Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Soissons, Charles de Bourbon, Count de

SOISSONS, Charles de Bourbon, Count de, viceroy of New France, b. in France in 1565; d. there, 1 Nov., 1612. The death of Henry IV. weakened Champlain's chances of successfully colonizing New France, and, by the advice of De Monts, he sought a protector in the person of the Count de Soissons, who accepted the proposal to become the “father of New France,” obtained from the queen regent the authority necessary to preserve and advance all that had been already done, and appointed Champlain his lieutenant with unrestricted power. In his commission to Champlain he styles himself “lieutenant-general of New France,” but he died soon after issuing it.