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throughout her undertaking. She is a native of Alençon; her name is Magdelaine de Chauvigny; she is the daughter of the late Monsieur de Chauvigny, seigneur of Vaubegon, and President of the Elected in the Election of Alençon. From her infancy, she did all in her power to enter the Religious life, and commenced even then the practice of works of piety and Christian charity. But her father obliged her to marry an honorable Gentleman, named Monsieur de la Pelterie, who, five and a half years after their marriage, left her a childless widow, [19] having had by her only one daughter, who died immediately after Baptism. As soon as she became a widow, she began, through the perusal of the Relations that we send over every year, earnestly to consider means of contributing to the education of the little Savage girls. With that intention, she caused many prayers to be said; for,—having resolved to sacrifice herself entirely, with all of her fortune that she could legally surrender, to the divine Majesty, she desired to learn from God whether it would be agreeable to him that she should do so in New France. While she was in doubt, God's providence employed a violent illness which, in a short time, brought her so low that the Physicians despaired of her recovery, and gave her up. Seeing herself in this condition, she felt strongly inspired to vow that she would devote her wealth and her person to New France, without communicating aught of this to any one. Shortly after, the Physician came, and found her condition greatly improved; and — without knowing what she had done, or having any inkling of her design-he said to her: "Madame, your disease has gone to Canada." He spoke

fer à l'execution de fon deffein. Mais Mr fon Pere, qui viuoit encore, la preffoit cependant de se remarier, iufques-là qu'il la menaça à bon efcient de la desheriter fi elle ne luy obeyffoit: comme elle veit que fon Pere parloit à bon efcient, & qu'à faute d'vfer de quelque cõdefcendance elle fe mettoit en danger de ruiner tout fon pieux deffein; elle prit refolution de feindre qu'elle vouloit se remarier, & par ce moyen fe remit en la bonne grace de fon Pere, qui fur ces entrefaictes paffa de cette vie à l'autre. Lors fans differer, ayant partagé fon bien auec sa fœur, elle vint à Paris en Ianuier, & là ayant conferé de fon entreprise auec plusieurs faints & doctes perfonnages qui l'approuuerent, s'en alla à Tours, où il y auoit vne Vrfuline de fa cognoiffance fort vertueufe & tres-zelée, qui depuis long-temps foûpiroit apres la Nouuelle France. Il n'eft pas croyable comme elle fut bien receuë de Monfeigneur l'Illuftriffime & Reuerendiffime Archeuefque de Tours qu'elle alla falüer, & luy declara naïfuement tout fon [21] deffein. Ce venerable Prelat tres-affectionné au falut des Ames, admirant le courage & la vertu de cette Dame, & luy ayant fait paroiftre les grandes affections qu'il auoit pour les miffions de la Nouuelle France, luy promit tout le fecours & l'affiftance qui dépendoit de luy? Les Vrfulines d'autre part la receurent à bras ouuerts, & paffant par deffus mille difficultez, luy accorderent la Religieufe qu'elle demandoit, & pour compagne luy dõnerent vne autre Religieufe pleine de courage & de vertu, fille de Monfieur de Sauoniere, Seigneur de la Troche & de Sainct Germain en Anjou, qui ayant de premier abord refifté à ce choix qu'on auoit fait de fa fille pour ce deffein, y dōna par

better than he knew, and made his patient laugh, who was very happy to see [20] by this so extraordinary effect, that God accepted her sacrifice. When her health was fully restored, she thought of nothing but the execution of her plan. But Monsieur her Father, who was still living, urged her to marry again, and went so far as to threaten, in good earnest, to disinherit her if she would not obey him. As she saw that her Father spoke in earnest, and that, if she did not show some compliance, she ran the risk of completely ruining her pious plan, she resolved to feign that she was willing to remarry; and, by this means, she regained the good graces of her Father, who in the meantime passed from this life to the other. Then, without delay, having divided her property with her sister, she went, in January, to Paris. Having there conferred about her enterprise with several holy and learned persons, who approved it, she went to Tours, where there was an Ursuline of her acquaintance, very virtuous and very zealous, who had long desired to go to New France. It is difficult to imagine the welcome she received from Monseigneur the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Archbishop of Tours, to whom she paid her respects, and artlessly revealed all her [21] plans. That venerable Prelate, who took a great interest in the salvation of Souls,-admiring this Lady's courage and virtue, and having made known to her his great affection for the missions of New France, promised her all the help and assistance in his power to give. On their part, the Ursulines received her with open arms, and, overcoming a thousand difficulties, they granted her the Nun whom she asked for, and gave her for companion another Nun, full of courage and

