pelled to turn back.

She asked it what was the mat

ter. "Let me begin again," [13] it said, let me begin again, I want to say more. I then got it to make again the sign of the Cross, and it immediately began to laugh and to jump for joy. I saw the same child, another time, crying hard because it had had its finger frozen; but it quieted down and laughed, as soon as they had it make the sign of the Cross. I dwell willingly upon this matter, as I am sure pious souls take pleasure in hearing all these particulars. In the beginnings of this infant Church, what can we speak about if not the stammerings of our spiritual children? We have one little girl, among others, named Marie Aoesiwa, who has not her equal. Her whole satisfaction seems to be in making the sign of the Cross and in saying her Pater and Ave. Scarcely have we set foot in her Cabin, when she leaves everything to pray to God. When we assemble the children for prayers or for Catechism, she is always among the first, and hastens there more cheerfully than many would to play. She does not stir from our Cabin, and does not omit making the sign of the Cross, and saying over and over fifty times a day the Pater and Ave. She gets others to do the same; and, one of our [14] Frenchman having newly come, her only greeting was to take his hand, and have him make the sign of the Cross. Often she is in the field when our Fathers recite their Office there; she stands in the road, and, almost every time they return, she begins to make the sign of the Cross, and to pray to God in a loud voice.

Another little girl named Catherine had often been wayward about receiving instruction, and so had not been rewarded like the others. Some days afterward,

se tient dans le chemin, & prefque autant de fois qu'ils fe retournent, elle fe met à faire le figne de la Croix, & à prier Dieu à haute voix.

Vne autre petite nommee Catherine, auoit fait souuent la difficile à fe faire inftruire, & en fuite n'auoit point efté recompenfee comme les autres: quelques iours apres vne fienne compagne l'amena à vn des noftres, luy faisant accroire qu'elle eftoit toute dispofee à dire; mais quand ce fut au fait & au prendre, elle fit à l'ordinaire; alors ceste petite qui l'auoit amenee se mist en humeur, & employa toute fa petite rhetorique naturelle pour luy déferrer les levres, & la faire parler, tantost vsant de menaces, tantost luy faisant esperer quelque recompenfe de moy, si elle difoit bien, & fit fi bien qu'elle en vint à bout au grand contentement de celuy des noftres qui l'efcoutoit.

Vn autre bien qu'apporte ceste practique conforme à noftre Institut, eft que les grãds mefmes demeurent [deviennent] par ce moyen inftruits; [15] car le defir que les peres & meres ont que leurs enfans foient loüez & recompenfez de quelque prix, fait qu'ils s'inftruisent eux-mefmes pour inftruire leurs enfans; particulierement beaucoup de grandes filles prennent plaifir à imiter les petites. Quand elles retournent du bois, fouuent elles s'arrestent au premier de nos Peres qu'elles rencontrent, & luy difent ta arrih8aienstan fen, enseigne moy ie te prie, & quoy qu'elles foient bien chargees, elles ne font point contentes qu'on ne leur ait fait dire le Pater & l'Aue. Quelquesfois mefmes elles nous preuiennent, & de si loin qu'elles apperçoiuent quelqu'vn de nous autres, elles se mettent à dire ce qu'elles fçauent. Quelle confolation d'entendre retentir ces campagnes du nom de

one of her companions brought her to one of our Fathers, giving him to understand that she was quite disposed to learn; but, when it came to the point, she acted as usual. The little girl who had brought her became annoyed, and used all her little natural rhetoric to make her open her lips and to get her to speak,- sometimes using threats, sometimes holding out a reward from me if she spoke properly; she was so earnest that she succeeded, to the great satisfaction of those of our Fathers who were listening to her.

