CHAPTER XXXVIII. [i.e., xxxvii.]
[331 i.e., 333] REASONS WHY THE CULTIVATION OF NEW FRANCE OUGHT TO BE UNDERTAKEN IN EARNEST.
HERE, before finishing, I am obliged to set down some reasons which agitate my soul, when I consider how we are letting this poor new France lie fallow, both as to the temporal and the spiritual, in savagery and paganism. I know well that I may accomplish much more by advancing these reasons to the ear of our Lord in earnest prayer, than by presenting them to the eyes of men in cold letters. Nevertheless, the more ardently I cry to God in considering them, so much the more I feel myself [332 i.e., 334] urged to specify them to men in writing.
Et premierement, si lon considere le temporel, c'est vne autre France en influence, & condition du ciel, & des elements: en estenduë de pays dix ou douze fois plus grande, si nous voulons: en qualité, aussi bonne, si elle est cultiuée, du moins, il n'y a point d'apparence qu'elle doiue estre pire; en situation; à l'autre bord de nostre riuage, pour nous donner la science, & la seigneurie de la mer, & nauigage; ie dy mille biens, & vtilitez. En vn mot, quãd ie dy vne autre France, & vne autre Espagne à cultiuer.
And first, if the temporal is considered, this country is another France in the influences and conditions of the heavens and of the elements; in extent of country, ten or twelve times larger, if you wish; in quality, as good if it be cultivated, at least there is no reason why it should be worse; in situation, upon the shore opposite to ours, to give us the knowledge and mastery of the sea, and of navigation; I say there are a thousand blessings and advantages. In a word, as it were, another France and another Spain to be cultivated.
2. En apres, les tentatiues, que nous auons ja faict [112]tant de fois dés cent, & dix ans, nous obligent à constance; si nous ne voulons auec la mocquerie des estrangers perdre encores le fruict de [333 i.e., 335] tant de temps consumé, & des pertes de tant & d'hommes, & de biens, qu'il a conuenu faire pour acquerir la cognoissance de ces terres, Costes, Golfes, & diuers endroits, laquelle (Dieu mercy) nous auons acquis auec la bienvueillance, & familiarité du peuple. Peuple debonnaire, qui nous tend les mains auec vn desir incroyable, & vne douleur bien grande de nous y voir mastinés; non pour autre raison, sinon que les entreprinses, qui ont esté faictes iusques à maintenant, ayant esté quasi soustenuës par des particuliers; il n'est pas de merueille s'ils ont succombé au faix, & aux frais, qu'vne telle œuure requiert.
2. Next, the attempts which we have already made so many times for a hundred and ten years, oblige us to continue, unless we wish, to the scorn of strangers, to yet lose the fruit of [333 i.e., 335] so much time consumed, and to suffer the loss both of so many men and so much wealth, as has been necessary in acquiring a knowledge of these lands, Coasts, Gulfs and different places, which (thank God) we have obtained, as well as the good will and intimacy of the people,—a gentle people, who extend to us their hands with an incredible longing, and with a profound grief to see us defeated,—for no other reason than that the enterprises which have been undertaken up to the present, having been almost entirely sustained by private individuals, have sunk—and it is not to be wondered at—under the burden and the expenses, which such a work requires.
3. Que si nous nous lassons, ou languissons, nous auons deuant les yeux prou d'autres, qui nous ont monstré d'auoir courage. Et certes en cas que nous n'y faisions [334 i.e., 336] nostre deuoir, il n'y a point de raison d'empescher autruy. Considerons donc si cela nous est fort aduantageux de perdre le profit, que rapportent de ces contrées to[9] les ans plus de cinq cẽs de nos nauires, qui y vont, soit à la pesche des baleines, soit à celle des moluës & autres poissons, soit à la traicte, de la pelleterie des Castors, Elans, Martres, Loups marins, Loutres, &c. Car il ne faut pas attendre d'y auoir part, si d'autres saisissent le domaine, ainsi qu'a bien declaré ces annees la dispute arriuée à Spitsbergen, & autrepart.
3. If we give up or become indifferent, we have before our eyes many others, who have shown us that they have courage. And certainly, in case we did not do [334 i.e., 336] our duty, there is nothing to prevent others from doing theirs. Now let us consider whether it is very advantageous to lose the profit, which is brought from these countries every year by more than five hundred of our ships, which go there, either on whaling expeditions, or for cod and other fish, or for trade in furs of the Beaver, Elk, Marten, Seal, Otter, etc.[19] For we must not expect to have any share in this, if others seize the property, as has been very clearly shown during these years by the disputes which occurred at Spitsbergen and elsewhere.
