SOME Savages have become Christians this year; three have been baptized this Winter during my absence. Here are the very encouraging particulars of these baptisms, which our Fathers related to me upon my return.
Le premier estoit vn ieune homme nommé Sasousmat aagé de 25. à 30. ans, les François le surnommoient Marsolet: Le ieune homme entẽdant vn iour vn Truchement parler des peines d'Enfer & des recompenses du Paradis, luy dit, mene [8] moy en France pour estre instruict, autrement tu respondras de mon ame, donc estant tombé malade il fut plus aisé de l'induire à se faire Chrestien, le Pere Brebœuf m'a donné de luy ce memoire.
The first was a young man named Sasousmat, from 25 to 30 years of age, whom the French have surnamed Marsolet. This young man, having one day heard an Interpreter talk about the pains of Hell and the rewards of Paradise, said to him; "Take [8] me to France to be instructed, otherwise thou wilt be responsible for my soul." Then, having fallen sick, it was easier to induce him to become a Christian. Father Brebœuf gave me this account of him.
"Ayant appris la maladie de ce ieune hõme ie le fus visiter, & le trouuay si bas qu'il auoit perdu le iugemẽt, nous voila dõc dans vn regret de ne le pouuoir secourir, ce qui fit prẽdre resolution à nos Peres & à moy de presenter à Dieu le lendemain le Sacrifice de la Messe à l'honneur du glorieux S. Ioseph Patron de cette nouuelle France, pour le salut & conuersion de ce pauure Sauuage: à peine auiõs nous quitté l'Autel qu'on nous vint aduertir qu'il estoit rentré en son bon sens, nous le fusmes voir, & l'ayans sondé nous le trouuasmes remply d'vn [110] grand desir de receuoir le S. Baptesme, nous differasmes neantmoins quelques iours pour luy donner vne plus grande instruction. En fin il m'enuoya prier par nostre Sauuage nommé Manitougatche, & surnommé de nos Frãçois la Nasse que ie l'allasse baptizer, disant que la nuict precedente il m'auoit veu en dormant venir en sa Cabane pour luy conferer ce Sacremẽt, & qu'aussi-tost [9] que ie m'estois assis aupres de luy que rout [tout] son mal s'en estoit allé, ce qu'il me confirma quand ie le fus voir: ie luy refusay neantmoins ce qu'il demandoit pour animer dauantage son desir, si bien qu'vn autre Sauuage qui estoit present ne pouuant souffrir ce retardement, me demanda pourquoy ie ne le baptizois point puis qu'il ne falloit que ietter vn peu d'eau sur luy & que s'en estoit fait, mais luy ayant reparty que ie me perdrois moy mesme si ie baptizois vn infidelle & vn mécreant mal instruict: le malade se tournant vers vn François, luy dit, Matchounon n'a point d'esprit, c'est ainsi que s'appelloit cet autre Sauuage, il ne croit pas ce que dit le Pere, pour moy ie le crois entierement. Sur ces entrefaites les Sauuages voulans décabaner & tirer plus auãt dans les bois Manitougatche qui commẽçoit à se trouuer mal, nous vint prier de le receuoir & le pauure malade aussi en nostre maison, nous prismes resolution d'auoir soin des corps, pour aider les ames que nous voyons bien disposées pour le Ciel. On met dõc sur vne traine de bois ce bon ieune homme, & on nous l'amene sur la neige, nous le receuons auec amour & [10] l'accommodons le mieux qu'il nous est possible, luy tout remply d'aise & de contentement de se voir auec nous, tesmoigna vn grand desir d'estre baptizé, & [112] de mourir Chrestien. Le lẽdemain qui estoit le 26. de Ianuier estant tombé dans vne grãde syncope nous le baptizasmes, croyãs qu'il s'en alloit mourir, luy donnans le nom de François en l'honneur de S. François Xauier, il reuint à soy, & ayant appris ce qui s'estoit passé, il se monstra plein de ioye d'estre fait Enfant de Dieu, s'entretenant tousiours iusques à la mort, qui fut deux iours apres, en diuers actes que ie luy faisois exercer tantost de Foy & d'Esperance, tantost d'Amour de Dieu & de regret de l'auoir offencé, il prenoit en cela vn plaisir fort sensible, & recitoit tout seul auec de grands sentimens ce qu'on luy auoit enseigné, demandant vn iour pardon à Dieu de ses pechez, il s'accusoit tout haut soymesme comme s'il se fust confessé, puis la memoire luy manquant, Enseigne moy (me disoit-il) ie suis vn pauure ignorant, ie n'ay point d'esprit, suggere moy ce que ie dois dire; vne autre fois il me pria de luy ietter de l'eau beniste pour l'aider à auoir douleur de ses pechez, [11] cela m'estonna, car nous ne luy auions pas encores parlé de l'vsage de cette eau, nous ayant inuité à chanter aupres de luy quelques prieres de l'Eglise, nous le voyõs pendant ce sainct exercice les yeux esleuez au Ciel auec vne posture si deuote que nous estions tous attendris, admirans les grãdes misericordes que Dieu operoit dedans cette ame, qui en fin quitta son corps fort doucement le 28. de Ianuier pour aller ioüir de Dieu."
