There are here some Soothsayers, whom they call also Arendiouane and who undertake to cause the rain to fall or to cease, and to predict future events. The Devil reveals to them some secrets, but with so much obscurity that one is unable to accuse them of falsehood; witness one of the village of Scanonaenrat[38] [174] who, a little while before the burning of the villages before mentioned, had seen in a dream three flames falling from the Sky on those villages. But the Devil had not declared to him the meaning of this enigma; for, having obtained from the village a white dog, to make a feast with it and to seek information by it, he remained as ignorant afterward as before.
Dernierement comme i'estois chez Louys de saincte Foy, vne vieille sorciere ou deuineresse dudit village, dist qu'elle auoit veu ceux qui estoient allez à la guerre, qu'ils reuenoient, & amenoient vn prisonnier. Nous verrons si elle a dit vray: son procedé est par pyromantie: elle vous figure en sa cabane le lac des Hiroquois, puis d'vn costé elle fait autant de feux comme il y a de personnes qui ont marché en [175] campagn[e]; & de l'autre costé encore autant de feux, qu'ils ont d'ennemis à combattre. Puis si son sort reüssit, elle donne à entendre que les feux de deça ont [126] trauersé, & cela signifie, que les guerriers ont desia passé le lac. Vn feu qui y esteint l'autre, marque vn ennemy défait, que si il l'attire à soy sans l'esteindre, c'est vn prisonnier pris à mercy. C'est ainsi, pour finir ce discours, qui seroit trop long, si ie voulois tout dire, que le Diable amuse ce pauure peuple, substituant ses impietez & superstitions, en la place de la conformité, qu'ils deuroient auoir à la prouidence de Dieu, & du culte qu'ils luy deuroient rendre.
Lastly, when I was in the house of Louys de saincte Foy, an old woman, a sorceress, or female soothsayer of that village, said she had seen those who had gone to the war, and that they were bringing back a prisoner. We shall see if she has spoken the truth. Her method is by pyromancy. She draws for you in her hut the lake of the Hiroquois;[39] then on one side she makes as many fires as there are persons who have gone on [175] the expedition, and on the other as many fires as they have enemies to fight. Then, if her spell succeeds, she lets it be understood that the fires from this side have run over, and that signifies that the warriors have already crossed the lake. One fire extinguishing another marks an enemy defeated; but if it attracts it to itself without extinguishing it, that is a prisoner taken at mercy. It is thus,—to finish my discourse, which would be too long if I tried to say everything,—that the Devil amuses this poor people, substituting his impieties and superstitions in place of the compliance they ought to have with the providence of God, and the worship they ought to render him.
Quant à ce qui concerne les mœurs, les Hurons sont lascifs, quoy qu'en deux chefs moins que plusieurs Chrestiens, qui rougiront [176] vn iour deuant eux. Vous n'y verrez point de baisers, ny de caresses deshonnestez; & dans le mariage vn homme y demeurera les deux & trois ans entiers, sans cognoistre sa femme, tandis qu'elle est nourrice. Ils sont gourmands iusques à rendre gorge: vray est que cela n'est pas souuent, mais seulement en quelques festins superstitieux. Encore ne s'y trouuent-ils pas volontiers; & d'ailleurs ils supportent beaucoup mieux la faim que nous; si bien qu'apres auoir ieusné les deux ou trois iours entiers, vous en verrez encore ramer, porter, chanter, rire, gausser, cõme s'ils auoiẽt biẽ disné. Ils sont fort faineants, menteurs, larrons, importuns demandeurs. Quelques-vns les estiment vindicatifs; mais pour moy ie crois que ce vice est plus notable ailleurs qu'icy. On y voit reluire d'assez belles vertus [177] morales. Vous y remarquez en premier lieu vne grande amour & vnion, qu'ils sont soigneux de cultiuer par le moyen de leurs mariages, de leurs presens, de leurs festins, & de leurs frequentes visites. Au retour de leur pesche, de leur chasse, & de leur traitte, ils s'entredonnent beaucoup: s'ils y ont pris quelque chose d'exquis, ou mesme s'ils l'ont [128] acheté, ou si on le leur a donné, ils en font festin à tout le village: l'hospitalité enuers toute sorte d'estrãgers y est remarquable. Ils leur presentẽt en ces festins ce qu'ils ont preparé de meilleur, & cõme i'ay desia dit, ie ne sçay si ailleurs il se recontre rien de pareil en ce sujet. Il me semble auoir leu dans les vies [des] Peres, qu'vne armée Payenne se conuertit, voyant la charité & l'hospitalité d'vne ville