colony and by that of the mother country. What more could be desired? He
had many struggles to endure in order to obtain this creation, but
patience and perseverance never failed him, and like the drop of water
which, falling incessantly upon the pavement, finally wears away the
stone, his reasonable and ever repeated demands eventually overcame the
obstinacy of the king. Not, however, until 1674 was he definitely
appointed Bishop of Quebec, and could enjoy without opposition a title
which had belonged to him so long in reality; this was, as it were, the
final consecration of his life and the crowning of his efforts. Upon the
news of this the joy of the people and of the clergy rose to its height:
the future of the Canadian Church was assured, and she would inscribe
in her annals a name dear to all and soon to be glorified.

Shall we, then, suppose that this pontiff was indeed ambitious, who,
coming in early youth to wield his pastoral crozier upon the banks of
the St. Lawrence, did not fear the responsibility of so lofty a task?
The assumption would be quite unjustified. Rather let us think of him as
meditating on this text of St. Paul: "_Oportet episcopum
irreprehensibilem esse_," the bishop must be irreproachable in his
house, his relations, his speech and even his silence. His past career
guaranteed his possession of that admixture of strength and gentleness,
of authority and condescension in which lies the great art of governing
men. Moreover, one thing reassured him, his knowledge that the crown of
a bishop is often a crown of thorns. When the apostle St. Paul outlined
for his disciple the main features of the episcopal character, he spoke
not alone for the immediate successors of the apostles, but for all
those who in the succession of ages should be honoured by the same
dignity. No doubt the difficulties would be often less, persecution
might even cease entirely, but trial would continue always, because it
is the condition of the Church as well as that of individuals. The