with the fleece.  If they had been willing to participate in our discoveries, use their means and risk their persons, they would have given evidence of their honour and nobleness, but, on the contrary, they show clearly that they are impelled by pure malice that they may enjoy the fruit of our labours equally with ourselves.’  Against folk of this sort Champlain felt he had to protect the national interests which were so dear to him and De Monts.  As things then went, there was only one way to secure protection.  At Fontainebleau a great noble was not habituated to render help without receiving a consideration.  But protection could be bought by those who were able to pay for it.

The patron selected by Champlain was the Comte de Soissons, a Bourbon by lineage and first cousin of Henry iv.  His kinship to the boy-king gave him, among other privileges, the power to exact from the regent gifts and offices as the price of his support.  Possessing this leverage, Soissons caused himself to be appointed viceroy of Canada, with a twelve-year monopoly of the fur trade above Quebec.  The monopoly thus re-established, its privileges could be sublet, Soissons receiving cash for the rights he conceded to the merchants, and they taking their chance to turn a profit out of the transaction.

Such at least was the theory; but before Soissons could turn his post into a source of revenue he died.  Casting about for a suitable successor, Champlain selected another prince of the blood—­Henri de Bourbon, Prince de Conde, who duly became viceroy of Canada and holder of the monopoly in succession to his uncle, the Comte de Soissons.

The part of Champlain in these transactions is very conspicuous, and justly so.  There was no advantage in being viceroy of Canada unless the post produced a revenue, and before the viceroy could receive a revenue some one was needed to organize the chief Laurentian traders into a company strong enough to pay Soissons or Conde a substantial sum.  Champlain was convinced that the stability of trade (upon which, in turn, exploration depended) could be secured only in this way.  It was he who memorialized President Jeannin; [Footnote:  One of the chief advisers of Marie de Medicis.  In the early part of his career he was President of the Parlement of Dijon and an important member of the extreme Catholic party.  After the retirement of the Duc de Sully (1611) he was placed in charge of the finances of France.] enlisted the sympathy of the king’s almoner, Beaulieu; appealed to the royal council; proposed the office of viceroy to Soissons; and began the endeavour to organize a new trading company.  Considering that early in 1612 he suffered a serious fall from his horse, this record of activity is sufficiently creditable for one twelve-month.  Meanwhile the Indians at Sault St Louis grieved at his absence, and his enemies told them he was dead.