missionaries to Canada, but also for having realized his ideas. He
obtained the coöperation of many pious and zealous persons in France,
who willingly seconded his efforts, but it was owing to his own
steadfastness of purpose and to his great ability that his designs were
successfully carried out. After having formed a society of merchants to
take the material affairs of the colony in hand, Champlain tried to get
some religious orders to assume the direction of spiritual matters. He
had previously made known his plan to Louis Hoüel, king's councillor,
and comptroller of the salt works at Brouage, and sieur of Petit-Pré.
Hoüel was an honourable and pious man, and a friend of Champlain. He
told him that he was acquainted with some Récollets who would readily
agree to proceed to New France. Hoüel met Father du Verger, a man of
great virtue and ability, and principal of the order of the Immaculate
Conception. Father du Verger made an appeal to his confrères, all of
whom offered their services, and were ready to cross the ocean.

The cardinals and bishops who were then gathered at St. Denis for their
great chapter, were in favour of the idea of sending the Récollets to
their foreign missions, and promised to raise a fund for the maintenance
of four monks, and the merchants of Rouen promised to maintain and
convey at least six Récollets gratuitously. The king issued letters for
the future church of Canada. The pope's nuncio, Guido Bentivoglio,
granted the requisite permission, in conformity with the pope's wishes,
but the bull establishing the church was only forwarded on May 20th,
1615. The brief of Paul V granted to the Récollets the following
privileges:

"To receive all children born of believing and unbelieving parents, and
all others of what condition soever they may be, who, after promising to
keep and observe all that should be kept and observed by the faithful,