This is not all. Sieur de Potrincourt confided the administration of the ship and the management of affairs, to a certain servant of his called Simon Imbert, a former innkeeper at Paris, and at that time seeking in the woods of new France something with which to pay his creditors. The ship belonged to a Captain, called Nicolas l'Abbé, of Dieppe, an honest and prudent man. So this vessel, thus equipped and freighted, departed from Dieppe the 31st of December in the very depth of winter, and arrived happily at Port Royal on the 23rd of January in the following year, 1612, having consumed only two months in the journey.
CHAPITRE XXI. [i.e., xx.]
[193] LE COMMENCEMENT DES DISPUTES ENTRE LE SIEUR DE BIENCOURT, & LES IESUITES & LES CAUSES D'ICELLES, L'ACCUSATION, QU'ON FIT DE GILBERT DU THET, & SA DEFENSE.
[238] LA ioye fut grande aux secourus de ceste arriuée de nauire pour l'estroitte necessité où ils se retrouuoyent, & les frayeurs, qu'ils auoyent conçeu de l'aduenir. Mais ceste resiouissance ne fut pas longue, le sieur de Biencour n'estant point à son aise dés que Simon Imbert, luy eust porté nouuelles de l'association faicte auec Madame la Marquise de Guercheuille. Or parce que le Iesuite Gilbert du Thet, estant dans le nauire, quoy qu'il ne se fust meslé des affaires, toutesfois [194] n'auoit pas esté si borgne (comme l'on dit) qu'il ny eust tousiours veu d'vn œil; comme il en auoit charge, & commandement. Iceluy doncques pour s'acquitter de son deuoir, & garder le droit, s'en alla trouuer le sieur de Biencourt, en presence du P. Biard luy dit, Qu'il s'esmerueilloit bien fort, que Simon Imbert ayant eu l'administration de tout l'embarquement, ce neantmoins il n'auoit apporté aucun roolle, ny charte-partie, ny memoires de ce qui auoit esté embarqué, ny où, ny comment l'argent de Madame la Marquise auoit esté employé. Qu'il deuoit bien l'auoir faict au moins pour iustification de sa probité, & bonne foy mesmes, puis qu'il apportait plusieurs marchandises [240] qu'il asseuroit estre à luy en proprieté, & desquelles on pourroit auoir soupçon, qu'il se fust accommodé [195] au detriment de la dicte Dame, & d'eux. Qu'ils ne vouloyent point l'accuser auant que de l'auoir trouué coulpable, neãtmoins qu'auant aussi de le recognoistre non coulpable, il y auoit bien de quoy s'enquerir en tout cela, & mesmes de ce qu'il auoit vendu à Dieppe du bled, qui luy auoit esté dõné pour l'embarquement: chose qui tournoit au grand preiudice de l'habitation, laquelle defailloit principalement en victuailles. Item, qu'il comptoit sept barrils de Galette despensez durant le voyage, & il ne disoit rien que de ces sept il y en auoit deux, qu'vn certain Robert de Roüen auoit fourny pour sa part: car en ceste façon il ne falloit pas compter sur la compagnie sept barrils, ains cinq tant seulement. Qu'on supplioit ledit sieur de s'enquester de tout l'affaire prudemment, [196] & s'y conduire tousiours comme nous deuons par tout, auec charité, & retenuë. Telle fut la simple remonstrance, que luy fit le Iesuite, & le sieur de Biencourt a souuent depuis rendu tesmoignage, qu'on ne luy pouuoit indiquer ce mesnage, auec plus de modestie que lon fit. Neantmoins au lieu de faire ce dequoy on l'auoit requis, & à quoy il estoit tenu, il s'en alla rapporter le tout audit Simon Imbert, adioustant que le Iesuite coadiuteur l'auoit accusé.
CHAPTER XXI. [i.e., xx.]
[193] THE BEGINNING OF THE DISPUTES BETWEEN SIEUR DE BIENCOURT AND THE JESUITS, AND THE CAUSES THEREOF; THE ACCUSATION MADE AGAINST GILBERT DU THET, AND HIS DEFENSE.
GREAT was the rejoicing over the relief afforded by the arrival of this ship, on account of the severe straits to which the colonists had been reduced, and the dread which they felt for the future. But this joy did not last long, sieur de Biencour being ill at ease on account of the news brought by Simon Imbert about the partnership formed with the Marquise de Guercheville. Now the Jesuit, Gilbert du Thet, being in the ship, although he had not meddled with affairs, nevertheless [194] had not been so blind of one eye (as the saying is) that he had not always kept watch with the other, as he had been charged and commanded to do. Now in order to acquit himself of his duty, and to uphold the right, he went to see sieur de Biencourt; and, in the presence of Father Biard, he said to him: That he was very much surprised that, as Simon Imbert had had the management of the entire embarkation, nevertheless he had not brought any list of the ship's company, nor charter party,[44] nor invoice of what had been shipped, nor statement of where or how the money of Madame la Marquise de Guercheville had been spent. That he ought to have done this at least for the vindication of his own honesty and good faith, since he had brought a great deal of merchandise which he claimed belonged to him, and which it would be suspected he had appropriated [195] to the detriment of the said Lady, and of themselves. That they did not wish to accuse him before having found him guilty; nevertheless, before admitting his innocence, there was a great deal to investigate in the whole matter, and especially in regard to his having sold at Dieppe wheat which had been given him to be shipped—an act which would prove to be a great disadvantage to the settlement, which was in need of provisions more than of anything else. Also, that he counted seven barrels of Sea-biscuits dispensed during the voyage, and he did not say that of these seven, two were furnished by a certain Robert de Roüen as his share; so, for this reason, seven barrels should not have been charged to the company, but only five. That the sieur was entreated to investigate the whole affair prudently, [196] and to conduct himself always in the matter as we ought to do in all things, with charity and dignity. Such was the simple remonstrance that was made to him by the Jesuit; and sieur de Biencourt has often testified since then, that this matter could not have been called to his attention with greater delicacy than it was. But, instead of doing what he was requested, and what he was bound to do, he went and reported the whole affair to Simon Imbert, adding that the Jesuit lay brother had accused him.
Or quels conseils furent prins là dessus, & quelles menées, ou pretensions, ie n'en sçay rien. Tant y a, que comme de petites exhalaisons & vapeurs, qui au commencement ne sont rien, s'esleuent d'espaisses nuees, vents furieux, & horribles tempestes qui à traict de temps s'effarouchent & [197] gastent les cãpagnes & moissons: Ainsi de ce peu de cause par [242] l'agitation de l'esprit malin se grossit en vn tourbillon malencontreux de discorde, qui a dissipé, & rauagé tous les fruicts, & les esperances de ce premier essartemẽt. Car Imbert luy depeignit l'association faicte auec la Dame Marquise de de Guercheuille comm'vn moyen inuenté par les Iesuites, à fin de l'expulser hors de ses amples Seigneuries de Canada.
Now what counsels were held thereupon, and what underhand dealings or claims, I know not. However, as from little exhalations and vapors, which at first amount to nothing, arise dense clouds, furious winds, and horrible tempests, which suddenly sweep over and [197] destroy fields and harvests; so from this slight cause, through the agitation of the evil spirit, the trouble increased to a mischievous whirlwind of discord, which has scattered and ravaged all the fruits and hopes of this first clearing. For Imbert represented to him that the partnership formed with Madame la Marquise de Guercheville was a means invented by the Jesuits to drive him out of his broad Seigneuries of Canada.