Letter of Father Jean de Brébeuf to the Very Reverend Father Mutius Vitelleschi, General

of the Society of Jesus, at Rome.

ERY REVEREND FATHER IN CHRIST,

VERY

The peace of Christ.

I wrote last year to Your Paternity regarding the condition of the Hurons, among whom we labor— of their customs, and of the prospect of reaping there, in the future, a harvest of some souls. Besides this, I think there were sent you two relations of the preceding years, from which, as from the one we now send, you can gain a clear understanding of all our affairs. I will say, therefore, to Your Paternity, that two things occurred this year, which somewhat checked the progress of the gospel. The first was a pestilence, of unknown origin, which eight months ago spread through several villages, and caused the death of many. The divine providence even so dealt with us that we should not be exempt from the calamity. In fact, it almost began with us, or at least attacked both us and the savages at the same time. Of us who labor here,-six priests, and the four lay brothers then with us, we saw seven confined to their beds at the same time, and near unto death. The same divine goodness has restored us all to our former health and strength, in which we still continue. But our Hurons—either, still ignorant of life eternal, or still unbelievers - sought remedies for their diseases,

et [sc. aut] adhuc ignari vitæ æternæ aut adhuc infideles tam sollicite et tam anxie morborum suorum remedia huic vitæ idonea quæsierunt ut a[e]gre nobis præberent aures de æterna vita monentibus. Nemo respuisset si sanitatem polliciti fuissemus, Verum nimio hujus vitæ desiderio plurimi utramq. et misere et magno nostro mærore amiserunt. Alterum impedimentum fuit quia dæmonis asserta [sc. asseclæ] sparserunt in vulgus Gallos nostros et nos nominatim causam esse illius contagionis nosque eo omnino consilio in eorum terras commigrasse ut eos neci dederemus, plurimaque alia ejusmodi non minus falsa de nobis disseminarunt. Ea autem omnia non solum aliquot pagos a nobis ad tempus alienarunt. sed nonnullis etiam eam mentem excitarunt ut nos de medio tollerent tanquam reipublicæ perniciosos. Verum is qui solus mortificat et vivificat, ad inferos deducere et reducere potest, ex iis periculis nos eripuit atque etiam fecit ut barbari suppliciter veniam postularent. Jam jam subsederunt omnes falsi isti ruLibenter audimur, ducentos et amplius hoc anno baptismo abluimus et non est pene ullus pagus qui nos ad se non invitet. Adde quod hac lue et hisce rumoribus perfectum est ut [huic] nationi melius innotesceremus, tandemque cognitum est ex nostris actionibus et rebus nos in hoc devenisse non ad emendos pelles aut mercaturam aliquam exercendam sed eo tantum fine et ut eos doceremus et Christo conciliaremus, sanitatemque mentis et deinde vitam

mores.

sufficient for this present life, with so distressful anxiety that they scarcely lent ear to us who admonished them concerning the life eternal. No one would have refused, if we had promised health. But very many, on account of their ardent desire for this life, wretchedly lost both, to our great sorrow. The second obstacle arose from the tales spread among the people by followers of the devil,- that our Frenchmen, and we in particular, were the cause of this pestilence, and that our sole purpose in coming to their country was to compass their destruction; and much else of the same sort, and equally false, did they scatter broadcast. All this, moreover, not only estranged several villages from us for a time, but also caused a determination on the part of some to remove us from their midst, as being dangerous to the common weal. But he who alone "mortificat et vivificat, ad inferos deducere et reducere potest," snatched us from these dangers, and even made the savages sue for pardon in suppliant wise. Now those false reports have all finally ceased. We are gladly heard, we have baptized more than two hundred this year, and there is hardly a village that has not invited us to go to it. Besides, the result of this pestilence and of these reports has been to make us better known to this people; and at last it is understood, from our actions and from our truths [of religion], that we have not come hither to buy skins or carry on any traffic, but solely to teach them and win them to Christ, and to procure for them their souls' health, and finally everlasting and immortal life. Furthermore, since some families, although not yet baptized, rested all their hope in the Lord, and therefore al

æternam atque immortalem eis procuraremus. Præterea cum aliquot familia[e] quanquam nondum baptisatæ totam suam fiduciam in Domino constituerent et proinde salvæ atque incolumes pene solæ remanserint, factum inde est ut cœdant [sc. credant] et ardenter baptismum exposcant, quo ut speramus, potientur cum satis probatæ fuerint. Vidimus etiam non obscura gratiæ præsentis indicia in pluribus quos baptismo lustravimus et jam plures ut credimus tum adulti tum parvuli jam in cœlum beati avolarunt pro suis apud Deum intercessores. Denique in spem venimus fore ut hæc lues [sc. hac lue] quæ adhuc sævit sedata tempestate at [sc. et] ad eam tranquillitatem [reductis?] animis quæ veritatibus fidei audiendis et percipiendis necessaria est, plurimi convertantur.

Novam sedem nunc extruimus in eo pago qui a nobis Rupella a barbaris Ossossane nominatur, ubi plurimi sunt incolæ, ubi imprimis lues desæviit et ubi semper benigne accepti, auditi et expetiti fuimus. Ea sedes Residentia Conceptionis Immaculatæ vocabitur. Præterea cogitamus vel hoc anno duos e nostris mittere ad eam Huronum nationem quæ Attignenonghac appellatur, tum ad eos tum ad sedem ibi collocandum, fi fructus alicujus spes effulgeat. Jam referunt credo de seminario Huronum Quebeci inchoato in quo quinque adolescentes hyemarunt. novos jam eo submittemus speramusq. non parum inde accessimis [sc. accessionis] ad Huronum gentem, nobis Christoq. devinciendum. Demum fides

most alone remained safe and unharmed, it has resulted that they believe, and eagerly ask for baptism, which, as we hope, they will receive, when they shall have been sufficiently proved. We have seen, too, no uncertain signs of present grace in many whom we have purified through baptism; and already many, both old and young, have, as we believe, soared away to heaven, blessed intercessors before God for their friends. Finally, we have come to hope that this pestilence, which still rages, once abated in due season, and the minds of men restored to that tranquillity necessary to the hearing and understanding of the truths of the faith-very many will be converted.

We are now building a new house in this village, which we call Rupella [La Rochelle], the savages Ossossane, a populous town, where the pestilence was especially severe, where we have always been kindly welcomed and heard, and where they long for us. This house will be called the Residence of the Immaculate Conception. We plan, too, even this year, to send two of our number to that Huron nation that is called Attignenonghac," to establish there at first these men, and later a residence, if a prospect of some success shall appear. I believe those at Quebec report about the seminary of the Hurons begun there, in which five young men have spent the past winter. We shall now send others there, and look for no little aid from that quarter in binding the Huron people closely to us and to Christ. Thus, indeed, the faith gathers its harvest, but in toil, vigils, sorrows, and patience. Long must be the time of clearing, long the time of sowing; and