 No doubt the powerful La Porte, back home at Versailles, was in on the deal as well, but lest one be too hasty in judging these officials’ probity, it is essential to view the situation within its historical context, not because Bigot was innocent of the accusations brought against him but because the Bourbon administration in general was founded upon venality, patronage, and corruption of just the kind he was accused of (his virtuoso performance aside).It would not be until after the French Revolution that the standards of public honesty we have come to expect would come into being.While Bigot may well have been too greedy even for his day, had New-France not fallen to the British when it did, it is very unlikely he would have ever faced prosecution.