his efforts, the new fettlement was maintained under the protection of the king, to whom it had been reprefented as conducive to the fafety of the French colony. The count de Frontenac endeavoured to engrofs the whole authority of the ́council; and even to appropriate to himfelf the title and functions of prefident; but the king, interpofing, decreed in an ordonnance, that the governor-general fhould have the first place in council, the bishop the fecond, and the intendant the third; and this last retained his right of atking opinions, collecting votes, and While An. 1676. Pronouncing decrees.

1

the count, by his arbitrary proceedings, embroiled the whole colony of New France, and maintained his government, by the dint of family-interest at court; the fieur de la Sale made his first appearance at Quebec. He was an adventurer and projector, of a good family at Rouen, but without fortune: he had formed the scheme of going in quest of a North-Weft paffage to Japan and China; and happened to be at Montreal, when Joliet returned from his expedition to the Mechaffipi. He forthwith conjectured that by tracing this river to its fource, he fhould either find out what was the object of his inquiry, or at least fall upon fuch discoveries, as fhould make his fortune. He infinuated himself into the good graces of the count de Frontenac, who relished his projects, and even promifed to contribute all that lay in his power towards their fuccefs. As a previous step, la Sale propofed to this governor, that the fortifications of Cade

rakuy fhould be augmented and secured with a good garrison; and that a settlement should be made under its protection, which might fupply it occafionally with recruits of men and provisions, and build veifels for the navigation of the lake Ontario. Nothing could be more agreeable to the general, who fent him over to France with letters of recommendation to Mr. Colbert; but before he reached Paris, that great minister was dead. Nevertheless, be delivered his letters to Colbert's fon, the marquifs de Seignelay, who had succeeded his father in the department of the marine; and had the good fortune to ingratiate himself iu fuch a manner, that all his demands were granted. He was indulged with letters patent of noblesse, with the lordfhip or fignory of Caderakuy, and the government of the fort, on condition that he would rebuild it of stones. He likewife received full powers for the free extension of commerce, and the improvement of the discoveries that were begun. In the month of July, in the year 1678, he embarked at Rochelle, accompanied by an officer called the chevalier Tonti; who had been recommended to him by the prince of Conti, and a number of pilots and workmen, to be employed in the prosecution of his fchemes. They arrived at Quebec in September, and immediately fet out for Caderakuy, where he rebuilt the fort, and equipped a veffel on the lake, with fuch dexterity and difpatch as conveyed a very favourable idea of his conduct and activity.

[To be continued.]

Dear Sir,

THE

HE city of London, as long as they have any memory, cannot forget, that you accepted the feals when this nation was in the most deplorable circumftances to which any country can be reduced: That our armies were beaten, our navy inactive, our trade exposed to the enemy, our credit, as if we expected to become bankrupts, funk to the lowest pitch, that there was nothing to be found but defpondency at home, and contempt abroad. The city must alfo for ever remember, that

when you refigned the feals, our armies and navies were victorious, our trade fecure, and flourishing more than in a peace, our public credit restored, and people readier to lend than minifters to borrow: that there was nothing but exultation at home, confufion and despair among our enemies, amazement and veneration among all neutral nations: that the French were reduced fo low as to fue for a peace, which we, from humanity, were willing to grant; though their haughtiness was too great, and our fucceffts too many, for any

terms

revenge; and nothing was seen but fcenes of horror and davastation. Wulfoode, mayor of the palace, finding himself in no condition to reprefs these disorders, retired with his friends into Auftrafia, part of which was now governed by that very Dagobert, the fon of Sigebert, whom Grimoaldi had exiled to Scotland. This young prince had returned to France with Wulfred, archbishop of York; and Childeric, out of respect for his mother Innechilde, had bestowed upon them that part of Auftrafia which lay on the other fide of the Rhine. Dagobert, taking advantage of the confusion occationed by the death of Childeric, extended his territories, until he recovered the best part of his father's dominions. He might have lived to reign with reputation, had not he been treacheroufly flain, together with his fon Sigebert, at the chace, by a remnant of Grimoaldi's faction. Their bodies were interred at Stenai, where Dagobert was invoked as a faint.

[An. 1673.] Seme time after the death of Childeric, his brother Thierri quitted his convent, affumed the reins of government, with the confent of his nobles, and beflowed the office of mayor of the palace on Leudefie, the fon of Erchinould. Leger, bishop of Autun, and Ebroin, had abandoned the convent in the midst of the troubles. The prelate joined the king, by whom he was courteously received, altho' he had fpirited up that revolt which occafioned his depofition: but Ebroin, putting himself at the head of the malcontents, who were joined by all the vagabonds and banditti, impatient of the restraint of government, bad defiance to his king, drove him from place to place, and declared he would never lay down his arms, until he should be restored to the office of mayor of the palace. Nevertheless, he invited Leudefie, the present mayor, to a conference, as if he had been willing to accommodate the difpute; but took care that he fhould be affaffinated in his way to the place appointed. By this effort of cruel treachery, he incurred the general odium, and having no longer any hope of fucceeding in his defign, retired to Australia, in order to play a new game of ambition. He produced an unknown youth, under the name of Clovis, as the fon of Clothaire; and affirming that Thierri was dead, gained a prodigious acceffion of ftrength by

