try, and had given to the Savages so bad an impression of the morals of the French. At first, some felt annoyed that we did not join in the feast, and were offended, saying to us that our action prevented them from boasting, as they had hoped, to strange Tribes that they were relations of the French; and they were afraid they would say that the friendship was only in appearance, since we had not allowed the bones of our Frenchmen to mingle with theirs. Afterward, however, when they had heard all our reasons, they thought we had acted prudently, and that it was the true way to maintain friendship with both parties.

Shall I finish the present letter with this funeral ceremony? Yes, since it is a very clear token of the hope of a future life that nature herself seems to furnish us in the minds of these Tribes, as a most fitting means to get them to taste the promises of Jesus Christ. Is there not reason to hope that they will do so, [219] and as soon as possible? Of a truth, I dare indeed affirm that, judging from present appearances, we have grounds for strengthening our courage, and saying about our Hurons what saint Paul wrote to the Philippians, Confidens hoc ipsum, quia qui cœpit in vobis opus bonum, perficiet usque in diem Christi Jesu. These poor people open their ears to what we say to them about the Kingdom of Heaven; they find it very reasonable, and dare not contradict it; they fear the judgments of God in a future life; they are beginning to have recourse with us to his goodness in their necessities, and Our Lord seems to favor them, at times, with some special assistance. They procure Baptism for those whom they see in danger of death; they give us their children to be instructed,

le ferront, [219] & au pluftoft. Certes i'oferay bien affeurer que eû égard à ce qui paroist, nous auons dequoy fortifier nos courages, & dire fur nos Hurons ce que fainct Paul efcriuoit aux Philippiens: Confidens hoc ipfum, quia qui cœpit in vobis opus bonum, perficiet vfque in diem Chrifti Iefu. Ces pauures gens ouurent les oreilles à ce que nous leur difons du Royaume du Ciel, ils le trouuent fort raifonnable, & n'ofent y contredire: ils apprehendent les iugemens de Dieu en l'autre vie, ils commencent à auoir recours auec nous à fa bonté en leurs neceffitez; & Noftre Seigneur femble les y fauorifer par fois de quelque affiftance particuliere. Ils procurent le Baptefme à ceux qu'ils voyent en danger de mort: ils nous donnent leurs enfans pour eftre inftruits, iufques à permettre qu'ils faffent les trois cens lieuës à cét effet, nonobftant les tendres affections qu'ils ont pour eux; ils fe promettent de les fuiure vn iour, & nous témoignent qu'ils ne nous donneroient pas des gages fi precieux, s'ils n'auoient enuie de nous tenir parole. Vous diriez qu'ils ne s'attendent qu'à en voir vn d'entre eux qui franchiffe le premier ce pas redoutable, & [220] qui ofe aller contre la couftume du Pays. C'est au reste vn Peuple qui a fa demeure arreftée, iudicieux, capable de raison, & affez multiplié.

Ie fis mention l'an paffé de douze Nations toutes fedentaires & nombreufes, qui entendent la langue de nos Hurons: & nos Hurons font en vingt Villages enuiron trente mille ames; fi le refte eft à proportion, en voila plus de trois cens mille de la feule langue Huronne. Dieu nous donne du credit parmy eux, nous y met en eftime, & fait que nous y foyons aimez iufques là, que nous ne fçauons à qui entendre,

even permitting them to come three hundred leagues for that purpose, notwithstanding the tender affection they have for them; they promise to follow them some day, and declare they would not give us pledges so precious, if they were not desirous of keeping their word. You might say they are only waiting to see one of their number take the first dreaded step, and [220] venture to run counter to the customs of the Country. Let me add they are a People who have a settled habitation,-judicious, capable of reason, and sufficiently numerous.

If

I made mention last year of twelve Nations, all being sedentary and populous and who understand the tongue of our Hurons; and our Hurons make, in twenty Villages, about thirty thousand souls. the remainder is in proportion, there are more than three hundred thousand of the Huron tongue alone. God gives us influence among them, causes us to be held in estimation, makes us so much loved that we do not know to whom to listen, so eager is every one to have us. In truth, we should be very ungrateful to the mercy of God if we lost courage amid all this, and did not give him time to bring forth the fruit in its due season.

