CHAPITRE I.
DES BONS DEPORTEMENS DES FRANÇOIS.
NOUS auons passé cette année dans vne grande paix & dans vne tres-bonne intelligence auec nos François. La sage conduitte & la prudence de Monsieur de Champlain Gouuerneur de Kebec [4] & du fleuue sainct Laurens qui nous honore de sa bien-veillance, retenant vn chacun dans son deuoir, a fait que nos paroles & nos predicatiõs ayent esté bien receuës, & la Chappelle qu'il a fait dresser proche du fort à l'honneur de nostre Dame, a donné vne belle commodité aux François de frequenter les Sacremens de l'Eglise, ce qu'ils ont fait aux bonnes Festes de l'année, & plusieurs tous les mois auec vne grande satisfaction de ceux qui les ont assistez. Le fort a paru vne Academie bien reglée, Monsieur de Champlain faisant faire lecture à sa table le matin de quelque bon historien, & le soir de la vie des Saincts; le soir se fait l'examen de conscience en sa chambre & les prieres en suitte qui se recitent à genoux. Il fait sonner la salutation Angelique au commencement, au milieu & à la fin du iour suiuant la coustume de l'Eglise. En vn mot nous auons subiect de nous consoler voyans vn chef si zelé pour la gloire de Nostre Seigneur & pour le bien de ces Messieurs.
CHAPTER I.
ON THE GOOD CONDUCT OF THE FRENCH.
WE have passed this year in great peace and on very good terms with our French. The wise conduct and prudence of Monsieur de Champlain, Governor of Kebec [4] and of the river saint Lawrence, who honors us with his good will, holding every one in the path of duty, has caused our words and preaching to be well received; and the Chapel which he has had erected near the fort, in honor of our Lady, has furnished excellent facilities to the French to receive the Sacraments of the Church frequently, which they have done on the great Feast Days of the year, and many every month, to the great satisfaction of those who administered them. The fort has seemed like a well-ordered Academy; Monsieur de Champlain has some one read at his table, in the morning from some good historian, and in the evening from the lives of the Saints; then each one makes an examination of his conscience in his own chamber, and prayers follow, which are repeated kneeling. He has the Angelus[10] sounded at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the day, according to the custom of the Church. In a word, we have reason to console ourselves when we see a chief so zealous for the glory of Our Lord and for the welfare of these Gentlemen.
Croiroit-on bien qu'il s'est trouué vn de nos François en Canada qui pour contrecarrer les dissolutions qui se font ailleurs [5] au Carnaual, est venu le Mardy [104] gras dernier, pieds & testé nuë sur la neige & sur la glace depuis Kebec iusques en nostre Chappelle, c'est à dire vne bonne demie lieuë, ieusnant le mesme iour pour accomplir vn vœu qu'il auoit fait à Nostre Seigneur, & tout cela sans autres tesmoings que Dieu & nos Peres qui le rencontrerent.
Could it be believed that there is one of our Frenchmen in Canada, who, to offset the licentiousness which is carried on in other places [5] during the Carnival, came on last shrove Tuesday, with bare head and feet, over the snow and ice from Kebec all the way to our Chapel; that is, a good half league, fasting the same day, to fulfill a vow made to Our Lord; and all this was done without any other witnesses than God, and our Fathers who met him.
Pendant le sainct temps de Caresme, non seulement l'abstinence des viandes defenduës & le ieusne s'est gardé, mais aussi tel s'est trouué qui a fait plus de trente fois la discipline, deuotion bien extraordinaire aux soldats & aux artisans tels que sont icy la plus part de nos François.
During the holy time of Lent, not only abstinence from forbidden meats and fasting were observed, but there was a certain one who took the discipline more than thirty times,—extraordinary devotion in soldiers and artisans, such as are the greater part of our Frenchmen here.
Vn autre a promis d'employer en œuures pies la dixiesme partie de tous les profits qu'il pourra faire pendant tout le cours de sa vie. Ces petits eschantillons font voir que l'Hyuer n'est pas si rude en la nouuelle France qu'on n'y puisse recueillir des fleurs du Paradis.
Another has promised to use the tenth part of the profits he may make, during the course of his whole life, in works of piety. These little samples show that the Winter in new France is not so severe that some flowers of Paradise may not be gathered there.
Ie mettray en ce lieu, ne sçachant où le mieux placer ailleurs, ce qu'vn de nos François tres-digne de foy & recogneu pour tel, nous a raconté de Iacques Michel Huguenot qui amena les Anglois en [6] ce païs cy: Ce miserable la veille de sa mort ayant vomy cõtre Dieu & contre nostre sainct Pere Ignace mille blasphemes, & s'estant donné cette imprecation qu'il vouloit estre pendu s'il ne donnoit vne coupple de soufflets auant la nuict du iour suiuant à vn de nos Peres qui estoit pris de l'Anglois, vomissant contre luy des iniures fort messeantes, il fut surpris bien tost apres d'vne maladie qui luy osta toute cognoissance & le fit mourir le lendemain comme vne beste: Quatre circonstãces de ce rencontre donnerent de l'estonnement aux Huguenots mesmes, la maladie qui le prit [106] quelques heures apres ses blasphemes, l'erreur des Chirurgiens qui estoient en nombre, lesquels donnerent des remedes soporiferes à vn letargique, son trespas si soudain & sans cognoissance, expirant sans qu'aucun s'en apperceust quoy qu'il y eust six hommes aupres de luy, la fureur des Sauuages enuers son corps qui le deterrerent & le pendirent selon son imprecation, puis le ietterent aux chiens? Les Anglois qui estoient dans le fort de Kebec ayant sceu cette histoire tragique, dirent tous estonnez, que si les Iesuites sçauoient tout cela qu'ils en feroient des miracles.
I shall insert here, not knowing where better to put it, what one of our Frenchmen, quite worthy of credence, and so acknowledged, told us about Jacques Michel,[11] a Huguenot, who brought the English to [6] this country. This wretch, having upon the eve of his death, vomited forth a thousand blasphemies against God and against our holy Father Ignatius, and having uttered this imprecation, that "he would be hanged if he did not give a couple of slaps before the next evening to one of our Fathers who was taken by the English," uttering the most unseemly insults against him, was soon afterwards overtaken by an illness which bereft him of all consciousness, and caused him to die the next day like a beast. Four circumstances in this incident astonished the Huguenots themselves,—the illness which seized him a few hours after his blasphemies; the mistake of the Surgeons, who were numerous, in giving soporific remedies to a man in a lethargy; his so sudden and unconscious death, expiring without any one perceiving it, although there were six men around him; the rage of the Savages against his body, which they disinterred and hanged, according to his imprecations, and then threw to the dogs. The English, who were in the fort at Kebec, having heard this tragic story, were amazed; and said that, if the Jesuits knew all that, they would make miracles out of it.
[7] Or nous le sçauons maintenant & cependant nous n'en ferons ny prodiges ny miracles: mais nous dirons seulement qu'il ne fait pas bon blasphemer contre Dieu ny contre ses saincts, ny se bander contre son Roy trahissant sa patrie: Mais venons maintenant à nos Sauuages.
[7] Now, we do know it, and yet we will make neither prodigies nor miracles out of it; but we will only say that it is not well to blaspheme against God or his saints, nor to strive against one's King to betray one's country. But now let us come to our Savages.