[5] CHAPTER II.

OF THE BAPTISM OF A SAVAGE, AND OF SOME OF HIS FAMILY.

I

WROTE last year about the conversations we had with a band of Montagnais and Algonquins who had encamped near us during the winter. Because the seed of the Gospel did not germinate as soon as some expected, this made them say that it was labor lost to preach to the Savages, seeing that even the one who played the Captain among them, named Makheabichtichiou, had not corresponded to the hopes that had been entertained of him. How strange it is that some should require, in a moment, the introduction of Christianity into infidelity, refinement into Barbarism,- when centuries have been needed to establish our belief in Europe, among sedentary and civilized nations! Now I can say that this sacred seed that was cast that winter into their hearts, has yielded a hundredfold.

First, this Captain Makheabichtichiou's salvation is not hopeless. I believe that he has faith; be that as it may, in charity, there is a great deal of difference between believing and obeying God. Having come to see us this Spring, he did not dare to enter our house; I chided him vigorously; he listened to me patiently, and then replied: "If thou knewest the regret that gnaws my heart, thou wouldst have compassion, instead of chiding me. I thought thou wouldst question me upon the belief thou hast [6]

rois fur la creance que tu m'as [6] enseignée, ie t’en euffe rendu bonne raison, car i'ay prié Dieu tout cet hyuer, & au lieu de me monstrer bon visage, tu me reçois auec des reproches? Tu me dis que i̇'ay tousiours plusieurs femmes? pense-tu qu'on se defa[u]sse fi aifément de fes vieilles habitudes? peut-estre que vous autres aués eu autant de peine que nous de quitter vos anciennes couftumes, quand on a commencé de vous annoncer la Foy? Preferis moy laquelle tu defire que ie retienne de mes femmes, & ie chasseray les autres. En vn mot, il est dans vne bonne disposition, ie n'en parleray neantmoins qu'en passant, iufques à ce que ie le voie Chreftien, fi Dieu luy en fait la grace.

En fecond lieu, le forcier nommé Pigarouïch, auec lequel nous auions eu quelques prifes, comme ie l'ay escry en la Relation precedente, a bruslé toutes les vtenfilles de fon art, & iamais plus ne s'en eft voulu mesler depuis, quoy qu'on l'en ait follicité plusieurs fois en cachette, & par de grands prefens, s'estant fait plainement instruire, il a fait des merueilles pour la Foy, mais pource qu'il a terny ce luftre par quelques actiõs de prõptitudes, que nous ne pouuons supporter en vn Catechumene, ie n'en diray pas dauantage, encor bien qu'il nous foit venu depuis peu tefmoigner fes regrets iufques aux larmes; s'il continuë fortemẽt à frapper, on lui ouurira les portes de l'Eglife.

En troifiefme lieu, la maladie s'eftant iettée fur ces pauures peuples, tous ceux qui auoient affifté aux inftructions que nous leur donafmes, fe trouuans faifis de cette epidimie, fe font fait catechifer plus amplement, & pas vn d'eux n'est mort [7] fans Baptefme, s'il a peu auoir accés à quelqu'vn de nos Peres.

taught me. I could have given thee a good account of it, for I have prayed to God all this winter; and instead of showing me a pleasant face, thou receivest me with reproaches. Thou tellest me that I continue to keep several wives; dost thou think that a person can so readily give up his old habits? Perhaps you people had as much trouble as we to quit. your old customs when the Faith was first announced to you. Tell me which one of my wives thou desirest me to retain, and I will drive away the others.' In a word, his inclinations are good; I will speak no more of him, however, except incidentally, until I see him a Christian, if God grant him that grace.

In the second place, the sorcerer named Pigarouich, with whom we had some disputes, as I wrote in the preceding Relation, has burned all the utensils of his art, and has never again consented to tamper with it since then,—although he has been often secretly solicited to do so, and with valuable presents. Having been fully instructed, he has done wonders for the Faith; but because he has tarnished this bright record by some hasty actions, that we could not suffer in a Catechumen, I will say no more about him, even although he came to us a little while ago, and expressed his regret to us, even to tears. If he continue to knock loudly, the doors of the Church will open to him.