It is true I have some little fear in regard to the time when I must employ a new language in reference to their morals, and teach them to keep down the flesh, and hold them in the honesty of Marriage, preventing divorces by fear of the judgments of God on the lewd; when it will be a question of [221] saying to them on all occasions, Quoniam qui talia agunt regnum Dei non possidebunt. I am afraid they will become restive when we shall speak to them of being reclothed in Jesus Christ, of wearing his livery, and

tant vn chacun eft afpre à nous auoir. En verité nous ferions bien ingrats à la grace de Dieu, fi nous perdions courage parmy tout cela, & ne luy donnions le loifir de porter fon fruit en sa saison.

Il eft vray que i'ay quelque peu d'apprehension pour le temps auquel il faudra leur tenir vn langage nouueau fur leurs mœurs, & leur apprendre à clouër leurs chairs, & les retenir dans l'honnefteté du Mariage, en retranchant les diffolutions par la crainte des iugemens de Dieu fur les luxurieux; lors qu'il fera question de [221] leur dire en tout plein d'occafions, Quoniam qui talia agunt regnum Dei non poßidebunt. I'ay peur qu'ils faffent les rétifs, quand on leur parlera de fe reueftir de Iesus-Christ, de porter fa liurée, & se diftinguer en qualité de Chreftiens d'auec ce qu'ils auront efté auparauant, par vne vertu dont à peine cognoiffent-ils le nom, quand on leur criera auec l'Apoftre, C'est là la volonté de Dieu, voftre fanctification, qu'vn chacun fcache conferuer fon corps comme vn vafe precieux en fanctification & en honneur, & non le laiffant aller aux passions de fes defirs, comme les Gentils qui ne cognoiffent point Dieu. Il eft, dis-ie, bien à craindre qu'ils ne s'effrayent fur le propos de la pureté & chafteté, & qu'ils ne fe rebutent à son occafion de la doctrine du Fils de Dieu, difans auec les Capharnaïtes fur vn autre fuiet, Durus eft hic fermo, & quis potest eum audire? Toutefois puis qu'auec la grace de Dieu nous auons déia obtenu d'eux par la profeffion ouuerte que nous auons fait de cette vertu, qu'ils n'ofent ny faire, ny dire en noftre presence chofe aucune qui luy foit contraire, iufques à menacer les Estrangers quand ils s'échappent deuant nous, & les aduertir que les François [222] & fur tout les

of being distinguished in the capacity of Christians, from what they were previously, by a virtue of which they scarcely recognize the name, when we shall say to them with the Apostle, For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that every one of you should know how to preserve his body as a precious vessel in sanctification and in honor, and not give way to the passion of his lusts, like the Gentiles that know not God. It is, I say, much to be feared that they will be alarmed at the proposal of purity and chastity, and that they will reject, when it is presented, the doctrine of the Son of God, saying with the men of Capernaum, on another subject, Durus est hic sermo, et quis potest eum audire? Since, however, by the grace of God, through the open profession we have made of this virtue, we have secured thus much, that they dare neither to do nor to mention anything contrary to it in our presence,—even going so far as to threaten Strangers when they offend against propriety before us, warning them that the French [222] and especially the black Robes, detest such liberties,-is it not most probable that, if once the holy Spirit takes them in hand, he will impress upon them so deeply, in every place and time, the respect they owe to his divine presence and immensity, that they will be very glad to be chaste in order to be Christians, and will ask earnestly to be Christians in order to be chaste? I imagine that it was for this particular purpose that Our Lord inspired us to put them under the special protection of saint Joseph. This great Saint, who was in other times given as a Spouse to the glorious Virgin, to conceal both from the eyes of the world and from the Devil a virginity that God honored by his Incarnation,— has so much power with this Holy Lady, in whose