I was then (I who am writing this) some forty leagues from Kebec, in the cabin of the brothers of the dead man; and this light appeared there at the same time and at the same hour, as we have since observed, Father Brebœuf and I, by comparing our notes. My host, brother of the deceased, having perceived it, rushed out in horror; and, seeing it repeated, cried out in such astonishment, that all the Savages, and I with them, rushed out of our cabins. Having found my host all distracted, I tried to tell him that this fire was only lightning, and that he need not be frightened; he answered me very aptly that lightning appeared and disappeared in an instant, but that this fire had moved before his eyes for some time. "Besides" said he to me, "hast thou ever seen lightning or thunder in such piercing [13] cold as that which we are feeling now?" It was indeed very cold. I asked him then what he thought of these fires. "It is" he said, "a bad omen, it is a sign of death." He added that the Manitou, or devil, fed upon these flames.
Pour retourner à nostre bien-heureux defunct, nos Peres l'enterrerent le plus solemnellemẽt qu'il leur fut possible, nos François s'y trouuans auec beaucoup de deuotiõ. Manitougatche nostre Sauuage ayant veu tout cecy en outre, considerant que nous ne voulions rien prendre des hardes ou des robbes du trespassé, lesquelles il nous offroit, il resta si edifié & si estonné qu'il s'en alloit par les cabanes des Sauuages, qui vindrent bien-tost apres à Kebec, raconter tout ce qu'il auoit veu, disant que nous auions donné toute la meilleure nourriture que nous eussions à ce pauure ieune homme que nous en auions eu vn soin cõme s'il eust esté nostre frere, que nous nous estions incommodez pour le loger, que nous n'auions rien voulu prendre de ce qui luy appartenoit, que nous l'auiõs enterré auec beaucoup d'hõneur. Cela en toucha si biẽ quelques-vns, [14] notãment de sa famille, qu'ils nous amenerent sa fille morte en trauail d'enfant pour l'enterrer à nostre façon, mais le P. Brebœuf les rencontrant leur dit, que n'ayãt pas esté baptizée nous ne la pouuiõs mettre dans le Cimetiere des enfans de Dieu. De plus sçachant qu'ils font ordinairement mourir l'enfant quand la mere le laisse si ieune, croyans qu'il ne fera que languir apres son deceds, le Pere pria Manitouchatche d'obuier à cette cruauté, ce qu'il fit volontiers, quoy que quelques-vns de nos François estoient desia resolus de s'en charger au cas qu'on luy voulust oster la vie.
To return to our happy deceased. Our Fathers buried him with as much solemnity as they could, our Frenchmen being present and showing great devotion. Manitougatche, our Savage, having seen all this, and also observing that we did not wish to accept any of the belongings or clothes of the deceased, which he offered us, was so pleased and astonished that he went about among the cabins of the Savages who came soon afterward to Kebec, relating all that he had seen,—saying, that we had given the best food we had to this poor young man, that we had nursed him as if he had been our own brother, that we had inconvenienced ourselves in order to give him a lodging, that we had not consented to take anything that belonged to him, and that we had buried him with a great deal of honor. Some of them were so touched by this, [14] especially his own family, that they brought us his daughter, who had died in childbirth, to bury her in our way; but Father Brebœuf, meeting them, told them that, as she had never been baptized, we could not put her in the Cemetery of the children of God. Besides, knowing that they usually kill the child when its mother leaves it so young, thinking that it will languish after her death, the Father begged Manitouchatche to prevent this cruel act, which he did willingly; although some of our French People had determined to take charge of the child themselves, if a disposition were manifested to kill it.
