into the hands of the Iroquois, in order to have them educated, the boys
in his seminary, and the girls by persons of the same sex, who form at
Montreal a sort of congregation to teach young girls the petty
handicrafts, in addition to reading and writing." M. de Queylus had used
his great fortune in all sorts of good works in the colony, but he was
not the only Sulpician whose hand was always ready and willing. Before
dying, M. Olier had begged his successors to continue the work at
Ville-Marie, "because," said he, "it is the will of God," and the
priests of St. Sulpice received this injunction as one of the most
sacred codicils of the will of their Father. However onerous the
continuation of this plan was for the company, the latter sacrificed to
it without hesitation its resources, its efforts and its members with
the most complete abnegation.[6] Thus when, on March 9th, 1663, the
Company of Montreal believed itself no longer capable of meeting its
obligations, and begged St. Sulpice to take them up, the seminary
subordinated all considerations of self-interest and human prudence to
this view. To this MM. de Bretonvilliers, de Queylus and du Bois devoted
their fortunes, and to this work of the conversion of the savages
priests distinguished in birth and riches gave up their whole lives and
property. M. de Belmont discharged the hundred and twenty thousand
francs of debts of the Company of Montreal, gave as much more to the
establishment of divers works, and left more than two hundred thousand
francs of his patrimony to support them after his death. How many
others did likewise! During more than fifty years Paris sent to this
mission only priests able to pay their board, that they might have the
right to share in this evangelization. This disinterestedness, unheard
of in the history of the most unselfish congregations, saved, sustained
and finally developed this settlement, to which Roman Catholics point
to-day with pride. The Seminary of Paris contributed to it a sum equal
to twice the value of the island, and during the first sixty years more