the course of their future lives, should be taught to look on them with an unchari

table eye.

However, I believe I can safely say, that nowhere do the Roman Catholics and Protestants live on better terms than here. They go to each other's marriages, baptisms, and burials without scruple; nay, they have even been known to make use of the same church for religious worship, one party using it in the forenoon, and the other in the afternoon. There is something truly Christian in all this; it evinces a meekness of spirit, and a degree of charitable forbearance with one another, which greatly promote general happiness.

The Roman Catholic religion is that of the great majority of the people; and, by the Quebec bill of 1774, the clergy are authorised to receive tythes from people of their own persuasion, but not from Protestants, or off lands held by Protestants, though formerly such lands might have been subject to tythes. The dues and tythes of these lands are still however paid; but it is to persons appointed by govern

ment; and the amount is to be reserved in the hands of the receiver-general for the support of protestant clergy actually residing in the province. The governor may erect parsonages and rectories, and endow them out of these appropriations. The

clergy of the church of England, in both provinces, amount at present to twelve only, exclusive of the bishop of Quebec; -of the church of Scotland there are only three;-of the church of Rome there are about two hundred.

Quebec on the north, north-east, and south sides, is so strongly fortified by the nature of the ground, that little has been left for the engineer to do; what was necessary however has been done: and as the great river, and the river St. Charles surround, in a manner, the fortifications in these directions, and in some places come very near the bottom of the rocks; no enemy, if a common degree of vigilance is observed, can hope to succeed by an attack on these quarters.

The least defensible part of Quebec is towards the south-west, where the line of

fortifications extends from one side of the peninsula to the other, enclosing the city and highest part of Cape Diamond. There, a cavallier battery has lately been erected, which commands the ground to a considerable distance from the walls; at the extent of the range of this battery, martello towers are about to be erected, which will sweep the plains of Abraham, and prevent, in some measure, an enemy from approaching near enough the walls to make a breach. There is no fosse; so that if a breach were once made, a daring enemy would have no difficulty in entering the city.

The ground for a considerable distance to the south-west of the city of Quebec is called The Plains of Abraham, famous for the battle in which General Wolfe beat the French. These plains are nearly on a level with the fortifications, and widen as you retire from them, to the extent of from one to two miles, preserving the level nearly throughout, but sloping a little both ways, particularly towards the river St. Charles on the north. On the side towards the St. Lawrence the bank is of great height;

almost perpendicular, and generally covered with wood where the slope will admit of it, which is not always the case. Notwithstanding the difficulty of ascent, General Wolfe, with infinite labour, contrived to carry his little army, and a few small field pieces, to the top of the bank, and took his stand on the plains of Abraham.

The French were astonished, on looking out in the morning, to find him there; they came out of the city and gave him battle. He beat them, and followed them close up to the walls of the town.

It was very unaccountable that the French should resolve to come out of a strong fortification (where they might long have resisted the assailants) and put themselves on a footing with their enemies. Besides the troops in the city of Quebec, the French had ten thousand men encamped at Beauport, within a few miles of Quebec. If an arrangement had taken place with those troops, that they should attack Wolfe at the moment the garrison sallied forth, his little army must have been cut to pieces. To this error we owe Quebec*.

* They were less to blame, perhaps, than General

The French general Montcalm, as well as the brave Wolfe, fell in the engagement; very different however must have been their feelings in their last moments. The conduct of the Frenchman in rashly sacrificing his troops and the interests of his country could not bear reflection. Wolfe saw his troops triumphant; they had beaten the enemy: he died in the arms of victory.

How sleep the brave, who sink to rest,
By all their country's wishes blest!
When Spring, with dewy fingers cold,
Returns to deck their hallowed mould;
She then shall dress a sweeter sod,
Than Fancy's feet have ever trod.

By fairy hands their knell is rung,
By forms unseen their dirge is sung.
There, Honour comes, a pilgrim grey,
To bless the mould that wraps their clay:
And Freedom shall awhile repair

To dwell a weeping hermit there.

I have been on the spot where Wolfe

Murray afterwards was, who, notwithstanding the example of the French having suffered by it, left the fortifications, went out on the plain in the face of a superior army, under the command of the French general Mr. Levi. He was beaten, and obliged to retreat to the city with the loss of his artillery and near a third of his army.