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Show 22 THE LILY AND TilE TOTEM. by them, in ordinary matters, and to comprehend much that they said to him. '.fhcy flattered him iu turn. 'l'hcy told him of their feats and sports, and what pleasures they could give him in tho chase. They would take food from no hands but his ; n.nd succeeded in blinding the vigilance of the Frenchmen. They were not more reconciled t-o their prison-bonds than before. They bad simply changed their policy; and, when, after several days' detention, they bad succeeded in lulling to sleep the sUBpicions of their captors, they st<>lc away at midnight from the ship, lc:u·ing behind them all the gifts which had been forced upon them, as if, to have retained them, would have established, in tho pale-faces, a right to their liberties-thus showing, according to Laudonnierc1 "that they were not void of reason. 11 RiPault Wal'l not dissatisfied with this result of his endeavor to comply with the commands of the Queen-mother. His sense of justice probably revolted at the proceeding; and the escape of the Indians, who would report only the kindness of their treatment, would, in all likelihood, have an effect favorable to his main cnterprisc,-the establishment of a colony. This design be now broached to his people in an elaborate speech. ITo enlarged upon the importance of the object, drawing numerous examples frow ancient and modern history, in favor of those virtues in the individual which such enterprise must develope. There is but one p3.Bsngc in this speech which deserves our special nttcntion. It is that in which he speaks to his followers of their inferior birth and condition. ITo speaks to them as "known neither to tho king nor to the princes of the realme, and, besides, descending from so poore a stock, that few or none of your parents, havi11g tver made profe5siml. of armes1 have boone knowne unto the great estates." This is in seeming conflict wlth what Laudonniere bas THE F!RS't VOYAGE OF RIBAULT, already told us toucl1ing the character and condition in society of the persons employed in tho expedition. He has been careful to say, at tho opcuing of the nanativc1 tlmt the two ships were" well f1tT1ii!h(!(l u:illt ge11tlemcn (of whoso number I was one) nnd old soldicrs.n• The apparent contradiction mny be reconciled by a ~cft.!rencc to tho distinction, ''hich, until a I:J.te pcdod, was made m France, between tho noblesse and mere gentlemen. The word ~cntlcman had no such signification, in France, at tbnt period, ns Jt bears to-d;"J.y. To apply it to a nobleman, indeed, would have been, at one time, to have gh'cn n mortal nlfront, and a. curious anecdote is on record, to this effect in tho CllSO of the Princess de Ia Roche Sur Yon, who, using tho epithet " gcntilhomme,, to a nobleman, was insulted by him ; and, on dem3nding redress of the mo~a.rch, W3S told that she deserved the indignity, havinr? been gmlty of tho first offence. o Dut Ribault's speech suggested to his followers thnt their inferior conditi~n made nothing against their heroism. ITo, himself, though u sold10r by profession, from his tenderest years, had never yet boon able to compass the favor of the nobility. Yet he had applied himself with nil industry, and hazarded his life in many dangers. It wns his misfortune that H more regard is bad to birth t~an virtue." But this need not discourt~.gc thtm, as it ],3.1'1 never dl.Scouragcd hil~ from the performance of )Jis duties. The groat c:r.nmples of history arc in his eyes, and should be in theirs. • ~h:ulevoix ~eems to nfrord a sufficitont sanction (or lhto claim of Lau. :I:n;~;:e:.~~ ~:~lfd of the ~cn:Je blo~. among t~e followen of Ribault, . . es csqulpa.,e~ choasu, et plue•eurs volontariea, parmi lesquele •I y avOit qutlquel gtntilshommt•." And yet Ribeult •hould h~ve known better than anybody el•e the quality or his armamtnt. Cert~ lnly, the good leaveu, as the ruuh ahowtd, wa.a in too small a pl'<l or-hon to le:tven the whole colony, P |