Chrestienne, dont les habitans s'efforçoient à l'enuy de [178] caresser & festoyer les Estrangers. Iugeant bien que ceux-là deuoient professer la vraye Religion, & adorer le vray Dieu Pere commun de tous, qui auoient vn cœur si benin, & faisoient indifferemment tant de bien à toute sorte de personnes. Nous auons aussi esperance que nostre Seigneur donnera en fin la lumiere de sa cognoissance, & communiquera l'ardeur de ses graces à cette Nation, qu'il semble y auoir disposée par la pratique de cette belle vertu. Ils ne refusent iamais la porte à vn Estranger; & l'ayans receu vne fois en leur maison, ils luy font part de ce qu'ils y ont de meilleur: ils ne luy donnent iamais son congé; & quand il le prend de soy-mesme, il en est quitte pour vn simple grand-mercy. Cela me fait esperer, que si vne fois il plaist à Dieu de les illuminer, ils correspondront parfaictement [179] aux graces & aux inspirations de son Fils. Et puis qu'il est venu comme Estranger en sa propre maison, ie me promets que ces bonnes gens le receuront à toutes heures en leur cœur, sans le faire attendre à la porte par trop de dureté; sans luy rien espargner en toute l'estenduë de leurs affections: sans le trahir & le chasser dehors par quelque faute signalée, & sans rien pretendre en son seruice que son honneur & sa gloire: qui est tout ce [130] qu'on peut souhaitter de fidelité en vne ame, pour le bon vsage & sainct employ des faueurs du Ciel.
As regards morals, the Hurons are lascivious, although in two leading points less so than many Christians, who will blush [176] some day in their presence. You will see no kissing nor immodest caressing; and in marriage a man will remain two or three years apart from his wife, while she is nursing. They are gluttons, even to disgorging; it is true, that does not happen often, but only in some superstitious feasts,—these, however, they do not attend willingly. Besides, they endure hunger much better than we,—so well that after having fasted two or three entire days you will see them still paddling, carrying loads, singing, laughing, bantering, as if they had dined well. They are very lazy, are liars, thieves, pertinacious beggars. Some consider them vindictive; but, in my opinion, this vice is more noticeable elsewhere than here. We see shining among them some rather noble moral [177] virtues. You note, in the first place, a great love and union, which they are careful to cultivate by means of their marriages, of their presents, of their feasts, and of their frequent visits. On returning from their fishing, their hunting, and their trading, they exchange many gifts; if they have thus obtained something unusually good, even if they have bought it, or if it has been given to them, they make a feast to the whole village with it. Their hospitality towards all sorts of strangers is remarkable; they present to them in their feasts the best of what they have prepared, and, as I have already said, I do not know if anything similar, in this regard, is to be found elsewhere. I think I have read, in the lives of the Fathers, that a Pagan army was converted on seeing the charity and hospitality of a Christian town, the inhabitants of which vied with each other in [178] caressing and feasting the Strangers,—judging well that those must profess the true Religion and worship the true God, the common Father of all, who had hearts so benign and who did so much good to all sorts of persons, without distinction. We have also hope that our Lord will give at last the light of his knowledge, and will communicate the fire of his graces, to this Nation, which he seems to have disposed thereto by the practice of this noble virtue. They never close the door upon a Stranger, and, once having received him into their houses, they share with him the best they have; they never send him away, and, when he goes away of his own accord, he repays them by a simple "thank you." This makes me hope that, if once it pleases God to illumine them, they will respond perfectly [179] to the grace and inspiration of his Son. And, since he has come as a Stranger into his own house, I promise myself that these good people will receive him at all hours into their hearts without making him wait too long on account of their hardness, without withholding from him anything in the whole range of their affections, without betraying him or driving him outside by any serious fault, and without claiming anything in his service other than his honor and glory; which is all the fidelity one can ask in a soul for the good use and holy employment of the favors of Heaven.