Le second Sauuage baptizé a esté nostre Manitouchatche autrement la Nasse, i'en ay parlé dans mes Relations precedentes, il s'estoit comme habitué aupres [118] de nous auant la prise du païs par les Anglois, commençant à defricher & à cultiuer la terre, le mauuais traictement qu'il receut de ces nouueaux hostes l'ayãt esloigné de Kebec, il tesmoignoit par fois à Madame Hebert qui resta icy auec toute sa famille qu'il souhaittoit grandement nostre retour. Et de fait si tost qu'il sceut nostre venuë il nous vint voir, & se cabana [15] tout aupres de nostre maison, disant qu'il se vouloit faire Chrestien, nous asseurant qu'il ne nous quitteroit point si nous ne le chassions, aussi ne s'est-il pas beaucoup absenté depuis que nous sommes icy, cette communication luy a fait conceuoir quelque chose de nos mysteres. Le seiour qu'a fait en nostre maison Pierre Antoine le Sauuage son parent luy a seruy, d'autant que nous luy auõs declaré par sa bouche les principaux articles de nostre creance. O que les iugemens de Dieu sont pleins d'abismes! Ce miserable ieune homme qui a esté si bien instruict en France s'estant perdu parmy les Anglois, comme i'escriuis l'an passé, est deuenu apostat, renegat, excommunié, athée, valet d'vn Sorcier qui est son frere: Ce sont les qualitez que ie luy donneray cy apres parlant de luy: & ce pauure vieillard qui a tiré de sa bouche infectée les veritez du Ciel, a trouué le Ciel, laissant l'Enfer pour partage à ce renegat, si Dieu ne luy fait de grandes misericordes: Mais suiuans nostre route, apres la mort de Frãçois Sasousmat dont nous venons de parler, ce bon homme ennuyé de n'auoir auec qui s'entretenir: car pas vn de nous ne sçait [16] encores parfaictement la langue, se retira auec sa femme & auec ses enfans, mais la maladie dont il estoit desia attaqué, s'augmentant, il presse sa femme & ses enfans de le ramener auec nous, esperant la [120] mesme charité qu'il auoit veu exercer enuers son compatriote, on le receut à bras ouuerts, ce qu'ayant apperceu, il s'escria, ie mourray maintenant content puis que ie suis auec vous. Or comme ses erreurs auoient vieilly auec luy, nos Peres recogneurent qu'il pensoit autant & plus à la santé de son corps qu'au salut de son ame, tesmoignant vn grand desir de viure, remettant son Baptesme iusques à mon retour, neantmoins comme il s'alloit affoiblissant ils souhaitterent de le voir vn petit plus affectiõné à nostre creance, ce qui les incita d'offrir à Dieu vne neufuaine à l'hõneur du glorieux Espoux de la saincte Vierge pour le bien de son ame, le cõmencement de cette deuotion fut le commencement de ses volontez plus ardantes, il se monstra fort desireux d'estre instruit commençant à mespriser ses superstitions, il ne voulut plus dormir qu'il n'eust au prealable prié Dieu, ce qu'il faisoit encores deuant & apres sa refection, [17] si bien qu'il differa vne fois plus de demie-heure à mãger ce qu'õ luy auoit presenté, pource qu'on ne luy auoit pas fait faire la benediction, demandant au Pere Brebœuf qu'il luy fist dire douze ou treize fois de suitte pour la grauer en sa memoire. C'estoit vn contentement plein d'edification, de voir vn vieillard de plus de soixante ans, apprendre d'vn petit François que nous auons icy, à faire le signe de la Croix, & autres prieres qu'il luy demandoit. Le Pere Brebœuf voyant que ses forces se diminuoient, & que d'ailleurs il estoit assez instruict, luy dit que sa mort approchoit, & que s'il vouloit mourir Chrestien, & aller au Ciel, qu'il falloit estre baptisé. A ces paroles il se monstra si ioyeux qu'il se traisna luy mesme comme il peut en nostre chapelle, ne pouuant attendre [122] que les Peres qui preparoient ce qu'il falloit pour conferer ce Sacrement le vinssent querir: vn de nos François, son Parrain, luy donna le nom de Ioseph. Deuant & pendant son baptesme, qui fut le troisiéme d'Auril, le Pere l'interrogeant sommairement sur tous les [18] articles du Symbole, & sur les commandemens de Dieu, il respondit nettement & courageusemẽt qu'il croyoit les vns, & s'efforceroit de garder les autres si Dieu luy rendoit la santé, monstrant de grands regrets de l'auoir offensé: sa femme & l'vne de ses filles estoient presentes, celle-là ne pouuoit tenir les larmes & l'autre se monstroit, toute estonnée, admirant la beauté des sainctes ceremonies de l'Eglise.
