The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 8: Quebec, Hurons, Cape Breton, 1634-1636
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 8: Quebec, Hurons, Cape Breton, 1634-1636
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
L'autre aduantage que nous remarquons icy, pour la predication de
l'Euangile, est en la fidelité, & en l'honnesteté que nous y voyons
reluire, comme deux clairs rayons de lumiere, au milieu des tenebres.
On n'a que faire de se défier de nos Sauuages, ou de prendre garde à
leurs mains & à leurs pieds, comme en quelques autres, qui attirent
tout à eux, & s'accommodent de tout ce qu'ils treuuent à leur
bienfeance. Tout leur est ouuert en tout lieu, & si rien n'est en
danger deuant eux, quand ils feroient seuls en vne cabane, & sans
pouuoir estre apperceus de personne. Pour l'honnesteté, ils l'ont en
telle recõmandation, au moins quãt à ce qui se void à l'exterieur,
en leurs actions & paroles, qu'il y a de l'apparence [216] qu'ils se
leueront au dernier iour, & condamneront plusieurs Chrestiens, qui
l'auront moins cultiuée en la Loy de grace, que ne font ces pauures
gens, en celle de nature.
The other encouragement we see here, for the preaching of the
Gospel, is in the honesty and decency that we see shining forth in
them like two bright rays of light in the midst of darkness. We
never think of distrusting our Savages, or of watching their hands
and their feet, as with some others who attract everything to them
and appropriate all they find at their convenience. Everything is
free to them in all places, and yet nothing is in danger in their
presence, even if they are alone in a cabin and where no one can
see them. As to decency, they hold it in such high estimation,
at least as far as external appearances are concerned, in their
actions and words, that there is a probability [216] that they will
rise up on the last day and condemn many Christians, who will have
cultivated this virtue less under the Law of grace, than these poor
people have under that of nature.
Nous ne leur auons iamais oüy dire parole messeante, ny veu faire
aucune action trop libre, quoy que nous ayons vescu assez familierement
auec eux, dedans & hors de leurs cabanes.
We have never heard them use unseemly words, nor seen any actions
too free, although we have lived on familiar terms with them inside
and outside their cabins.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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