festins comme eux, sont lascifs aussi bien qu'eux: bref ils se les
figurent [168] tous tels qu'ils sont eux mesmes. Et encor qu'il[s] les
facent hommes & corporels, ils semblent neantmoins leur attribuer vne
certaine immensité en tous lieux. Ils disent que cette _Eataentsic_
est tombée du Ciel, où il y a des habitans comme icy, & que quand elle
tomba, elle estoit enceinte. Que si vous leur demandez qui a fait le
Ciel & ses habitans, ils n'ont autre repartie, sinon qu'ils n'en
sçauent rien. Et quand nous leur preschons vn Dieu, Createur du Ciel
& de la terre & de toutes choses: de mesme quand nous leur parlons
d'vn Enfer & d'vn Paradis, & du reste de nos mysteres; les opiniastres
respondent, que cela est bon pour nostre Pays, non pour le leur; que
chaque Pays a ses façons de faire: mais leur ayant monstré par le
moyen d'vn petit globe que nous auons apporté, qu'il n'y a [169] qu'vn
seul monde, ils demeurẽt sans replique. Ie trouue dans leur mariage
deux choses qui me plaisent fort; l'vne qu'ils n'ont qu'vne femme,
l'autre qu'ils ne se marient point à leurs parens en ligne directe
ou collaterale, pour esloignez qu'ils puissẽt estre. Il y a assez
d'ailleurs à y reprendre, quand ce ne seroit que le frequent changement
que les hommes font de leurs femmes, & les femmes de leurs maris: ils
croyent l'immortalité des ames, qu'ils feignent estre corporelles.
Toute la plus grande partie de leur Religion consiste en ce poinct. Ce
ne sont d'ailleurs que superstitions, que nous esperons auec la grace
de Dieu changer en vraye Religion, & comme despoüilles enleuées sur
l'ennemy, les consacrer à l'honneur de nostre Seigneur & en profiter
pour leur soulagement particulier. Certes si [170] estãs vn iour
Chrestiens, ils viennent à les aider à proportion de ce qu'ils sont à
present pour elles en vain; il faudra que nous leur cedions, ou que
nous les imitions; car ils n'y espargnent rien, non pas mesmes les
plus auaricieux. Nous en auons veu quelques-vns dénuez, ou peu s'en
faut, de toutes leurs commoditez, pour ce que plusieurs de leurs amis
estoient morts, aux ames desquels ils en auoient fait largesse. Au
surplus les chiens, les cerfs, les poissons & autres animaux ont des
ames immortelles & raisonnables à leur dire: Pour preuue dequoy les
vieillards racontent certaines fables qu'ils font passer pour veritez;
ils ne font mention ny de peine ny de recompense au lieu où vont les
ames apres la mort; aussi ne mettent-ils point de distinction entre les
bons & les mauuais, les vertueux & les vicieux, [171] & ils honorent
également la sepulture des vns & des autres: ainsi que nous auons veu
en celle d'vn ieune homme qui s'estoit empoisonné du déplaisir qu'il
auoit conceu, à raison qu'on luy auoit osté sa femme. Ils ont vne
infinité de superstitions, leurs festins, leur[s] medecines, leurs
pesches, leurs chasses, leurs guerres; bref quasi toute leur vie ne
roule que sur ce piuot; les songes sur tout ont icy grand credit.