"Having learned of the illness of this young man, I went to visit him, and found him so low that he had lost his reason. Behold us now greatly troubled at not being able to help him, and so we resolved, our Fathers and I, to offer to God the next day the Sacrifice of the Mass in honor of the glorious St. Joseph, Patron of this new France, for the salvation and conversion of this poor Savage; scarcely had we left the Altar, when they came to tell us that he had recovered his senses; we went to see him, and, having sounded him, we found him filled with a great desire to receive Holy Baptism; we deferred this, however, for a few days, in order to instruct him more fully. At last he sent word to me, through our Savage named Manitougatche, and surnamed by our French, "la Nasse," that I should come and baptize him, saying that the night before he had seen me in his sleep, coming to his Cabin to administer to him this Sacrament; and that, as soon [9] as I sat down near him, all his sickness went away; he confirmed this to me when I saw him. Nevertheless I refused his request, in order the more to stimulate his desire, so that another Savage who was present, not being able to bear this delay, asked me why I did not baptize him, since it was only necessary to throw a little water upon him, and then all would be done. But, when I answered him that I would myself be lost, if I baptized an infidel and a poorly-taught unbeliever, the sick man, turning to a Frenchman, said, 'Matchounon has no sense'—it was thus they called the other Savage—'he does not believe what the Father says; as for me, I believe it entirely.' Meanwhile, the Savages wishing to change their camp and to go farther into the woods. Manitougatche, who began to feel ill, came to beg us to receive him and the poor sick man also into our house: and so we decided to care for the bodies, in order to aid the souls, which we saw were well disposed toward Heaven. So this worthy young man was placed upon a wooden sledge, and brought to us over the snow. We received him with love, and [10] made him as comfortable as we could. He was fall of gladness and satisfaction to see himself with us, evincing a great desire to be baptized and to die a Christian. The next day, which was the 26th of January, as he had fallen into a deep stupor, we baptized him, believing that he was going to die. We gave him the name François, in honor of St. François Xavier. He regained consciousness, and, having learned what had taken place, expressed his joy at having been made a Child of God. He passed his time constantly until his death, which was two days later, in different acts that I caused him to practice, sometimes of Faith and Hope, sometimes of the Love of God, and of remorse for having offended him. He took a very obvious pleasure in this, and repeated all alone with deep feeling what had been taught him. One day, while he was asking pardon of God for his sins, he accused himself aloud, as if he were making his confession: then, his memory failing (he said to me): 'Teach me; I am a poor ignorant creature, I have no understanding; suggest to me what I ought to say.' Another time he begged me to sprinkle some holy water upon him, to help him to be sorry for his sins. [11] I was surprised at this, for we had not yet spoken to him of the use of this water; when, at his request, we sang some prayers of the Church in his presence, we saw him during this holy service with eyes raised toward Heaven in an attitude of such devotion that we were all greatly touched, admiring the wonderful effects of mercy that God was bringing about in this soul, which finally left the body on the 28th of January, to go and enjoy God."
Quand la nouuelle de sa conuersion & de sa mort fut sceuë de nos François à Kebec, il y en eut qui ietterent des larmes de ioye & de contentemens, benissans Dieu de ce qu'il acceptoit les premices d'vne terre qui n'a presque porté que des espines depuis la naissance des siecles.
When the news of his conversion and death became known to our French at Kebec, some of them shed tears of joy and satisfaction, blessing God for accepting the first fruits of a land which has borne little else than thorns since the birth of the centuries.
[114] Il arriua vne chose biẽ remarquable peu d'heures apres sa mort, vne grãde lumiere parut aux fenestres de nostre maison, s'éleuant & s'abbaissant par trois fois, l'vn de nos Peres vid cét esclat, & plusieurs de nos hommes qui sortirent incontinent, les vns pour voir si le feu n'estoit point pris en quelque endroit de la maison, les autres pour voir s'il esclairoit, n'ayans trouué aucun vestige de cette flamme ils creurent [12] que Dieu declaroit par ce prodige la lumiere dont ioüissoit cette ame qui nous venoit de quitter. Les Sauuages de la Cabane du defunct virent dans les bois où ils s'estoient retirez cette lumiere, ce qui les espouuenta d'autant plus qu'ils creurent que ce feu estoit vn presage d'vne future mortalité en leur famille.
One quite remarkable thing happened a few hours after his death. A great light appeared at the windows of our house, rising and falling three times; one of our Fathers saw the flash, as did several of our men, who went out immediately, some to see if a part of our house had not taken fire, the others to see if it were lightning. Having found no trace of this fire, they believed [12] that God was declaring through this phenomenon the light that was being enjoyed by the soul that had just left us. The Savages belonging to the Cabin of the deceased saw this light in the woods, where they had withdrawn, and it frightened them all the more as they thought it was a foreshadowing of future deaths in their family.
I'estois pour lors (moy qui escris cecy) à quelques quarante lieuës de Kebec dãs la cabane des freres du defunct, cette lumiere s'y fit voir à mesme temps & à mesme heure, comme nous l'auons remarqué; depuis le Pere Brebœuf & moy confrontans nos memoires, & mon hoste frere du trespassé l'ayant apperceuë sortit dehors tout espouuanté, & la voyant redoubler s'escria d'vne voix si estonnante, que tous les Sauuages & moy auec eux sortismes de nos cabanes: ayant trouué mon hoste tout esperdu ie luy voulus dire que ce feu n'estoit qu'vn esclair, & qu'il ne falloit pas s'espouuanter, il me repartit fort à propos que l'esclair paroissoit & disparoissoit en vn moment, mais que cette flãme s'estoit pourmenée deuant ses yeux quelque espace de tẽps: de plus, as-tu iamais veu, me dit-il, esclairer ou tonner dans vu froid si [13] cuisant comme est celuy que nous ressentons maintenãt? Il est vray qu'il faisoit fort froid, ie luy demanday ce qu'il croyoit dõc de ces feux, c'est, me fit-il, vn mauuais augure, c'est, [116] vn signe de mort il m'adiousta que le Manitou ou le diable se repaissoit de ces flammes.