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apres fon confentement auec Madame fa femme, par des lettres fi pleines de pitié [sc. pieté] & de vertu Chreftiene, qu'elles meriteroient d'eftre comuniquées au public. Madame de la Pelterie ayant obtenu si heureusement à Tours ce qu'elle defiroit, s'en alla prendre congé de Monseigneur l'Archeuesque, & par fon commandemēt, luy amena les deux Religieufes choifies pour ce deffein. Ce fut là qu'il receut vne finguliere cõfolation, contemplant ces trois charitables Ames comme [22] trois victimes qui s'alloient immoler à tant de croix iufques au bout du monde; Et comme à raifon de fon infirmité il ne pouuoit celebrer la Saincte Messe, il voulut comunier auec elles à la Meffe qu'il fit dire en fa Chappelle particuliere, & puis il leur donna fa faincte benediction, à laquelle il adioufta vne courte, mais tres feruente exhortation, entremeslée de larmes, pour leur recommander les vertus & la ferueur neceffaire à cette entreprise: la Nouuelle France luy aura à iamais de tres-particulieres obligations. Madame de la Pelterie bien contente s'en reuient à Paris, emmenant auec elles les deux Vrfulines, où eftãt arriuée, elle s'efforce d'obtenir vne troifiéme Vrfuline de la Congregation de Paris, qui differe vn peu de celle de Tours, afin de dōner moyen aux vnes & aux autres de trauailler au falut des Sauuages, & peut eftre commencer l'vnion des deux Congregations tant fouhaittée, mais elles ne peurent obtenir ce qu'elles defiroient, nous n'en auons pas encore pû fçauoir la cause, seulement sçayie bien qui ne tint point aux Vrfulines de Paris, qui depuis douze ans font dans vne ferueur incroyable pour la Nouuelle France, & qui au lieu d'vne Religieufe, [23] en euffent fourny plufieurs autres, & font

virtue, the daughter of Monsieur de Savoniere, Seigneur of la Troche and of Saint Germain in Anjou. At first, he opposed the selection of his daughter for that object; but afterward, with Madame his wife, gave his consent by letters so replete with piety and Christian virtue that they deserve to be made public. Madame de la Pelterie having so fortunately procured at Tours what she desired, went to take leave of Monseigneur the Archbishop; and, by his command, introduced to him the two Nuns chosen for the enterprise. He thus received a singular consolation, in contemplating these three charitable Souls as [22] three victims who were about to sacrifice themselves to as many crosses, even at the end of the world. And as, owing to his infirmities, he was unable to celebrate Holy Mass, he wished to receive communion with them at the Mass which he caused to be said in his private Chapel. Then he gave them his holy blessing, to which he added a short but very fervent exhortation, interspersed with tears, commending to them the virtues and the fervor necessary for this undertaking. New France will ever be under very special obligations to him. Madame de la Pelterie, well pleased, returned to Paris, taking with her the two Ursulines. Upon her arrival there, she tried to obtain a third Ursuline from the Congregation of Paris, which differs a little from that of Tours, in order to give both an opportunity of working for the salvation of the Savages, and, perhaps, to initiate the much-desired union of the two Congregations; but they were unable to obtain what they desired. We have not yet been able to learn the reason therefor; I only know with certainty that it did not depend upon the Ursulines of Paris, who, for the