This God and Goddess live like themselves, but without famine; make
feasts as they do, are lustful as they; in short, they imagine them
[168] exactly like themselves. And still, though they make them
human and corporeal, they seem nevertheless to attribute to them a
certain immensity in all places. They say that this _Eataentsic_
fell from the Sky, where there are inhabitants as on earth; and,
when she fell, she was with child. If you ask them who made the Sky
and its inhabitants, they have no other reply than that they know
nothing about it. And when we preach to them of one God, Creator of
Heaven and earth, and of all things, and even when we talk to them
of Hell and Paradise and of our other mysteries, the headstrong
savages reply that this is good for our Country and not for theirs;
that every Country has its own fashions. But having pointed out to
them, by means of a little globe that we had brought, that there is
[169] only one world, they remain without reply. I find in their
marriage customs two things that greatly please me; the first, that
they have only one wife; the second, that they do not marry their
relatives in a direct or collateral line, however distant they
may be. There is, on the other hand, sufficient to censure, were
it only the frequent changes the men make of their wives, and the
women of their husbands. They believe in the immortality of the
soul,[37] which they believe to be corporeal. The greatest part of
their Religion consists in this point. There are, besides, only
superstitions, which we hope by the grace of God to change into
true Religion, and, like spoils carried off from the enemy, to
consecrate them to the honor of our Lord, and to profit by them for
their special advantage. Certainly, if, [170] should they some day
be Christians, these superstitions help them in proportion to what
they do for them now in vain, it will be necessary that we yield
to them, or that we imitate them; for they spare nothing, not even
the most avaricious. We have seen several stripped, or almost so,
of all their goods, because several of their friends were dead, to
whose souls they had made presents. Moreover, dogs, deer, fish,
and other animals have, in their opinion, immortal and reasonable
souls. In proof of this, the old men relate certain fables, which
they represent as true; they make no mention either of punishment
or reward, in the place to which souls go after death. And so
they do not make any distinction between the good and the bad,
the virtuous and the vicious; [171] and they honor equally the
interment of both, even as we have seen in the case of a young man
who had poisoned himself from the grief he felt because his wife
had been taken away from him. Their superstitions are infinite;
their feasts, their medicines, their fishing, their hunting, their
wars,--in short, almost their whole life turns upon this pivot;
dreams, above all, have here great credit.
Tout ce pays, & ie crois qu'il en va de mesme ailleurs, ne manque pas
d'hommes meschans, lesquels par enuie ou par vengeance, ou autre motif,
empoisonnent ou ensorcellent, & en fin tost ou tard font mourir ceux
qu'ils entreprennent. Quand telles gens sont surpris, on les execute
sur le champ, sans autre forme de procés, & il n'en est autre bruit.
Pour les autres meurtres ils [172] les vengent sur toute la Nation
du meurtrier; aussi ne sçay-je que cette sorte de gens qu'ils facent
mourir impunément. I'ay bien connu vne fille larronnesse, qui fut aussi
tost assommée sans aucune recherche, mais ç'auoit esté par son propre
frere: s'il paroist quelque traistre qui machine la ruine du Pays, ils
taschent en commun de s'en défaire au plustost; mais ces accidens sont
fort rares.
This whole country, and I believe it is the same elsewhere, is not
lacking in wicked men, who, from motives of envy or vengeance, or
from other cause, poison or bewitch, and, in short, put to death
sooner or later those whom they wish to injure. When such people
are caught, they are put to death on the spot, without any form of
trial, and there is no disturbance about it. As to other murders,
they [172] are avenged upon the whole Nation of the murderer; so
that is the only class I know about that they put to death with
impunity. I knew indeed a girl that stole, who was at once killed
without any inquiry, but it was by her own brother. If some traitor
appears, who is planning the ruin of the Country, they endeavor in
common to get rid of him as soon as possible; but these accidents
are very rare.
Ils disent que ces Sorciers les ruinent; car si quelqu'vn a reüssy
en quelque entreprise, si la traitte, si la chasse luy a succedé;
aussi-tost ces méchans l'ensorcellent, ou quelque autre de sa maison,
afin qu'il consomme tout en Medecins & Medecines. Aussi pour remedier
à ces sorts, & autres maladies, il y a vne infinité de Medecins
qu'ils appellent _Arendiouane_. Ces gens à [173] mon aduis son[t]
vrays Sorciers, qui ont accez au Diable. Les vns ne font que iuger
du mal, & ce en diuerses facons, sçauoir est, par Pyromantie, par
Hydromantie, Negromantie, par festins, par danses & chansons. Les
autres s'efforcent de guerir le mal par souflemens, breuuages & autres
singeries ridicules, qui n'ont aucune vertu ny efficacité naturelle.
Mais les vns & les autres ne font rien sans grands presens, & sans
bonnes recompenses.
They say that the Sorcerers ruin them; for if any one has succeeded
in an enterprise, if his trading or hunting is successful,
immediately these wicked men bewitch him, or some member of his
family, so that they have to spend it all in Doctors and Medicines.
Hence, to cure these and other diseases, there are a large number
of Doctors whom they call _Arendiouane_. These persons, in [173]
my opinion, are true Sorcerers, who have access to the Devil.