The second Savage to be baptized was our Manitouchatche, otherwise, la Nasse, of whom I have spoken in my former Relations. He had begun to get accustomed to our ways before the capture of the country by the English, having commenced to clear and cultivate the land; the bad treatment he received from these new guests drove him away from Kebec; he sometimes expressed to Madame Hebert, who remained here with her whole family, his strong desire for our return. And, in fact, as soon as he heard of our arrival, he came to see us, and settled [15] near our house, saying that he wished to become a Christian, and assuring us that he would not leave us unless we chased him away; indeed he has been away from us very little since we have been here. This intercourse has made him understand something of our mysteries. The sojourn made in our house by Pierre Antoine,[12] a Savage and a relative of his, has been of use to him, inasmuch as we have declared to him through his lips the principal articles of our faith. Oh, how unfathomable are the judgments of God! This wretched young man, who was so well instructed in France, having been ruined among the English, as I wrote last year, has become an apostate, renegade, excommunicate, atheist, and servant to a Sorcerer who is his brother. These are the qualities which I shall assign to him hereafter when speaking of him. And this poor old man, who has received from his infected lips the truths of Heaven, has found Heaven, leaving Hell as the heritage of this renegade, unless God shows him great mercy. But, continuing our story: after the death of François Sasousmat, of whom we have just spoken, this good man, wearied at not having any one with whom to converse,—for not one of us yet [16] knows the language perfectly,—went away with his wife and children; but, the disease with which he was already affected increasing, he urged his wife and children to bring him back to us, hoping for the same charity he had seen us practice toward his fellow-savage. He was received with open arms, perceiving which, he cried out, "Now I shall die happy, since I am with you!" But as his errors had grown old with him, our Fathers recognized that he thought as much and even more of the health of his body than of the Salvation of his soul, showing a great desire to live, and putting off his Baptism until my return; nevertheless, as he was continually growing weaker, they wished to see him show more interest in our belief; this induced them to offer to God a novena in honor of the glorious Spouse of the holy Virgin, for the welfare of his soul. The beginning of this devotion was the beginning of more earnest inclination on his part; he showed himself very desirous of being instructed, and began to despise his superstitions. He would no more go to sleep unless he had first prayed to God, which he did also before and after eating,—[17] to such an extent that he once deferred, for more than half an hour, eating what had been presented to him, because they had not had him offer the benediction, asking Father Brebœuf to have him say it twelve or thirteen times in succession, to engrave it upon his memory. It was very edifying to see an old man more than sixty years of age learn from a little French boy, whom we have here, to make the sign of the Cross, and other prayers that he asked to be taught. Father Brebœuf, seeing that his strength was failing, and also that he was well enough instructed, told him that death was approaching; and that, if he wished to die a Christian and go to Heaven, he must be baptized. At these words he showed such joy that he dragged himself as well as he could to our chapel, not being able to wait until our Fathers, who were making the necessary arrangements for administering this Sacrament, could go after him. One of our Frenchmen, his Godfather, gave him the name Joseph. Before and during his baptism, which took place on the third of April, the Father examining him briefly upon all the [18] articles of the Creed, and upon the commandments of God, he answered clearly and courageously that he believed the former, and would endeavor to keep the latter if God would restore him his health, and showed great regret for having offended him. His wife and one of his daughters being present, the one could not keep back her tears, and the other was greatly bewildered, admiring the beauty of the holy ceremonies of the Church.
Ie retournay de mon hyuernement d'auec les Sauuages, six iours apres son baptesme, ie le trouuay bien malade, mais bien content d'estre Chrestien. Ie l'embrassay comme mon frere, bien resioüy de le voir enfant de Dieu, nous continuasmes de l'instruire, & de luy faire exercer des actes des vertus, notamment Theologales, pendant l'espace de douze iours, qu'il suruescut apres son baptesme.
