CHAPTER XXXII.
THE ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND; AND THE DELIVERANCE OF THE JESUITS.
THE English were occupied three entire weeks at this Island, which we call Fæal, and during this time the poor Jesuits were not able to see the Sun. Now as these English were in need of money, they could not fit themselves out there, and this made them firmly [292 i.e., 294] decide to make no further attempt to return to Virginia, but to go back to England, especially as they now found themselves in the present year, 1614, which was the term of their service.
Or estants en la course & voye d'Angleterre, la tempeste nous ietta hors la marche (qu'on appelle) c'est à dire, hors le Canal qui est entre France & Angleterre, & nous fallut refugier au Port de Milfier, en la Prouince de Galles. Là vne autre fois toutes prouisiõs nous defaillirent, ce qui contraignit nostre Capitaine d'aller à Pembroch, ville principale de cest endroit, & Viceadmirauté, mais à Pembroch il fut arresté prisonnier, sur le soupcon qu'on auoit qu'il ne fust Pirate. Le soupçon naissoit de ce que luy, & ses gens estoient Anglois, & leur nauire toutesfois estoit faict à la [293 i.e., 295] Frãçoise, ce qui faisoit presumer, qu'il venoit du Port de Gryp aux Isles de l'Arcin, pardeçà le Cap Escumant. Le Capitaine se [70]iustifia du mieux qu'il peust, disant la verité: mais on ne luy croyoit pas, d'autant qu'il n'auoit point de Commissions: & n'en pouuoit auoir, parce que n'estant que Lieutenant, il suiuoit son Capitaine, & ne s'estoit separé d'auec luy que par accident de tempeste, ainsi qu'auez ouy. A ceste cause il fut contrainct de produire pour tesmoins de sa preud'homie les deux Iesuites, qu'il auoit dans son nauire, gens irreprochables, ce disoit-il, & disoit vray.
Now on our way to England the tempest cast us out of la ma[n]che[6] (as it is called); that is, out of the Channel between France and England, and we were obliged to take refuge in the Harbor of Milfier [Milford], in the Province of Wales. There again all provisions failed us, which compelled our Captain to go to Pembroch [Pembroke], the principal city of this place, and a Vice-admiralty. But at Pembroke he was taken prisoner, as they suspected him of being a Pirate. The suspicion arose from the fact that he and his crew were English, yet their ship was made after French [293 i.e., 295] models, which made them think he came from Port de Gryp on the Arcin Islands, this side of Cape Escumant. The Captain justified himself as well as he could, by telling the truth; but they did not believe him, inasmuch as he had no Commission, and could not have had, because being nothing but a Lieutenant he followed his Captain, from whom he was accidentally separated by the storm, as you have heard. For this reason he was obliged to produce, as witnesses of his honesty, the two Jesuits whom he had in his ship, irreproachable men, as he said, and said truly.
Aussi tost par commandement du Magistrat lesdits Iesuites furẽt appellés à terre; & interrogés en Iustice, auec grand respect. Eux conterent la verité du faict, & à leur deposition le Capitaine fut [294 i.e., 296] tenu gentil-homme d'honneur, & de bien; sauf à demesler nos differents touchant la nouuelle Frãce par deuãt le Roy. Neantmoins il fallut seiourner vn grand long temps audit Pembroch attendãt response de Londres, car il fut necessaire d'y enuoyer tant pour auoir de l'argent, que pour aduertir de cest affaire le grand Admiral, & la compagnie des Marchands, qui ont charge de la Virginie.
Immediately, by command of the Magistrate, the Jesuits were summoned to come on shore, where they were very respectfully interrogated in a Court of Justice. They stated the real facts of the case, and upon their testimony the Captain was [294 i.e., 296] acknowledged to be a gentleman of honor and of worth; as to the disentanglement of our difficulties about new France, these were to be reserved for the King. Nevertheless, we had to make a very long sojourn at Pembroke, awaiting an answer from London, for it was necessary to send there, partly to obtain money, partly to make known the affair to the high Admiral, and the company of Merchants who have charge of Virginia.
Et cest icy, où l'admiration arreste, & mon haleine, & mon pas; pour m'escrier auec le Sage, Que les dispositions de la Diuine prouidence sont veritablement dressées au compas, articulées au nombre, & mesurées au poids, & trebuchet, iusques à vn demy grain. Car cest appel des Iesuites fut sans doute, vne industrie de ceste paternelle prouidẽce, qui les assistoit par tout: d'autant que [295 i.e., 297] s'ils fussent demeurés dans le nauire, comm'ils y estoyent, destitués de tout, au cœur de l'hyuer (car c'estoit en Feurier) & ce, quatre sepmaines durant, il est vraysemblable qu'ils fussent morts de froid, & de misere: mais au moyen [72]de cest appel, ils furent cogneus par le Iuge, lequel fort hõneste & graue personnage qu'il est, ayant entendu combien ils estoyent mal dans le nauire, les fit loger chez le Maire de la ville, & paya pour eux, disant, que s'ils auoyent dequoy, ils le luy rendroyent: sinon que cela seroit donné pour Dieu: car autrement ce nous seroit trop de honte, (disoit-il) si gens tant honnestes, & sçauants ne trouuoyẽt de la courtoisie parmy nous. Ce bon Seigneur s'appelle Nicolas Adams, Vice-admiral dudit Pembroch.