Some only judge of the evil, and that in divers ways, namely, by
Pyromancy, by Hydromancy, Necromancy, by feasts, dances, and songs;
the others endeavor to cure the disease by blowing, by potions,
and by other ridiculous tricks, which have neither any virtue nor
natural efficacy. But neither class do anything without generous
presents and good pay.
On void en ce Pays quelques Deuins, qu'ils appellent encore
_Arendiouane_, & qui se meslent de faire tomber ou cesser la pluye, &
predire les choses futures. Le Diable leur reuele quelques secrets,
mais auec tant d'obscuritez, qu'on n'a garde de les arguer de mensonge:
témoin vn du village de _Scanonaenrat_ [174] lequel vn peu auparauant
l'embrasement des bourgades cy dessus mẽtionnées, auoit veu en songe
trois flammes qui tomboient du Ciel sur lesdites bourgades. Mais
le Diable ne luy auoit declaré le sens de cet enigme: car ayant
obtenu du village vn chien blanc pour en faire festin, & en impetrer
l'intelligence, il demeura aussi ignorant apres comme auparauant.
There are here some Soothsayers, whom they call also _Arendiouane_
and who undertake to cause the rain to fall or to cease, and to
predict future events. The Devil reveals to them some secrets,
but with so much obscurity that one is unable to accuse them of
falsehood; witness one of the village of _Scanonaenrat_[38] [174]
who, a little while before the burning of the villages before
mentioned, had seen in a dream three flames falling from the Sky on
those villages. But the Devil had not declared to him the meaning
of this enigma; for, having obtained from the village a white dog,
to make a feast with it and to seek information by it, he remained
as ignorant afterward as before.
Dernierement comme i'estois chez Louys de saincte Foy, vne vieille
sorciere ou deuineresse dudit village, dist qu'elle auoit veu ceux
qui estoient allez à la guerre, qu'ils reuenoient, & amenoient vn
prisonnier. Nous verrons si elle a dit vray: son procedé est par
pyromantie: elle vous figure en sa cabane le lac des Hiroquois, puis
d'vn costé elle fait autant de feux comme il y a de personnes qui ont
marché en [175] campagn[e]; & de l'autre costé encore autant de feux,
qu'ils ont d'ennemis à combattre. Puis si son sort reüssit, elle donne
à entendre que les feux de deça ont trauersé, & cela signifie, que
les guerriers ont desia passé le lac. Vn feu qui y esteint l'autre,
marque vn ennemy défait, que si il l'attire à soy sans l'esteindre,
c'est vn prisonnier pris à mercy. C'est ainsi, pour finir ce discours,
qui seroit trop long, si ie voulois tout dire, que le Diable amuse ce
pauure peuple, substituant ses impietez & superstitions, en la place
de la conformité, qu'ils deuroient auoir à la prouidence de Dieu, & du
culte qu'ils luy deuroient rendre.
Lastly, when I was in the house of Louys de saincte Foy, an old
woman, a sorceress, or female soothsayer of that village, said
she had seen those who had gone to the war, and that they were
bringing back a prisoner. We shall see if she has spoken the
truth. Her method is by pyromancy. She draws for you in her hut
the lake of the Hiroquois;[39] then on one side she makes as many
fires as there are persons who have gone on [175] the expedition,
and on the other as many fires as they have enemies to fight.
Then, if her spell succeeds, she lets it be understood that the
fires from this side have run over, and that signifies that the
warriors have already crossed the lake. One fire extinguishing
another marks an enemy defeated; but if it attracts it to itself
without extinguishing it, that is a prisoner taken at mercy. It
is thus,--to finish my discourse, which would be too long if I
tried to say everything,--that the Devil amuses this poor people,
substituting his impieties and superstitions in place of the
compliance they ought to have with the providence of God, and the
worship they ought to render him.
Quant à ce qui concerne les mœurs, les Hurons sont lascifs, quoy
qu'en deux chefs moins que plusieurs Chrestiens, qui rougiront [176]
vn iour deuant eux. Vous n'y verrez point de baisers, ny de caresses
deshonnestez; & dans le mariage vn homme y demeurera les deux & trois
ans entiers, sans cognoistre sa femme, tandis qu'elle est nourrice.
