spired
by the coming of the Jesuits. The De Caens objected to any outlay on a
fort, and would not give Champlain the men he needed. In reply Champlain
sent the viceroy a report which was unfavourable to the company and its
methods. But even without this representation, the monopoly of the De
Caens was doomed by reason of events which were taking place in France.

At the court of Louis XIII Richelieu had now gained an eminence and
power such as never before had been possessed by a minister of
the French crown. Gifted with imagination and covetous of national
greatness, he saw the most desirable portions of other continents in the
hands of the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the English, and the Dutch. The
prospect was not pleasing, and he cast about for a remedy.

For Hanotaux, [Footnote: Gabriel Hanotaux, member of the French Academy,
is the author of the most authoritative work on the life and times of
Richelieu.] Richelieu is 'the true founder of our colonial empire,' and
La Ronciere adds: 'Madagascar, Senegal, Guiana' the Antilles, Acadia,
and Canada--this, to be exact, was the colonial empire for which we were
indebted to Richelieu.' Regarding his breadth of outlook there can be no
doubt, and in his Memoirs he left the oft-quoted phrase: 'No realm is
so well situated as France to be mistress of the seas or so rich in all
things needful.' Desiring to strengthen maritime commerce and to hold
distant possessions, he became convinced that the English and the
Dutch had adopted the right policy. Strong trading companies--not weak
ones--were what France needed.

Henry IV could have given the French a fair start, or even a lead, in
the race for colonies. He missed this great opportunity; partly because
he was preoccupied with the reorganization of France, and partly because
Sully, his minister, had no enthusiasm for colonial ventures. Twenty
years later the situation had changed. Richelieu, who was a man of wide
outlook, was also compelled by the activity of England and Holland
to give attention to the problem of a New France. The spirit of
colonization was in the air, and Richelieu, with his genius for ideas,
could not fail to see its importance or what would befall the laggards.
His misfortune was that he lacked certain definite qualifications which
a greater founder of colonies needed to possess. Marvellous in his grasp
of diplomatic situations and in his handling of men, he had no talent
whatever for the details of commerc