Que diray-je de leur estrange patience dans leur pauureté, disette & maladies? Nous auons veu cette année les villages entiers sur la litiere, nourris d'vn peu de sagamité insipide, & cependant pas vn mot pour se plaindre, pas vn mouuement [180] d'impatience. Ils reçoiuent bien plus constamment la nouuelle de la mort, que ces Messieurs & Dames de la Chrestienté, à qui on en oseroit ouurir la bouche. Nos Sauuages l'entendent non seulement sans desespoir, mais sans se troubler, sans pallir ou blesmir tant soit peu. Nous auons sur tout admiré la constance de nos nouueaux Chrestiens: le penultiéme qui est mort, nommé Ioseph Oatij a demeuré sur la dure l'espace de quatre ou cinq mois, tant deuant qu'apres son Baptesme, si décharné qu'il n'auoit que les os; dãs vne cabane si chetiue, que les vents y souffloient de tous costez, couuert pendant les froidures de l'hyuer d'vne peau fort legere, de bestes noires ou d'escurieux noirs, nourry fort pauuremẽt. On ne l'a cependant iamais ouy faire aucune plainte. Nostre Seigneur Iesus-Christ soit à iamais [181] loüé. C'est sur ces dispositions & fondemens, que nous esperons auec la grace de Dieu bastir l'edifice de la Religiõ Chrestienne parmy ce peuple, qui desia d'ailleurs nous est grandemẽt affectiõné, & a vne grãde opinion de nous. C'est à nous maintenãt à correspõdre à nostre vocatiõ, & à la voix de N. S. qui nous dit, videte regiones, quoniam albæ sunt iam ad messẽ. Il est vray, mon R. P. que messis multa, operarij pauci, & de plus nous nous trouuõs fort foibles pour vne si grãde entreprise; au moins moy; & partant ie supplie nostre R. P. Prouincial & V. R. de nous enuoyer du secours. Sur quoy ie m'escrierois [132] volõtiers au bon Dieu, mitte quem missurus es; car pour nous, nous sõmes des enfans qui ne faisons que begayer. Cependant nous confians en la bonté de N. Seign. & non en nos propres forces & industries, voicy ce que [182] nous auons fait pour la conuersion de ce Peuple, depuis nostre arriuée. Premierement nous-nous sommes employez en l'estude de la langue, qui à cause de la diuersité de ses mots composez est quasi infinie. On ne peut neantmoins rien faire sans cét estude. Tous les François qui sont icy s'y sont ardemment portez, ramenant l'ancien vsage d'escrire sur des escorces de bouleau faute de papier. Les P. Dauost & Daniel y ont trauaillé par dessus tous. Ils y sçauẽt autant de mots que moy, & peut-estre plus. Mais ils n'ont pas encore la prattique pour les former & assembler promptement; quoy que le Pere Daniel s'explique desia passablement. Pour moy qui y fais leçon à nos François, si Dieu ne m'assiste extraordinairement, encor me faudra-il aller long temps à l'escole des Sauuages, telle est la fecondité [183] de leur langue. Cela n'empesche pas que ie n'entende quasi tout ce qu'ils disent, & que ie ne leur face assez comprendre mes conceptions, mesmes dans l'explication de nos plus ineffables mystres. Apres cela, nous nous sommes employez à la visite, sollicitation & instruction des malades, qui ont esté comme i'ay dit en tres-grand nombre; ç'a esté dãs ce pieux exercice que nous auons acquis des ames à nostre Seigneur, iusques au nombre de treize. La premiere fut vne petite fil[l]ette de ce village aagée seulement de quatre ou cinq mois, elle mourut vn quart d'heure après son baptesme, auquel elle fut nõmée Iosephe, pour accomplir vn vœu que i'auois faict de donner ce nom au premier que nous regenererions des sainctes [134] eaux, en recognoissance de tant de faueurs que nous auons receu & receuons [184] par l'entremise de ce grand Sainct. Ce fut le sixiesme Septembre 1634. La deuxiesme, fut vne autre petite fille d'enuirõ deux ans, que nous baptisames le lendemain; elle mourut l'onziesme du mesme mois & an, ayant esté nommée Marie.
