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The Founder of New France : A chronicle of Champlain by Charles William Colby
page 58 of 124 (46%)
at court. Whatever Henry's shortcomings as a friend of
Huguenots and colonial pioneers, their chances had been
better with him than they now were with Marie de Medicis
[Footnote: The second and surviving wife of Henry IV--an
Italian by birth and in close sympathy with Spain. As
regent for her son, Louis XIII, she did much to reverse
the policy of Henry IV, both foreign and domestic.]
Champlain states that De Monts' engagements did not permit
him to prosecute his interests at court. Probably his
engagements would have been less pressing had he felt
more sure of favour. In any event, he made over to
Champlain the whole conduct of such negotiations as were
called for by the unsatisfactory state of affairs on the
St Lawrence.

Champlain went to France. What follows is an illuminating
comment upon the conditions that prevailed under the
Bourbon monarchy. As Champlain saw things, the merchants
who clamoured for freedom of trade were greedy pot-hunters.
'All they want,' he says, 'is that men should expose
themselves to a thousand dangers to discover peoples and
territories, that they themselves may have the profit
and others the hardship. It is not reasonable that one
should capture the lamb and another go off with the
fleece. If they had been willing to participate in our
discoveries, use their means and risk their persons, they
would have given evidence of their honour and nobleness,
but, on the contrary, they show clearly that they are
impelled by pure malice that they may enjoy the fruit of
our labours equally with ourselves.' Against folk of this
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