Tres-obligé & tres-obeissant seruiteur selon Dieu
Pavl le Ievne.
This is enough for this year; I offer thousands and thousands of thanks for the interest and charity of Your Reverence in our behalf, and in behalf of the many poor people whom you bless by keeping us here; for, although we do but little, yet I hope that we shall make a beginning for those who are to come after us and who will do a great deal. We are all in good health, by the grace of our Lord; and we beseech Your Reverence, with one heart, to send us persons capable of learning the languages. It is what I now believe to be most necessary for the welfare of the souls in this country. As to the soil, I send you some of its fruits: they are heads of wheat, of rye, and of barley, that we planted near our little house. We gathered last year a few wisps of rye that [215] we found here and there among the peas; I counted in some of them 60 kernels, in others 80, in others 112. We threshed these gleanings and took from them a little rye, which will this year pay us very well for the trouble that we had in gleaning it last year. The little wheat which we sowed before the snows is very beautiful: that which was sown in the spring will not ripen, because it is winter wheat. We must have some March wheat, and some that is beardless, for these are said to be the best. The barley is finer than in France: and I have no doubt that, if this country were cleared, very fertile valleys would be found. The woods are troublesome; they retain the cold, engender the slight frosts, and produce great quantities of vermin, such as grasshoppers, worms, and insects, which are especially destructive in our garden; we shall rid ourselves of them, little by [216] little, without, however, leaving the place. I resumed this discourse unintentionally; let us cut it short, to recommend ourselves to the prayers and to the Holy Sacrifices of Your Reverence and of your whole province. I believe that this mission is cherished by you, and that these poor Savages occupy a good place in your heart. He also is there with them who is, in truth,
Of Your Reverence,
The greatly obliged and very obedient servant, in God,
Paul le Jeune.
Extraict du Priuilege du Roy.
PAR Grace & Priuilege du Roy il est permis à Sebastien Cramoisy, marchand Libraire Iuré en l'Vniuersité de Paris d'imprimer ou faire imprimer vn liure intitulé Relation de ce qui s'est passé en la Nouuelle France en l'année mil six cens trente trois, Enuoyée au R.P. Barthelemy Iaquinot Prouincial de la Compagnie de Iesus en la prouince de France, Par le Pere Paul le Ieune de la mesme Compagnie, Superieur de la Residence de Kebek: & cependant le temps & espace de cinq années cōsecutiues. Auec defenses à tous Libraires & Imprimeurs d'imprimer ou faire imprimer ledit liure souz pretexte de desguisement, ou changement qu'ils y pourroient faire, à peine de confiscation, & de l'amende portée par ledit Priuilege. Donné à Sainct Germain en Laye le 10 Decembre, mil six cens trente trois.