14 When I see myself surrounded by murderous waves, by infinite forests, and by a thousand dangers there comes to mind that precious saying of the martyred St. Ignace, _Nunc incipio esse Christi discipulus_: to-day I begin to be of the Company of Jesus. For what avail so many exercises, so many fervent Meditations, so many eager desires? all these are nothing but wind, if we do not put them into practice. So old France is fitted to conceive noble desires, but the New is adapted to their execution; that one desires in old France is what one does in the New. 15 Ie ne sçay que c'est que le pays des Hurons, où Dieu m'enuoye par vne misericorde infinie: mais ie sçay bien que i'ayme mieux y aller qu'au Paradis Terrestre, puisque ie vois [231] que Dieu en a ordonné de la sorte. Chose estrange! que plus i'y vois de Croix preparées, & plus le cœur me rit, & y volle; car quel bõ-heur de ne voir rien de ses yeux que des Sauuages, des Croix, & Iesus-Christ: en ma vie ie n'ay bien compris en France, que c'estoit de se défier totalement de soy-mesme, & se confier en Dieu seul: mais ie dis seul, & sans meslange d'aucune creature. _Maior est Deus corde nostro._ Dieu est plus grand que nos cœurs: cela est euidẽt en la Nouuelle France, & c'est vne consolation du tout ineffable, que quand on ne trouue plus rien, aussi tost on rencontre Dieu, qui se communique plus abondamment aux bons cœurs. 15 I do not know what the country of the Hurons is, where God sends me in his infinite mercy, but I do know that I would rather go there than to an Earthly Paradise, since I see [231] that God has so ordained. Strange thing! the more Crosses I see prepared for me there, the more my heart laughs and flies thither; for what happiness to see with these eyes nothing but Savages, Crosses, and Jesus Christ. Never have I understood in my life in France what it was to distrust self entirely and to trust in God alone; I say alone, and without the presence of any creature: _Major est Deus corde nostro_, "God is greater than our hearts;" this is evident in New France, and it is an unutterable consolation that when we find nothing else we immediately encounter God, who communicates himself most richly to good hearts. 16 Ma consolation parmy les Hurons, c'est que tous les iours ie me confesse, & puis ie dis la Messe, comme si ie deuois prendre le Viatique, & mourir ce iour là, & ie ne crois pas [232] qu'on puisse mieux viure, ny auec plus de satisfaction & de courage, & mesme de merites, que viure en vn lieu, où on pẽse pouuoir mourir tous les iours, & auoir la deuise de S. Paul. _Quotidie morior fratres, &c._ mes freres ie fais estat de mourir tous les iours.