Ils sont gourmands iusques à rendre gorge: vray est que cela n'est pas
souuent, mais seulement en quelques festins superstitieux. Encore ne
s'y trouuent-ils pas volontiers; & d'ailleurs ils supportent beaucoup
mieux la faim que nous; si bien qu'apres auoir ieusné les deux ou
trois iours entiers, vous en verrez encore ramer, porter, chanter,
rire, gausser, cõme s'ils auoiẽt biẽ disné. Ils sont fort faineants,
menteurs, larrons, importuns demandeurs. Quelques-vns les estiment
vindicatifs; mais pour moy ie crois que ce vice est plus notable
ailleurs qu'icy. On y voit reluire d'assez belles vertus [177] morales.
Vous y remarquez en premier lieu vne grande amour & vnion, qu'ils
sont soigneux de cultiuer par le moyen de leurs mariages, de leurs
presens, de leurs festins, & de leurs frequentes visites. Au retour
de leur pesche, de leur chasse, & de leur traitte, ils s'entredonnent
beaucoup: s'ils y ont pris quelque chose d'exquis, ou mesme s'ils l'ont
acheté, ou si on le leur a donné, ils en font festin à tout le village:
l'hospitalité enuers toute sorte d'estrãgers y est remarquable. Ils
leur presentẽt en ces festins ce qu'ils ont preparé de meilleur, & cõme
i'ay desia dit, ie ne sçay si ailleurs il se recontre rien de pareil
en ce sujet. Il me semble auoir leu dans les vies [des] Peres, qu'vne
armée Payenne se conuertit, voyant la charité & l'hospitalité d'vne
ville Chrestienne, dont les habitans s'efforçoient à l'enuy de [178]
caresser & festoyer les Estrangers. Iugeant bien que ceux-là deuoient
professer la vraye Religion, & adorer le vray Dieu Pere commun de
tous, qui auoient vn cœur si benin, & faisoient indifferemment tant de
bien à toute sorte de personnes. Nous auons aussi esperance que nostre
Seigneur donnera en fin la lumiere de sa cognoissance, & communiquera
l'ardeur de ses graces à cette Nation, qu'il semble y auoir disposée
par la pratique de cette belle vertu. Ils ne refusent iamais la porte
à vn Estranger; & l'ayans receu vne fois en leur maison, ils luy font
part de ce qu'ils y ont de meilleur: ils ne luy donnent iamais son
congé; & quand il le prend de soy-mesme, il en est quitte pour vn
simple grand-mercy. Cela me fait esperer, que si vne fois il plaist
à Dieu de les illuminer, ils correspondront parfaictement [179] aux
graces & aux inspirations de son Fils. Et puis qu'il est venu comme
Estranger en sa propre maison, ie me promets que ces bonnes gens le
receuront à toutes heures en leur cœur, sans le faire attendre à la
porte par trop de dureté; sans luy rien espargner en toute l'estenduë
de leurs affections: sans le trahir & le chasser dehors par quelque
faute signalée, & sans rien pretendre en son seruice que son honneur
& sa gloire: qui est tout ce qu'on peut souhaitter de fidelité en vne
ame, pour le bon vsage & sainct employ des faueurs du Ciel.
As regards morals, the Hurons are lascivious, although in two
leading points less so than many Christians, who will blush [176]
some day in their presence. You will see no kissing nor immodest
caressing; and in marriage a man will remain two or three years
apart from his wife, while she is nursing. They are gluttons, even
to disgorging; it is true, that does not happen often, but only
in some superstitious feasts,--these, however, they do not attend
willingly. Besides, they endure hunger much better than we,--so
well that after having fasted two or three entire days you will see
them still paddling, carrying loads, singing, laughing, bantering,
as if they had dined well. They are very lazy, are liars, thieves,
pertinacious beggars. Some consider them vindictive; but, in my
opinion, this vice is more noticeable elsewhere than here. We see
shining among them some rather noble moral [177] virtues. You note,
in the first place, a great love and union, which they are careful
to cultivate by means of their marriages, of their presents, of
their feasts, and of their frequent visits. On returning from their
fishing, their hunting, and their trading, they exchange many
gifts; if they have thus obtained something unusually good, even
if they have bought it, or if it has been given to them, they make
a feast to the whole village with it. Their hospitality towards
all sorts of strangers is remarkable; they present to them in
their feasts the best of what they have prepared, and, as I have
already said, I do not know if anything similar, in this regard,
is to be found elsewhere. I think I have read, in the lives of the
Fathers, that a Pagan army was converted on seeing the charity and
hospitality of a Christian town, the inhabitants of which vied with
each other in [178] caressing and feasting the Strangers,--judging
well that those must profess the true Religion and worship the true
God, the common Father of all, who had hearts so benign and who
did so much good to all sorts of persons, without distinction. We
have also hope that our Lord will give at last the light of his
knowledge, and will communicate the fire of his graces, to this
Nation, which he seems to have disposed thereto by the practice of
this noble virtue. They never close the door upon a Stranger, and,
once having received him into their houses, they share with him the
best they have; they never send him away, and, when he goes away of
his own accord, he repays them by a simple "thank you." This makes
me hope that, if once it pleases God to illumine them, they will
respond perfectly [179] to the grace and inspiration of his Son.
