hat
1628 saw Charles I driven by his necessities to concede the Petition of
Right, it will be readily seen that he desired the payment of his
wife's dowry. Hence Richelieu, whose talents in diplomacy were above
praise, had substantial reason to expect that Canada and Acadia would
be restored. The negotiations dragged on for more than two years, and
were complicated by disputes growing out of the captures made under
letter of marque. When all was settled by the Treaty of St
Germain-en-Laye (March 1632) Quebec and Port Royal became once more
French--to the profound discontent of the Kirkes and Sir William
Alexander,[2] but with such joy on the part of Champlain as only
patriots can know who have given a lifelong service to their country.

Having regained Canada, Richelieu was forced to decide what he would do
with it. {128} In certain important respects the situation had changed
since 1627, when he founded the Company of New France. Then Gustavus
Adolphus and the Swedes were not a factor in the dire strife which was
convulsing Europe.[3] In 1632 the political problems of Western and
Central Europe had assumed an aspect quite different from that which
they had worn five years earlier. More and more France was drawn into
the actual conflict of the Thirty Years' War, impelled by a sense of
new and unparalleled opportunity to weaken the House of Hapsburg.
This, in turn, meant the preoccupation of Richelieu with European
affairs, and a heavy drain upon the resources of France in order to
meet the cost of her more ambitious foreign policy. Thus the duel with
Austria, as it progressed during the last decade of the cardinal's
life, meant a fresh check to {129} those colonial prospects which
seemed so bright in 1627.

Richelieu's first step in resuming possession of Canada was to compose
matters between the De Caens and the Company of New France. Emery de
Caen and his associates were given the trading rights for 1632 and
79,000 livres as compensation for their losses through the revocation
of the monopoly. Dating from the spring of 1633, the Company of New
France was to be placed in full possession of Canada, subject to
specific obligations regarding missions and colonists. Conformably
with this programme, Emery de Caen appeared at Quebec on July 5, 1632,
with credentials empowering him to receive possession from Lewis and
Thomas Kirke, the representatives of England. With De Caen came Paul
Le Jeune and two other Jes