Canada -- Description and travel; Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada
"In Montreal and Trois Rivières they are lodged in almost the same
manner as here. They do not endeavor to choose cunning fellows among
them, but take all they can get. They do not torment their brains with
much learning; and I have been assured that, after they have put on
their monastic habit, they do not study to increase their knowledge, but
forget even what little they knew before. At night they generally lie on
mats, or some other hard mattresses. However, I have sometimes seen good
beds in the cells of some of them. They have no possessions here, having
made vows of poverty, and live chiefly on the alms which people give
them. To this purpose the young monks, or brothers, go into the houses
with a bag, and beg what they want. They have no congregations in the
country, but sometimes they go among the Indians as missionaries.
"In each fort, which contains forty men, the king keeps one of these
monks instead of a priest, who officiates there. The king gives him
lodging, provisions, servants, and all he wants, besides two hundred
livres a year. Half of it he sends to the community he belongs to; the
other half he reserves for his own use. On board the king's ships are
generally no other priests than these friars, who are therefore looked
upon as people belonging to the king. When one of the chief priests[219]
in the country dies, and his place can not immediately be filled up,
they send one of these friars there, to officiate while the place is
vacant. Part of these monks come over from France, and part are natives
of Canada.
"There are no other monks in Canada besides these, except, now and then,
one of the order of St. Austin, or some other who comes with one of the
king's ships, but goes off with it again.
"The priests are the second and most numerous class of the clergy in
this country; for most of the churches, both in towns and villages (the
Indian converts excepted), are served by priests. A few of them are
likewise missionaries. In Canada are two seminaries: one in Quebec, the
other in Montreal. The priests of the seminary of Montreal are of the
order of St. Sulpitius, and supply only the congregation on the isle of
Montreal, and the town of the same name. At all the other churches in
Canada the priests belonging to the Quebec seminary officiate. The
former, or those of the order of St. Sulpitius, all come from France;
and I was assured that they never suffer a native of Canada to come
among them.
"In the seminary at Quebec, the natives of Canada make the greater part.
"In order to fit the children of this country for orders, there are
schools at Quebec and St. Joachim, where the youths are taught Latin,
and instructed in the knowledge of those things and sciences which have
a more immediate connection with the business they are intended for.
"However, they are not very nice in their choice, and people of a
middling capacity are often received among them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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