I returned from my winter sojourn with the Savages, six days after his baptism, and found him very sick, but very glad to be a Christian. I embraced him like a brother, greatly rejoiced at seeing him a child of God. We continued to teach him and to have him practice acts of virtue, especially the Theological Virtues [faith, hope, and charity], during the twelve days that he survived his baptism.
Les Sauuages desirans le penser à leur mode auec leurs chants, auec leurs tintamarres, & auec leurs autres supersti[ti]ons, tascherent plusieurs fois de nous l'enleuer iusques là, qu'ils amenerent vne traine pour le reporter, & l'vn de [19] leurs sorciers ou iongleurs le vint voir exprés pour le débaucher de nostre creance: mais le bon Neophyte tint ferme, respondant qu'on ne luy parlast plus de s'en aller, & qu'il ne nous quitteroit point, que nous ne l'enuoyassiõs. Ce n'est pas vne petite marque de l'efficacité de la grace du sainct Baptesme, de voir vn homme nourry [124] depuis soixante ans & plus, dedans la Barbarie, habitué aux façons de faire des Sauuages, imbu de leurs erreurs & de leurs resueries, resister à sa propre femme, à ses enfans, & à ses gendres, & à ses amis & à ses compatriotes, à ses Manitousiouets, sorciers ou iongleurs, non vne fois, mais plusieurs pour se ietter entre les bras de quelques estrangers, protestant qu'il veut embrasser leur creance, mourir en leur Foy & dedans leur maison. Cela fait voir que la grace peut donner du poids à l'ame d'vn Sauuage naturellement inconstante.
The Savages, wishing to care for him in their way, with their songs, their uproar, and their other superstitions, tried several times to take him away from us, even going so far as to bring a sledge upon which to take him back, and one of [19] their sorcerers or jugglers came to see him, for the express purpose of enticing him away from our belief; but the good Neophyte held firm, answering that they should not speak to him about going away, and that he would not leave us unless we sent him away. It is no slight indication of the efficacy of the grace of holy Baptism, to see a man who had been steeped for over sixty years in Barbarism, accustomed to all the ways of the Savages, imbued with their errors and with their illusions, resist his own wife, his children, his sons-in-law, his friends and his fellow-savages, his Manitousiouets, sorcerers or jugglers, not once but many times, to throw himself into the arms of strangers, protesting that he wished to embrace their belief, to die in their Faith and in their house. This shows that grace can give stability to the soul of a Savage, who is by nature inconstant.
En fin, apres auoir instruit nostre bon Ioseph du Sacrement de l'Extreme-Onction, nous luy conferasmes, & iustement le Samedy Sainct son ame partit de son corps, pour s'en aller celebrer [20] la feste de Pasques au Ciel. L'vn de ses gendres l'ayant veu fort bas, estoit demeuré aupres de luy pour voir comme nous l'enseuelirions apres sa mort, desirant qu'on luy donnast vne Castelogne & son petunoir, pour s'en seruir en l'autre monde: mais comme il alloit porter la nouuelle de cette mort à la femme du deffunct, nous l'enseuelismes à la fàçon de l'Eglise Catholique, honorant ses obseques le mieux qu'il nous fut possible. Monsieur de Champlain pour tesmoigner l'amour & l'honneur que nous portons à ceux qui meurent Chrestiens, fist quitter le trauail à ses gens, & nous les enuoya pour assister à l'office, nous gardasmes le plus exactement qu'il nous fut possible les ceremonies de l'Eglise, ce qui agrea infiniment aux parens de ce nouueau Chrestien; vne chose neantmoins leur depleut quand on vint à mettre le corps dans la fosse, ils s'apperceurent qu'il y auoit vn peu d'eauë au fonds, à raison que les neiges se fondoient [126] pour lors & degouttoient là dedans, cela leur frappa l'imagination, & comme ils sont [21] superstitieux les attrista vn petit. Cet erreur ne sera pas difficile à combatre quand on sçaura bien leur langue; voila à mon aduis les premiers des Sauuages adultes baptisez, & morts constans en la foy dans ces contrées.