And, since he has come as a Stranger into his own house, I promise
myself that these good people will receive him at all hours into
their hearts without making him wait too long on account of their
hardness, without withholding from him anything in the whole range
of their affections, without betraying him or driving him outside
by any serious fault, and without claiming anything in his service
other than his honor and glory; which is all the fidelity one can
ask in a soul for the good use and holy employment of the favors of
Heaven.
Que diray-je de leur estrange patience dans leur pauureté, disette
& maladies? Nous auons veu cette année les villages entiers sur la
litiere, nourris d'vn peu de sagamité insipide, & cependant pas vn mot
pour se plaindre, pas vn mouuement [180] d'impatience. Ils reçoiuent
bien plus constamment la nouuelle de la mort, que ces Messieurs & Dames
de la Chrestienté, à qui on en oseroit ouurir la bouche. Nos Sauuages
l'entendent non seulement sans desespoir, mais sans se troubler,
sans pallir ou blesmir tant soit peu. Nous auons sur tout admiré la
constance de nos nouueaux Chrestiens: le penultiéme qui est mort,
nommé Ioseph _Oatij_ a demeuré sur la dure l'espace de quatre ou cinq
mois, tant deuant qu'apres son Baptesme, si décharné qu'il n'auoit
que les os; dãs vne cabane si chetiue, que les vents y souffloient de
tous costez, couuert pendant les froidures de l'hyuer d'vne peau fort
legere, de bestes noires ou d'escurieux noirs, nourry fort pauuremẽt.
On ne l'a cependant iamais ouy faire aucune plainte. Nostre Seigneur
Iesus-Christ soit à iamais [181] loüé. C'est sur ces dispositions &
fondemens, que nous esperons auec la grace de Dieu bastir l'edifice
de la Religiõ Chrestienne parmy ce peuple, qui desia d'ailleurs nous
est grandemẽt affectiõné, & a vne grãde opinion de nous. C'est à nous
maintenãt à correspõdre à nostre vocatiõ, & à la voix de N. S. qui
nous dit, _videte regiones, quoniam albæ sunt iam ad messẽ_. Il est
vray, mon R. P. que _messis multa, operarij pauci_, & de plus nous
nous trouuõs fort foibles pour vne si grãde entreprise; au moins moy;
& partant ie supplie nostre R. P. Prouincial & V. R. de nous enuoyer
du secours. Sur quoy ie m'escrierois volõtiers au bon Dieu, _mitte
quem missurus es_; car pour nous, nous sõmes des enfans qui ne faisons
que begayer. Cependant nous confians en la bonté de N. Seign. & non en
nos propres forces & industries, voicy ce que [182] nous auons fait
pour la conuersion de ce Peuple, depuis nostre arriuée. Premierement
nous-nous sommes employez en l'estude de la langue, qui à cause de la
diuersité de ses mots composez est quasi infinie. On ne peut neantmoins
rien faire sans cét estude. Tous les François qui sont icy s'y sont
ardemment portez, ramenant l'ancien vsage d'escrire sur des escorces
de bouleau faute de papier. Les P. Dauost & Daniel y ont trauaillé par
dessus tous. Ils y sçauẽt autant de mots que moy, & peut-estre plus.
Mais ils n'ont pas encore la prattique pour les former & assembler
promptement; quoy que le Pere Daniel s'explique desia passablement.
