The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 7: Quebec, Hurons, Cape Breton, 1634-1635
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 7: Quebec, Hurons, Cape Breton, 1634-1635
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
Que si vous me demandez maintenant quels estoient mes sentimens dans
les afres de la mort, & d'vne mort si langoureuse comme est celle qui
prouient de la famine, ie vous diray que i'ay de la peine à répondre;
neantmoins afin que ceux qui liront ce Chapitre, n'apprehendent point
de nous venir secourir, ie puis asseurer auec verité que ce temps
de famine m'a esté vn temps d'abondance. Ayant recogneu que nous
commençions à floter entre l'esperance de la vie & la crainte de la
mort, ie fis mon conte que Dieu m'auoit condamné à mourir de faim pour
mes pechez, & baisant mille fois la main qui auoit minuté ma sentence,
i'en attendois l'execution auec vne paix & une ioye qu'on peut bien
sentir, mais qu'on ne peut décrire: ie confesse qu'on souffre, & qu'il
se faut resoudre à la Croix: mais Dieu fait gloire d'ayder vne ame
quand elle n'est plus secouruë des creatures. Poursuiuons nostre chemin.
Now if you were to ask me what my feelings were in the terrors of
death, and of a death so lingering as is that which comes from
hunger, I will say that I can hardly tell. Nevertheless, in order
that those who read this Chapter may not have a dread of coming
over to our assistance, I can truly say that this time of famine
was for me a time of abundance. When I realized that we began to
hover between the hope of life and the fear of death, I made up
my mind that God had condemned me to die of starvation for my
sins; and, a thousand times kissing the hand that had written
my sentence, I awaited the execution of it with a peace and joy
which may be experienced, but cannot be described. I confess that
one suffers, and that he must reconcile himself to the Cross; but
God glories in helping a soul when it is no longer aided by his
creatures. Let us continue on our way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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