his resolves, and the voice of censure or applause had no power to draw
him from the path of duty.

La Tour had always shown himself friendly to the New-England colonists;
but M. d'Aulney, who was openly a papist, had in several instances
intercepted their trading vessels, and treated the crews in a most
unjustifiable manner. He had also wrested a trading house, at Penobscot,
from the New-Plymouth colonists, and established his own fort there,
unjustly alleging, that it came within the limits of Acadia. This
conduct rendered him extremely obnoxious, particularly to the
inhabitants of the Massachusetts; but his vicinity to them gave him so
many opportunities of annoyance, that they dreaded to increase his
animosity by appearing to favor a rival. With the most discordant views,
and widely differing feelings, the magistrates and deputies of Boston
convened, at the governor's request, to consult on the propriety of
yielding to the wishes of La Tour. A stormy council at length broke up,
with the decision, that they could not, consistently with a treaty,
which they had lately ratified with the neighboring provinces, render
him assistance in their public capacity; neither did they feel
authorized to prevent any private individuals from enlisting in his
service, either on his offer of reward, or from more disinterested
motives.

"We owe them thanks, even for this concession," said La Tour to his
lieutenant; "and, by my faith, we will return with such a force as shall
make the traitor D'Aulney fly before us to the inmost shelter of his
strong hold;--aye, he may thank our clemency if we do not pursue him
there, and make the foundations of his fort tremble like the walls of
Jericho."