Recalled to Canada by Talon, the Recollet Fathers (1670) established themselves at Que bec and had four missions: Trois-Rivieres, l'ile Pere& (Gaspe), Saint-John River and Fort Frontenac on Lake Ontario. In 1682, Mr. Dol lier de Casson called them to Montreal, and in 1692 the missions of Cape Breton and of Plaisance in Newfoundland were confided to them.
Meanwhile Monsignor Laval, worn out with his administration, gave in his resignation to Louis XIV (1684). After four years' sojourn in France, he returned to Quebec (1688), where he lived in profound retirement until his death in 1708. The episcopacy of Monsignor Laval marks one of the most prosperous epochs of the Canadian Church and of the colony. Be tween 1665 and 1680, thanks to the intelligent activity of Colbert and de Talon, more colon ists came to Canada than in the preceding half century. A strict supervision was exercised in the choice of the young women sent, as much as regarded their physical as their moral quali ties. Several whose loose manners might have become a cause of corruption and decadence rather than of growth were rejected. Consult Gailly de Taurines, 'La nation canadienne' (Paris 1894); Ferland, Tours d'histoire du Canada) ; Verreau, 'Des Commencements de l'Eglise du Canada—Archives Societe Royale) (Mai 1884) •, 'Souvenir des fetes du cen tenaire de Francois de Laval) (Quebec 1908) ; Gosselin, (Eveques de Quebec.) Monsignor de Saiat-Vallier succeeded Mon signor Laval. The new bishop founded the general hospital of Quebec, endowed it with his own contributions, built the episcopal palace, published a catechism for the diocese, estab lished ecclesiastical conferences and held the first synods. In 1690, the American Phipps, having attacked Quebec with 32 vessels the prelate in a pastoral letter exhorted the Cana dians to bravely do their duty. When after useless efforts the enemy had departed the bishop dedicated to Our Lady of Victory the church in the Lower Town, still standing, as a monument to Heaven's protection.
The era of great missions passed; neverthe less Cadillac and a missionary founded the town and colony of Detroit (1700) ; the priests of the Seminal), of Quebec became the apostles of the Tamarms, between the Illinois and the Ohio rivers; the•Jesuits evangelized the Miamis, the Sioux, the Otawawas, the Illinois and held their ground amid the Iroquois. With the opening
of the 18th century, commenced the furious and assaults of England and its American colonies against the little Catholic colony, in which the French government, careless of the future, became less and less interested. The emigration to New France ceased toward the end of the preceding century. No more were to be seen the great convoys setting sail for America crowded with new populations full of faith and energy. In 1713 the French Canadian population was 18,000, and in 1739 scarcely reached 42,000. It was a small number to re sist an adversary which counted in 1706 260, 000 individuals, and which was increasing each year.
Acadia especially was weak, having but 2,000 inhabitants of French origin. The first attacks were directed against her. After having resisted in 1704 and in 1707, she fell (1710) into the power of the English colonists, and three years later, the Treaty of Utrecht (q.v.) (1713) ceded Acadia, Newfoundland and Hudson Bay to England. From this- epoch to that of the violent dispersal of the Acadians by Lawrence (1755), the Catholics found de voted support in the Sulpicians and the priests of the Seminary of Quebec who were their mis sionaries. The names of Geoffroy, Baudoin, Trouve, de Breslay, Metivier, de la Goudalie, de Miniac, Chauvreuse and Desenclaves, of Saint-Sulpice; of Petit, Thury, Gaulin, of the Seminary of Quebec, deserve to be remembered Mention should also be made of ather Rasles, S. J. missionary to the Abenakis, who was killed by the English. We will not rew call here the incredible atrocities which have relegated Lawrence's memory to the execra tion of humanity, and which Longfellow has immortalized in his touching poem 'Evangeline.' Consult Richard, 'Acadia, Missing Links of a Lost Chapter of American History) (Montreal 1895) ; .Abbe Casgrain, ''Les Sulpiciens en Acadia)* (Quebec 1897).; id., 'lin pelerinage au pays d'Evangeline) (Quebec 1885).