every day.
Mademoiselle Angélique Guillimin
To show her generosity,
Into these regions she has brought
A celebrated Intendante14 190
Who charms this country.
Her manner is welcoming;
Her heart is generous;
Her piety--the refuge
Of all the less fortunate.
(sung verses)
A Prelate at the end of a distinguished career,
More than ever a father to the needy,
Seeking two successors for his pious work,
Finds them, and, full of ardor, addresses these words to them:
"You, whom I see adorned with a brilliant array 200
"Of a hundred dazzling virtues;
"You, who find yourselves invested
"With the power of a monarch to whom all give homage,
"Accept today my most cherished legacy."
Be triumphant, august Prelate,
May you live long and live happy.
Your request is too just
Not to have its effect.
To your wishes these men are ready to consent;
They have both received 210
A heart too tender to keep them from
Answering your prayers.
A heart sensitive to the troubles of the poor
Can count on a happy fate;
A day will come when an everlasting blessing
Will be the reward for his generous concern.
You, who live deprived of earthly goods,
You, the playthings of misfortune,
Tormented by a multitude of miseries night and day,
Wretched outcasts from the rest of humanity, 220
With bountiful sweet ecstasies of keen joy
Chase the sadness from your hearts forever;
Taste the hope
Which such a lucky day promises to bring you.
[269] Banish consuming sadness
From our contented hearts!
A loving Intendante
Comes to fulfill our wishes;
To her maternal kindness
Let us have constant recourse; 230
Her sweetness and her devotion
Promise a hundred kindnesses.
Of Heaven let us ask for her
Long and happy days.
Loving Providence
Watches o'er our needs;
We are not wise
To scorn her care.
It is Providence who creates
Such powerful relief; 240
In her our hope must thus increase
Each and every day.
Everyone at this feast
Sings for Beauharnois;
Let us adorn his head with flowers,
Let us raise our voices.
To praise his person
Is a superfluous act;
His crown he finds
In his own virtues. 250
EPILOGUE
Mademoiselle Charlotte Guillimin:
The tables are all arranged,
The dishes already laid out,
Enough recitation -- the poor are hungry,
And I believe it's time to serve up their feast.
Leaving behind poetry and song,
Give them a more fitting dish;
Let's serve them and think of the surpassing happiness
Which we have in serving, through them, the Lord.
Although this scene appeared at first to be merely conventional, it
was too expressive not to produce a profound impression. As a result, there
was no-one in the audience who was not moved to tears.
[fin]
NOTES
1 Mgr. Jean-Baptiste de la Croix de Chevrières
de Saint-Vallier was consecrated Bishop of Quebec by Mgr. Colbert in Paris
on January 25, 1688. He had been born in Grenoble on November 14, 1653,
and was educated at the Sorbonne, receiving his doctorate at the age of
19. Replacing the aging Bishop Laval in Quebec after 1685, Saint-Vallier
made several trips back to France to further his work for the colony. While
his fiery temperament and zealous righteousness often created divisions
and conflict in the colony, no one could deny the value of his pious work.
He died on December 26, 1727 at l'Hôpital Général in
Quebec City. See Allaire III, iv, 89; DCB II, 328-34; and Oury passim.
Return to Article
2 The Hôpital Général housed two
resident groups: "la communauté," the Augustinian Hospitalières
de la Miséricorde de Jésus; and "les pauvres," whom the order
was dedicated to serve.
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3 Pierre de LaChasse was born in 1670 in Auxerre, France,
entering the Jesuit order in Paris at the age of 17. After teaching at
Rennes he came to Canada in 1700, working for 20 years in field missions.
He served as Superior of the Jesuit missions from 1719 to 1726. At the
time of the réception he was confessor at the Hôpital Général.
He died in 1749 in Quebec. DCB III, 329-31.
Return to Article
4 Genesis chpts. 48-50.
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5 MSV (605) describes the daily routine at the convent,
including the following: "At a quarter to ten in the morning, the non-cloistered
workers came to the hospital: their job was to set up everything for the
meal for the poor. This meal was served at ten o'clock by the community
under the guidance of the Mother Superior" ("À neuf heures et trois
quarts, les semainières se rendent à l'hôpital: leur
devoir est de disposer toutes choses pour le dîner des pauvres.
Ce repas est servi à dix heures par la communauté, sous la
présidence de la mère supérieure" [my emphasis]).
The conclusion of the performance with a feast is typical of the tradition
of the réceptions. The words of this Epilogue are even similar to
the final lines of Théâtre de Neptune.
