Vn Sauuage me dit dans ceste famine, que sa femme & sa belle sœur estoient en deliberation de tuer leur propre frere: I'en demanday la raison, nous craignons, fit-il, qu'il ne nous assomme pendant nostre sommeil pour nous manger. Nous vous apportons,[32] luy dis-je, tous les iours vne partie de nos viures [77] pour vous secourir. Cela est vray, respond-il, tu nous donne la vie, mais cét homme est à demy fol; il ne mange point, il a quelque méchant dessein, nous le voulons preuenir, en seras-tu marry? Ie me trouuay vn peu en peine, de consentir à sa mort, ie ne pouuois: ie croyois d'ailleurs qu'ils auoient iuste occasion de craindre. Nous luy donnasmes conseil de ne point laisser de haches ny d'espees en sa cabane, sinon celle dont il auroit à faire, laquelle il poseroit sous sa teste en dormant; il s'accorda à cela, & nous donna ses haches & ses espees, pour les emporter en nostre chambrette. A trois iours de là ce pauure miserable s'en alla à Kebec, où ayant voulu tuer quelque François, Monsieur le Gouuerneur recognoissant sa folie, le fit enchaisner pour le rendre aux premiers Sauuages qui [78] viendroient.
A Savage told me, during this famine, that his wife and sister-in-law contemplated killing their own brother; I asked him why, "We are afraid," he replied, "that he will kill us during our sleep, to eat us." "We supply you," said I, "a part of our food every day [77] to help you." "That is true," he replied, "thou givest us life; but this man is half-mad; he does not eat, he has some evil design; we wish to prevent him, wilt thou be displeased at that?" I found myself a little troubled; I could not consent to his death, and yet I believed they had good cause for their fear. We advised him not to leave any hatchets or javelins in his cabin, except one which he would have to use, and he should place that under his head when he was sleeping; he agreed to this, and gave us his hatchets and javelins, to put them away in our little room. Three days later, this poor wretch went to Kebec, where, having tried to kill some Frenchman, Monsieur the Governor, seeing that he was mad, had him put in chains, to surrender him to the first Savages that [78] might come along.
Or ces allées & venuës des Sauuages affamez ont duré quasi tout l'hyuer; nous faisions ordinairement quelque festin de pois & de farine boüillie à toutes les nouuelles bandes; i'en ay veu tel d'entre-eux qui en mangeoient plus de huict escuellées, deuant que de sortir de la place.
Now these comings and goings of famished Savages lasted almost all winter; we usually made a little feast of peas and boiled flour for all the new bands, and I have seen certain ones among them eat more than eight bowlfuls of this before leaving the place.
Pendant qu'on leur preparoit le banquet, nous leur parlions de Dieu, nous leur representions leurs miseres; ils auoient tous la meilleure volonté du monde de cultiuer au Printemps, ce qu'ont fait quelques vns: mais ils ne demeurerent pas assiduëment auprés de leurs bleds d'Inde, les abandonnans pour aller pescher, qui deça, qui delà.
While the banquet was being prepared, we talked to them about God, we represented to them their poverty; they all had the best intentions in the world to cultivate the land in the Spring, as some of them have done; but they did not remain constantly near their Indian corn,—abandoning it to go fishing, some in one direction, some in another.
Quand aux propositions que nous leur faisions de croire en Dieu, l'vn d'eux me dit vn iour. Si nous [79] croyons en vostre Dieu, neigera-il? Il neigera, [34] luy dis je. La neige sera-elle dure & profonde? Elle le sera. Trouuerõs nous des Orignaux? Vous en trouuerez. Les tuerons nous? Ouy; Car comme Dieu sçait tout, qu'il peut tout, & qu'il est tres bon, il ne manquera pas de vous assister, si vous auez recours en luy, si vous receuez sa Foy, & luy rendez obeyssance. Ton discours est bon, repart-il, nous penserons à ce que tu nous as dit. Cependant ils s'en vont dans les bois, & mettẽt bien-tost en oubly ce qu'on leur a dit: Il est bien vray qu'à la parfin on fera quelque impression sur leur esprit, s'il n'est plus dure que la pierre qui se caue par des gouttes d'eau.
As to the proposals we make to them to believe in God, one of them said to me one day, "If we [79] believe in your God, will it snow?" "It will snow," I said to him. "Will the snow be hard and deep?" "It will be." "Shall we find Moose?" "You will find them." "Shall we kill some?" "Yes; for as God knows all things, as he can do all things, and as he is very good, he will not fail to help you, if you have recourse to him, if you receive the Faith, and if you reader him obedience." "Thy speech is good," answered he, "we will think upon what thou hast told us." Meanwhile, they go off into the woods, and soon forget what has been said to them. It is indeed true that, in the end, some impression will be made upon their minds, if they are not harder than the stone hollowed out by drops of water.
