The Building In Which The Sovereign Council First Held Their
Meetings Would Appear To Have Stood On The South Side Of Fabrique
Street Westward (?) Of The Jesuit College, Known At That Time As The
'Treasury.'
"During the Intendancy of M. de Meules, in 1684, that gentleman, at
his own expense, endowed the eastern portion
Of the St. Roch's suburbs
with an edifice henceforth known as the 'Intendant's Palace' ('Le
Palais'), remarkable for its dimensions, magnificence and general
appearance; it included also (according to old plans) about ten acres
of land contained probably between St. Rochs and St. Nicholas streets,
having the River St. Charles in front, and afterwards laid out in
ornamental gardens. The Palace was described by La Potherie, in
1698, as consisting of eighty toises, or 480 feet of buildings, so
that it appeared a little town in itself. The King's stores were also
kept there.
"In 1712, Intendant Begon, with a splendid equipage and retinue,
arrived in Quebec from France, and took up his residence at the
Palace. On the 5th of January, 1713, the entire building and premises
unfortunately were destroyed by fire, and such was the rapidity of the
flames that the Intendant and his wife escaped with great difficulty.
Madame Begon was obliged to break the panes of glass in her apartment
before she had power to breathe. The young lady attendants were burned
to death. The Intendant's valet de chambre, anxious to save some of
his master's wardrobe, also perished in the flames.
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