[1] Relation of what occurred in New France, in the year 1635.
MY Reverend Father,
May God be forever blessed. Now, at last, New France is about to experience the blessings of the mother country; and right, triumphing over injustice, will cause these countries to cease being what they have been for so many centuries,—boundless forests, the abode of [2] barbarism, and the land of infidelity. We begin to see some open country, through the clearings that have been made in different places. The families who come over every year are beginning to change the barbarism of the Savages into the courtesy natural to the French; and the slight progress we are making, through our stammerings, leads us to conjecture that the faith will banish infidelity from its Empire. In short, I hope to see, some day, these words fulfilled in our great deserts: Multi filii desertæ, magis quàm eius quæ habet virum. It is, indeed, proper that, in the Reign of so saintly a King, virtue should enter one of the great Seigniories of his Crown; that, under the favor and leadership of a Prince of the Church, we should see a new Church arise, quæ extendet palmites suos usque ad mare, et usque ad flumen [3] propagines eius, which shall extend its branches even to the sea, and shall propagate itself along the shores of the chief of all rivers. A thousand considerations suggest these thoughts, and arouse in us these expectations. This enterprise is supported by persons of merit and rank, whose integrity, viewed by the eyes of all France, receives general approbation and praise, even from the lips of our great King. The exclusion of those who, having drained off the wealth that can be gathered in this country, left it without settlers and without cultivation,—not having, in all the years they enjoyed it, cleared a single arpent of land; the great sums that the Gentlemen of the Company of New France are expending, either upon the country or upon their establishments;[18] the disposition we [4] see in many persons to favor this project, some by their means, others by their personal labors: [all these considerations] lead us to conclude that God is conducting this enterprise.
Ie ne diray rien du zele de ceux, dont l'ardeur nous échaufe & confond tout ensemble, dont les secours nous réiouyssent & nous renforcent. Ie ne parleray non plus des desirs brulans d'vn tres-grand nombre de nos Peres, qui trouuent l'air de la Nouuelle France vn air du Ciel, puis qu'on y peut souffrir pour le Ciel, & qu'on y peut ayder les ames à trouuer le Ciel. Ie passe sous silence quantité d'autres Religieux, qui ont les mesmes sentiments, & les mesmes volontez. Mais ce qui m'étonne, c'est qu'vn grand nombre de filles Religieuses, consacrées à nostre Seigneur, veulent estre de la partie; surmontant la crainte naturelle [5] à leur sexe, pour venir secourir les pauures filles, & les pauures femmes des Sauuages. Il y en a tant qui nous écriuent, & de tant de Monasteres, & de diuers Ordres tres-reformez en l'Eglise; que vous diriez que c'est à qui se mocquera la premiere des difficultez de la Mer, des mutineries de l'Ocean, & de la barbarie de ces contrées. On me mande que la [258] Superieure d'vne Maison tres-reglée, sollicitée de donner de ses Filles pour fonder vn Conuent de son Ordre en quelque ville de France, a respondu qu'elle n'auoit point de Filles, sinon pour la Nouuelle France, & pour l'Angleterre, au cas que Dieu y fist rentrer la foy Catholique. Vne autre non moins zelée, m'ayant déduit les grandes deuotions qu'on fait en sa Maison, pour l'heureuse conuersion de ces Peuples, dit que la Relation [6] de l'an passé, capable d'étonner vn courage assez fort, non seulement n'a point ébranlé le cœur de ses Filles, ains au contraire les a tellement animées, que treize d'entre elles ont signé de leur propre main vn vœu, qu'elles ont fait à Dieu de passer en la Nouuelle France, pour y exercer les fonctions de leur Institut, s'il plaist à leurs Superieurs de leur permettre. I'ay receu, veu, & leu ce vœu auec étonnement. I'en sçay vne autre, qui apres auoir étably plusieurs Monasteres de son Ordre en France, tiendroit à vne grande faueur de Dieu, si elle venoit finir ses iours dans vne petite maisonnette, dediée au seruice des petites Sauuages, qui vont errantes parmy ces grands bois. A tout cela ie ne dis rien autre chose, sinon que Digitus Dei est hîc, que la main de Dieu conduit cette entreprise.
