The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 6: Quebec, 1633-1634
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 6: Quebec, 1633-1634
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
The Savages, wishing to care for him in their way, with their
songs, their uproar, and their other superstitions, tried several
times to take him away from us, even going so far as to bring
a sledge upon which to take him back, and one of [19] their
sorcerers or jugglers came to see him, for the express purpose
of enticing him away from our belief; but the good Neophyte held
firm, answering that they should not speak to him about going
away, and that he would not leave us unless we sent him away. It
is no slight indication of the efficacy of the grace of holy
Baptism, to see a man who had been steeped for over sixty years in
Barbarism, accustomed to all the ways of the Savages, imbued with
their errors and with their illusions, resist his own wife, his
children, his sons-in-law, his friends and his fellow-savages, his
_Manitousiouets_, sorcerers or jugglers, not once but many times,
to throw himself into the arms of strangers, protesting that he
wished to embrace their belief, to die in their Faith and in their
house. This shows that grace can give stability to the soul of a
Savage, who is by nature inconstant.
En fin, apres auoir instruit nostre bon Ioseph du Sacrement de
l'Extreme-Onction, nous luy conferasmes, & iustement le Samedy Sainct
son ame partit de son corps, pour s'en aller celebrer [20] la feste
de Pasques au Ciel. L'vn de ses gendres l'ayant veu fort bas, estoit
demeuré aupres de luy pour voir comme nous l'enseuelirions apres sa
mort, desirant qu'on luy donnast vne Castelogne & son petunoir, pour
s'en seruir en l'autre monde: mais comme il alloit porter la nouuelle
de cette mort à la femme du deffunct, nous l'enseuelismes à la fàçon
de l'Eglise Catholique, honorant ses obseques le mieux qu'il nous fut
possible. Monsieur de Champlain pour tesmoigner l'amour & l'honneur que
nous portons à ceux qui meurent Chrestiens, fist quitter le trauail à
ses gens, & nous les enuoya pour assister à l'office, nous gardasmes
le plus exactement qu'il nous fut possible les ceremonies de l'Eglise,
ce qui agrea infiniment aux parens de ce nouueau Chrestien; vne chose
neantmoins leur depleut quand on vint à mettre le corps dans la fosse,
ils s'apperceurent qu'il y auoit vn peu d'eauë au fonds, à raison que
les neiges se fondoient pour lors & degouttoient là dedans, cela leur
frappa l'imagination, & comme ils sont [21] superstitieux les attrista
vn petit. Cet erreur ne sera pas difficile à combatre quand on sçaura
bien leur langue; voila à mon aduis les premiers des Sauuages adultes
baptisez, & morts constans en la foy dans ces contrées.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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