er. The Chateau St Louis was far below his idea of what a
viceregal residence ought to be. One of his early resolves was to
enlarge and improve it. Meanwhile, his entertainments surpassed in
splendour anything Canada had yet {35} seen. Pomp on a large scale was
impossible; but the governor made the best use of his means to display
the grace and majesty of his office.

On the 17th of September Frontenac presided for the first time at a
meeting of the Sovereign Council;[1] and the formal inauguration of his
regime was staged for the 23rd of October. It was to be an impressive
ceremony, a pageant at which all eyes should be turned upon him, the
great noble who embodied the authority of a puissant monarch. For this
ceremony the governor summoned an assembly that was designed to
represent the Three Estates of Canada.

The Three Estates of clergy, nobles, and commons had existed in France
from time immemorial. But in taking this step and in expecting the
king to approve it Frontenac displayed his ignorance of French history;
for the ancient meetings of the Three Estates in France had left a
memory not dear to the crown.[2] They had, in truth, given the kings
{36} moments of grave concern; and their representatives had not been
summoned since 1614. Moreover, Louis XIV was not a ruler to tolerate
such rival pretensions as the States-General had once put forth.

Parkman thinks that, 'like many of his station, Frontenac was not in
full sympathy with the centralizing movement of his time, which tended
to level ancient rights, privileges and prescriptions under the
ponderous roller of the monarchical administration.' This, it may be
submitted, is only a conjecture. The family history of the Buades
shows that they were 'king's men,' who would be the last to imperil
royal power. The gathering of the Three Estates at Quebec was meant to
be the fitting background of a ceremony. If Frontenac had any thought
beyond this, it was a desire to unite all classes in an expression of
loyalty to their sovereign.

At Quebec it was not difficult to secure representatives of clergy and
commons. But, as nobles seldom emigrated to Canada, some talent was
needed to discover gentlemen of sufficient standing to represent the
aristocracy. The situation was met by drawing upon the officers and
the seigneurs. The Estates thus duly convened, Frontenac {37}
addressed them on the glory of the king and the duty of all classes to
serve him w