being a man desirous of seeing good undertakings prosper, commended my
project, and encouraged me in its prosecution.

But feeling assured that those who love to fish in troubled waters would be
vexed at such regulations and seek means to thwart them, it seemed
advisable to throw myself into the hands of some power whose authority
would prevail over their jealousy.

Now, knowing Monseigneur le Comte de Soissons[25] to be a prince devout and
well disposed to all holy undertakings, I addressed myself to him through
Sieur de Beaulieu, councillor, and almoner in ordinary to the King, and
urged upon him the importance of the matter, setting forth the means of
regulating it, the harm which disorder had heretofore produced, and the
total ruin with which it was threatened, to the great dishonor of the
French name, unless God should raise up some one who would reanimate it and
give promise of securing for it some day the success which had hitherto
been little anticipated. After he had been informed in regard to all the
details of the scheme and seen the map of the country which I had made, he
promised me, under the sanction of the King, to undertake the protectorate
of the enterprise.

I immediately after presented to His Majesty, and to the gentlemen of his
Council, a petition accompanied by articles, to the end that it might
please him to issue regulations for the undertaking, without which, as I
have said, it would fail. Accordingly his Majesty gave the direction and
control to the before-mentioned Count, who then honored me with the
lieutenancy.

Now as I was preparing to publish the commission [26] of the King in all
the ports and harbors of France, there occurred the sickness and greatly