To understand what Marguerite de la Rocque lost — and what she was fighting to return to — requires some understanding of the world she came from.

France in 1542 was a country in the middle of the Renaissance, a court culture that was producing some of the finest literature, architecture, and art in the history of Europe.

King François I, who had appointed Roberval as lieutenant-general for Canada, was himself a patron of arts and letters who had invited Leonardo da Vinci to live at his court and who had overseen the construction of the château at Fontainebleau.

France was a country where intellectual and cultural achievement were matters of genuine royal interest.