the saints. In pursuance of a vow, he built a
chapel named Notre Dame de la Recouvrance, which records the gratitude
he felt for the restoration of Quebec to France. He was, in short, the
ideal layman--serving his king loyally in all business of state, and
demeaning himself as a pilgrim who is about to set forth for the City of
God.

It is not to be inferred from the prominence of Champlain's religious
interests that he neglected his public duties, which continued to be
many and exacting. One of his problems was to prevent the English from
trading in the St Lawrence contrary to treaty; another was to discourage
the Hurons from selling their furs to the Dutch on the Hudson. The
success of the mission, which he had deeply at heart, implied the
maintenance of peace among the Indians who were friendly to the French.
He sought also to police the region of the Great Lakes by a band of
French soldiers, and his last letter to Richelieu (dated August 15,
1635) contains an earnest appeal for a hundred and twenty men, to whom
should be assigned the duty of marshalling the Indian allies against the
English and Dutch, as well as of preserving order throughout the forest.
The erection of a fort at Three Rivers in 1634 was due to his desire
that the annual barter should take place at a point above Quebec. A
commission which he issued in the same year to Jean Nicolet to explore
the country of the Wisconsins, shows that his consuming zeal for
exploration remained with him to the end.

It was permitted Champlain to die in harness. He remained to the last
lieutenant of the king in Canada. At the beginning of October 1635 he
was stricken with paralysis, and passed away on Christmas Day of the
same year. We do not possess the oration which Father Paul Le Jeune
delivered at his funeral, but there remains from Le Jeune's pen an
appreciation of his character in terms which to Champlain himself would
have seemed the highest praise.

On the twenty-fifth of December, the day of the birth
of our Saviour upon earth, Monsieur de Champlain, our
Governor, was reborn in Heaven; at least we can say
that his death was full of blessings. I am sure that
God has shown him this favour in consideration of the
benefits he has procured for New France, where we hope
some day God will be loved and served by our French,
and known and adored by our Savages. Truly he had led
a life of great justice, equity, and perfect loyalty
to