Christian savage all in flames; and, to crown our misfortune, the fire drove them so violently and so rapidly toward the Church, in which a good portion of these people have been born to JESUS CHRIST, that it was impossible to save it. The High Altar, enriched with gold and that beautiful coral red which so agreeably attracted the gaze of those good Neophytes, and inspired them with tender affection for their Aiamihimikiouap,- that is, their house of prayer, was reduced to ashes in an instant.

That Church was dedicated to God under the name of St. Michael, in accordance with the desire of him. who had contributed a good portion of the money wherewith to build it. It was the first that had been erected in the whole country for the new Christians. It might have been called the Mother of the entire Christianity of this new world, because the Montagnais and the Algonquins had become converted on this spot, and had inspired, in all the other Nations who have since received JESUS CHRIST, the desire of hearing his word after the example [95] of their Countrymen. It was the asylum and refuge of the French of the neighborhood, who deplore the fire as much as our good Neophytes. One and all urge us to raise those ruins; but our arms are not strong enough, without greater help than they can give us, to retrieve so serious a loss by ourselves.

The worthy Neophyte, whose house and the whole of whose petty effects were destroyed by the flames, was asked whether that disaster had touched him deeply; he piously replied: "Had not Faith taught me that he who has made all is the Master of his works and wisely disposes of them as he pleases, that blow would have caused me sorrow. But why

ouurages, & qu'il en dispose fagement comme il luy plaist, ce coup m'auroit attrifté: mais pourquoy le quereller & fe facher d'vne chofe qui luy appartient, puis qu'en nous donnant la Foy, il ne nous promet pas les biens de la terre, mais ceux du ciel, que le feu ne fçauroit confommer?

Vne bonne femme appellée Liduuine, ayant esté inftruite dans cette mefme Eglife, fit paroistre dãs vne fafcheufe [96] rencontre vne confiance en Dieu tres-remarquable: car rencontrant en fon pays auec quelques-vns de fes compatriotes vne trouppe d'Iroquois qui fortoient d'vne embufcade pour venir fondre fur eux, Liduuine épouuantée se iettant dans l'efpais de ces grãdes forests, y entraifna apres foy quatre de fes enfans, & s'y voyant abandonnée de tout fecours humain, elle s'adreffa à Dieu les genoux en terre & les larmes aux yeux. Mon IESVS, ditelle, nous fommes morts fi vous n'auez pitié de nous. Ie fuis malade, & à peine puis-je mettre vn pied deuant l'autre, & ces enfans ne fçauroient marcher: Où irons nous? Que ferons nous fans viures & fans force? C'eft de vous feul que nous attendõs du fecours? Vous eftes infiniment bon & tout puiffant: Vous aimez les enfans qui font innocens, & ceux qui vous veulent feruir de bon cœur: Ne laiffez-pas mourir ces petites creatures. N'abandonnez point la mere, qui vous demande pardon de fes pechez, & qui vous promet de fe confeffer à la premiere habitation des François qu'elle rencontrera, fi elle [97] y peut arriuer deuant que de mourir. En deffus elle auance dans ces grands bois, fans autre prouifion que de l'efperance en Dieu, fe nourriffant l'efpace de dix iours qu'elle marcha, de cette penfée, qu'elle auoit

blame him, and be angry about a matter which belongs to him, since, in giving us the Faith, he promises us not the good things of the earth, but the blessings of heaven, which fire can never consume?"

