north america-1-第18章

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　fact　doing　better　than　Canada。　Quebec　is　a　very　picturesque　town；　from　its　natural　advantages　almost　as　much　so　as　any　town　I　know。　　Edinburgh；　perhaps；　and　Innspruck　may　beat　it。　　But　Quebec　has　very　little　to　recommend　it　beyond　the　beauty　of　its　situation。　　Its　public　buildings　and　works　of　art　do　not　deserve　a　long　narrative。　　It　stands　at　the　confluence　of　the　St。　Lawrence　and　St。　Charles　Rivers；　the　best　part　of　the　town　is　built　high　upon　the　rockthe　rock　which　forms　the　celebrated　plains　of　Abram；　and　the　view　from　thence　down　to　the　mountains　which　shut　in　the　St。　Lawrence　is　magnificent。　　The　best　point　of　view　is；　I　think；　from　the　esplanade；　which　is　distant　some　five　minutes'　walk　from　the　hotels。　　When　that　has　been　seen　by　the　light　of　the　setting　sun；　and　seen　again；　if　possible；　by　moonlight；　the　most　considerable　lion　of　Quebec　may　be　regarded　as　〃done；〃　and　may　be　ticked　off　from　the　list。　The　most　considerable　lion；　according　to　my　taste。　　Lions　which　roar　merely　by　the　force　of　association　of　ideas　are　not　to　me　very　valuable　beasts。　　To　many　the　rock　over　which　Wolfe　climbed　to　the　plains　of　Abram；　and　on　the　summit　of　which　he　fell　in　the　hour　of　victory；　gives　to　Quebec　its　chiefest　charm。　　But　I　confess　to　being　somewhat　dull　in　such　matters。　　I　can　count　up　Wolfe；　and　realize　his　glory；　and　put　my　hand　as　it　were　upon　his　monument；　in　my　own　room　at　home　as　well　as　I　can　at　Quebec。　　I　do　not　say　this　boastingly　or　with　pride；　but　truly　acknowledging　a　deficiency。　　I　have　never　cared　to　sit　in　chairs　in　which　old　kings　have　sat；　or　to　have　their　crowns　upon　my　head。　Nevertheless；　and　as　a　matter　of　course；　I　went　to　see　the　rock；　and　can　only　say；　as　so　many　have　said　before　me；　that　it　is　very　steep。　　It　is　not　a　rock　which　I　think　it　would　be　difficult　for　any　ordinarily　active　man　to　climb；　providing；　of　course；　that　he　was　used　to　such　work。　　But　Wolfe　took　regiments　of　men　up　there　at　night；　and　that　in　face　of　enemies　who　held　the　summits。　　One　grieves　that　he　should　have　fallen　there　and　have　never　tasted　the　sweet　cup　of　his　own　fame。　　For　fame　is　sweet；　and　the　praise　of　ones's　brother　men　the　sweetest　draught　which　a　man　can　drain。　　But　now；　and　for　coming　ages；　Wolfe's　name　stands　higher　than　it　probably　would　have　done　had　he　lived　to　enjoy　his　reward。　But　there　is　another　very　worthy　lion　near　Quebecthe　Falls；　namely；　of　Montmorency。　　They　are　eight　miles　from　the　town；　and　the　road　lies　through　the　suburb　of　St。　Roch；　and　the　long；　straggling　French　village　of　Beauport。　　These　are　in　themselves　very　interesting；　as　showing　the　quiet；　orderly；　unimpulsive　manner　in　which　the　French　Canadians　live。　　Such　is　their　character；　although　there　have　been　such　men　as　Papineau；　and　although　there　have　been　times　in　which　English　rule　has　been　unpopular　with　the　French　settlers。　　As　far　as　I　could　learn　there　is　no　such　feeling　now。　　These　people　are　quiet；　contented；　and；　as　regards　a　sufficiency　of　the　simple　staples　of　living；　sufficiently　well　to　do。　　They　are　thrifty；　but　they　do　not　thrive。　　They　do　not　advance；　and　push　ahead；　and　become　a　bigger　people　from　year　to　year；　as　settlers　in　a　new　country　should　do。　　They　do　not　even　hold　their　own　in　comparison　with　those　around　them。　　But　has　not　this　always　been　the　case　with　colonists　out　of　France；　and　has　it　not　always　been　the　case　with　Roman　Catholics　when　they　have　been　forced　to　measure　themselves　against　Protestants？　　As　to　the　ultimate　fate　in　the　world　of　this　people；　one　can　hardly　form　a　speculation。　　