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La Salle and the discovery of the great West - North Central ...

La Salle and the discovery of the great West - North Central ...

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;/342 LA SALLE PAINTED BY HIMSELF. [1680-83.Cavelier de <strong>La</strong> <strong>Salle</strong> st<strong>and</strong>s in history like a statuecast in iron ; but his own unwilling pen betrays <strong>the</strong>man, <strong>and</strong> reveals in <strong>the</strong> stern, sad figure an object <strong>of</strong>human interest <strong>and</strong> pity. 11 The following is <strong>the</strong> character <strong>of</strong> <strong>La</strong> <strong>Salle</strong>, as drawn by hi*friend, Abbe Bernou, in a memorial to <strong>the</strong> minister Seignelay :" IIest irreprochable dans ses moeurs, regie dans sa conduite, et quiyeut de l'ordre parmy ses gens.II est savant, judicieux, politique,vigilant, infatigable, sobre, et intrepide. II entend suffisamentl'architecture civile, militaire, et navale ainsy que l'agricultureil parle ou entend quatre ou cinq langues desSauvages, et a beaucoupde facilite pour apprendre les autres. II scait toutes leursmanieres et obtient d'eux tout ce qu'il veut par son adresse, par soneloquence, et parce qu'il est beaucoup estime' d'eux. Dans sesvoyages il ne fait pas meilleure chere que le moindre de ses genset se donne plus de peine que pas un pour les encourager, et il y alieu de croire qu'avec la protection de Monseigneur il fondera descolonies plus considerables que toutes celles que les Francois ontetablies jusqu'a present." — Memoire pour Monseigneur le Marquis deSeignelay, 1682 (Margry, ii. 277).The extracts given in <strong>the</strong> foregoing chapter are from <strong>La</strong> <strong>Salle</strong>'slong letters <strong>of</strong> 29 Sept., 1680, <strong>and</strong> 22 Aug., 1682 (1681?). Both areprinted in <strong>the</strong> second volume <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Margry collection, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>originals <strong>of</strong> both are in <strong>the</strong> Biblio<strong>the</strong>que Nationale. The latterseems to have been written to <strong>La</strong> <strong>Salle</strong>'s friend, Abbe Bernou ; <strong>and</strong><strong>the</strong> former, to a certain M. Thouret.

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