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Creator at full length. This astonished and delighted the spectators, to whom we explained that we never dealt with any matter of importance without first asking the assistance of the Spirit who governs the whole world.

Then Father Joseph Chaumont arose [58] and explained the meaning of eight or ten presents, given to assuage their grief for the death of several Captains, and to obtain that some worthy Christians of both sexes, who had lately passed from earth to heaven, might live again in the Faith of their chil dren and their friends. In distributing these presents he included the Algonquins and the Hurons, that they might form but one heart and one people with all those Nations. He proclaimed that, as Onontaghé was the Parliament of the whole country and Agochiendagueté the most esteemed in all those regions, Achiendasé, as the mouth of Onontio, came to unite with him, to help him in raising up the houses that had been overthrown in bringing the dead back to life, in maintaining what was in good condition, and in defending the country against the disturbers of the peace. While the Father explained all these matters in detail, he was listened to with admiration and with the acclamations of all those peoples, who were delighted to see us so well versed in their ways.

He gave a present to return thanks that they had shared with Onnontio the spoils taken [59] from their enemies; for they had sent him two children, whom they had taken and brought hither from the Cat Nation.

He gave two others; one, in acknowledgment of their reception of us into their country, which was

l'eau, pour faire fçauoir à Quebec de nos nouuelles. Enfin le Pere prenant vn ton de voix plus éleué & animant fa parolle, s'écria: ce n'eft point pour le commerce que vous nous voiés paroistre dans vostre pays, nos pretentions font bien plus releuées: vos pelleteries font trop peu de chofe pour nous faire entreprendre vn fi long voiage auec tant de trauaux & tant de dangers. Gardés vos caftors fi vous le trouués bon pour les Hollandois; ceux mesmes qui tomberoient entre nos mains, feroient emploiés pour vostre feruice, nous ne cherchons point les chofes periffables, c'eft pour la Foy que nous auons quitté noftre païs, c'est pour la Foy que nous auons abandonné nos parens & nos amis; c'eft pour la Foy que nous auons trauerfé l'Occean; c'eft pour la [60] Foy que nous auons quitté les grands Nauires des François pour nous embarquer dans vos petits canots; c'est pour la Foy que nous auons laiffé de belles maifons, pour nous loger fous vos écorces; c'est pour la Foy que nous nous priuons de noftre nourriture naturelle, & des mets delicieux dont nous pouuions iouïr en France; pour manger de voftre boüillie & de vos mets, dont à peine les animaux de noftre païs voudroient goufter: & prenant vn tres-beau colier de pourcelaine artiftement fait: c'eft pour la Foy que ie tiens en main ce riche prefent, & que i'ouure la bouche pour vous fommer de la parolle que vous nous dõnastes lors que vous defcendites à Quebec pour nous conduire en voftre pays. Vous aués promis folemnellement que vous prefteriés l'oreille aux parolles du grand Dieu, elles font en ma bouche, écoutés-les, ie ne fuis que fon organe. Il vous enuoie donner aduis par fes Meffagers que fon Fils

as courteous as the invitation had been urgent; and the other, to induce them to place in the water the canoe, that it might carry news of us to Quebec.

Finally, the Father assumed a louder tone, and with impassioned words he exclaimed: "It is not for purposes of trade that you see us appear in your country. We aim much higher. Your furs are of too little value in our eyes to induce us to undertake so long, so difficult, and so dangerous a journey. Keep your beaver-skins, if you choose, for the Dutch; even those which may come into our hands will be used for your own good. We seek not perishable things. For the Faith, we have left our country; for the Faith, we have abandoned our relatives and our friends; for the Faith, we have crossed the Ocean; for the [60] Faith, we have quitted the great Ships of the French, to embark in your small canoes; for the Faith, we have given up fine houses, to lodge in your bark cabins; for the Faith, we deprive ourselves of our natural nourishment, and the delicate viands that we might have enjoyed in France, to eat your boiled meal and other food, which the animals of our country would hardly touch." Then, taking up a very fine collar of porcelain beads, artistically made, he continued: "For the sake of the Faith, I hold this rich present in my hand, and I open my mouth to remind you of the word that you pledged us when you came down to Quebec to conduct us to your country. You solemnly promised. to lend ear to the words of the great God. They are in my mouth; listen to them; I am but his spokesman. He informs you by his Messengers that his Son made himself man for love of you; that that Man, the Son of God, is the Prince and the Master of

