Ce luy aussy fut nostre premier né, sur lequel nous avons pu dire ce que Ioseph prononça sur le sien, que Dieu nous avoit faict oublier tous nos travaux passés et la maison de nostre Père. Mais à propos de ce que les Sauvages abandonnent leurs malades, une autre occasion de semblablement exercer la charité chrestienne envers ces délaissés, a eu son issüe plus joyeuse, et profitable pour détromper ces nations. Cette occasion fut telle.
This was also our firstborn, for whose sake we could say, as Joseph did about his, that God had made us forget all our past hardships and the homes of our Fathers. But in speaking of the Savages abandoning their sick, another similar occasion to exercise charity toward those who are deserted has had a more happy issue and one more useful in undeceiving these people. This occasion was as follows:
Le second fils du grand sagamo Membertou, de qui nous parlerons tantost, appelé Actodin, jà chrestien et marrié, estoit tombé en une griefve maladie. [16] Monsieur de Potrincourt, s'en allant en France, l'avoit visité, et, comme il est bon seigneur, l'avoit invité de se faire porter en l'habitation, pour y estre medicamenté. Je m'attendois à cela, qu'on [52] le nous apporteroit; mais on n'en faisoit rien. Ce voyant, pour ne laisser cette ame en danger, je m'y en allay de là à quelques jours (car il estoit à 5 lieuës de l'habitation). Mais je trouvay mon malade en un bel estat. On estoit sur le poinct de faire tabagie ou convive solemnel sur son dernier adieu. Trois ou quatre vastes chaudieres bouilloyent sur le feu. Il avoit sa belle robe soubs soy (car c'estoit en esté), et se preparoit à sa harangue funebre. La harangue devoit finir en l'adieu et comploration commune de tous. L'adieu et le deuil se clost par l'occision des chiens à ce que le mourant ait des avants-coureurs en l'autre monde. L'Occision des chiens est accostée de la tabagie et de ce qui suyt la tabagie, du chant et des danses. Après cela, il n'est plus loysible au malade de manger ou demander aucun secours, ains se doibt jà tenir pour un des manes ou citoyens de l'autre vie. Je trouvay donc mon hoste en tel estat.
The second son of the grand sagamore Membertou, of whom we shall speak by and by, named Actodin, already a christian, and married, fell dangerously ill. Monsieur de Potrincourt, as he was about to depart for France, had visited him; and being a kind-hearted gentleman, had asked him to let himself be taken to the settlement for treatment. I was expecting this suggestion [52] to be carried out; but they did nothing of the kind. When this became evident, not to leave this soul in danger, I went there after a few days (for it was five leagues from the settlement). But I found my patient in a fine state. They were just about to celebrate tabagie, or a solemn feast, over his last farewell. Three or four immense kettles were boiling over the fire. He had his beautiful robe under him (for it was summer), and was preparing for his funeral oration. The oration was to close with the usual adieus and lamentations of all present. The farewell and the mourning are finished by the slaughter of dogs, that the dying man may have forerunners in the other world. This slaughter is accompanied by the tabagie and what follows it—namely, the singing and dancing. After that it is no longer lawful for the sick man to eat or to ask any help, but he must already consider himself one of the "manes," or citizens of the other world. Now it was in this state that I found my host.
I'invectivay contre cette façon de faire, plus de geste que de langue, car pour la langue, mes interpretes ne disoyent pas la dixiesme partie de ce que je voulois. Neantmoins le vieil Membertou, pere du malade, conceut assés l'affaire, et me promit qu'on s'arresteroit à tout ce que j'en dirois. Ie luy dis donc que pour l'adieu et deuil moderé, et encores pour la tabagie, cela se pourroit tolerer; mais [53] que le carnage des chiens, et les chants et danses sur un trespassant, et beaucoup moins l'abandonnement d'iceluy, ne me playsoyent point; que plus tost, selon [18] qu'ils avoyent promis à Monsieur de Potrincourt, ils l'envoyassent en l'habitation; qu'à l'ayde de Dieu, il pourroit bien encore guerir. Ils me donnerent parolle d'ainsy faire le tout; ce neantmoins, le languissant ne nous fut apporté que deux jours après.