I shall say nothing of those whose ardent zeal warms and at the same time confounds us, whose help cheers and strengthens us. Neither shall I say any more about the burning desire of a great number of our Fathers, who find the air of New France the air of Heaven, since there they can suffer for Heaven, and there can help souls to find Heaven. I pass over in silence many other Religious, who have the same sentiments and the same willingness. But what surprises me is that many young Nuns, consecrated to our Lord, wish to join us,—overcoming the fear natural [5] to their sex, in order to come and help the poor girls and poor women among these Savages. There are so many of these who write to us, and from so many Convents, and from various Orders in the Church, of the strictest discipline, that you would say that each one is first to laugh at the hardships of the Sea, the riotous waves of the Ocean, and the barbarism of these countries. They have written me that the Superior of a very well-ordered House, being asked to send some Sisters to establish a Convent of her Order in some town of France, answered that she had no Sisters except for New France, and for England, in case God restored the Catholic faith there. Another one, no less zealous, having recounted the great devotions that were performed in her House for the happy conversion of these Tribes, said that the Relation [6] of last year, capable of appalling the stoutest heart, not only has not disheartened these Sisters, but on the contrary has so inspired them, that thirteen have with their own hands signed a vow to God, to cross over into New France, there to exercise the functions of their Order, if their Superiors are pleased to allow them. I have received, seen, and read this vow with astonishment. I know another one, who, after having established several Convents of her Order in France, would consider it a great favor of God if she could come and end her days in a little home, dedicated to the service of the little Savage girls who go wandering through these great forests. To all of which I can only say that Digitus Dei est hîc, that the hand of God guides this enterprise.
[7] Mais il faut que ie donne cét aduis en passant à toutes ces bonnes Filles, qu'elles se donnent bien de garde de presser leur depart, qu'elles n'ayent icy vne bonne Maison, bien bastie, & bien rentée, autrement elles seroient à charge à nos Francois, & feroient peu de choses pour ces Peuples. Les hommes se tirent bien mieux des difficultez: mais pour des Religieuses, il leur faut vne bonne Maison, quelques terres défrichées, & vn bon reuenu pour se põuuoir nourrir; & [260] soulager la pauureté des femmes & des filles Sauuages.
[7] But I must give this advice, in passing, to all these good Sisters,—that they be very careful not to urge their departure until they have here a good House, well built and well endowed; otherwise, they would be a burden to our French, and could accomplish little for these Peoples. Men can extricate themselves much more easily from difficulties; but, as for the Nuns, they must have a good House, some cleared land, and a good income upon which to live, and relieve the poverty of the wives and daughters of the Savages.
Helas mon Dieu! si les excés, si les superfluitez de quelquez Dames de France s'employoient à cét œuure si sainct; quelle grande benediction feroient-elles fondre sur leur famille? Quelle gloire en la face des Anges, d'auoir recueilly le sang du [8] Fils de Dieu, pour l'appliquer à ces pauures infidelles? Se peut-il faire que les biens de la terre nous touchent de plus prés que la propre vie? Voila des Vierges tendres & delicates, toutes prestes à ietter leur vie au hazard sur les ondes de l'Ocean; de venir chercher de petites ames dans les rigueurs d'vn air bien plus froid que l'air de la France; de subir des trauaux qui étonnent des hommes mesmes, & on ne trouuera point quelque braue Dame qui donne vn Passeport à ces Amazones du grand Dieu, leur dotant vne Maison, pour loüer & seruir sa diuine Majesté en cét autre monde? Ie ne sçaurois me persuader que nostre Seigneur n'en dispose quelqu'vne pour ce sujet.
Alas, my God! if the waste, the superabundance of some of the Ladies of France were employed in this so holy work, what great blessings would it bring down upon their families! What glory in the sight of the Angels, to have gathered the blood of the [8] Son of God, to apply it to these poor infidels! Is it possible that earthly possessions are of greater concern to us than life itself? Behold these tender and delicate Virgins all ready to hazard their lives upon the waves of the Ocean, to come seeking little souls in the rigors of an air much colder than that of France, to endure hardships at which even men would be appalled; and will not some brave Lady be found who will give a Passport to these Amazons of the great God, endowing them with a House in which to praise and serve his divine Majesty, in this other world? I cannot persuade myself that our Lord will not dispose some one to this act.
Mais changeons de discours, & déduisons briéuement le peu que i'ay à dire pour cette année. Ie diuiseray [9] cette Relation en quatre Chapitres seulement.
But let us change the subject, and briefly relate the little I have to say for this year. I will divide [9] this Relation into only four Chapters.