this impofture. His old animofity revive, ing against his former fellow-prisoner, the bishop of Autun, he fent a ftrong body of forces to invest that city, which, in order to preferve, the honeft prelate furrendered himself into the hands of his enemies, by whom he was deprived of his eye-fight, and must have perished by want in his old age, had not he been relieved by the charity of the duke of Champagne. The king finding himself unable to cope with this powerful traitor, was obliged to receive him on his own terms, as mayor of the palace. Ebroin, having gained this point, fet on foot an inquiry into the depofition of Thieri, and the murder of Childeric. This furnished him with an opportunity of destroying all his enemies under colour of law. The blind bishop of Autun, as acceffory to the death of Childeric, loft his lips and his tongue, and his brother was stoned to death. The wretched prelate was afterwards tried on a new charge, condemned to lose his life, and fuffered accordingly. Others felt the rod of his barbarity and oppreffion. The nobles of Auftrafia, in the midst of their own distractions, united in one measure to prevent Ebroin from extending his power into their country. They chofe Martin and Pepin, dukes of Auftrafia; but before these two noblemen could take proper precautions for their own defence, Ebroin marched against them, at the head of a difciplined army, and defeated them in battle. He afterwards befieged Martin in the city of Laon, who having furrendered the place in confequence of the most folemn capitulation, was beheaded by order of the victor. Pepin, mean while, having rallied and augmented his forces, chofe an advantageous fituation, where he encamped, and refolved to defend himself to the last extremity. Ebroin was bufied in making preparations for attacking his intrenchments, when a period was put to his villainy and life, by one Hermanfroi, who had been steward of the king's houfhold, and feverely fined for peculation. This man, inflamed with revenge against the mayor of the palace, as the author of his difgrace, engaged a few friends in the defperate enterprize, and having butchered Ebroin with knives, in his going to worfhip, fled to the camp of Pepin, where they met with a very cordial reception, [To be continued.]

word, he was the first of thofe princes, whom the French historians ftile les Rois faiians, or weak, indolent monarchs. With refpect to Dagobert, the fon of Sigebert, he was proclaimed and acknowledged king of Auftrafia; but Grimvaldi, his mayor of the palace, did not leave him long in poffeffion of that title. He employed Didon, bishop of Poitiers, as the inftrument, by whofe means the unfortunate prince was fhaved, and fent to a monaftery in one of the western iles of Scotland. Then he circulated a report of his death, and raised to the throne his own fon Childebert, on pretence that he had been adopted by the late monarch, The queen, Innechilde, flying to the court of Clovis, and imploring his protection, Archembaud advanced with an army into Auftralia, depofed Childebert, in favour of his mafter's fecond fon Childeric, then an infant; and conveyed Grimoaldi to Paris, where he perished in captivity.

At the death of Clovis, his fon

An. 653. Clothaire Iil. was proclaimed king of Burgundy and Neustria, in the fi th year of his age, and fubjected to the tuition of his mother, queen Bathilda, afted by Ebroin, mayor of the palace. This princefs governed with great juftice and moderation; and the kingdom was maintained in tranquillity, until Leger bishop of Autun, and Segebraud another prelate, were admitted into her councils. This participation produced jealousy and animofity; a popular infurrection ensued, in which Sigebraud was facrificed to the public hatred a circumftance fo affecting to the queen, whofe favourite he was, that the quitted the reins of government, and retired to the monastery of Chelles, which he had rebuilt, and where the now paffed the rest of her life in acts of piety and benevolence. Ebroin, thus left without controul, gave a loofe to his natura! difpofition, which turbulent, arbitrary, and oppreffive, and in a little time, became the object of univerfal odium and execration. Clothaire dying in the nineteenth year of his age, this minister proclaimed his youngest brother Thierry, for whom no provision had been made by his father. This fep was fo difagreeable to the nobility and the people, that they rofe up in arms; plundered the palace; and feized the riches of Ebroin, who fled for reTrge to a monaftery. Not contented

was

with thefe outrages, they fhaved Thierri, and thrust him into a convent; though it was not fo much as pretended, that he had given the leaft cause of complaint. When his brother Childeric, king of Auftrafia, came to Paris to affume the government, and faw Thierri in this condition, his heart relented; he expreffed great tenderness for him, and allotted for him the best apartment in the monaftery of St. Denis, with liberal appointments for his fupport. Thus the kingdoms of Burgundy, Neustria, and Auftrafia, were united in the perfon of Childeric, who began his reign with fome wholesome regulations for the diftribution of juftice. At first he conducted himself by the counfels of Leger, bishop of Autun, who had been his mother's minifter, a man of probity, but of a narrow mind; fo fevere in his manners, and ungracious in his deportment, that the king, naturally prone to idleness and debauchery, could not bear the aufterity of fuch a director. That he might be rid of the prelate's reproof, he pretended to fufpect him of treafonable practices, and confined him to the monastery of Luxeuil, the very convent to which Ebroin had retired. Here thofe difgraced statesmen forgot their former animofity, profelfed friendfhip, and concerted measures for quitting a retirement, which was equally difagreeable to both. Mean while, Childeric, by his mifconduct, paved the way to his own de ruction. He was not only grown profligate, but became arbitrary and cruel. Bodillon, one of his nobles, having complained of fome grievances with extraordinary freedom, the king caused him to be laid upon the floor, and feverely baftinadoed in his prefence Exafperated by this affront, he retired to his own house in a transport of rage, assembled and armed his vaffals, furprised the king, while he was hunting; and, after having reproached him in the most infolent terms, ftabbed him with his own hand: infatiate of revenge, he forthwith proceeded to the palace, where he murdered queen Blithilde, in the laft month of her pregnancy; and butchered the infant prince Dagobert; but Daniel efcaped the maTacre, and, in procefs of time, afcended his father's throne. The whole kingdom being now involved in anarchy, every nobleman gratified his paffions of avarice, cruelty, and

revengej