were raised and began a sermon to the motley audience. He pointed to the cross and explained what it meant told them the story of Christ. Then he called their attention to the cedar post bearing the Bourbon lilies, and launched out into a long eulogy of France and its great king. He said that Louis the Fourteenth was the greatest chief on the face of the earth, that the most powerful chiefs in their regions were like the little herbs that one tramples under foot, compared with the spreading oak above them. Then he spoke of the governor of Canada, and expatiated upon his power, and declared that across the sea there were ten thousand like him, who were all warriors for the King of France, and marched forth at his bidding. He dilated upon the terror of his cannons, the vast number of his troops, the great ships that they sail over seas in, the prisoners he takes in war and the streams of blood that fol

low his triumphant progress. He added, "But what shall I say of his riches? You think yourselves rich when you have ten or twelve sacks of corn, a few hatchets, beads, kettles and other

things of that sort.

He has cities of his own more

than there are of men in all this country for five hundred leagues around. In each city there are storehouses where there are hatchets enough to cut down all your forests, kettles enough to cook all your moose, and beads enough to fill all your lodges. His house is longer than from here to the top of the Sault [that was more than half a mile] and higher than your tallest trees; and it holds more families than the largest of your towns." Thus the good Father ran on in his well-meant effort to impress the Indians with the greatness of the French, the futility of resisting them, and the desirability of falling into their habits and especially into their ways of worship.

Thus was the Northwest taken possession of by France. The gathered whites and Indians dispersed the former meditating vaster plans of ambition, and the latter impressed with the power of the new-comers. The Indians took the precaution, however, to tear down the Bourbon lilies from the cedar post, lest the royal arms might prove a dangerous charm against them.

CHAPTER VIII.

A TYRANT IN THE DARK.

A

N interesting company might have been seen

starting out from the town of Boston, one day towards the end of October, in the year 1687. A good opportunity to observe them was afforded as they passed over the "Neck," which at the time was but a narrow strip of land not more than a few yards in width-on their way west

ward.

The company is partly military and partly composed of civilians. The centre of attraction, as well as of authority, seems to be a man dressed with more elegance than the rest, who appears somewhat haughty in his bearing. There are evidences that he represents, in some way, royal authority. His escort numbers upwards of sixty persons, partly mounted on horseback, a portion of whom

are grenadiers, who march proudly along the not very well-made roadway.

The

Where are these men going? If we follow them, we shall find that after travelling several days they reach the Connecticut river at a point near Wethersfield, and that there, after crossing the ferry, they are met by a troup of cavalry that escorts them to the town of Hartford. journey that we can take any morning in a few hours, took these travellers, notwithstanding their appearance of importance and authority, several tedious days. It must have been a mission of no little moment upon which so many persons were bent. We shall have to look over the history of New England a little to learn what it was.

We know already that some of the Pathfinders who began the settlement of America were ruled by France and Spain. The kings of those countries sent out persons to govern the new colonies. This was not the case, however, at Plymouth, to which the "Pilgrim Fathers," as they were called, came in 1620. They organized a government of their own, and it was the first true

democracy that we know of on the continent. The case was different still in Massachusetts, to which John Winthrop came in 1630, bringing a charter from the king (who was Charles the First, you know), giving the people the right to form a government and to make laws. No one seems to understand why Charles the First made so liberal a grant as it was given at the time that he was determined to rule at home more arbitrarily than usual - unless it was because he thought that if he could lead those who were likely to interfere with his plans to go across the ocean, there would be fewer obstacles to his despotism. Certain it is that a few years later, he repented of what he had done, when he saw that some of his best citizens were sailing for New England and the colony had become strong and promised to be rich.

We have to read the history of England, and sometimes of other parts of Europe, in connection with that of our own country, if we would understand either, and this is an instance of the necessity of understanding the movement of affairs