11. XI.
THE CONSPIRACY OF LE GENRÉ.
HISTORICAL SUMMARY.
The necessities of the colony now began to open the eyes of
Laudonniere in respect to the errors of which he had been guilty.
He found it important to discontinue his explorations among the
Indian tribes, and to employ his garrison in domestic labors.
They must either work or starve. Their tasks in the fields were
assigned accordingly. This produced discontent among those
who, having for some time, in Europe as well as recently in the
new world, been chiefly employed as soldiers, regarded labor as
degrading, and still flattered themselves with the more agreeable
hope of achieving their fortunes by shorter processes. Their appetite
for the precious metals had been sufficiently enlivened by the
glimpses which had been given them, during their intercourse
with the natives, of the unquestionable treasures of the country.
It was still farther whetted by the influence of two persons of the
garrison. One of these was named La Roquette, of the country
of Perigort; the other was known as Le Genré, a lieutenant, and
somewhat in the confidence of Laudonniere. Le Genré was the
bold conspirator. La Roquette was perhaps quite as potential,
though from art rather than audacity. He pretended to be a
great magician, and acquired large influence over the more ignorant
soldiers on the score of his supposed capacity to read the
book of fate. Among his professed discoveries through this
medium, were certain mines of gold and silver, far in the interior,
the wealth of which was such—and he pledged his life upon it—
that, upon a fair division, after awarding the king's portion, each
soldier would receive not less than ten thousand crowns. The
arguments and assurances of La Roquette persuaded Le Genré,
among the rest. He was exceedingly covetous, and sought eagerly
all royal roads for the acquisition of fortune. He was more easily
beguiled into conspiracy, in consequence of the refusal of Laudonniere
to give him the command of a packet returning into France.
It was determined to depose and destroy the latter. Several
schemes were tried for this purpose; by poison, by gunpowder,
all of which failed, and resulted in the ruin only of the conspirators.
With this introduction we introduce the reader more
particularly to the parties of our history.
