who for three, four, and five years had not confessed in [17] old France, now, in the new, approach this so salutary Sacrament oftener than once a month; prayers are offered kneeling and in public, not only at the fort, but also in families and little companies scattered here and there. As we have taken for patroness of the Church of Kebec the holy Virgin under the title of her Conception, which we believe to be immaculate, so we have celebrated this Festival with solemnity and rejoicing. At the first Vespers a Flag was raised on the bastion of the fort to the sound of cannon; and in the morning, at dawn, the artillery renewed our joy. Even the inhabitants, in testimony of their devotion to the blessed Virgin, and their belief in her purity from the moment of her Conception, fired a salute of muskets or arquebuses, and many approached the holy table in her honor.

The Festival of the glorious Patriarch saint Joseph, Father, Patron, and Protector of new France, is one of the great solemnities of this country. On the eve of this day, which is so dear to us, the Flag was hoisted, and the cannon fired, as I have said above. Monsieur the Governor had an exhibition of fireworks, [18] as artistically devised as almost any I have seen in France; on one side a skin was stretched, upon which appeared, in illuminated letters, the name of saint Joseph; above this sacred name burned a number of lighted candles from which sprang eighteen or twenty little serpents, which performed wonders. Behind this first contrivance had been placed fourteen large rockets, which were sent up, one after the other, to the astonishment of the French and still more of the Savages, who had never before seen anything of the kind. They wondered at the rain of

riere cette premiere inuention quatorze groffes fufées, qu'on fit enleuer les vnes apres les autres, auec l'eftonnement des François, & bien plus des Sauuages, qui n'auoient iamais rien veu de femblable, ils admiroient la pluie d'or, ou de feu, & les eftoiles qui retomboient de fort haut. Le feu des fufées se portant tantoft tout droit, maintenant comme en arcade, & toufiours bien haut dedans l'air.

Il

Affez proche de là, on auoit dreffé vn petit chasteau, fort bien proportionné, & enrichi de diuerfes couleurs, il eftoit flanqué de quatre tourelles, remplies de chandelles à feu, qui faifoient voir par leur clarté toute cette petite batterie à defcouuert. y auoit à l'entour de cette machine feize groffes lances à feu, reueftuës de fauffiffons. Au quatre coins d'icelle on voioit quatre roües mouuantes, & vne autre plus grãde au deffus du chafteau qui tournoit à l'entour d'vne croix à feu, esclairée [19] de quantité de chandelles ardentes, qui la faifoient paroiftre comme toute couuerte de diamãs. De plus on auoit mis à l'entour de cette fortereffe, en égale distance quatre groffes trompes, d'où l'on vit fauter treize douzaines de ferpenteaux, fortans fix à fix auec vne iufte distance, & quatre douzaines de fufées, qui fe deuoient enleuer douze à la fois. Voicy la figure de cét edifice.

Le fieur Bourdon auoit dreffé cette machine, & le fieur de Beaulieu auoit compofé les feux d'artifice. Sur le foir Monfieur le Gouuerneur, & Monfieur de l'Ifle, & tous nos Meffieurs fortirent du fort, & s'en vindrent aupres de l'Eglife, au lieu destiné pour ces feux de joye. Tous les habitãs de la nouuelle France, voifins de Kebec, fe trouuerent à cette rejouïffance; les tenebres de la nuict ayat couuert le ciel, & la

gold, or of fire, and at the stars which descended from far above, the fire of the rockets shooting straight upward, then curving around, and all the time very high in the air.

Near by they had erected a little castle, very well proportioned, and adorned with divers colors; it was flanked by four small towers filled with lighted candles, which showed all this little battery in full view. Around this piece of mechanism there were sixteen large rods enveloped in saucissons.10 At its four corners were seen four spinning wheels, and another larger one above the castle, which revolved around a cross of fire, lighted [19] by a number of burning candles, which made it look as if covered with diamonds. Besides this, there had been placed around this fortress, at equal distances, four large cylinders, whence could be seen springing forth thirteen dozen serpents, darting out six at a time, and at regular intervals; and four dozen rockets, which were to ascend twelve at a time. Here is the shape of this

edifice.

Sieur Bourdon 11 had constructed this contrivance, and sieur de Beaulieu 12 had manufactured the fireworks. Towards evening Monsieur the Governor, and Monsieur de l'Isle, and all our Gentlemen emerged from the fort and came near the Church, to the place selected for these fireworks. All the inhabitants of new France, in the vicinity of Kebec, were present at this rejoicing. The shades of night had covered the sky and the earth, when sieur de Beaulieu presented a lighted brand to Monsieur the Governor, who set on fire the device,- having it explained to the Savages, especially to the Hurons,

terre, le fieur de Beaulieu prefenta vn boutefeux à Monfieur le Gouuerneur, qui alluma cette machine, & fit dire aux Sauuages, notamment aux Hurons, que les François eftoient plus puiffans que les Demons, qu'ils commandoiet au feu, & que s'ils vouloient brusler les bourgades de leurs ennemis, qu'ils auroient bien toft fait.

Le iour de la Fefte noftre Eglife fut remplie de monde, & de deuotion, quafi comme [20] en vn iour de Pafques, chacun beniffant Dieu de nous auoir donné pour protecteur, le protecteur & l'Ange Gardien (pour ainfi dire) de Iefus-Chrift fon Fils. C'eft à mon aduis par fa faueur, & par fes merites, que les habitans de la nouuelle France demeurans fur les riues du grand fleuue fainct Laurens, ont refolu de receuoir toutes les bonnes couftumes de l'ancienne, & de refufer l'entrée aux mauuaifes.

Voicy vne loy faincte, publiée & receuë auec amour & honneur dans le fein de nos temples, c'est qu'en ces lieux facrez, où on va adorer le crucifix, chargé de mespris, on n'a point d'égard du tout à la preseance; mal heur à celuy, qui par fon orgueil attentera de violer cette faincte couftume. Helas s'il falloit prendre garde à qui c'eft à paffer deuant, quand il faut aller adorer Iefus-Chrift attaché en croix, nous ferions vne Babylone, au lieu d'vne faincte Sion, & nous irions chercher l'humilité auec orgueil. Ie benis Dieu de ce que les efprits, qui auroient plus d'interests felon le monde dans ces prefeances, ou meffeances pour les nommer ainfi, font les premiers à fouller aux pieds ces puerilitez indignes d'vn esprit fort. Et à dire vrai, tant que nous aurons vn Gouuerneur [21] ami de la vertu, & que nous aurons la parole