Pietas in patriam the life of His Excellency Sir William Phips, Knt. late Captain…

This loss of Time, which made it so late before the Fleet could get into the Country, where a cold and ⟨p. 35⟩fierce Winter was already very far advanced, gave no very good Prospect of Success to the Expedition; but that which gave a much worse, was a most horrid Mismanagement, which had, the mean while, happened in the West. For a Thousand English from New-York, and Albany, and Connecticut, with Fifteen Hundred Indians, were to have gone over-Land, in the West, and fallen upon Mount-Royal, while the Fleet was to Visit Quebec in the East; and no Expedition could have been better laid than This, which was thus contrived. But those English Companies in the West, marching as far as the great Lake that was to be passed, found their Canoes not provided, according to expectation; and the Indians also were [How? God knows, and will one Day Judge!] dissuaded from Joining with the English; and the Army met with such Discouragements, that they returned.

This loss of Time, which made it so late before the Fleet could get into the Country, where a cold and ⟨p. 35⟩fierce Winter was already very far advanced, gave no very good Prospect of Success to the Expedition; but that which gave a much worse, was a most horrid Mismanagement, which had, the mean while, happened in the West. For a Thousand English from New-York, and Albany, and Connecticut, with Fifteen Hundred Indians, were to have gone over-Land, in the West, and fallen upon Mount-Royal, while the Fleet was to Visit Quebeck in the East; and no Expedition could have been better laid than This, which was thus contrived. But those English Companies in the West, marching as far as the great Lake that was to be passed, found their Canoos not provided, according to expectation; and the Indians also were [How? God knows, and will one Day Judge!] dissuaded from Joining with the English; and the Army met with such Discouragements, that they returned.

Had this Western Army done but so much as continued at the Lake, the Diversion thereby given to the French Quartered at Mount-Royal, would have rendered the Conquest of Quebec cae and certain; but the Governor of Canada being Informed of the Retreat made by the Western-Army, had opportunity, by the cross Winds that kept back the Fleet, unhappily to get the whole Strength of all the Country into the City, before the Fleet could come up unto it. However, none of these Difficulties hindered Sir William Phips from sending on Shore the following Summons, on Monday, the Sixth of October.