12 I passed twenty-four hours when, seeing that we were pursued by the Turks in leaving la manche [English Channel], I expected nothing else than to fall into their hands, to be loaded with chains and to live in slavery. In the midst of these natural fears, lo! a strong thought took possession of my heart, and said to me "Ha! what good fortune it would be to be able to imitate saint Paul, and to see myself in fetters [229] for the love of Jesus, who was bound for me, and treated as a slave and as the King of thieves." This sweet thought had so much power over my soul that I had more desire for those chains than fear of captivity. 13 Trois puissantes pensées consolent vn bon cœur, qui est dans les forests infinies de la Nouuelle France, ou parmy les Hurons. La premiere est, ie suis au lieu où Dieu m'a enuoyé, où il m'a mené comme par la main, où il est auec moy, & où ie ne cherche que luy seul. La deuxiéme est, ce que dit Dauid; selon la mesure des douleurs que ie souffre pour Dieu, ses Diuines consolations réjoüyssent mõ ame. La troisiéme, que iamais on ne trouue ny Croix, ny cloux, ny espines, que si on regarde bien, on ne trouue I. C. au milieu. Or peut-on estre mal quand on est en [230] compagnie du Fils de Dieu viuant. 13 Three mighty thoughts console a good heart which is in the infinite forests of New France, or among the Hurons. The first is, "I am in the place where God has sent me, where he has led me as if by the hand, where he is with me, and where I seek him alone." The second is, in the words of David, "according to the measure of the pain I endure for God, his Divine consolations rejoice my soul." The third, that we never find Crosses, nails, nor thorns, in the midst of which, if we look closely, we do not find J.C. [Jesus Christ]. Now, can a person go wrong when he is in [230] the company of the Son of the living God? 14 Quand ie me veois assiegé de flots homicides, de forests infinies, & de mille dangers, il me vient à l'esprit ceste riche parole de S. Ignace martyr: _Nunc incipio esse Christi discipulus_: c'est auiourd'huy que ie commẽce d'estre de la Cõpagnie de Iesus; car à quoy seruent tant d'exercices, tant de Meditations feruentes, tant de desirs boüillans? tout cela n'est que du vẽt, si on ne les met en pratique; tellement que la vieille France est bonne pour conceuoir de bons desirs, mais la Nouuelle est propre pour l'execution: ce qu'on desire en l'ancienne France, c'est ce qu'on fait dans la Nouuelle.