was more determined than ever to humble France, rob her of her colonies, destroy her navy, capture her trade, and settle the question of national supremacy for many years to come. His conviction that Canada must be taken showed a wise, farseeing statesmanship. He did not see the ultimate results upon the aspirations of the Anglo-Saxon across the sea, that openly showed themselves in 1776, but he saw that with the thousands of miles of frontier between the French and English of America, with immediate contact down the Mississippi valley, there would never be peace until it should be made by a decisive victory. Accordingly the campaign of 1758 was hardly over before he began his aggressive plans for the following year.

Quebec, the stronghold of Canada, was chosen for attack by armies which were to converge upon it. The first was to approach by the River St. Lawrence, and the second was to come through Lake Champlain and down the Richelieu, engaging a part of the French army on the way, and thus weakening the defence available against the other attacking force. At the same time Niagara was to be reduced and the French posts from Lake Erie to Duquesne were marked for destruction.

After the western division had performed its allotted task, it too was to proceed to Quebec, to aid in the complete reduction of French power in Canada.

Amherst was selected as commander in chief of the forces in America, and was to lead his army, over 11,000 strong, one half being regulars, and having fifty four guns, down the Richelieu. With his failure to form a junction with Wolfe before Quebec, we have not now much concern

further than to point out that Pitt attached much importance to Amherst's part of the plan, and that he hardly anticipated that Wolfe would reduce Quebec with his forces alone, which were, but for the fortunes of war, entirely inadequate to the task of attacking so skilful a general as Montcalm, in an entrenched position.

He expected at least that Amherst would make so vigorous an attack as to draw off the enemy to some extent from Quebec in order to check his approach, thus assisting Wolfe by diminishing the French force at Quebec, or that if weakly opposed he would push on to unite the British forces.

As already intimated, Wolfe was chosen by Pitt to operate with the fleet in the St. Lawrence, and chosen, too, in defiance of rank and of the claims of seniority. The expedition by way of the St. Lawrence had no attractions for the older generals, who appear to have been satisfied by the fact that Wolfe's commission as major-general applied only while on service in America. But Pitt wanted none of them. The only man who had shown at Rochefort the qualities that appealed to the impetuous nature of Pitt had further distinguished himself at Louisburg. A masterly self-reliance, activity, resource, and courage bordering on recklessness, had marked Wolfe for the leader of a great enterprise. So unlike the ordinary British officer was he that it was remarked to the King in conversation that "that fellow Wolfe is mad." "Mad, is he?" was the crushing reply, "I wish, then, he would bite some of my generals." Wolfe, during his interviews with Pitt, asked for a larger force than the latter thought he could provide

for the St. Lawrence expedition. Upon receiving the minister's refusal to give him adequate numbers he promptly suggested that the choice of his own officers would then be a partial compensation. Wolfe was therefore allowed practically to choose his own general and staff officers, and very well did he exercise his judgment. His first brigadier was Robert Monckton, second son of John Monckton, Viscount Galway. He had served in Germany in 1743, and in Flanders two years later. In 1751 he was a member of Parliament for Pontefract, and was sent to Nova Scotia in the following year. In 1754 he was in Boston in order to induce Shirley to raise two thousand men for service in Nova Scotia, and in 1755 he assisted in the expatriation of the unhappy Acadians."

His knowledge of the conditions which prevailed upon the scene of future operations, and his experience of the new country methods of warfare particularly marked him as the man for an important place in the campaign for which England was now preparing.

The second Brigadier was the Eldest son of Viscount Townshend, George, afterwards Marquess Townshend, the superior of Wolfe in birth and influence, but vastly his inferior in all pertaining to the profession of arms.

Walpole describes him as "a very particular young man, who, with much address, some honour, no know'ledge, great fickleness, greater want of judgment, and

(1) After the conquest of Quebec he became Governor of New York, and led the successful expedition against Martinique in 1761. He returned to England in 1763, and in 1770 he attained the rank of lieutenant-general. Born 1726, died 1782.

2