My host having invited all the neighboring Savages to the feast, when they had come and seated themselves around the fire and the kettle, waiting for the banquet to be opened, lo, the Sorcerer, who had been lying down opposite me, suddenly arose, not yet having uttered a word since the arrival of the guests. He seemed to be in an awful fury, and threw himself upon one of the poles of the cabin to tear it out; he broke it in two, rolled his eyes around in his head, looked here and there like a man out of his senses, then facing those [250] present, he said to them, Iriniticou nama Nitirinisin, "Oh, men, I have lost my mind, I do not know where I am; take the hatchets and javelins away from me, for I am out of my senses." At these words all the Savages lowered their eyes to the ground, and I raised mine to heaven, whence I expected help,—imagining that this man was acting the madman in order to take revenge on me, to take my life or at least to frighten me, so that he could reproach me afterwards that my God had failed me in time of need, and to proclaim among his people, that I, who had so often testified that I did not fear their Manitou, who makes them tremble, had turned pale before a man. So far was I from being seized by fear which, in the dangers of a natural death, makes me shrink within myself, that, on the contrary, I faced this furious man with as much assurance as if I had had an army at my side, reflecting that the God whom I adored could bind the arms of fools and madmen as well as those of demons; that besides, if his Majesty wished to open to me the portals of death by the hands of a man who was acting the devil, [251] his Providence was always loving and kind. This Thraso [braggart], redoubling his furies, did a thousand foolish acts of a lunatic or of one bewitched; sometimes he would cry out at the top of his voice, and then would suddenly stop short, as if frightened; he pretended to cry, and then burst into laughter like a wanton devil; he sang without rules and without measure, he hissed like a serpent, he howled like a wolf, or like a dog, he screeched like an owl or a night hawk,—rolling his eyes about in his head and striking a thousand attitudes, always seeming to be looking for something to throw. I was expecting every moment he would tear up one of the poles with which to strike me down, or that he would throw himself upon me; but in order to show him that I was not at all astonished at these devilish acts, I continued, in my usual way, to read, write and say my little prayers; and when my hour for retiring came, I lay down and rested as peacefully through his orgies, as I would have done in a profound silence; I was already as accustomed to go to sleep in the midst of his cries and the sound of his [252] drum, as a child is to the songs of its nurse.
Le lendemain au soir à mesme heure il sembla vouloir entrer dans les mesmes fougues, & donner vne autrefois l'alarme au camp, disant qu'il perdoit l'esprit, le voyant desia demy fol, il me vint vne pensée qu'il pourroit estre trauaillé de quelque fiévre chaude, ie l'aborde & luy prens le bras pour luy toucher l'artere, il me regarde affreusemẽt, faisant de l'estõné, comme si ie luy eusse apporté des nouuelles de l'autre monde, il roule les yeux çà & là comme vn insensé: luy ayant touché le poulx & le front ie le trouuay frais comme vn poisson, & aussi éloigné de la fiévre comme i'estois de France, cela me confirma dans mon opinion qu'il faisoit de l'enragé pour m'estonner, & pour tirer à compassion tous ses gens qui dans nostre disette luy donnoient ce qu'ils pouuoient auoir de meilleur.
The next evening, at the same hour he seemed disposed to enter into the same infuriated state, and to again alarm the camp, saying that he was losing his mind. Seeing him already half-mad, it occurred to me that he might be suffering from some violent fever; I went up to him and took hold of his arm to feel the artery; he gave me a frightful look, seeming to be astonished, and acting as if I had brought him news from the other world, rolling his eyes here and there like one possessed. Having touched his pulse and forehead, I found him as cool as a fish, and as far from fever as I was from France. This confirmed me in my suspicion that he was acting the madman to frighten me, and to draw down upon himself the compassion of all our people, who in our dearth, were giving him the best they had.