Pour moy qui y fais leçon à nos François, si Dieu ne m'assiste
extraordinairement, encor me faudra-il aller long temps à l'escole des
Sauuages, telle est la fecondité [183] de leur langue. Cela n'empesche
pas que ie n'entende quasi tout ce qu'ils disent, & que ie ne leur
face assez comprendre mes conceptions, mesmes dans l'explication de
nos plus ineffables mystres. Apres cela, nous nous sommes employez à
la visite, sollicitation & instruction des malades, qui ont esté comme
i'ay dit en tres-grand nombre; ç'a esté dãs ce pieux exercice que nous
auons acquis des ames à nostre Seigneur, iusques au nombre de treize.
La premiere fut vne petite fil[l]ette de ce village aagée seulement de
quatre ou cinq mois, elle mourut vn quart d'heure après son baptesme,
auquel elle fut nõmée Iosephe, pour accomplir vn vœu que i'auois faict
de donner ce nom au premier que nous regenererions des sainctes eaux,
en recognoissance de tant de faueurs que nous auons receu & receuons
[184] par l'entremise de ce grand Sainct. Ce fut le sixiesme Septembre
1634. La deuxiesme, fut vne autre petite fille d'enuirõ deux ans, que
nous baptisames le lendemain; elle mourut l'onziesme du mesme mois &
an, ayant esté nommée Marie.
What shall I say of their strange patience in their poverty, famine,
and sickness? We have seen this year whole villages prostrated,
their food a little insipid sagamité; and yet not a word of
complaint, not a movement [180] of impatience. They receive
indeed the news of death with more constancy than those Christian
Gentlemen and Ladies to whom one would not dare to mention it.
Our Savages hear of it not only without despair, but without
troubling themselves, without the slightest pallor or change of
countenance. We have especially admired the constancy of our
new Christians. The next to the last one who died, named Joseph
_Oatij_, lay on the bare ground during four or five months, not
only before but after his Baptism,--so thin that he was nothing
but bones; in a lodge so wretched that the winds blew in on all
sides; covered during the cold of winter with a very light skin
of some black animals, perhaps black squirrels, and very poorly
nourished. He was never heard to make a complaint, however. May our
Lord Jesus Christ be ever [181] praised. It is on such dispositions
and foundations that we hope, with the grace of God, to build the
edifice of the Christian Religion among these people, who, besides,
are already affectionately inclined toward us and have a great
opinion of us. It is now our part to correspond to our vocation,
and to the voice of Our Savior, who says to us, _videte regiones,
quoniam albæ sunt iam ad messem_. It is true, my Reverend Father,
that _messis multa, operarii pauci_, and, besides, we are very
weak for so great an enterprise, at least I am, and therefore
I beseech our Reverend Father Provincial and Your Reverence to
send us help. For this I could cry willingly to the good God,
_mitte quem missurus es_; as for us, we are children, who can only
stammer. Yet see what we, trusting in the goodness of Our Lord,
and not in our own strength and skill, [182] have done for the
conversion of this People since our arrival. In the first place, we
have been employed in the study of the language, which, on account
of the diversity of its compound words, is almost infinite. One
can, nevertheless, do nothing without this study. All the French
who are here have eagerly applied themselves to it, reviving the
ancient usage of writing on birch-bark, for want of paper.
Fathers Davost and Daniel have worked at it, beyond all; they know
as many words as I, and perhaps more; but they have not yet had
practice in forming and joining them together promptly, although
Father Daniel already explains himself passably well. As for me,
who give lessons therein to our French, if God does not assist me
extraordinarily, I shall yet have to go a long time to the school
of the Savages, so prolific is [183] their language. That does not
prevent me from understanding almost all they say, and from making
them fairly understand my meaning, even in the explanation of our
most ineffable mysteries. In addition, we have employed ourselves
in visiting, entreating, and instructing the sick, who have been,
as I have said, very numerous. It has been in this pious exercise
that we have won souls for our Lord, to the number of thirteen.
The first was a little girl of this village, only four or five
months old; she died a quarter of an hour after her baptism, in
which she was named Josepha, to fulfill a vow I had made to give
this name to the first that we should regenerate with the holy
waters,--in gratitude for so many favors that we have received and
are receiving [184] by the interposition of that great Saint. This
was on the sixth of September, 1634. The second was another little
girl, about two years of age, whom we baptized on the next day. She
died on the eleventh of the same month and year, having been named
Marie.