strangers whom we have mentioned above, he was not satisfied to go halfway, like many others; but he made the entire journey, and took so much pains and care to assist them, through truly Christian motives, that after he returned hither he fell sick of a fever that lasted 40 days, during which he was several times considered a hopeless case. It pleased God, however, to grant a blessing to the remedies and charities [57] with which we assisted him, so that at the end of 40 days he proved to be entirely out of danger. At the height of his illness, being overtaken with delirium, his utterances and ravings were only about the things of God and of the Faith. He sometimes arose, entirely naked, and, keeping near the fire, “Let them come, let them come," said he; “let them burn me, and let them see if it is in good earnest that I believe, or if it is only with my lips."

Since that time, this good Soul has seemed to us to be more and more filled with the Holy Ghost, and to have entered the path of the Saints, of which he has given many other proofs, not only in attacks against his chastity and Religion, but in his exercises of charity and mercy.

I do not know to what I should attribute what happened to him last Summer,-when, being engaged in fishing, it rained throughout the country, and especially all around the place where he was, which caused great havoc among the fish; and yet it never rained in the locality where he was with his company, and his fishing was very successful. One thing is certain-he never omitted in all that time to pray, [58] and to have all those who were with him pray, to God morning and evening; besides this, he with

heureusement. Vne chose eft affeurée, qu'il n'obmit iamais en tout ce temps de prier, [58] & faire prier Dieu matin & foir tous ceux qui eftoient auec luy: Outre que tous les iours il fe retiroit feul dans le bois, pour vacquer auec moins de diuertiffement, & plus long-temps à l'oraison.

En fin, il me femble que ce foit ce bon grain de l'Euangile, & du meilleur, qui rend non feulement 60. mais 100. puis qu'à la S. Iofeph de l'an passé, n'y ayat que luy en fa famille de baptisez, faisants profeffion du Christianisme; vn an apres au mesme iour, il y en auoit prés de cent dans le païs, faifants la mefme profeffion, à la conuerfion defquels il n'auoit pas peu contribué.

Ie ne m'estendray point dauantage en ce Chapitre, ny aux fuiuants, fur plufieurs autres particularitez des affaires qui se sont paffées, nommément sur les Baptefmes, tant des enfants que des adultes malades; tant pour éuiter la longueur, que pour ne donner de l'ennuy à ceux qui pourront ietter les yeux fur ce Narré. Car quoy qu'en plufieurs il y ait beaucoup de chofes confiderables, & qui font ouurages excellens de la bonté, iustice & Prouidence de Dieu fur ces Creatures, il en est toutefois de ces affaires, comme des ouurages de [59] peinture ou de sculpture, defquels fi les traits font fubtils & delicats, ils ne fe peuuent voir de loin auec contentement, pour excelles qu'ils puiffent estre, & demandent des personnes qui ne foiet point efloignées pour les voir de prés, & en conceuoir le merite. Ces cas donc feront referuez à l'entretien des fainctes Ames au feiour bienheureux de l'Eternité. Qui cependant nous ayderont encore, s'il leur plaist, à remercier la diuine Maiesté, aussi

drew alone into the woods, every day, that he might, with less interruption and for a longer time, devote himself to prayer.

Finally, it seems to me that it is this good Gospel seed, the very best, which yields not only 60 but 100-fold; since on St. Joseph's day of last year we had only him with his family, of those baptized, who made a profession of Christianity; one year afterwards, on the same day, there were nearly a hundred in the country making the same profession, to whose conversion he had contributed not a little.

I shall not dwell further in this Chapter, nor in the following ones, upon many other details of the events which have taken place,-especially upon the Baptisms of children and of sick adults,- both to avoid prolixity, and not to weary those who may cast their eyes over this Narrative. For although in several there are many important features, which are notable achievements of the goodness, justice, and Providence of God toward his Creatures, yet some of these things are like works of [59] painting or of sculpture, which, if the lines are subtle and delicate, cannot be seen satisfactorily from a distance, however excellent they may be, and require persons who are not far away, that they may see them close at hand and judge their merits. These cases, then, will be reserved for the entertainment of the saintly Souls in the blessed sojourn of Eternity,—who, meanwhile, will still aid us, if they please, in thanking the divine Majesty for special and hidden favors, as well as for manifest and general ones.

I would be wholly wrong if I were to close this Chapter before enumerating another cause for the

bien des faueurs particulieres & occultes, que des efclatantes & generales.

I'aurois tous les torts du monde fi ie fermois ce Chapitre, deuant que d'adioufter vne autre caufe de l'aduancement de cét ouurage. Ce font les fainctes prieres & deuotions de tant de bonnes Ames qui font en France, & qui prennent vne si grande part, & vn fi grand interest à toutes ces affaires.

Ie me fuis quelquefois estonné de l'ordre que tenoit autrefois ce grand Apoftre des Indes S. François Xauier, inuitant & coniurant la diuine Maiefté de l'affifter à l'entreprise de la conuerfion des infidelles des contrées où il eftoit, en vne fienne Oraison qu'il difoit tous les iours à ce fuiet, [60] & qui se trouue dans fa vie, il y met en premier lieu les prieres des fainctes Ames, comme les plus puiffants moyens qu'il euft de flechir Dieu, & le porter a faire misericorde à ces pauures Errans.

Mais l'experience me fait fortir de l'estonnement, car confiderant dans la recolte de ceste année, ce qu'il plaift à Dieu nous faire efperer à l'aduenir de nos trauaux en ces contrées, & cependant le peu de proportion de nos forces auec tels ouurages, ie me fens forcé de recognoiftre que comme dans le Ciel, qui roule deffus nos teftes, il y a des Eftoilles & des constellations fi puiffantes, que la premiere & principale vertu productiue de certaines richeffes de la terre leur est attribuée; ce qui fe fait ordinairement par les Philofophes, lors qu'ils ne rencontrent icy bas aucune cause proportionnée à l'effect: Que pareillement dans le Ciel de l'Eglife, il y a des Eftoilles & des conftellations mystiques fi puiffantes à influer fur les affaires que nous auons entre les mains, que la premiere &

advancement of this work,-the holy prayers and devotions of so many good Souls in France, who take so great a share and so much interest in all these affairs.

I am sometimes astonished at the order formerly observed by that great Apostle of the Indies, St. François Xavier, when he was engaging and entreating the divine Majesty to assist him in the enterprise of converting the unbelievers of the countries where he was,-in one of his Prayers which he said every day with this object, [60] and which is found in the narrative of his life; in this he gives the first place to the prayers of saintly Souls, as the most powerful means he had of influencing God and causing him to show mercy to those poor Wanderers.

But experience causes me to recover from this astonishment. For considering, in the harvest of this year, what it pleases God to make us hope for the future of our labors in these countries, and yet the small ratio of our forces to such labors, I feel myself compelled to acknowledge that, as in the Sky which turns above our heads there are some Stars and constellations so powerful that the first and principal virtue productive of certain riches of the soil is attributed to them,- this being done usually by Philosophers, when they cannot find here below any cause proportionate to the effect, so, likewise, in the Sky of the Church there are some mystical Stars and constellations so powerful to influence the affairs that we have in hand, that the first and principal virtue productive of the good that we can do here should be attributed to them, since, in fact, we do not see down here any other causes proportionate [61] to

these effects.