Return to Article
6 Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois was
born in 1671 near Orléans and died in Paris in 1749. Arriving in
August 1726, he replaced the Marquis de Vaudreuil (Phillipe de Rigaud)
as Governor of Quebec. He was not recalled until 1747, at the age of 76.
His tenure consisted of almost constant military campaigning against the
English and First Nations as a result of the expanding fur trade. His prudent
attempts in the 1740's to improve the defence installations at Quebec were
hampered by a series of poor harvests in the colony, increased harassment
of supply ships by the English, weakened Indian alliances, and a Paris
treasury unreceptive to his petitions. DCB III, 41-51.
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7 Claude-Thomas Dupuy was born in 1678 in Paris. After
serving as advocate general on the Grand Council from 1708 and acquiring
the post of "Maître de requêtes" in 1720, he married Marie-Madeleine
Lefouyn in 1724; they had no children. He took up the post of Intendant
of Quebec in September 1726, and while he managed reasonably well, securing
increased investment for the colony, he was never able to overcome significant
personality difficulties with Governor Beauharnois. The problems climaxed
with Dupuy's intervention in the dispute over matters of privilege during
Saint-Vallier's funeral. He was recalled to France in 1728 and spent the
last ten years of his life on scientific and mechanical experiments of
some repute. DCB II, 207-213.
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8 Marie-Françoise de St. Michel was born on August
13, 1719 in Montreal to André St. Michel and Françoise Valde,
the eldest of 8 children. Jetté 809.
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9 The three Guillimin sisters who appear here, Angélique-Jeanne
(born July 7, 1717), Marie-Joseph (born November 18, 1714), and Marie-Charlotte
(born September 15, 1718), were daughters of Charles Guillimin and Françoise
Lemaître of Quebec. Charles had been a very successful and wealthy
investor in fishing, shipbuilding and trade. The 1720's, however, were
marked first by the death of his wife in 1722 and then by a series of catastrophic
shipping accidents and financial upsets. Jetté 544; and DCB II,
268-9.
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10 Elizabeth Gâtin was born on February 22, 1715
to the successful businessman and innkeeper ("aubergiste") Jean Gâtin
and Catherine-Elizabeth Lambert in Quebec. Her younger sister, Louise-Michelle
(born August 4, 1721) would later join the Augustinian order, remaining
at the Hôpital Général until her death in 1793 (MSV
720). See also Jetté 470.
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11 This speech heading is not in the printed (MSV)
version, but appears in the MS held at the Hôpital Général.
In the printed version all eight lines of this speech are given to Mlle
Gâtin. Louise-Charlotte Cugnet was born around 1724 in Quebec, the
third child of François-Étienne Cugnet and Louise-Madeleine
Dusautay. François-Étienne was a wealthy investor and successful
lawyer who rose to the top ranks of colonial administration after his arrival
in Quebec in 1719. Jetté 295; and DCB III, 151-55.
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12 These are the only four lines attributed to Mlle
Foucault and no first name is given. A check of documents reveals only
one Foucault family in the period, that of François Foucault (whose
sister, Charlotte, had taken vows at the Hôpital Général
in 1715) and Marie-Catherine Sabourin who were married in 1718. Three daughters
could be the mademoiselle of the réception: Michelle-Elisabeth (born
1719), Catherine-Françoise (born 1720), and Louise-Catherine (born
April 24, 1725). The likeliest candidate, given the comment "la petite,"
is the latter, even though it seems rather precocious. François
Foucault was a very successful merchant and high ranking councillor in
Quebec from his arrival in 1715 until the Conquest when he lost his pension
and his properties. Jetté 434; and DCB III, 225-7.
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13 These four lines are added by Burger (L'activité
387), and have been confirmed by consultation of the Hôpital Général
archive MS: "Son tombeau, le gage assuré / Combien pour l'indigent
sa charité fut tendre / Où même après sa mort,
on entendra sa cendre [sic] / Parler, prêcher, pour luy fut longtemps
préparé." In order to render the passage more readable in
English, I have moved the second half of the fourth line to the end of
the first in the translation.
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14 It is worth noting the clear feminization of "Intendante"
here which indicates the address is to Mme Dupuy. Twice (here and l.227)
she is addressed rather than her husband. The subtle shift in antecedent
for the third person singular (feminine) pronoun from "Providence" to "Intendante"
from this point draws the two into analogic relationship.
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