Jean de Lauzon, intendant of the company for Canadian affairs, made a formal protest, and thus these noble missionaries were forced to abandon their work in Canada.  The Recollets were much disappointed, but Father Le Caron, the first apostle to the Huron tribes, was so distressed at the news that he was taken ill and died on March 29th, 1632, some days before the departure of Emery de Caen for Quebec.  He had brought some manuscripts from Canada, which were accidently burnt in Normandy.  This man was perhaps the purest example of all the Recollets in Canada.  Others had a more illustrious name, but none gave greater proof of devotedness and courage in their dealings with the Indians, and especially the Hurons.  He was generally regarded as a saint.

CHAPTER XIII

THE JESUIT MISSIONS IN NEW FRANCE

The Jesuits, who had only been in the country about four years, had not as yet a true idea of the magnitude of the task they had undertaken.  Father Charles Lalemant had abandoned the theatre of his first apostolic labours on our Canadian soil, at the same time that some workmen whom Father Noyrot had brought from France during the preceding year, left the place.  He was the last representative, together with Fathers Masse, de Nouee and de Brebeuf of the primitive church of Canada.  Mention has been made of the temporary residence in the convent of the Recollets, and of a building which was erected for themselves at about two hundred feet from the shore, near the junction of the river Lairet and the river St. Charles.  The Jesuits received a concession of this land which was bounded on the west by a stream called St. Michel, and the river St. Mary or Beauport on the east.  This was named the Seigniory of Notre Dame des Anges.

The Jesuits’ convent was finished on April 6th, 1626.  It was a poor residence of about forty feet in length and thirty feet in width.  The building contained a small chapel dedicated to Notre Dame des Anges, on account of a picture which decorated a wall representing the Blessed Virgin receiving the homage of angels.  This name extended beyond the chapel, and was given to the seigniory, and after a lapse of three centuries, it remains unchanged.

The different mission-stations of the Jesuits in Canada and around the gulf of the St. Lawrence were maintained at the expense of the Hundred Associates from the year 1632, with the exception of their college at Quebec which was founded through the liberality of the Marquis de Gamache, who gave them a sum of sixteen thousand ecus d’or for that purpose, in 1626, on the occasion of his son taking religious vows.  The offer was accepted by Father Vitelleschi, general of the order, and the college was founded in 1635, and opened a few years later.  “This,” writes Parkman, “was the cradle of the great missions of Canada!”

As soon as the Jesuits arrived they commenced to repair their residence, and in the year 1632 it was in a fit state for a banquet which was given to Emery de Caen, who had been appointed governor ad interim of the French colony.