Le 20. du mesme mois de Nouembre ne se trouuans plus de Castors, ny de Porcs-espics en nostre quartier, nous tirasmes pays, & ce fut nostre deuxiesme station, on porta la femme du Sorcier [253] sur vn brancart, & la mit-on, comme i'ay desia dit, dessus la neige en attendant que nostre palais fût dressé, ce pendant ie m'approchay d'elle luy témoignant beaucoup de compassion: il y auoit desia quelques [122] iours que ie taschois de gagner son affection, afin qu'elle me prestast plus volontiers l'oreille, cognoissant bien qu'elle ne pouuoit pas viure long-temps, car elle estoit comme vne squelette, n'ayant quasi plus la force de parler, quand elle appelloit quelqu'vn la nuit, ie me leuois moy mesme, & l'éueillois, ie luy faisois du feu, ie luy demandois ce dont elle auoit besoin, elle me cõmandoit de petites chosettes, comme de fermer les portes ou boucher quelque trou de la cabane qui l'incõmodoit, apres ces menus discours & offices de charité, ie l'aborday, & luy demãday si elle ne vouloit pas bien croire en celuy qui a tout faict, & que son ame apres sa mort seroit bien-heureuse. Au commencement elle me répondit qu'elle n'auoit point veu Dieu, & que ie luy fisse voir, autrement qu'elle ne pouuoit croire en luy, elle auoit tiré ceste réponse de la bouche de sõ mary, Ie luy repartis qu'elle [254] croyoit plusieurs choses qu'elle ne voyoit pas, & qu'au reste son ame seroit bruslée pour vne eternité si elle n'obeïssoit à celuy qui a tout fait; elle s'adoucit petit à petit, & me témoigna qu'elle luy vouloit obeïr, ie n'osois l'entretenir long temps, mais seulement par reprises, ceux qui me voyoient me crians que ie la laissasse.
On the 20th of the same month of November, finding no more Beavers and Porcupines in our quarter, we resumed our journey, this being our second station. The Sorcerer's wife was carried [253] upon a stretcher, and they placed her, as I have already said, upon the snow until our palace was erected. Meanwhile I approached her, showing how greatly I sympathized with her; already for some days I had been trying to gain her affection, that she might more willingly listen to me; I knew that she could not live long, as she was like a skeleton, hardly having strength enough to talk. When she called some one in the night, I arose and awoke him, I made fires for her, I asked her if she was in need of anything; she had me do little things for her, such as closing the door, or stopping up a hole in the cabin which annoyed her. After these little conversations and acts of charity, I approached and asked her if she did not want to believe in him who has made all, so that her soul after death would be blest. At first she answered that she had not seen God, and that I should make her see him, otherwise she could not believe in him. She got this answer from the lips of her husband. I told her that she [254] believed in a great many things she had not seen, and besides, her soul would be burned through eternity if she did not obey him who has made all. She softened, little by little, and testified to me that she wished to obey him. I did not dare confer with her long, and only at intervals, for those who saw me would cry out that I should leave her alone.
Sur le soir estãs tous dãs nostre nouuelle cabane, ie m'approchay d'elle, l'appellant par son nom, iamais elle ne me voulut parler en la presence des autres, ie priay le Sorcier de luy dire qu'elle me répondist, & de m'ayder à l'instruire, luy representant qu'il ne pouuoit arriuer que du bien de ceste action, il me répond non plus que la malade, ie m'addresse à l'Apostat le pressant auec de tres humbles prieres de me prester sa parole, point de répõse; ie retourne à la malade, [124] ie l'appelle, ie luy parle, ie luy demande si elle ne vouloit pas aller au Ciel, à tout cela pas vn mot: Ie solicite de rechef le Sorcier son mary, ie luy promets vne chemise & du petun, pourueu qu'il dise à sa femme qu'elle m'écoute, comment veux-tu, me dit-il, que nous [255] croyõs en ton Dieu ne l'ayãs iamais veu? ie t'ay desia respondu à cela, luy fis-je, il n'est pas temps de disputer, cette ame se va perdre pour vn iamais si tu n'en as pitié: Tu vois bien que celuy qui a faict le Ciel pour toy, te veut donner de plus grands biens, que d'aller manger des escorces en vn village qui ne fut iamais, mais aussi te punira il seuerement si tu ne crois en luy, & si tu ne luy obeis. Ne pouuant tirer aucune raison de ce miserable homme, ie pressay encor vne fois la malade, mon hoste me l'entendant nommer par son nom me tança, tais toy me dit-il, ne la nomme point, elle est desia morte, son ame n'est plus dans son corps. C'est vne grande verité que personne ne va à Iesvs-Christ que son pere ne luy tende la main, c'est vn grãd present que la foy, quãd ces pauures Barbares voyẽt qu'vn pauure malade ne parle plus, ou qu'il tombe en syncope, ou en quelque phrenesie, ils disent que son esprit n'est plus dans son corps, si le malade retourne en son bon sens, c'est l'èsprit qui est de retour: en fin quand il est mort il n'en faut plus parler, ny le nommer en aucune façon: pour conclurre ce point, il [256] me fallust retirer sans rien faire.
