it was decided to
establish the church on ground which had belonged to Jean de
Saint-Pere, but since this site had not the elevation on which the
Sulpicians desired to see the new temple erected, the work was suspended
for two years more. The ecclesiastics of the seminary offered on this
very height (for M. Dollier had given to the main street the name of
Notre-Dame, which was that of the future church) some lots bought by
them from Nicolas Gode and from Mme. Jacques Lemoyne, and situated
behind their house; they offered besides in the name of M. de
Bretonvilliers the sum of a thousand _livres tournois_ for three years,
to begin the work. These offers were accepted in an assembly of all the
inhabitants, on June 10th, 1672; Francois Bailly, master mason, directed
the building, and on the thirtieth of the same month, before the deeply
moved and pious population, there were laid, immediately after high
mass, the first five stones. There had been chosen the name of the
Purification, because this day was the anniversary of that on which MM.
Olier and de la Dauversiere had caught the first glimpses of their
vocation to work at the establishment of Ville-Marie, and because this
festival had always remained in high honour among the Montrealers. The
foundation was laid by M. de Courcelles, governor-general; the second
stone had been reserved for M. Talon, but, as he could not accept the
invitation, his place was taken by M. Philippe de Carion, representative
of M. de la Motte Saint-Paul. The remaining stones were laid by M.
Perrot, governor of the island, by M. Dollier de Casson, representing M.
de Bretonvilliers, and by Mlle. Mance, foundress of the Montreal
hospital. The sight of this ceremony was one of the last joys of this
good woman; she died on June 18th of the following year.

Meanwhile, all desired to contribute to the continuation of the work;
some offered money, others materials, still others their labour. In
their ardour the priests of the seminary had the old fort, which was
falling into ruins, demolished in order to use the wood and stone for
the new building. As lords of the island, they seemed to have the
incontestable right to dispose of an edifice which was their private
property. But M. de Bretonvilliers, to whom they referred the matter,
took them to task for their haste, and according to his instructions the
work of demolition was stopped, not to be resumed until ten years later.
The colonists had an ardent