The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 4: Acadia and Quebec, 1616-1629
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 4: Acadia and Quebec, 1616-1629
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
Now there was an English Puritan, master of the larger vessel, more
malicious than all the others, yet hypocritical, for he made the
finest pretensions in the world: but the other Englishmen advised
us not to trust him, as he was wickedly prejudiced against us.
So this man, seeing his opportunity, persuaded the Captain and
Lieutenant, who he saw were aroused, to leave the Jesuit on shore,
saying he did not deserve that the English should give him food
since he had tried to prevent them from obtaining it, [269 i.e.,
271] and offering a thousand other arguments. I know not what
rescued the Jesuit so opportunely from this danger, unless it were
his simplicity. For just as if he had been highly favored, and
had great influence with these English, he dropped upon his knees
before the Captain, two different times and upon two different
occasions, to move him to pity towards the French of Port Royal
who were wandering about through the woods, and to persuade him
to leave them some food, their boat, and other means of passing
the Winter. And see now what different requests were being made
to this Captain: for at the same time that Father Biard was thus
petitioning him in behalf of the French, a Frenchman was shouting
out from afar, with most scandalous insults and abuse, that he
ought to be slain. Now Argal (who has a noble [270 i.e., 272]
heart), seeing the so sincere affection of the Jesuit, and, on
the other hand, the so brutal and infuriated inhumanity of this
Frenchman, who remembered neither his own country, nor kindnesses,
nor Religion, nor was crushed by God's afflicting rod, considered
that it would always be a reproach and disgrace to him, if, without
trial and hearing from both sides, he should cast off, on account
of a sly and cunning accusation, him to whom he had given his word.
And so he rejected both the persuasions of the Englishman, and
the rage of the Frenchman, looking upon the Jesuit all the more
favorably as he saw that, however much he was attacked, there was
no change or deterioration in his conduct.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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