Shall We Venture To Assert That Sillery Equals In Size Some Of The German
Principalities, And That, Important Though It Be, Like European Dynasties,
It Has Had Its Periods Of Splendor Succeeded By Eras Of Medieval
Obscurity.
From 1700 down to the time of the conquest, we appeal in vain
to the records of the past for any historical event connected with it;
everywhere reigns supreme a Cimmerian darkness.
But if the page of history
is silent, the chronicles of the ton furnish some tit-bits of drawing-
room chit-chat. Thus, as stated in Hawkins' celebrated Historical Picture
of Quebec, [197] the northern portion of the parish skirting the St. Foye
road "was the favorite drive of the Canadian belle." In these few words,
of Hawkins is involved an intricate question for the salons, a problem to
solve, more abstruse than the one which agitated the Grecian cities
respecting the birth of Homer. Who then was the Canadian Belle of former
days? The Nestors of the present generation still speak with admiration of
a fascinating stranger who, close to the end of the last century, used to
drive on the St. Foye road, when a royal duke lived in the city, in what
is now styled "The Kent House," on St. Louis street. The name of this
distinguished traveller, a lady of European birth, was Madame St. Laurent;
but, kind reader, have patience. The Canadian belle who thus enjoyed her
drives in the environs of Quebec was not Madame St. Laurent, as it is
distinctly stated at page 170 of Hawkins that this occurred before the
conquest, viz., 1759.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 400 of 864
Words from 109210 to 109479
of 236821