s'eft fait homme pour voftre amour, que cét Homme Fils de Dieu eft le Prince & le Maiftre des Hommes: qu'il a preparé dans les [61] Cieux des plaifirs & des delices eternelles pour ceux qui obeïroiet à fes commandemens, & qu'il allume d'horribles feux dans les Enfers pour ceux qui ne voudront point receuoir fa parolle. Sa loy eft douce: elle deffend de faire aucun tort ny aux biens, ny à la vie, ny à la femme, ny à la reputation de fon prochain. Y-a-t'il rien de plus raifonnable? Elle comande de porter respect, amour & reuerence à celuy qui tout fait & qui conferue l'vniuers; Voftre efprit eft-il choqué d'vne verité fi naturelle? IESVS-CHRIST qui eft le Fils de celuy qui a tout fait s'eftant fait noftre frere & le voftre en fe reueftant de noftre chair, a prefché ces belles veritez, il les a fait peindre & efcrire dans vn liure, il a ordonné qu'elles fuffent portées par tout le monde: voilà ce qui nous fait paroiftre en vostre pays, voila ce qui ouure nos bouches; & nous fommes fi certains de toutes ces veritez, que nous fommes prefts de perdre nos vies pour les fouftenir. Que fi tu les rebutes en ton cœur qui que tu fois Onnontagheronnon, Sonnontoueronnon, Annieronnon, [62] Oneïogouenronnon, Onneïoutehronnon, fçache que IESVS-CHRIST qui anime mon cœur & ma voix te precipitera vn iour dans les Enfers. Mais preuiens ce mal-heur par ta conuerfion, ne fois point caufe de ta perte, obeïs à la voix du Tout-puiffant.

Ces paroles de feu, & quantité d'autres femblables pouffées d'vne vehemence toute Chreftienne ietterent vn tel eftonnement dans ces pauures Barbares, qu'ils paroiffoient tous tranfportez, la ioye & la crainte partageant leurs efprits. Et l'approbation fut fi

Mankind; that he has prepared in [61] Heaven eternal pleasures and joys for those who obey his commandments; and that he kindles horrible fires in Hell for those who refuse to receive his word. His law is easy; it forbids doing injury either to the property, or the life, or the wife, or the reputation of one's neighbor. Can anything be more reasonable? It commands that respect, love, and reverence be given to him who has made all and who preserves the universe. Are your minds offended by so natural a truth? JESUS CHRIST, who is the Son of him who has made all, became our brother and yours by clothing himself with our flesh; he preached those beautiful truths; he caused them to be painted and written in a book; he ordered that they be carried throughout the world. That is what brings us to your country; that is what opens our mouths; and we are so certain of all those truths, that we are prepared to lose our lives in maintaining them. If thou reject them in thy heart be thou Onnontagheronnon, Sonnontoueronnon, Annieronnon, [62] Oneiogouenronnon, or Onneioutehronnon, know that JESUS CHRIST, who animates my heart and my voice, will one day cast thee into Hell. But avoid that misfortune by thy conversion; be not the cause of thine own ruin; listen to the voice of the Almighty."

These and many other words, full of fire and uttered with most Christian vehemence, caused those poor Barbarians such astonishment, that they seemed quite beside themselves; their minds wavered between joy and fear. The approval was so general and universal, that one would have said that all wanted to place the Father in their hearts. No endearment, in their opinion, was sufficiently great

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