CHAPTER

It was on the evening of the first of September, 1755, that a family, inhabiting an old-fashioned, French-looking farmhouse

(1) Cf. Evangeline, v. 680 :

Written their history stands on tablets of stone in the church-yards.

Voir aussi dans The Neutral French, Introduction, p. 72 : «... for be it known, the blood of the Acadians now mingles with the best blood in Massachusetts, If itis asked, « Where?» we answer, ask of the tombstones in every churchyard in Boston. »

(2) Id,, v. 54, déjà cité.

situated on the rising ground a few miles from tha: beautiful and noble expanse of water called the Basin of Minas, were assembled to partake of their frugal meal (1).

The persons who composed the group around the circular oaken table at this time were, first, an aged and venerable man, who appeared the head of the family, as he was served with a degree of respect that might have gratified an emperor, but was that kind of homage that kings and emperors rarely receive. His age was probably not less than eighty-five, possibly more, since his head was not only silvered over with age, hands feeble and trembling, and his mouth toothless, but he was blind, totally blind, as was evinced by the attentions of his grand-daughter, a fine, blooming girl, who sat on [82] his left, and from time to time turned round to cut up his meat or place the cup of cider or small beer in his hand.

Gasper St-Pierre Le Blanc was the name F this patriarch... and on the right of him sat a respectable looking farmer, n appearance about middle age, together with his wife, whose age could not have been much less than forty, young as they married in that region... Louis, however, though not handsome, was a person of excellent principles, sound mind, and for those regions, of superior cultivation….

Four stout, ablebodied young lads, the oldest of whom was called Louis after his father, and the next Gasper, after his grand father, sat around the table, with two grand-daughters, one of whom, Pauline, has been noticed ; the younger was called Josephine. Beside the eldest young man, who was in reality the oldest child, sat a pale, sickly young woman, his wife, and her two little children, a boy and a girl. This couple resided about two miles off, and were then on a visit to the paternal mansion…

[83] The plain but substantial fare to which this family of love had now sat down their afternoon meal, consisted of a sirloin of cold roast beef, bacon and eggs, wheat cakes and pies, together with a beverage of cider, and homemade beer from the roots and herbs with which their forests abounded. The plates they ate from, were out of a hard kind of wood, which the English called «trenchers » ; threy were of their own manufacture and as white as scouring could make them. The table cloth, made,

(1) L’analogie nous paraît véritablement frappante entre le début du roman

et le début du poème. Tous les principaux éléments du roman se retrouvent dans le poème.

PIÈCES JUSTIFICATIVES Sue

as all their linens were, from flax of their own raising, was of snotwy whiteness (1).

It was a warm day for the season, in that latitude, and the windows in front of the house, and the outside door, which opened from this their best room upon thee green plot and wilderness of sweets by which it was surrounded, were open, The harvest had been gathered in rather earlier than usual, even for their short season, and earlier than Louis thought advisable ; but it had been expedited at the command of the governor (2), who had issued his commands in a proclamation, ordering «that every man’s harvest should be gathered in by the first of September », a requisition that, among any other people, would have excited suspicions of something mischievous — but with this simple and single — hearted race accustomed as they were to arbitrary and unreasonable enactments. created no apprehensions or alarm (3). The gathering, however, had always, previous to this, been succeeded by a kind of holyday, when all labour was laid aside, and friends and neighbors met together to rejoice in the bounties of a kind Providence. But now, [84] whether it was they became aware that the right of happiness Was exasperating to their oppressors, or for whatever reason, the holydays were unobserved, and nothing of the kind was seen among them. |

.… As they arose from the supper table, the fair and feeble invalid, whose name was Gabriella (4) seated herself at the door to enjoy the breeze from the salt water, which, flowing in from the Bay of Funday, mingles with the waters of nineteen rivers, that discharge themselves into the Basin of Minas. This capacious inland sea, of which a very small part could be seen from the point described, its distance being mingled with the blue of the heavens, lay fair before them. The rays of the declining sun were now dancing on its dazzling waters, and on the fine foresis

(1) Cf, Evangeline, v. 493-495 :

Long within had been spread the snow-white cloth on the table ; There stood the wheaten loaf, and the honey fragrant with wild flowers ; There stood the tankard of ale, and the cheese fresh brought from the dairy... (2) Cf. Ibid., v. 152 : Harvests were gathered in. (3) Zbid., v. 243-246 :

€ Perhaps some friendlier purpose Brings these ships to our shore. Perhaps the harvests in England By the untimely rains or untimelier heat have been blighted, And from our bursting barns they would feed their cattle and children. » (4) C’est le nom que Longfellow avait d’abord donné à son héroïne. Voir son Journal.

which extended here and there along its borders. The hues of autumn had already succeeded their brief summer and had tippedthe trees with its many colors, but had not touched the deep green intervals which abounded in these regions. One of the rivers passed through Gasper’s farm, near his house, from whence, after several fantastic turns, it discharged itself into the Basin.

But chiefly would the beautiful lowlands in front, defended from the tides by the dikes, have charmed the attention of the gazer, where immense droves of catile were quietly feeding, with the exception of a few young heifers, who were playing their gambols and chasing each other around the enclosures, while the pastures above were whitened with flocks of sheep (1).

DS re APS REPAS LES NU ASE ECURIES Conversation après le repas du soir, dans la maison de Gasper Saint-Pierre P E ; Le Blanc. —] Louis (l'aîné) :

[85] « Our burdens, I think, will soon cease to afflict ; for it is impossible for a people to concede as much as we have, to obey all reasonable and many unreasonable requisilions, in the true spirit of forbearance, as Ï think we have done, wilhout eventually disarming suspicion and conciliating enmity. »

The blind father shook his head :

« Conciliation is, 1 fear, out of the question, said he ; envy and enmily never were appeased by submission. Tyranny and despotism continually exact fressh sacrifices.

« Nevertheless, I have always been opposed to resistance ; to suffer paliently, yea, meekly, seems to be the doctrine of our divine master (2)... »