4. Voila pour le temporel: mais pour le spirituel, auquel l'indicible, grace de Dieu nous surhausse iusques au surnom & gloire de tres-Chrestiens. Calculons & supputons les benefices qui nous accompaignent & obligent [335 i.e., 337] incessamment en [114]suite de ce premier la vocation à l'Eglise Saincte & cognoissance de nostre Sauueur Iesus-Christ; & lors nous pourrons sommer combien grande seroit l'ingratitude, & combiẽ horrible chastiment elle porteroit encroupe, si nous ne taschions de faire priser ceste grace, la communiquant à nos proches à la proportion de nos moyens, & redeuances. Tel chastiment a esté sagement remarqué par le venerable Bede. Car quelque peu auant son aage, les Escossois furent illustrés de diuine lumiere, à ce qu'ils se recogneussent estre tombés en heresie par illusion, & mesgarde; là où les Bretons, ou ceux de la Prouince de Galles, furent precipités en l'abysme, & tenebres des faux-bourgs d'Enfer, les heresies, desquels deux effects si contraires, & si opposés ce grand Sainct, [336 i.e., 338] & cognoissant veritable des œuures de la prouidence, & Iustice Eternelle; en rapporte les causes à deux dispositions diuerses de l'vn, & l'autre peuple. Parce, dit-il, que les Escossois auoyent aumosné aux Anglois auparauant par grande charité, & deuotion ce qu'ils auoyent reçeu de la verité Euangelique; & partant Dieu leur volut faire misericorde à mesure comble, & entassee, leur ouurant les yeux, pour y se voir deceus, & trompés. Là où les Bretons, soit par negligence, soit par autre intemperie d'ame, ne s'estoient guieres souciez de voir lesdicts Anglois perir miserablement en leur infidelité; Et partant meriterent cõme seruiteurs ingrats de perdre le talent de la foy Catholique, lequel ils n'auoyent daigné mettre à profit, & d'autruy, & d'eux mesmes. O que [337 i.e., 339] de choses nous aurions à penser, & dire sur ce sujet.
4. So much for the temporal; but as to the spiritual, in which the inexpressible grace of God raises us to the surname and glory of "most Christian," let us calculate and sum up the benefits which accompany and favor us [335 i.e., 337] continually after this first one, which is our calling to the Holy Church and knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ; and then we shall be able to estimate how great would be our ingratitude, and how horrible the chastisement it would bring with it, if we do not try to enhance the value of this grace by communicating it to our fellow-men in proportion to our means and opportunities. Such chastisement has been wisely commented upon by the venerable Bede. For, shortly before his age, the Scotch were illuminated by a divine light, so that they saw themselves fallen into heterodoxy by delusions and inadvertence; while the Bretons, or those people of the Province of Wales, were cast into the abyss and shadows of the outskirts of Hell, the heresies; of these two so contrary and opposite effects this great and Saintly Man, [336 i.e., 338] so truly acquainted with the works of providence and Eternal Justice, attributes the causes to the two different dispositions of the two nations. "For," says he, "the Scotch had previously given to the English, through great charity and devotion, what they had received of Evangelical truth; and therefore God wished to show them mercy in a full and overflowing measure, opening their eyes that they might see themselves deceived and mistaken. While the Bretons, either through negligence or other lack of spiritual moderation, were quite indifferent when they saw the English perishing miserably in their infidelity; therefore they deserved, as ungrateful servants, to lose the talent of the Catholic faith, which they had not deigned to profit by, either for others or for themselves." Oh, what [337 i.e., 339] food there is for reflection and discourse upon this subject!
Mais soit assez d'auoir au deuant de nos yeux que ces pauures peuples, ces images de nostre Dieu comme [116] nous, & capables de sa iouyssance, ces consorts de nostre espece, & presque de mesme qualité auec nous, sont sur le bord de l'horrible gouffre des feux infernaux, voire plusieurs centaines d'iceux precipitez chaque iour dans les peines eternelles, & abysmes de damnation, sans espoir de deliurance. O Dieu! nous nous estonnons de ces iugements espouuentables; comme il y a bien dequoy s'estonner; mais nous n'auons pas le sens pour apperceuoir, ny l'entendemẽt pour recognoistre, que le sang de ceste si cruelle exequution est dessus nos mains, qui ne nous euertuons pas de l'empescher: dessus nos [338 i.e., 340] pieds, qui ne nous remuons point pour y remedier; dessus nos maisons, qui les bastissons tant superbement, sans nous soucier de l'eternelle demeure de nos freres; dessus nos bourses, nos possessiõs, nos moyens, & nostre cœur qui sommes si peu esmeus de tels spectacles & contribuons si peu, là où le Fils de Dieu, nostre Sauueur, n'a point espargné sa vie. Plaise luy nous faire misericorde, & receuoir de nous, & de toute creature loüange, & benediction, à tous les siecles des siecles. Ainsi soit-il.
FIN.
But let it be enough to keep before our eyes the vision of these poor natives, these images of our God as we are, and as capable of enjoying him, these companions of our own species, and almost of the same quality as we, who are upon the edge of the horrible gulf of the fires of hell, many of them even precipitated every day into eternal torments, and profound depths of everlasting punishment, without hope of deliverance. O God! we are amazed at these frightful judgments, as there is much in them to cause our amazement; but we have not the sense to perceive, nor the understanding to appreciate, that the blood of this so cruel execution is upon our hands, who do not exert ourselves to prevent it; upon our [338 i.e., 340] feet, which do not move to remedy it; upon our houses, which we build so magnificently without caring for the eternal dwellings of our brothers; upon our purses, our possessions, our wealth, and our hearts, which are so little moved by such spectacles and contribute so little to that for which the Son of God, our Savior, did not spare even his life. May it please him to grant us mercy, and to receive from us and from all his creatures, praises and blessings forever and ever. Amen.
END.