What shall I say of their strange patience in their poverty, famine, and sickness? We have seen this year whole villages prostrated, their food a little insipid sagamité; and yet not a word of complaint, not a movement [180] of impatience. They receive indeed the news of death with more constancy than those Christian Gentlemen and Ladies to whom one would not dare to mention it. Our Savages hear of it not only without despair, but without troubling themselves, without the slightest pallor or change of countenance. We have especially admired the constancy of our new Christians. The next to the last one who died, named Joseph Oatij, lay on the bare ground during four or five months, not only before but after his Baptism,—so thin that he was nothing but bones; in a lodge so wretched that the winds blew in on all sides; covered during the cold of winter with a very light skin of some black animals, perhaps black squirrels, and very poorly nourished. He was never heard to make a complaint, however. May our Lord Jesus Christ be ever [181] praised. It is on such dispositions and foundations that we hope, with the grace of God, to build the edifice of the Christian Religion among these people, who, besides, are already affectionately inclined toward us and have a great opinion of us. It is now our part to correspond to our vocation, and to the voice of Our Savior, who says to us, videte regiones, quoniam albæ sunt iam ad messem. It is true, my Reverend Father, that messis multa, operarii pauci, and, besides, we are very weak for so great an enterprise, at least I am, and therefore I beseech our Reverend Father Provincial and Your Reverence to send us help. For this I could cry willingly to the good God, mitte quem missurus es; as for us, we are children, who can only stammer. Yet see what we, trusting in the goodness of Our Lord, and not in our own strength and skill, [182] have done for the conversion of this People since our arrival. In the first place, we have been employed in the study of the language, which, on account of the diversity of its compound words, is almost infinite. One can, nevertheless, do nothing without this study. All the French who are here have eagerly applied themselves to it, reviving the ancient usage of writing on birch-bark, for want of paper. Fathers Davost and Daniel have worked at it, beyond all; they know as many words as I, and perhaps more; but they have not yet had practice in forming and joining them together promptly, although Father Daniel already explains himself passably well. As for me, who give lessons therein to our French, if God does not assist me extraordinarily, I shall yet have to go a long time to the school of the Savages, so prolific is [183] their language. That does not prevent me from understanding almost all they say, and from making them fairly understand my meaning, even in the explanation of our most ineffable mysteries. In addition, we have employed ourselves in visiting, entreating, and instructing the sick, who have been, as I have said, very numerous. It has been in this pious exercise that we have won souls for our Lord, to the number of thirteen. The first was a little girl of this village, only four or five months old; she died a quarter of an hour after her baptism, in which she was named Josepha, to fulfill a vow I had made to give this name to the first that we should regenerate with the holy waters,—in gratitude for so many favors that we have received and are receiving [184] by the interposition of that great Saint. This was on the sixth of September, 1634. The second was another little girl, about two years of age, whom we baptized on the next day. She died on the eleventh of the same month and year, having been named Marie.
