France and England in North America, Part IV: The Old Régime In CanadaParkman, Francis
History
France and England in North America, Part IV: The Old Régime In Canada
Parkman, Francis
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France)
These things were as nothing compared with the marvel that befell a nun
of the hospital, Mother Catherine de Saint-Augustin, who died five years
later, in the odor of sanctity. On the night of the fourth of February,
1663, she beheld in the spirit four furious demons at the four corners
of Quebec, shaking it with a violence which plainly showed their purpose
of reducing it to ruins; “and this they would have done,” says
the story, “if a personage of admirable beauty and ravishing majesty
[_Christ_], whom she saw in the midst of them, and who, from time to
time, gave rein to their fury, had not restrained them when they were
on the point of accomplishing their wicked design.” She also heard the
conversation of these demons, to the effect that people were now well
frightened, and many would be converted; but this would not last
long, and they, the demons, would have them in time, “Let us keep on
shaking,” they cried, encouraging each other, “and do our best to
upset every thing.” **
Now, to pass from visions to facts: “At half-past five o’clock on
the morning of the fifth,” writes Father Lalemant, “a great roaring
sound was heard at the same time through the whole extent
* Lalemant, Relation, 1663, 6.
** Ragueneau, Vie de Catherine de St. Augustin, Liv. IV.
chap. i. The same story is told by Juchereau, Lalemant, and
Marie de l'Incarnation, to whom Charlevoix erroneously
ascribes the vision, as does also the Abbe La Tour.
of Canada. This sound, which produced an effect as if the houses were
on fire, brought everybody out of doors; but instead of seeing smoke and
flame, they were amazed to behold the walls shaking, and all the stones
moving as if they would drop from their places. The houses seemed
to bend first to one side and then to the other. Bells sounded of
themselves; beams, joists, and planks cracked; the ground heaved, making
the pickets of the palisades dance in a way that would have seemed
incredible had we not seen it in divers places.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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