And here admiration makes me pause and hold my breath, to cry out with the Wise Man, That the dispensations of Divine providence are truly arranged by compass, joined harmoniously, and measured by weight and balance even to the half of a grain. For this call of the Jesuits was without doubt a contrivance of this paternal providence, which everywhere assisted them; inasmuch as, [295 i.e., 297] if they had remained in the ship, as they were doing, in want of everything, in the depths of winter (for it was February), and had continued to do this during four weeks, it is probable that they would have died of cold and starvation; but, by means of this summons, they became known to the Judge, honorable and grave personage as he is, and he, having heard how badly off they were in the ship, had them lodged in the house of the Mayor of the city, and paid for them himself, saying they might pay it back if they had the means, otherwise it would be given to God. "For" (said he), "it would be a great disgrace to us if such honorable and learned men were not received among us with courtesy." This kind Gentleman's name is Nicolas Adams, Vice admiral of Pembroke.
Or pendant ce sejour toute [296 i.e., 298] sorte de gens les alloient voir, & de bien loin, par curiosité de voir des Iesuites en leur habit, ainsi qu'ils estoient, & ont tousiours esté iusques à leur retour en Frãce. Ministres, Iusticiers, Gentilshommes, & autres venoyent conferer auec eux; Vn Milord mesmes du grãd Conseil voulut auoir le plaisir de les accarer en dispute rangée auec quatre Ministres. Ie dy Ministres pour m'accommoder à l'intelligence Françoise: car en Angleterre ils les appellent Prestres: Et le Chef de la dispute estoit vn Archidiacre, parce que les Anglois retiennent encores beaucoup de l'Eglise Catholique, comme l'Ordre de la Hierarchie Ecclesiastique, Archeuesques, Euesques, Prestres, Archiprestres, Archidiacres, Curez, Chanoines, &c. L'imposition Episcopale des mains en la creation des Prestres, [297 i.e., 299] & moindres Ordres, & en la confirmatiõ des enfans, Le Cresme, & les ceremonies, le signe de la Croix, & l'Image d'icelle, & d'autres: La Psalmodie, & culte ordinaire, les festes ordonnées des Saincts, & Sainctes, les Vigiles, les Ieusnes, le Caresme, l'Abstinence des viandes au Vendredy, & Samedy, les habits Sacerdotaux, & vaisseaux sacrez: Et ceux [74]qui condamnent toutes ces choses, comme font les Caluinistes de France & d'Escosse, & les appellent superstitions damnables, & inuentions de l'Antechrist, sont nommez des Anglois, Puritains, & les detestent comme pestes execrables.
Now during this sojourn [296 i.e., 298] all kinds of people went to see them, and some from a great distance, through curiosity to see Jesuits dressed in their robes, as they were then and always have been until their return to France. Ministers, Justices, Gentlemen, and others came to confer with them; even a Lord of the great Council wished to have the pleasure of pitting four Ministers against them in debate. I say Ministers, to make myself intelligible to the French, for in England they call them Priests. And the Chief one in the debate was an Archdeacon, for the English still have a great many things in common with the Catholic Church, as the Order of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Archpriests, Archdeacons, Curates, Canons, etc.; the Episcopal laying on of hands in the ordination of Priests, [297 i.e., 299] and lesser Orders, and in the confirmation of children; the Chrism and its ceremonies, the sign of the Cross, the Image of this and of other things; the Psalmody and usual form of worship, the prescribed Saints' days, the Vigils, Fasts, Lent, Abstinence from meat on Friday and Saturday; Priestly robes, and consecrated vessels. And those who condemn all these things, as the Calvinists of France and of Scotland do, and call them damnable superstitions, and inventions of the Antichrist, are by the English called Puritans, and are detested by them as abominable plagues.
Or en fin, response venant de Londres, on sceut, que Monsieur l'Ambassadeur de France auoit esté aduerty de l'arriuée de ce nauire, & en poursuiuoit la reddition, [298 i.e., 300] & particulierement des Iesuites, ayant eu commandement de ce faire de sa Majesté tres-Chrestienne. Ce fut vn autre effect de la Prouidence diuine, lors qu'elle moyenna ce nostre arrest, en la Prouince de Galles, à celle fin qu'il fust cogneu de tous: car nous auons de grands indices: & vous en verrez tantost aucuns, que si les Marchands, qui ont surintendance de la Virginie, en pouuoient faire à leur gré, pas vn estranger, qui auroit esté en ladicte Virginie, ne reuiendroit iamais en son pays.
When at last an answer came from London, it was learned that the Ambassador of France[7] had heard about the arrival of this ship, and was negotiating its surrender, [298 i.e., 300] especially the surrender of the Jesuits, having had orders to do so from his most Christian Majesty. This was another effect of divine Providence, since it caused this our arrest in the Province of Wales to the end that it might be known to all; for we have strong proofs, and you will soon see some of them, that if the Merchants in whose hands lay the administration of Virginia, had been able to have their own way, not one foreigner who was to be found in Virginia, would ever have returned to his own country.
Pour tost finir nostre discours, notez que les Iesuites furent conduits par vn long circuit au Port de Sanduicts; & de là ramenez à Douure par le commandement du Roy, & de Douure à Calais, où ils rendirent graces à Dieu pour tant de signalez benefices, [299 i.e., 301] & prouidence sienne, & en auoyent bien occasion, ayants demeuré neuf mois & demy entre les mains des Anglois. Le sieur d'Arquien, Gouuerneur dudit Calais, & Monsieur la Baulaye, Doyen, leur firent de leur grace fort bon accueil, & leur aumosnerent assez pour se conduire iusques à leur College d'Amiens.
To finish our story as quickly as possible, note that the Jesuits were taken by a long roundabout way to the Harbor of Sanduicts [Sandwich], and from there sent to Dover by order of the King, and from Dover to Calais, where they rendered thanks to God for such signal blessings [299 i.e., 301] and providences, for which they had good cause, having been nine months and a half in the hands of the English. Sieur d'Arquien, Governor of Calais, and Monsieur la Baulaye, Dean, gave them a very warm reception and provided them with means to return to their College at Amiens.