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that in God alone can consolation, patience, and joy be found, even in the midst of tortures, his sentiments became so happily changed that he cannot sufficiently bless God, or sufficiently praise the Christians, in whom he has observed, in this emergency, examples of a virtue beyond reproach.

One of the Fathers of our Society happened to be at Three Rivers when the Iroquois passed on their return, and was fortunately impelled to go and visit those good Christians in the bonds of their captivity in the enemy's camp. He was so greatly consoled thereby, that he wrote of it in the following

terms:

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"Bene omnia fecit. In truth, my Reverend [20] Father, the judgments of God are wonderful. have seen the flower of the Huron Congregation carried away into captivity by the Infidels, with many others whose devotion would appear extraordinary even in a Cloister. Praise be to him forever, since bene omnia fecit. You may judge how deeply this has afflicted me, since I had so great an affection for that poor nation. I had the happiness of visiting them three times in the Iroquois camp, about half a league from Three Rivers. I confessed them all, after making them pray to God. Assuredly, faith

reigns in their hearts; never have they been more fervent or bold in manifesting their devotion, than on that occasion, in the presence of all the Iroquois. And these showed no aversion to prayer; for, when I seized the opportunity on five or six occasions, in various cabins, to say a word about Paradise and Hell, they always listened to me with great respect.

"I found among them a young woman, eighteen years of age, named Agnes [21] Aoendoens, who was

ne fe feroit pas mieux conferuée dans la pieté. En vn mot ie n'ay point de termes pour vous expliquer tout ce qui s'eft paffé dans ce rencontre. Voilà ce que le Pere nous a escrit.

Il n'y auoit pas huit iours qu'il auoit quitté ces bons Chreftiens à l'Ile d'Orleans, où il auoit demeuré auec eux depuis vn an, fon obeïffance ne l'en ayant detaché que pour le ioindre à la trouppe de ceux qui font allez à Onnontaghe.

baptized by the late Father Jean de Brebeuf, and whom I heard in Confession. Truly, I have never seen any one more innocent; a person shut up in a Cloister could not preserve her piety better. In short, I cannot find words which would express to you all that passed on that occasion." That is what the Father has written to us.

Not more than eight days had elapsed since he had left those good Christians on the Island of Orleans, where he had dwelt with them for a year; and his obedience took him away from them solely that he might join those who were going to Onnontaghe.

CHAPITRE IV.

VOYAGE DES PERES DE NOSTRE COMPAGNIE & DE QUELQUES FRANÇOIS AU PAYS DES IROQUOIS SUPERIEURS APPELLÉS ONNONTOERONNONS.

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ES peuples nous ayant defirés, on enuoia l'année 1655. deux Peres de noftre Compagnie en leur pays, pour decouurir leurs difpofitions pour la [22] Foy & leurs inclinations pour les François. Apres qu'ils les eurent pratiqués enuiron fix mois, comme il fe voit dans la Relation de l'année precedente, l'vn des deux defcendit à Quebec. Quoy qu'il nous parlaft auantageufemet de la bonne volōté de ces Iroquois, il n'effaça pas neantmoins de noftre efprit les defiances que nous auions pris raifonnablement de leurs déloiautés & de leurs trahifons. Si bien que lors qu'il fallut, comme on dit, fondre la cloche, & conclurre l'eftabliffement d'vne Miffion & d'vne demeure en leur païs, nous nous trouuafmes merueilleufement en peine, auffi bien que Monfieur noftre Gouuerneur, duquel dependoit l'affaire en premier reffort. On examina meurement les raifons de part & d'autre: Et on en trouuoit de tres-fortes & de tres-puiffantes des deux coftés. Nous fçauios bien que le menfonge, les fourbes, les déloiautés eftoient prefque auffi naturelles à ces peuples que la vie. Nous les cognoiffions tres-portés & tresaccouftumés au fang, au feu & au carnage. Nous nous fouuenions de la deftruction de [23] nos pauures

CHAPTER IV.

JOURNEY OF THE FATHERS OF OUR SOCIETY, AND OF SOME FRENCHMEN, TO THE COUNTRY OF THE UP

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PER IROQUOIS, CALLED ONNONTOERONNONS.

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S these people had asked for us, we sent, in the year 1655, two Fathers of our Society to their country, to ascertain their dispositions toward the [22] Faith and their inclinations toward the French. After associating with them for about six months, as set forth in the Relation of last year,— one of the two came down to Quebec. Although he spoke favorably of the good will of those Iroquois, nevertheless he did not efface from our minds the distrust of their perfidy and treachery that we had, with reason, conceived. Thus, when it became necessary to cast the bell, as the saying is, and to decide upon the establishment of a Mission and a residence in their country, we found ourselves extremely perplexed, as also did Monsieur our Governor, upon whom the matter devolved at the very start. We fully examined the reasons both for and against; and found very strong and forcible arguments on both sides. We were aware that falsehood, deceit, and treachery were almost as natural to those people as life itself. We knew how much they were addicted and accustomed to bloodshed, fire, and carnage. We remembered the destruction of [23] our poor Huron Churches, and the cruelties which

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