[In his "La Litterature au Canada Francais" M. Bender says of M. L.
Pamphile Le May:]

"Le May sings in a clear and tender voice, reminding one of Alfred de
Vigny, and approaching the elegance and polish of that poet.... In words
of melody he celebrates the beauties of rural life and scenery. He is
touching, pleasing and sympathetic. He knows his subject well; he has
seen it, he has felt it, he has loved it; indeed he yields too much to
inspiration, and does not sufficiently finish his verse, nor does he
fully develop his idea so as to reap all its wealth.... His creations
evince originality and beauty of form." In his preface to "Essais
Poetiques," published 1865, M. Leon P. Le May tells his readers that his
friends discouraged him in his worship of the Muse; they said
verse-making did not pay, that it cost a man too much to devote himself
to an art so little esteemed. But he sang nevertheless, and Canadian
literature in the French language is the richer by much that is sweet,
tender, beautiful and inspiring. We ought to thank M. Le May for being
wiser than his advisers; and such of us as have not yet considered
Canadian Literature worthy of especial regard would do well to hunt up
the numerous volumes that lie all but unknown upon booksellers' shelves,
and convince themselves that there is a field of intellectual enjoyment
open to them of which they may be justly proud to be the heirs.