William Wood - The Winning of Canada: A Chronicle of Wolfe
great deal of money, which you know I can't afford;
besides, these entertainments begin at the time I go
to bed, and I have not health enough to sit up all
night and work all day. The people here use umbrellas
to defend them from the sun, and something of the same
kind to secure them from the rain and snow. I wonder
a practice so useful is not introduced into England.
While in Paris Wolfe was asked if he would care to be military tutor to the Duke of Richmond, or, if not,
whether he knew of any good officer whom he could recommend. On this he named Guy Carleton, who
became the young duke's tutor. Three men afterwards well known in Canada were thus brought together
long before any of them became celebrated. The Duke of Richmond went into Wolfe's regiment. The
next duke became a governor-general of Canada, as Guy Carleton had been before him. And Wolfe -
well, he was Wolfe!
One day he was presented to King Louis, from whom, seven years later; he was to wrest Quebec. 'They
were all very gracious as far as courtesies, bows, and smiles go, for the Bourbons seldom speak to
anybody.' Then he was presented to the clever Marquise de Pompadour, whom he found having her hair
done up in the way which is still known by her name to every woman in the world. It was the regular
custom of that time for great ladies to receive their friends while the barbers were at work on their hair.
'She is extremely handsome and, by her conversation with the ambassador, I judge she must have a great
deal of wit and understanding.' But it was her court intrigues and her shameless waste of money that
helped to ruin France and Canada.
In the midst of all these gaieties Wolfe never forgot the mother whom he thought 'a match for all the
beauties.' He sent her 'two black laced hoods and a vestale for the neck, such as the Queen of
France wears.' Nor did he forget the much humbler people who looked upon him as 'the soldier's friend.'
He tells his mother that his letters from Scotland have just arrived, and that 'the. women of the regiment
take it into their heads to write to me sometimes.' Here is one of their letters, marked on the outside, 'The
Petition of Anne White':
Collonnell, - Being a True Noble-hearted Pittyful
gentleman and Officer your Worship will excuse these
few Lines concerning ye husband of ye undersigned,
Sergt. White, who not from his own fault is not behaving
as Hee should towards me and his family, although good
and faithfull till the middle of November last.
We may be sure 'Sergt. White' had to behave 'as Hee should' when Wolfe returned!
In April, to his intense disgust, Wolfe was again in Glasgow.
We are all sick, officers and soldiers. In two days
we lost the skin off our faces with the sun, and the
third were shivering in great coats. My cousin Goldsmith
has sent me the finest young pointer that ever was
seen; he eclipses Workie, and outdoes all. He sent me
a fishing-rod and wheel at the same time, of his own
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