Toward evening, when we were all in our new cabin, I approached and called her by name. She never would talk with me in the presence of the others. I begged the Sorcerer to tell her to answer me, and to help me teach her, showing him that nothing but good could come of this action. He would not answer me any more than the invalid. I addressed the Apostate, urging him with very humble prayers to lend me his voice, but no answer; I return to the sick woman, I call her by name, I speak to her, I ask her if she does not wish to go to Heaven; to all this not a word. I again beg her husband, the Sorcerer; I promise him a shirt and some tobacco, if he will tell his wife to listen to me. "How canst thou ask us," he said, "to [255] believe in thy God, never having seen him?" "I have already answered that question for thee," I returned; "this is no time to argue, this soul is going to be forever lost if thou dost not have pity. Thou seest well that he who has made the Heavens for thee, wishes to give thee greater blessings than to go about eating bark in a village which never existed; but he will also severely punish thee if thou dost not believe in him and obey him." Not being able to draw any answer from this miserable man, I again urged the sick woman. My host, hearing me call her by name, chided me, saying, "Keep still, do not name her; she is already dead, her soul is no longer in her body." It is a great truth that no one goes to Jesus Christ until the father extends to him the hand. How wonderful a gift is this faith! When these simple Barbarians see that a poor invalid no longer speaks, or that he has fainted, or been seized by a frenzy, they say that the spirit is no longer in the body; and, if the invalid returns to his senses, it is the spirit which has returned. Finally, when he is dead, they must no longer speak of him, nor name him in any way. To finish this story, [256] I had to retire without accomplishing anything.
On tint conseil en ce lieu de ce qu'on deuoit faire pour trouuer à manger, nous estions desia reduits à telle extremité que ie fasois vn bon repas d'vne peau d'anguille boucannée, que ie iettois aux chiens quelques iours auparauant. Deux choses me toucherent [126] ici le cœur: jettant vne fois vn os, ou vne arreste d'anguille aux chiens, vn petit garçon fut plus habile que le chien, il se jetta sur l'os & le rongea & mangea: vne autre fois vn enfant ayant demandé à manger, comme on luy eust respõdu qu'il n'y en auoit point, ce pauure petit s'en prit à ses yeux, les larmes rouloient sur sa face grosses commes des pois, & ses souspirs & ses sanglots me touchoient de compassion, encor taschoit il de se cacher: c'est vne leçon qu'on fait aux enfans de se monstrer courageux dans la famine.
They took counsel in this place as to what they should do to get something to eat. We were already reduced to such extremities that I made a good meal on a skin of smoked eel, which a few days before I had thrown to the dogs. Here two incidents occurred which touched my heart. Once when I threw a bone or remnant of an eel to the dogs, a little boy, more nimble than they, threw himself upon the bone, and gnawed and bit into it. Another time, a child having asked for something to eat, when he was told there was nothing at all, the poor little fellow's eyes filled, and tears as big as peas rolled down his cheeks, and his sighs and sobs filled me with pity, although he tried to suppress them. One lesson they teach their children is to be brave in time of famine.
Le 28. du mesme mois, nous decampasmes pour la troisiesme fois, il neigeoit fort, mais la necessité nous pressant le mauuais temps ne peut nous arrester. Ie fus bien estonné en cette troisiesme demeure que ie ne vis point apporter la malade, ie n'osois demander ce qu'elle [257] estoit deuenuë, car ils ne veulent pas qu'on parle des morts: sur le soir i'accostay le Renegat, ie luy demanday parlant François où estoit ceste pauure femme, s'il ne l'auoit point tuée, voyant qu'elle s'en alloit mourir, cõme il auoit autrefois assommé à coups de bastons vne pauure fille qui tiroit à la mort, ainsi que luy mesme l'auoit raconté à nos François. Non, dit-il, ie ne l'ay pas tuée: qui donc, luy fis ie, est-ce le ieune Hiroquois? Nenny, me répond-il, car il est party de grand matin: c'est donc mon hoste, ou le Sorcier son mary; car elle parloit encor quand ie suis sorty ce matin de la cabane, il baissa la teste, m'aduoüãt tacitement que l'vn des deux l'auoit mise à mort: vn vieillard m'a ceneãtmoins dit depuis, qu'elle mourut de sa mort naturelle vn peu apres que ie fus party, ie m'en rapporte à ce qui en est, quoy que s'en soit ayant refusé de recognoistre le Fils de Dieu pour son Pasteur pendant [128] sa vie, il n'est que trop probable qu'il ne l'a pas recogneuë pour vne de ses oüailles, après sa mort.