Читать книгу The American Jew as Patriot, Soldier and Citizen - Simon Wolf - Страница 15

Table of Contents

The student of Canadian history is very familiar with the name of Levis, which bids fair to be perpetuated in several geographical names in that country. The name was borne by Henri de Levis, Duke of Vontadour, Viceroy of Canada for some time after 1626, but was rendered more famous through the brilliant career of his relative, the Chevalier de Levis, Montcalm's able lieutenant, subsequently his successor as commander of the French forces in Canada, and still later Marshal of France. Numerous striking illustrations of his gallantry and chivalry are extant, and it is suggestive that Montcalm should have spoken some of his last words, in praise of "his gallant Chevalier de Levis," for whose talents and fitness for command he expressed high esteem. The writer hereof does not claim that either of these two de Levis' were Jews, but he does believe that they were of Jewish descent, less on account of their family name than on account of the following curious explanation of it: "A family that considered itself to be the oldest in Christendom. Their chateau contained, it was said, two pictures: one of the Deluge in which Noah is represented going into the Ark, carrying under his arm a trunk on which was written: 'Papiers de la maison de Levis.' The other was a portrait of the founder of the house, bowing reverently to the Virgin, who is made to say: 'Couvrez-vous, mon cousin.' 'It is for my own pleasure, my cousin,' replied the descendent of Levi."

(Compare Horace Walpole's Letters, Kingsford's History of Canada, Vol. I, p. 77, Parkman's Montcalm and Wolfe, I, 150, 360, 363, 378–379, 455, 478, 466; II. 308, 312, 354).