Chapter I: On the Good Conduct of the French

WE have passed this year in great peace and on very good terms
with our French. The wise conduct and prudence of Monsieur de
Champlain, Governor of Kebec [4] and of the river saint Lawrence,
who honors us with his good will, holding every one in the path of
duty, has caused our words and preaching to be well received; and
the Chapel which he has had erected near the fort, in honor of our
Lady, has furnished excellent facilities to the French to receive
the Sacraments of the Church frequently, which they have done on
the great Feast Days of the year, and many every month, to the
great satisfaction of those who administered them. The fort has
seemed like a well-ordered Academy; Monsieur de Champlain has some
one read at his table, in the morning from some good historian,
and in the evening from the lives of the Saints; then each one
makes an examination of his conscience in his own chamber, and
prayers follow, which are repeated kneeling. He has the Angelus[10]
sounded at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the day,
according to the custom of the Church. In a word, we have reason to
console ourselves when we see a chief so zealous for the glory of
Our Lord and for the welfare of these Gentlemen.

Croiroit-on bien qu'il s'est trouué vn de nos François en Canada qui pour contrecarrer les dissolutions qui se font ailleurs [5] au Carnaual, est venu le Mardy gras dernier, pieds & testé nuë sur la neige & sur la glace depuis Kebec iusques en nostre Chappelle, c'est à dire vne bonne demie lieuë, ieusnant le mesme iour pour accomplir vn vœu qu'il auoit fait à Nostre Seigneur, & tout cela sans autres tesmoings que Dieu & nos Peres qui le rencontrerent.

Could it be believed that there is one of our Frenchmen in Canada,
who, to offset the licentiousness which is carried on in other
places [5] during the Carnival, came on last shrove Tuesday, with
bare head and feet, over the snow and ice from Kebec all the way to
our Chapel; that is, a good half league, fasting the same day, to
fulfill a vow made to Our Lord; and all this was done without any
other witnesses than God, and our Fathers who met him.

Pendant le sainct temps de Caresme, non seulement l'abstinence des viandes defenduës & le ieusne s'est gardé, mais aussi tel s'est trouué qui a fait plus de trente fois la discipline, deuotion bien extraordinaire aux soldats & aux artisans tels que sont icy la plus part de nos François.

During the holy time of Lent, not only abstinence from forbidden
meats and fasting were observed, but there was a certain one who
took the discipline more than thirty times,--extraordinary devotion
in soldiers and artisans, such as are the greater part of our
Frenchmen here.

Vn autre a promis d'employer en œuures pies la dixiesme partie de tous les profits qu'il pourra faire pendant tout le cours de sa vie. Ces petits eschantillons font voir que l'Hyuer n'est pas si rude en la nouuelle France qu'on n'y puisse recueillir des fleurs du Paradis.

Another has promised to use the tenth part of the profits he may
make, during the course of his whole life, in works of piety. These
little samples show that the Winter in new France is not so severe
that some flowers of Paradise may not be gathered there.

Ie mettray en ce lieu, ne sçachant où le mieux placer ailleurs, ce qu'vn de nos François tres-digne de foy & recogneu pour tel, nous a raconté de Iacques Michel Huguenot qui amena les Anglois en [6] ce païs cy: Ce miserable la veille de sa mort ayant vomy cõtre Dieu & contre nostre sainct Pere Ignace mille blasphemes, & s'estant donné cette imprecation qu'il vouloit estre pendu s'il ne donnoit vne coupple de soufflets auant la nuict du iour suiuant à vn de nos Peres qui estoit pris de l'Anglois, vomissant contre luy des iniures fort messeantes, il fut surpris bien tost apres d'vne maladie qui luy osta toute cognoissance & le fit mourir le lendemain comme vne beste: Quatre circonstãces de ce rencontre donnerent de l'estonnement aux Huguenots mesmes, la maladie qui le prit quelques heures apres ses blasphemes, l'erreur des Chirurgiens qui estoient en nombre, lesquels donnerent des remedes soporiferes à vn letargique, son trespas si soudain & sans cognoissance, expirant sans qu'aucun s'en apperceust quoy qu'il y eust six hommes aupres de luy, la fureur des Sauuages enuers son corps qui le deterrerent & le pendirent selon son imprecation, puis le ietterent aux chiens? Les Anglois qui estoient dans le fort de Kebec ayant sceu cette histoire tragique, dirent tous estonnez, que si les Iesuites sçauoient tout cela qu'ils en feroient des miracles.

I shall insert here, not knowing where better to put it, what one
of our Frenchmen, quite worthy of credence, and so acknowledged,
told us about Jacques Michel,[11] a Huguenot, who brought the
English to [6] this country. This wretch, having upon the eve
of his death, vomited forth a thousand blasphemies against God
and against our holy Father Ignatius, and having uttered this
imprecation, that "he would be hanged if he did not give a couple
of slaps before the next evening to one of our Fathers who was
taken by the English," uttering the most unseemly insults against
him, was soon afterwards overtaken by an illness which bereft him
of all consciousness, and caused him to die the next day like a
beast. Four circumstances in this incident astonished the Huguenots
themselves,--the illness which seized him a few hours after his
blasphemies; the mistake of the Surgeons, who were numerous, in
giving soporific remedies to a man in a lethargy; his so sudden and
unconscious death, expiring without any one perceiving it, although
there were six men around him; the rage of the Savages against
his body, which they disinterred and hanged, according to his
imprecations, and then threw to the dogs. The English, who were in
the fort at Kebec, having heard this tragic story, were amazed; and
said that, if the Jesuits knew all that, they would make miracles
out of it.

[7] Or nous le sçauons maintenant & cependant nous n'en ferons ny prodiges ny miracles: mais nous dirons seulement qu'il ne fait pas bon blasphemer contre Dieu ny contre ses saincts, ny se bander contre son Roy trahissant sa patrie: Mais venons maintenant à nos Sauuages.

[7] Now, we do know it, and yet we will make neither prodigies nor
miracles out of it; but we will only say that it is not well to
blaspheme against God or his saints, nor to strive against one's
King to betray one's country. But now let us come to our Savages.

CHAPITRE II.

DE LA CONUERSION, DU BAPTESME & DE L'HEUREUSE MORT DE QUELQUES SAUUAGES.

QVELQUES Sauuages se sont faicts Chrestiens cette année, trois ont esté baptisez cest Hyuer en mon absence, en voicy les particularitez toutes pleines de consolation que nos Peres m'ont raconté à mon retour.