Le 26. du mesme mois ie baptisay Marie Oquiaendis mere du Capitaine de ce village, ayeule de l'autre Marie. Celle-cy vit encore, & attribuë sa guerisõ à la vertu du S. Baptesme, le publiant par tout. En effet elle estoit quasi aux abois, & dés qu'elle fut lauée de ces sacrées eaux, elle commença à se mieux porter. Le 20. d'Octobre, ie partis pour aller à la Nation du Petun: en ce voyage Dieu me fit la faueur de baptifer & enuoyer au Ciel trois petits enfans, l'vn desquels entre autres alloit ietter les derniers souspirs quãd i'arriuay dãs sa cabane, où à peine eus-je le loisir [185] de l'ondoyer. Au retour du voyage, ie trouuay que le P. Daniel auoit baptisé Ioseph Ioutaya, qu'on croyoit deuoir expirer sur le chãp. Ie l'auois instruit auparauãt. Il a suruécu long temps, tousiours languissant, & faisant beaucoup d'actes de vertu. Nous l'auons assisté corporellement & spirituellement; si bien que luy & toute sa cabane n'attribuoient la prolongatiõ de sa vie, qu'au double secours qu'il a receu de nostre part. En fin estant mort heureusement dãs la cõfession & inuocatiõ du vray Dieu, & dans la repentãce de ses pechez, nous l'enterrasmes solẽnellement comme il l'auoit desiré. Nous auõs admiré le soin, la charité & la perseuerãce de sa fẽme, dãs les deuoirs & seruices qu'elle luy rẽdoit pendãt vne fort longue, fort salle, & fort puãte maladie. Elle & toute sa cabane (où nous en auons déja baptisé [136] trois) nous est demeurée [186] fort affectionnée, & ils m'ont protesté plusieurs fois qu'ils seroient tous à la vie, à la mort, & au delà en nostre disposition. Mais nous ne les iugeons pas encore assez instruits. C'est en ceste cabane où demeure le premier Huron que i'aye iamais baptizé qui fut l'an mil six cens vingt-neuf, auant nostre depart de ce Pays. C'estoit vn petit enfant tenu pour mort, lequel sembla renaistre & reuiure doublement dans les eaux viuifiantes du sainct Baptesme. Il vit encore aagé d'enuiron cinq ans, & est fort gentil.
On the 26th of the same month, I baptized Marie Oquiaendis, the mother of the Captain of this village, grandmother of the other Marie. She is still living, and attributes her recovery to the virtue of Holy Baptism, publishing it everywhere. In truth, she was almost gone; and as soon as she was washed with the sacred waters she began to improve. On the 20th of October, I set out to go to the Tobacco Nation.[40] In this journey God granted me the favor of baptizing and sending to Heaven three little children, one of whom, among others, was about to give forth his last breath when I reached the lodge and had scarcely time [185] to sprinkle him. When I returned from the journey I found that Father Daniel had baptized Joseph Joutaya, who was believed to be at the point of death. I had instructed him previously. He survived a long time, in a languishing condition, and doing many acts of virtue. We helped him both bodily and spiritually; so well that he and all his family attributed the prolongation of his life to nothing but the double assistance he had received from us. At last, having happily died in the confession and invocation of the true God, and in repentance for his sins, we solemnly interred him as he had desired. We admired the care, the charity, and the perseverance of his wife in the duties and services she rendered to him during a long, very dirty, and very disgusting sickness. She and all her house, (where we have already baptized three) have continued [186] warmly attached to us; and they have often protested to me that they will all be, in life, in death, and beyond, at our service. But we do not judge them yet sufficiently instructed. It is this cabin where lives the first Huron I ever baptized, which was in the year one thousand six hundred and twenty-nine, before our departure from this Country. It was a little child, looked upon as dead, who seemed to be born and live again in a double sense, in the life-imparting waters of holy Baptism. He still lives, being about five years of age, and is very gentle.
Le vingt-vniesme d'Octobre fut baptizé Ioseph Sondaarouhané, aagé d'enuiron quarante ou cinquante ans; il auoit vne grande bonté & douceur naturelle, & m'estoit de longue main affectionné; il rendit son bienheureux esprit à Dieu le vingtiesme Nouembre. Le mesme [187] iour fut baptisé Ioachim Tsindacaiendoua, vieillard de 80. ans. C'estoit vn des Hurons du meilleur naturel que i'aye connu, le lendemain il quitta cette vie pour en commencer vne meilleure, comme nous croyons: nous l'enterrasmes solemnellement en vn lieu separé. Cette ceremonie attira sur nous les yeux de tout le village, & causa à plusieurs le desir qu'on honorast leur sepulture de cette façon, notamment à Ioseph Ioutaia, cy dessus mentionné: lequel apres les obseques acheuées me dit qu'il eust esté bien aise que nous eussions passé au trauers de sa cabane en l'estat que nous estions habillez, pour nous veoir du lieu où la maladie le tenoit attaché: car on luy en auoit fait tant de cas, qu'il declara authentiquement vouloir estre enterré de nos mains, ce qui fut fait.