Vne autrefois ayant vn assez long-temps discouru sur nostre creance à vne escouade, qui s'en retournoit chercher dequoy nourrir [80] leurs femmes & leurs enfans, ie leur conseillay, au cas qu'ils ne peussent rien trouuer, de se mettre à genoux, & de s'addresser à celuy qui a fait le Ciel & la terre, de luy promettre qu'ils croiront en luy, s'il les vouloit secourir: ils me promirent qu'ils le feroient; nous leur presentasmes à cet effect vne petite Image de nostre Seigneur Iesus-Christ, & les aduertismes de la façon qu'ils la deuoient placer dans leur grandes necessitez, des prieres qu'ils deuoient faire à celuy qu'elle representoit, leur donnant bonne esperãce qu'ils seroient secourus. Ie mis cette Image entre les mains d'vn nommé Sakapouan, dont i'ay fait mention cy-dessus. Il me promit qu'il feroit de point en point ce que nous luy auions ordonné: mais le miserable ne tint pas sa promesse; car il n'osa iamais produire ceste Image, de [81] peur d'estre gaussé de ses Compagnons, voire mesme il se rioit auec les autres de ce que nous leur auions presché. Aussi Dieu le chastia-il, car il tomba [36] malade, & fut contraint de venir rechercher les François; nous luy redemandasmes l'Image & la rendit. Interrogé pourquoy il n'auoit point prié le Fils du Tout-puissant, Ie m'en estois allé, respond-il, auec bonne volonté de le prier, i'auois conceu vne bonne esperance, qu'il nous donneroit à manger, i'auois mesme retenu la meilleure de toutes les oraisons que tu nous as enseigné: mais estant arriué à nos cabanes, i'ay eu peur que si ie produisois l'Image, qu'on ne s'en moquast, & que celuy qui a tout fait ne se faist chast cõtre moy, & nous fist mourir. En vn mot le respect humain retiẽt ce peuple. I'eus beau luy dire, que s'il eust esté fidele dans [82] ces gausseries, s'il n'eust point adheré à ces mocqueurs, que Dieu l'auroit puissamment assisté, Il faut, dit-il, parler à nos Capitaines. Et en effet qui les auroit gaignez, il auroit tout gagné. Ie reuiens tousiours sur mes brisées, qui sçauroit parfaictement la langue pour les accabler de raisons, & pour refuter promptement leurs niaiseries, seroit bien puissant parmy eux. Le temps apportera tout, & Dieu donnant sa benediction, Populus qui est in tenebris videbit lucem magnam.
Another time, having talked a long time upon our belief with a squad of them, who had returned to seek food for [80] their wives and children, I advised them, in case they could not find anything, to fall upon their knees and to address themselves to him who has made Heaven and earth, to promise him they would believe in him if he would relieve them; they promised that they would do so; we gave them for this purpose a little Image of our Lord Jesus Christ, and instructed them in the way in which they were to place it in the time of their great need, and in some prayers they were to make to him whom it represented, giving them strong hope that they would be helped. I placed this Image in the hands of a certain one named Sakapouan, of whom I have spoken above. He promised me that he would do everything just as we had directed; but the wretch did not keep his promise, for he never dared produce this Image, lest [81] he should be sneered at by his Companions; yes, he even laughed with the others about what we had preached to them. And indeed God chastised him, for he fell sick and was obliged to come seeking the French; we asked for the Image and he returned it. When asked why he had not prayed to the Son of the All-powerful, "I went away," he replied, "with the good will to pray to him; I felt a strong hope that he would give us something to eat, I had even kept in mind the best of all the prayers thou hast taught us; but, when I arrived at our cabins, I was afraid that if I brought out the Image they would make sport of me, and that he who has made all would be angry with me, and make us die." In one word, these people are restrained by worldly considerations. It was in vain I told him that if he had been faithful in [82] the midst of these mockeries, if he had not clung to these mockers, God would have given him powerful assistance; "It is necessary," he said "to talk to our Captains." And, in fact, one who could gain them could gain all. I am always retracing my footsteps, in saying, that one who knew the language perfectly, so that he could crush their reasons and promptly refute their absurdities, would be very powerful among them. Time will bring all things; God giving his blessing, Populus qui est in tenebris videbit lucem magnam.