In the third place, the malady having attacked these poor peoples, all those who had been present at the instructions we gave them, being seized by this epidemic, have had themselves more fully catechized; and not one of them died [7] without Baptism, if he could have access to one of our Fathers.

But, finally, the one of whom I am about to speak

Mais en fin, celuy dõt ie vay parler estoit de cette efcoüade, il fut touché viuement dés lors, quoy qu'il n'en ait rien fait paroiftre que cette année, ce feu qui brusloit fon ame ne luy donnant aucun repos, il nous vint trouuer, & nous dit que dés les premieres inftructions que nous donnafmes aux Sauuages, sõ cœur auoit creu tout ce que nous disions de la grandeur de Dieu, & que pour cela il enuoioit fes enfans au Catechifme, leur recommãdant d'efcouter attêtiuemet ce qu'on leur enfeignoit: Ie n'ofois pas, faifoitil, vous aborder, ny ne fçauois comment vous declarer les pensées de mon ame, ie souhaittois que vous m'appellaffiés. En fin Negabamat (c'est le nõ d'vn Sauuage, fon amy) me parlant du deffein que vous auiés de nous aider à deuenir fedentaires, ie luy dis que ie defirois eftre de la partie, non tant pour le fecours temporel que vous promettiés, que pour vous entedre parler du falut de nostre ame: Il me femble, difoit-il, que i'ay eu dés ma ieuneffe quelque petite cognoiffance des chofes que vous enfeignés, ie penfois ainfi à part moy, il y en a vn qui a tout fait, de qui nous dependons, qui nous a donné la vie, & nous fait trouuer dequoy la fouftenir, & celuy-là haït les mefchans. I'auois defir de le cognoiftre, c'est pourquoy ie me fuis beaucoup refioüy quãd ie vous en ay oüy parler. En fin il nous promit de venir passer l'hiuer aupres de nous pour eftre plus particulieremet instruit. A peine eftoit-il Catechumene, que Dieu le mit dans de fortes efpreuues: il auoit vne belle & groffe famille, la [8] maladie fe iette là dedãs, & en liure vne bõne partie à la mort: vne femme âgée sa parente, qui gouuernoit fon mefnage, est enleuée en peu de iours: fa propre femme & deux de fes enfans

was of this company. He was deeply touched from
that time on, although he gave no evidence thereof
until this year. This fire that burned his soul giv-
ing him no rest, he came to see us, and told us that
at the first instructions we gave to the Savages his
heart had believed all that we said of the greatness
of God, and that therefore he sent his children to the
Catechism, recommending them to listen attentively
to what was taught them. "I did not dare address
you," said he, "nor did I know how to declare to you
the thoughts of my soul; I was wishing that you
would summon me. At last, when Negabamat
(the name of a Savage, his friend) "spoke to me of
your intention to help us to become sedentary, I told
him that I would like to take part in this,- not so
much for the temporal aid you promised, as to hear
you talk about the salvation of our souls. It seems to
me,"
" he said, "that I have had from my youth some
little knowledge of the things you teach; I was wont
to think thus when I was alone, There is one who
has made all, upon whom we depend, who gave us
our life, and causes us to find something with which
to sustain it; and that one hates evil-doers.' I had a
desire to know him, hence I was greatly rejoiced
when I heard you speak of him." Finally, he prom-
ised to come and spend the winter near us, that he
might be more thoroughly instructed. Scarcely had
he become a Catechumen, when God put him to a
severe test. He had an interesting and large family;
the [8] disease invaded it, and delivered a good part
of it over to death. An old woman, a relative, who
managed his household, was taken off in a few days;
his own wife and two of his children died before his
eyes; some of his kindred and relations who were