to a man who burns with zeal, to see himself powerless to produce an effect, for want of language! Secondly, he had naturally a great aversion to the manner of life and the customs of the Barbarians. amid the smoke or amid the snows; to lie down on the ground among dogs, and in the almost continual din of great and small, without being able to retreat to any place which was not public; without other light by night than that of a fire full of smoke,– besides the more than daily perils of falling into the hands of an enemy who has for you nothing but fires and unheard-of cruelties. Thirdly, it appeared that God, in order to make his Cross heavier, deprived him of visible graces by abandoning him to disgust and to sadness. Is not this a great trial, especially if it lasts five or six whole years? Now such was that of this servant of God, - with whom, however, the demon never gained aught. He suggested to him every day, and many times a day, that by returning to France he would find there the contentment which now failed him, both temporal and spiritual, which he had experienced there in the past; that he would there find occupations adapted to his talents and inclination, wherein he would serve God to perfection and with holiness, like so many others, - who were, perhaps, in many respects inferior

— to himself, etc. But not only did he not yield to these suggestions, but, in order to attach himself more firmly and inviolably to the Holy Cross, he had, on the contrary, made a vow in this form: My Lord Jesus Christ, who through a special disposition of your fatherly providence have made me, although unworthy, a coadjutor of your Holy Apostles in this vineyard of the Hurons, - moved with the desire of

defiderio di feguire l' impulso del voftro Spirito S. nella promotione de' Barbari Huroni; Io Natale Chabanel fo voto alla presenza del Santifs. Sacramento del Voftro Santifs. Corpo, e Sangue, vero Tabernacolo di Dio con gli huomini, di perpetua stabilità in questa Missione degli Huroni, nel modo, che i Superiori interpretaranno, i quali difporranno fempre liberamente di me. Vi fupplico dunque di riceuermi per feruo perpetuo di questa Miffione, facendomi degno d' vn sì fublime ministerio. questo dì 20. di Giugno 1647. giorno del Santissimo Sacramento.

L' vltima volta, che partì per la miffione doue morì, dicendo Addio al fuo Padre spirituale; questa volta sì (diffe) fpero, che farò da douero à Dio, ma con vn' accento tale, che l' altro la chiamò voce d' vna vittima, che s' immolaua, & aggiunse ad vn terzo: Io non sò i disegni di Dio, ma vedo bene, che fa vn S. Confefsò ad vn' intimo fuo, che fi sẽtiua tutto mutato, e che efsedo ftato fin' allhora timidiffimo, efponendosi in quel viaggio ad euidẽtiffimi pericoli, [122 i.e., 124] non temeua nulla. Ma questa difpofitione, gli aggiunse, non vien da me. E paffando il dì fteffo, che morì per la Miffione de S. Mattias, non sò (diffe) ad vno di quei Padri, perche l' obedienza mi richiami, ma ò non potrò, ò otterrò di ritornare al mio pofto. Bi[fo]gna perfeuerare, e feruir Dio fino alla morte, la quale defideraua, e fperaua ancor più dolorofa, che non la proud. Così fcriueua l'anno inanzi ad vn fuo fratello della nostra Cõpagnia in Francia. Poco, dice, è mancato, che V. R. non habbi hauuto un fratello martire. Ma Dio domanda per questo

following the impulse of your Holy Spirit in the advancement of the Huron Barbarians, I, Noël Chabanel, make a vow-in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament of Your Most Holy Body and Blood, true Tabernacle of God with men of perpetual stability in this Mission of the Hurons, in such way as the Superiors shall interpret, who shall always freely dispose of me. I beseech you, therefore, to receive me for a perpetual servant of this Mission, making me worthy of so sublime a ministry, this day, the 20th of June, 1647, the day of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

The last time when he started for the mission where he died, on saying Adieu to his spiritual Father, “This time indeed" (he said), “I hope that it will be in very truth à Dieu," but with such an accent that the other called it the voice of a victim going to be sacrificed, and added to a third person: "I know not the designs of God, but I well see that he is training a Holy Confessor." Father Noël said to an intimate friend that he felt himself quite changed; and that, although he had been until that time very timid,—in exposing himself on that journey to most obvious dangers, [122 i.e., 124] he feared nothing. "But this disposition," he added, "does not come from myself." And, passing by the Mission of St. Matthieu, on the very day when he died, “I know not" (he said to one of those Fathers) " why obedience calls me back; but, whether or not I shall obtain permission to return to my post, it is necessary to persevere, and serve God even to death,". which he desired and hoped for, of even a more painful sort than he found it. He thus wrote, the year before, to a brother of his in our Society in France: "But little was lacking," he says, “that Your Reverence

vna virtù d' vn' altra tempra, che la mia. Il P. Gabriel Lallement, vno de i tre vltimamente vccifi, haueua meco mutato un mese prima. Io, come più robufto fui mandato ad vna miffione più lontana, e più faticofa, ma non sì fertile in palme, come quella, della quale la mia tepidezza m' hà refo indegno. Sarà quando piacerà à Dio, purche io dal canto mio non manchi tra tanto difar martyrem in vmbra, & martyrium fine fanguine. Il furor degl' Hirochefi, che qui rouina ogni cofa, farà forfi vn dì il resto per i meriti di tanti Santi, co i quali io hò la confolatione di viuer in grandissima pace, ne' continui pericoli della vita &c. V. R. e cotesti Padri della Prouincia fi ricordino di me all' Altare, come d' vna vittima destinata al fuoco degl' Hirochefi, vt merear tot Sanctorum patrocinio victoriam in tam forti certamine. Dio glie la diede nel modo, e tempo, che meno fperaua.

had had a martyr brother. But God requires for this a virtue of another temper than mine. Father Gabriel Lallement, one of the three lately killed, had exchanged with me a month before. I, as being more robust, was sent to a more distant and more fatiguing mission, but one not so fruitful in victories as that of which my lukewarmness has rendered me unworthy. It will be when God shall please, provided that on my side I meanwhile fail not, among so many, to act the part of a martyrem in umbra, et martyrium sine sanguine. The fury of the Hiroquois, which ruins everything here, will perhaps one day do the rest, through the merits of so many Saints, with whom I have the consolation of living in very great peace, in continual dangers to life, etc. May Your Reverence and those Fathers of the Province remember me at the Altar, as a victim destined to the fire of the Hiroquois,- ut merear tot Sanctorum patrocinio victoriam in tam forti certamine.” God gave it to him, in the way and at the time that he least expected.