There　are；　as　nearly　as　I　could　learn；　about　800；000　of　them　in　Lower　Canada；　but　it　seems　that　the　wealth　and　commercial　enterprise　of　the　country　is　passing　out　of　their　hands。　Montreal；　and　even　Quebec；　are；　I　think；　becoming　less　and　less　French　every　day；　but　in　the　villages　and　on　the　small　farms　the　French　still　remain；　keeping　up　their　language；　their　habits；　and　their　religion。　　In　the　cities　they　are　becoming　hewers　of　wood　and　drawers　of　water。　　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　the　same　will　ultimately　be　their　fate　in　the　country。　　Surely　one　may　declare　as　a　fact　that　a　Roman　Catholic　population　can　never　hold　its　ground　against　one　that　is　Protestant。　　I　do　not　speak　of　numbers；　for　the　Roman　Catholics　will　increase　and　multiply；　and　stick　by　their　religion；　although　their　religion　entails　poverty　and　dependence；　as　they　have　done　and　still　do　in　Ireland。　　But　in　progress　and　wealth　the　Romanists　have　always　gone　to　the　wall　when　the　two　have　been　made　to　compete　together。　　And　yet　I　love　their　religion。　There　is　something　beautiful；　and　almost　divine；　in　the　faith　and　obedience　of　a　true　son　of　the　Holy　Mother。　　I　sometimes　fancy　that　I　would　fain　be　a　Roman　Catholicif　I　could；　as　also　I　would　often　wish　to　be　still　a　childif　that　were　possible。　All　this　is　on　the　way　to　the　Falls　of　Montmorency。　　These　falls　are　placed　exactly　at　the　mouth　of　the　little　river　of　the　same　name；　so　that　it　may　be　said　absolutely　to　fall　into　the　St。　Lawrence。　　The　people　of　the　country；　however；　declare　that　the　river　into　which　the　waters　of　the　Montmorency　fall　is　not　the　St。　Lawrence；　but　the　Charles。　　Without　a　map　I　do　not　know　that　I　can　explain　this。　　The　River　Charles　appears　to；　and　in　fact　does；　run　into　the　St。　Lawrence　just　below　Quebec。　　But　the　waters　do　not　mix。　　The　thicker；　browner　stream　of　the　lesser　river　still　keeps　the　northeastern　bank　till　it　comes　to　the　Island　of　Orleans；　which　lies　in　the　river　five　or　six　miles　below　Quebec。　　Here　or　hereabouts　are　the　Falls　of　the　Montmorency；　and　then　the　great　river　is　divided　for　twenty…five　miles　by　the　Isle　of　Orleans。　　It　is　said　that　the　waters　of　the　Charles　and　the　St。　Lawrence　do　not　mix　till　they　meet　each　other　at　the　foot　of　this　island。　I　do　not　know　that　I　am　particularly　happy　at　describing　a　waterfall；　and　what　little　capacity　I　may　have　in　this　way　I　would　wish　to　keep　for　Niagara。　　One　thing　I　can　say　very　positively　about　Montmorency；　and　one　piece　of　advice　I　can　give　to　those　who　visit　the　falls。　　The　place　from　which　to　see　them　is　not　the　horrible　little　wooden　temple　which　has　been　built　immediately　over　them　on　that　side　which　lies　nearest　to　Quebec。　　The　stranger　is　put　down　at　a　gate　through　which　a　path　leads　to　this　temple；　and　at　which　a　woman　demands　from　him　twenty…five　cents　for　the　privilege　of　entrance。　　Let　him　by　all　means　pay　the　twenty…five　cents。　　Why　should　he　attempt　to　see　the　falls　for　nothing；　seeing　that　this　woman　has　a　vested　interest　in　the　showing　of　them？　　I　declare　that　if　I　thought　that　I　should　hinder　this　woman　from　her　perquisites　by　what　I　write；　I　would　leave　it　unwritten；　and　let　my　readers　pursue　their　course　to　the　templeto　their　manifest　injury。　　But　they　will　pay　the　twenty…five　cents。　　Then　let　them　cross　over　the　bridge；　eschewing　the　temple；　and　wander　round　on　the　open　field　till　they　get　the　view　of　the　falls；　and　the　view　of　Quebec　also；　from　the　other　side。　　It　is　worth　the　twenty…five　cents　and　the　hire　of　the　carriage　also。　　Immediately　over　the　falls　there　was　a　suspension　bridge；　of　which　the　supporting；　or　rather　non…supporting；　pillars　are　still　to　be　seen。　　But　the　bridge　fell　down；　one　day；　into　the　river；