A good woman named Liduvine, who had been instructed in that same Church, manifested, in a perilous [96] emergency, a most remarkable confidence in God. While in her own country with some of her compatriots, they were surprised by a band of Iroquois, who rushed from an ambush to fall upon them. Liduvine in her fright threw herself into the thickest of the great forest, dragging her four children after her. Finding herself abandoned by all human aid, she knelt on the earth, and with tears in her eyes addressed this prayer to God: "My JESUS," she said, "we shall die if you have not pity on us. I am ill; I can hardly put one foot before the other, and these children cannot walk. Where shall we go? What shall we do without food and without strength? From you alone do we expect help. You are infinitely good, and all-powerful. You love innocent children, and those who wish to serve you sincerely. Allow not these poor little creatures to die. Abandon not the mother, who begs you to pardon her sins, and who promises to go to confession at the first French settlement that she shall meet, if she [97] can reach it before she dies." Thereupon, she continued her wanderings through those great woods, with no other provision than hope in God, nourishing herself, through the ten days of her march, with this thought, which she ever had in her heart, and which sometimes was uttered by her lips: "JESUS, you are good; you can

toufiours au cœur, & quelques fois en la bouche: IESVS vous eftes bon, vous me pouuez donner la vie, vous feul donnez de la force à mes enfans pour les faire marcher, vous feul les empefchez de pleurer & de mourir de faim. Enfin laffée de trauail & de fatigue, elle arriua heureusement aux trois Riuieres: Et ce qui accreut fa ioie, fut qu'elle y rencontra fon mary qu'elle croyoit mort au combat. Il ne faifoit que d'arriuer par vn autre chemin. Et pour comble de benediction cet homme qui paffoit pour vn grand Iongleur, & vn maistre Sorcier, quitta fon infidelité, pour embraffer par le Baptefme la Foy de IESVSCHRIST: la femme s'acquitta de fa promeffe par vne bonne confeffion qu'elle fit, & par les remercimens & actions de graces qu'elle rendit à Dieu fon vnique bien-faicteur.

Vne de nos anciennes Chreftiennes [98] fit paroistre vn courage d'Amazone dans le combat qui fut liuré à fa chafteté par vn François, dont elle fortit victorieuse. Et voici comme elle raconta le faict au Pere qui a la direction de fon ame. Tirant de fon fein vn Crucifix qu'elle portoit pendu au col: voyez-vous ce Crucifix (luy dît-elle) il a fauué autresfois mon corps du feu des Iroquois, & cette nuict il a fauué mon ame des flammes de l'enfer. Ie fus pourfuiuie, il y a vn an par les Iroquois qui me vouloient rauir l'honneur & la vie, pour me fauuer plus promptement & pour euiter leur rage, ie iettai mõ bagage & la plufpart de mes habits, & m'enfuis presque toute nuë dans les bois. Ie pris mon Crucifix en main, n'ayant plus d'autre recours qu'à celuy qu'il me representoit, & ie luy dis du fond de mon cœur: Mon Dieu & mon Sauueur, ie ne crains pas de mourir, vous le fçauez;

give me life. You alone give strength to my children, to enable them to walk; you alone can prevent them from weeping, and from dying of hunger." Finally, wearied with toil and fatigue, she was fortunate enough to reach three Rivers. Her joy was increased at meeting there her husband, who, she thought, had been killed in the fight. He had only just arrived by another road. To crown the blessings granted to her, that man, who was considered a great Juggler and a master Sorcerer, abandoned his infidelity to embrace the Faith of JESUS CHRIST through Baptism. The wife fulfilled her promise by making a good confession and by expressing her thanks and her gratitude to God, her sole benefactor.

One of our old Christians [98] displayed the courage of an Amazon in an attack made by a Frenchman upon her chastity, from which she came forth victorious. Note how she related the matter to the Father who directs her conscience. Drawing from her bosom a Crucifix that she wore hung on her neck, "Do you see this Crucifix?" (she said to him;)" on a former occasion it saved my body from the fire of the Iroquois; and last night it saved my soul from the flames of hell. I was pursued, a year ago, by the Iroquois, who wished to rob me of my honor and of my life. To save myself more easily and to escape from their fury, I threw away my baggage and most of my clothes, and fled almost naked into the woods. I took my Crucifix in my hand, for there was no one to whom I could have recourse except him whom it represented to me,and I said to him in the depths of my heart: 'My God and my Savior, I dread not death, as you know;