in the cause of peace - or, rather, the blessed Virgin and the holy Angels did this — that on St. Michael's day it was decreed, in a public Council of the elders of the country, to conduct the Father back to Quebec, and conclude a firm [93] peace with the French.

On the same day, that of the birth of the blessed Virgin, while the Anniehronnon Iroquois were concluding peace in their country, a general procession was celebrated at Quebec for the purpose of winning the heart of the son through the mediation of the mother. Four hundred musketeers, well armed, were made to join in this procession; and as they discharged their pieces from time to time, at fitting moments, they filled with alarm the Iroquois who had come down to treat of peace; and who were led to conclude, from this exhibition, that peace was the more necessary for them, as they remarked our Frenchmen's address in handling their arms, some effects of which they had just experienced at Three Rivers.

Tell me, now, whether it was chance or Provi. dence that was at work [94] in these emergencies, and whether the devotion of the people of new France, and the trust which they reposed in the Spouse of the great St. Joseph, Patron of all these new Churches, has not been well rewarded.

Let us continue.

The Iroquois who made war upon us were divided into five Nations, whose names, in the Huron language, are as follows:

The Anniehronnons, whose country is called Anié.

The Onneihronnons, whose principal Village is named Onneiout.

Les Sonnontouaheronnons du païs nommé Sonnonthouan.

Les Onionenhronnons, dont le Bourg s'appelle Onneïoté.

[95] Qui a porté toutes ces Nations, à prendre des sentimens de paix, independemment les vnes des autres? Nous auons fceu de bonne part, que les Sonnontouaheronnons, qui font la plus grande nation Iroquoise, & la plus peuplée, pensoient à la paix dés le Printemps: auec dessein d'y faire ioindre les Onioenhronnons leurs plus proches voisins.

Nous auons veu au Chapitre second, comme les Onnontaëronons, & en suitte les Onnejohronnons, sont venus la demander aux François de Montreal.

Il ne restoit plus que le seul Iroquois Anniehronnon, lequel enflé de ses victoires, vouloit perseuerer dans les desirs de la guerre: mais il a donné les mains, aussi bien, que les autres. Toutes ces pensées de paix, & d'alliance, sont [96] elles entrées, quasi à mesme temps, dans les esprits farouches, & infolens de ces Nations, sans vne prouidence toute particuliere? Deus nobis hæc otia fecit. Difons plutoft. Di. gitus Dei eft hic. Ce coup, eft vn coup de la puissance du grand Dieu. Ce qui nous console fortement dans cette sainte prouidence est, que si quelqu'vne de ces Nations venoit a se dementir, il est bien croyable que les autres, nous ayans recherchés, chacune en leur particulier, ne romperoient pas fi facilement auec nous, mais venons au detail.

Les Onnontaeronnons, s'estans presenté au nombre de soixante à Montreal, pour sonder si les cour des François auoit quelque disposition a la paix, le Gouuerneur de la place, se deffians deux prudemment, The Onnontaëronnons, whose country and chief Village are named Onnontaé.

The Sonnontouaheronnons, of the country called Sonnonthouan.

The Onionenhronnons, whose Village is called Onneioté.

[95] Who prompted all these Nations to adopt sentiments of peace independently of one another? We have learned, on good authority, that the Sonnontouaheronnons, who constitute the most extensive and populous Iroquois nation, were thinking of peace as far back as last Spring, planning to induce the Onioenhronnons, their next neighbors, to join in it.

We saw in the second Chapter how the Onnontaëronons, and afterward the Onneiohronnons, came to ask it from the French at Montreal.

There remained no longer any save the Anniehronnon Iroquois who, puffed up with his victories, wished to persevere in his desires for war; but he has yielded as well as the others. Did all these thoughts of peace and of alliance [96] come, almost at the same time, into the fierce and insolent minds of those Nations, without a very special providence? Deus nobis hæc otia fecit. Let us say rather, Digitus Dei est hic. This stroke is a stroke of the might of the great God. A consideration which, in this holy providence, greatly reassures us is, that if any one of these Nations should forfeit its word, it is very easy to believe that the others, inasmuch as they each .sought us individually, would not so easily break with us.

But let us come to details. The Onnontaeronnons having presented themselves at Montreal, to the number of sixty, in order to ascertain whether the hearts of the French were

leur dit, que leurs [97] desloyautez paffées, rendoi[en]t leurs propofitions fort suspectes, & que s'ils auoient quelque amour pour noftre alliance, qu'il falloit le témoigner à Monfieur de Laufon Gouuerneur de tout le païs, qui eftoit à Quebec. Le Capitaine répondit, qu'il falloit bien distinguer, entre Nation & Nation, que les Onnontaëronnons n'eftoient pas infideles, comme les Iroquois Anniehronnons, qui recuisent leur fiel, & l'amertume de leur cœur, au milieu de leur poitrine, quand leur langue profere quelques bonnes paroles. Que pour luy, à qui toute la Nation auoit fait entendre fes intentions, qu'il parloit de toutes les parties de fon corps, depuis fes plus petits orteils, iufques au fommet de la teste; & qu'il n'y auoit rien dans fon cœur, ny dans le reste [98] de fes membres, qui dementit ce qui eftoit forty de sa bouche. Qu'il iroit voir le grand Onontio, le Gouuerneur des François, & qu'il luy feroit fes prefens, dans lefquels eftoient renfermez, les defirs de toute fa Nation.

En effet, il defcendit de Montreal iufques à Quebec, faisant foixante lieuës fur le grand fleuue. La premiere affemblée fe tint en l'Ifle d'Orleans, en la Bourgade des Hurons, a deux lieuës de Quebec. Ce Capitaine fit étaler fes prefens, qui feruent parmy tous ces peuples Barbares, comme parmy nous, les. efcrits, & les Contrats. Tout le monde eftant affis: il se leua, inuoquant premierement le Soleil, comme vn témoin fidele, de la fincerité de fes pensées, comme vn flambeau, qui banniffoit la nuit, & les tenebres [99] de fon cœur: pour donner vn iour veritable à fes paroles.

in any wise inclined to peace, the Governor of the place, prudently distrusting them, told them that their [97] past acts of treachery rendered their proposals highly suspicious, and that, if they had any desire for an alliance with us, they must make it evident to Monsieur de Lauson, Governor of the whole country, who was at Quebec. The Captain replied that a careful distinction must be made between Nation and Nation; that the Onnontaëronnons were not faithless, like the Anniehronnon Iroquois, who cherish, deep in their breast, their rancor and bitterness of heart, while their tongues are uttering fair words. He said that, as for him, whom the whole Nation had acquainted with its sentiments, he spoke with every part of his body, from his little toes up to the top of his head, and that there was nothing in his heart, or in any of his other [98] members, that gave the lie to what had come out of his mouth; and that he would go and see the great Onontio, Governor of the French, and would offer him his presents, in which were enclosed the wishes of his entire Nation.

In fact he did go from Montreal down to Quebec, voyaging sixty leagues upon the great river. The first assembly was held on the Island of Orleans, in the Village of the Hurons, two leagues distant from Quebec. This Captain displayed his presents, which, among all these Barbarous tribes, have the same use that writings and Contracts have with us. When every one was seated, he arose, and first invoked the Sun as a faithful witness of the sincerity of his intentions, and as a torch that banished the night and the darkness [99] from his heart, to let in a veritable daylight upon his words.