▁people ▁under ▁Governor ▁Big ot , ▁the ▁last ▁governor ▁of ▁New ▁France , ▁and ▁his ▁accomp lices ▁who ▁were ▁rep atri ated ▁to ▁France , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁sent enced ▁to ▁st iff ▁pen alt ies ▁for ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁had ▁their ▁properties ▁dispos s essed . ▁The ▁opera ▁makes ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁" ▁this ▁period ▁which ▁extends ▁from ▁ 1 7 5 5 ▁to ▁ 1 7 6 0 , ▁when ▁François ▁Big ot , ▁governor ▁of ▁the ▁law , ▁the ▁police ▁and ▁fin ance ▁had ▁absolute ▁power ▁to ▁increase ▁his ▁author itar ian ism , ▁to ▁display ▁his ▁sum pt uous ▁taste ▁as ▁a ▁big ▁player ▁and ▁bon ▁viv ant , ▁and , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁app et ites ▁which ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁satisfy , ▁to ▁even ▁turn ▁to ▁crime ▁to ▁den ounce ▁the ▁dark est ▁plots ▁". ▁ ▁Char acters ▁and ▁Cast ing ▁of ▁The ▁Opera ▁L ' Int endant ▁Big ot ▁▁ ▁J .- U . ▁Vo yer ▁and ▁Alfred ▁R ous seau ' s ▁libre tto , ▁stages ▁great ▁names ▁in ▁history ▁such ▁as ▁François ▁Big ot , ▁the ▁last ▁governor ▁of ▁New ▁France ▁and ▁his ▁mist ress ▁Mad am ▁P é an , ▁Ang é lique ▁Rena ud ▁d ' Av ène ▁des ▁Mé lo ï s es ▁( nick named ▁The ▁Pom pad our ▁of ▁Quebec , ▁wife ▁of ▁Michel ▁Jean ▁H ug ues ▁P é an , ▁the ▁governor ' s ▁right - hand ▁man ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Mar quis ▁Gast on ▁of ▁St