Page:American Historical Review vol. 6.djvu/697

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Jllarc Lescarbot 687 for home in August 1606, the return of de Poutrincourt from his voy- age of discovery to the South in the autumn of that year and finally Lescarbot's own departure from New France in the summer of 1607. Upon its appearance Lescarbot's work at once met with a good reception. It described interesting events and was written in an agreeable manner. The author was not a pedant but on the con- trary one who enjoyed a good story. He himself took delight in what he related and his own questions, conjectures and observations give one pleasure even to this day. It is not surprising therefore that an English and a German translation of the work soon ap- peared. The first was done at Hakluyt's request by P. Erondelle who seems to have been a Huguenot pastor in London.^ He only translated however that portion of the work which dealt with the settlements at Ste. Croix and Port Royal and the last book, on the manners and customs of the savages. The translation, which was dedicated to Prince Henry, was made " to the end that comparing the goodnesse of the lands of the Northerly parts with Virginia, greater encouragement might be given to prosecute that generous and godly action." - The Chapters XXXI. to XLVIII. of Book II. form the first book of the English edition, while Book III. of the French edition forms the second. Lescarbot's name however is nowhere given. The translation seems to be well done and the work must have been of great interest to English readers at the time of its appearance. The German translation, which did not appear until 16 13, gives only a brief summary in some eighty pages of the whole of the orig- inal.^ This abridgment was published by a Catholic nobleman for the benefit of his co-religionists.^ Shortly after the publication of his history, Lescarbot was thrown into prison on the charge of having written a work against the Jes- uits.'^ Whether guilty or not, he was soon released, for in the au- 1 Nova Fi-ancia or the DesLription of thai part of N~di France -ahieh is one continent with Virginia. Translated out of French into English by P. E., London, 1609, Cf. Han-isse, Notes pnir servir a F Histoire, a la BihHographie, etc., de la Noiivelle France, Paris, 1872, p. 25. 2 To the Reader. ^ Marc Lescarbot, Nova Francia : Griindliche History von Erficndung dei grosseji Landschafft Nova Francia oder New Frankreieh genannt. Ausz einem zu Parisz gedruckten Franzosisehen Bach in Teittsch gebracht, Augsburg, 1613. « Preface. "Also hat sich ein Furnemer Edler . . . leichtlich erbitten lassen, den Cathohschen zu gutem vorgemeldtes Buch in das Teutsch zubringen." ^L'Estoile, Memoires-Journaux, Paris, 18S1, X. 88. " Un advocat de mes amis nomme Lescarbot en peine et en prison pour le Mastigophore de Fuzy a la suscitation, ainsi qu'on disoit, et par la trahison d'un imprimeur nomme Langlois." Cf. also pp. 87 et seqq. The work referred to is entitled : Le Mastigophore on precicrseur du Zudiaque,