The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 5: Quebec, 1632-1633
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 5: Quebec, 1632-1633
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
poor abandoned creature. He, who honored us with his affection,
granted our request readily; now this poor boy, seeing that he has
lost the friendship of sieur de [32] Caën, goes over to sieur du
Plessis.[34] This was but going from bad to worse. For sieur du
Plessis, knowing his knavish tricks, and desiring that he should
live with us, rejected him, promising him his friendship provided
that he would spend some months in our house, where he might resume
the duties of a good Christian. Monsieur de Caën treated him in
the same way; behold him thus excluded from the fort. Nothing was
lacking but that he should in some way be abandoned by the Savages
also. He had married the daughter of Manitougache; she, having
become somewhat dissatisfied with him, left him. Such are the
nuptial ties of the Savages, who bind themselves by only a loose
knot; but little is necessary to separate them, unless they have
children, for then they do not leave each other so easily.
Estant donc ainsi rebuté, il se vint ietter entre nos bras qui
n'estoient [33] que trop ouuerts pour luy, nous luy procurasmes vn
habit de Frãçois, que le valet de chambre du sieur du Plessis luy
donna, bref nous luy fismes tout l'accueil qui nous fut possible,
rendans mille graces au bon Dieu de ce qu'il luy auoit pleu exaucer nos
prieres.
Being thus repulsed, he came and threw himself into our arms, which
were only [33] too widely opened for him. We provided him with a
suit of French clothes, that a valet de chambre of sieur du Plessis
gave him. In short, we gave him as warm a welcome as was possible,
returning a thousand thanks to the good God for having answered our
prayers.
Ayant donc ceste commodité, ie me mets à trauailler sans cesse,
ie fay des coniugaisons, declinaisons, quelque petite syntaxe, vn
dictionnaire, auec vne peine incroyable, car il me falloit quelquefois
demander vingt questions pour auoir la cognoissance d'vn mot, tant mon
maistre peu duit à enseigner varioit. O que ie suis obligé à ceux qui
m'enuoierent l'an passé du Petum. Les Sauuages l'aiment déreglement.
A toutes les difficultez que ie rencõtrois, i'en donnois vn bout à mõ
maistre pour le rendre plus attentif. Ie [34] ne sçaurois assez rendre
graces à Nostre Seigneur de cet heureux rencontre. En tant d'années
qu'on a esté en ces païs, on n'a iamais rien pû tirer de l'interprete
ou truchement nommé Marsolet, qui pour excusé disoit qu'il auoit iuré
qu'il ne donneroit rien du lãgage des Sauuages à qui que ce fût. Le
Pere Charles Lallemant le gagna, ie pense auoir ce qu'il luy bailla,
mais cela ne m'eut de rien seruy, l'œconomie de la langue toute
differente de celles d'Europe n'est point declarée là dedans. Que Dieu
soit beny pour vn iamais, sa prouidence est adorable, & sa bonté n'a
point de limites.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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