"Paris, February 24th, 1621.

"Louis."

It was in this manner that the sentence of death was given to the old
company.

Several members of the old Company of Rouen and St. Malo were
incorporated in the Company of Montmorency, which was composed of
Guillaume de Caën, Ezechiel de Caën, Guillaume Robin, three merchants of
Rouen; François de Troyes, president of the treasury of France at
Orleans; Jacques de Troyes, merchant; Claude Le Ragois, general receiver
of finance at Limoges; Arnould de Nouveau, Pierre de Verton, councillor
and secretary of the king, and François Hervé, merchant of Paris. The
two brothers de Caën belonged to the reformed religion.

Dolu advised Champlain to restrain the hands of the clerks of the old
company, and to seize all the merchandise in the magazine. He claimed
that although this measure was rigorous, it was justified by the fact
that the company had not fulfilled its obligations towards the
settlement of New France. De Villemenon's letter was dictated in much
the same terms. Guillaume de Caën gave notice that he would soon arrive
in Quebec with arms and stores for the settlement. Dolu's letter
regarding the seizure of merchandise was couched in terms that might be
considered imperative, nevertheless Champlain deemed it prudent to act
with caution, and he therefore had conferred with Father George Le
Baillif and Captain Dumay[18] on the subject.

The elder clerk had some clerks under him at Quebec, who after hearing
of the contents of Dolu's letter, were prepared to resist any