The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 2: Acadia, 1612-1614
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 2: Acadia, 1612-1614
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
piety, carried her to a separate cabin and there fed her and cared
for her; and, after teaching her as much as was necessary for one
struggling with death, we cleansed her with the saving waters. On
her death, nine days later, we entertained the glad hope that our
labor had found some favor in heaven. We soon found opportunity for
another deed of charity not dissimilar to this, though its result
was more auspicious. This was in the case of the second son of that
famous Chief Membertou, whom I have already mentioned as having
received our doctrines first of all the Soriquois.
Huius ego filium extremo iam discrimine periclitantem inuisi: reperio
pro more veteri de ipsius bonis tabagiam, hoc est epulum solemne,
vt scilicet post epulas non sicut Iacob benediceret suis, [29] sed
valediceret, ac deinde cōclamaretur, & cōclamato canes præmitterentur
ad interitū. Increpaui ego, vt potui, per interpretē paganicos hos
mores in iam Christianis. Benignè respōdit pater ipse Membertou
neophytos se esse, verum imperarem; in mea potestate esse omnia. Negaui
ego licitam esse illam occisionē canum, aut deplorati derelictionem;
choreas, cantusvé funestos ægroto ipso inspectāte mihi non placere;
ipsam alioqui tabagiam, & piam in extremis agētis consalutationem ac
mandata permisi. Responderunt omnes sibi hoc satis esse, reliqua sese
reiecturos. Cæterum D. Potrincurtij nomine ipsos inuitaui, vt ægrū
in ipsius ædes deportarēt (aberat enim valde procul) sperare nos de
misericordia DEI fore, vt conualescat, quò tandē intelligant falsas
atqʒ impias esse, aut momorū suorū, hoc est fatidicorū denunciationes.
Paruerunt illi, atqʒ ad nos depositum triduo pòst, hoc est semianimē
detulerunt. Quid multa? Fecit dextera Dñi virtutem: non est mortuus,
sed vixit; & nunc incolumis narrat opera [30] Dñi. Hoc exemplo commotus
senior ipse Membertou cum eam invaletudinem sensisset, quæ postrema
illi fuit, deportari ipse vltro, ad nos voluit, atqʒ adeò in nostrum
ipsorum tuguriolū, & si placet, in lectum ipsum alterius nostrū. Ibi
decumbentem quinqʒ dies prosecuti sumus omni nō solum officio, sed
etiam famulatu. At sexto die cùm iam vxor eius aduenisset, & cerneret
ipsa vix alteri nostrū, quo miserè humi decubaret, locum esse in
tuguriolo derelictū, aliò suapte sponte demigrauit, vbi & piam mortē
obijt. Certè hunc reperimus (quippe Domini primitias ab hac gēte)
præter cæteros mirabiliter solitū intrinsecus adeò moueri, multò vt
ipse plus de nostra fide conciperet, quàm quantū potuisset auditione
accipere. Itaqʒ solebat ipse crebrò dictitare, valde optare se, vt citò
linguā nossemus. Continuò. n. postquam id perdidicisset, se futurū apud
gentem suam cœlestis verbi ac doctrinæ prædicatorem. Dederat ipse in
mādatis, vt antiquo in monumēto cū demortua prius familia (quā sciebā
paganicè obijsse) [31] sepeliretur. Ego rē improbaui, veritus scilicet,
ne vel Galli, vel etiā Gētiles hoc interpretarētur in fidei nostræ
iniuriā.
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