I denounced this way of doing things, more by actions than by words; for, as to talking, my interpreters did not repeat the tenth part of what I wanted them to say. Nevertheless, old Membertou, father of the sick man, understood the affair well enough, and promised me that they would stop just where I wanted them to. Then I told him that the farewells and a moderate display of mourning, and even the tabagie, would be permitted, but [53] that the slaughter of the dogs, and the songs and dances over a dying person, and what was much worse, leaving him to die alone, displeased me very much; that it would be better, according to their promise to Monsieur de Potrincourt, to have him brought to the settlement, that, with the help of God, he might yet recover. They gave me their word that they would do all that I wished; nevertheless, the dying man was not brought until two days afterward.
Il prenoit des symptomes si mortels, que souvent nous n'attendions sinon qu'il nous demeurast entre les mains. En effet un soir, sa femme et enfans l'abandonnerent entierement, et s'en allerent cabaner ailleurs, pensant que c'en estoit vuidé. Si pleut-il à Dieu tromper heureusement leur desespoir; car, de là à peu de jours, il fut plein de santé, et l'est encore aujourd'hui (à Dieu en soit la gloire); ce que M. Hébert, Parisien et maistre en Pharmacie assés cognu, qui solicitoit ledit malade, m'a souvent asseuré estre un vray miracle. De moi, je ne sçay qu'en dire, d'autant que je ne veux affirmer ny le si ny le non en ce dont je n'ay évidence. Cela scay-je, que nous mismes sur le dit languissant un os des precieuses reliques du glorieux Sainct Laurens, archevesque de Dublin en Hibernie, que M. de la Place, digne abbé d'Eu, et Messieurs les Prieurs et Chapitre de laditte abbaye d'Eu nous donnerent de leur grace pour convoyer nostre voyage en ces quartiers. Nous [54] doncques mismes sur le malade de ces sainctes reliques, faisant vœu pour luy, et depuis il emmeilleura.
His symptoms became so serious that often we expected nothing less than that he would die on our hands. In fact, one evening, his wife and children deserted him entirely and went to settle elsewhere, thinking it was all over with him. But it pleased God to prove their despair unfounded; for a few days afterwards he was in good health and is so to-day (to God be the glory); which M. Hébert, of Paris, a well-known master in Pharmacy, who attended the said patient, often assured me was a genuine miracle. For my part, I scarcely know what to say; inasmuch as I do not care either to affirm or deny a thing of which I have no proof. This I do know, that we put upon the sufferer a bone taken from the precious relics of the glorified Saint Lawrence, archbishop of Dublin in Ireland, which M. de la Place, the estimable abbé d'Eu, and the Priors and Canons of the said abbey d'Eu, kindly gave us for our protection during the voyage to these lands. So we [54] placed some of these holy relics upon the sick man, at the same time offering our vows for him, and then he improved.
Par cet exemple, Membertou, le pere du guery, comme j'ay dict cy devant, fut fort confirmé en la foy, et à cette cause sentant le mal dont depuis il est decedé, voulut aussy tost estre apporté icy; et quoyque nostre cabane soit tant estroitte que trois personnes estant dedans, à peine s'y peuvent-elles remuer, neantmoins si demanda-t-il de grande confiance [20] qu'il avoit en nous, d'estre logé dans l'un de nos deux licts; ce qu'il fut pour six jours. Mais après, sa femme, fille et brue estans venues, il cogneut bien de luy mesme qu'il falloit tramarcher; ce qu'il fit, s'excusant fort, et nous demandant pardon du continuel travail qu'il nous avoit donné jour et nuict en son service. Certes le changement de lieu et traitement ne lui allegea pas son mal. Par ainsy, le voyant sur son declin, je le confessay au mieux que je pus, et luy après (c'est tout leur testament) fit sa harangue. Or en sa harangue, entre autres choses il dict sa volonté estre d'avoir sepulture avec ses femmes et enfants, ez-anciens monumens de sa maison.
Influenced by this example, Membertou, the father of the one who had recovered, as I have said before, was very strongly confirmed in the faith; and because he was then feeling the approach of the malady from which he has since died, he wished to be brought here immediately; and although our cabin is so narrow that when three people are in it they can scarcely turn around, nevertheless, showing his implicit confidence in us, he asked to be placed in one of our two beds, where he remained for six days. But afterwards his wife, daughter, and daughter-in-law having come, he himself recognized the necessity of leaving, and did so with profuse excuses, asking our pardon for the continual trouble he had given us in waiting upon him day and night. Certainly the change of location and treatment did not improve him any. So then, seeing that his life was drawing to a close, I confessed him as well as I could; and after that he delivered his oration (this is their sole testament). Now, among other things in this speech, he said that he wished to be buried with his wife and children, and among the ancient tombs of his family.