l they pay for their lands: the seigneur holds of
the crown, the peasant of the seigneur, who is at once his lord and
commander.

The peasants are in general tall and robust, notwithstanding their
excessive indolence; they love war, and hate labor; are brave, hardy,
alert in the field, but lazy and inactive at home; in which they
resemble the savages, whose manners they seem strongly to have
imbibed. The government appears to have encouraged a military spirit
all over the colony; though ignorant and stupid to a great degree,
these peasants have a strong sense of honor; and though they serve, as
I have said, without pay, are never so happy as when called to the
field.

They are excessively vain, and not only look on the French as the
only civilized nation in the world, but on themselves as the flower of
the French nation: they had, I am told, a great aversion to the regular
troops which came from France in the late war, and a contempt equal to
that aversion; they however had an affection and esteem for the late
Marquis De Montcalm, which almost rose to idolatry; and I have even at
this distance of time seen many of them in tears at the mention of his
name: an honest tribute to the memory of a commander equally brave and
humane; for whom his enemies wept even on the day when their own hero
fell.

I am called upon for this letter, and have only time to assure your
Lordship of my respect, and of the pleasure I always receive from your
commands. I have the honor to be,

My Lord,
Your Lordship's, &c.
William Fermor.

LETTER 73.

To Miss Fermor.

Feb. 24, Eleven at night.

I have indeed, my dear, a pleasure in his conversation, to which
words cannot do justice: love itself is less tender and lively than my
friendship for Rivers; from the first moment I saw him, I lost all
taste for other conversation; even yours, amiable as you are, borrows
its most prevailing charm from the pleasure of hearing you talk of him.

When I call my tenderness for him friendship, I do not mean either
to paint myself as an enemy to tenderer sentiments, or him as one whom
it is easy to see without feeling them: all I mean is, that, as our
situations make it impossible for us to think of each other except as
friends, I have endeavored--I hope with success--to see him in no
other light: it is not in his power to marry without fortune, and mine
is a trifle: had I worlds, they should be his; but, I am neither so