Another benefit that results from this practice — which is in conformity with our Institute-is, that even the adults become instructed by this means; [15] for the desire of the fathers and mothers that their children should be praised and rewarded leads them to be instructed themselves, in order to teach their children; particularly many older girls take pleasure in imitating the younger ones. When they are returning from the forest, they often stop the first of our Fathers whom they meet, and say to him, ta arrihwaienstan sen, "Teach me, I pray thee;" and although they may be well laden, they are not satisfied unless he has them say the Pater and the Ave. Sometimes they anticipate us, and, from as far as they can see one of our Fathers, they begin to recite what they know. What a consolation to hear these districts resound with the name of JESUS, where the devil has been, so to speak, adored and recognized as God during so many ages.

This exercise also enables us to improve greatly in the use and knowledge of the language, which is no small gain. Generally speaking they praise and approve the Christian Religion, and blame their wicked customs; but when will they leave them off entirely?

IESVS, où le diable a esté, pour ainfi dire, adoré & recognu pour Dieu par tant de fiecles.

Ce mefme exercice fait que nous profitons beaucoup en l'vfage & cognoiffance de la langue, qui n'eft pas vn petit fruict. Vniuerfellement parlant ils loüent & approuuent la Religion Chreftienne, & blasment leurs mefchantes couftumes; & quand fera-ce qu'ils les quitteront tout à fait? Quelques-vns nous difent, Penfez-vous [16] venir à bout de renuerfer le Pays, c'eft ainfi qu'ils appellent le changement de leur vie Payenne & Barbare, en vne vie ciuile & Chreftienne? Nous refpondons que nous ne fommes pas fi prefomptueux, mais que ce qui eft impoffible aux hommes, eft non feulement poffible, mais facile à Dieu. Voicy encor vn autre indice de leur bonne volonté pour la Foy. Monfieur de Champlain & Monfieur le General du Pleffis Bochart, nous obligerent grandement l'annee paffee, exhortant les Hurons en plein confeil à embraffer la Religion Chreftienne, & leur difant que c'eftoit là l'vnique moyen non feulement d'estre vn iour veritablement heureux dans le Ciel, mais auffi de lier à l'auenir vne tres-eftroite amitié auec les François, lefquels en ce faifant viendroient volontiers en leur Pays, fe marieroient à leurs filles, leurs apprendroient diuers arts & mestiers, & les affisteroient contre leurs ennemis; & que s'ils vouloient amener quelques-vns de leurs enfans l'an prochain, qu'on les inftruiroit à Kébec, que nos Peres en auroient vn grand foin. Et pour autant que les Capitaines du pays n'eftoient pas là bas, ils leur dirent qu'ils tinffent confeil tous ensemble quand ils [17] feroient de retour touchant les poincts fufdits, & qu'ils me rendiffent les lettres dont il leur pleuft m'honorer, par lesquelles ces Meffieurs nous donnoient aduis de ce qui auoit

Some say to us: "Do you think [16] you are going to succeed in overturning the Country?" Thus do they style the change from their Pagan and Barbarous life to one that is civilized and Christian. We reply that we are not so presumptuous, but that what is impossible to man is not only possible but easy to God. Here is another indication of their good will toward the Faith. Monsieur de Champlain and Monsieur the General du Plessis Bochart rendered us great service last year, by exhorting the Hurons in full council to embrace the Christian Religion, and by telling them that it was the only means not only of being some day truly happy in Heaven, but also of cementing in the future a very close alliance with the French,—who, if this were done, would readily come into their Country, marry their daughters, teach them different arts and trades, and assist them against their enemies; and that, if they would bring some of their children next year, to be instructed at Kébec, our Fathers would take good care of them. And, inasmuch as the Captains of the country were not there, they asked them to hold a general council on their [17] return, concerning the points mentioned; also to give me the letters with which they were pleased to honor me, in which these Gentlemen informed us of what had been said, in order that we might be present at the Huron Council, and be able to avail ourselves of what they had done. In accordance with this, in the month of April last, having been invited to an Assembly or Council, where all the Old Men and Chiefs of the Nation of the Bear met to deliberate on their great feast of the dead, I took occasion to show them the letters of these Gentlemen, and asked them to decide, after careful delib