THE ADVBNTUEES OP ISAAC JOGUES. S3 



of his disposition, his meekness, gentleness and childlike docility, the devontness of his 

 character and entire consecration of body and soul, will and intellect, to the glory of God 

 and the salvation of souls. So devoid was he of spiritual pride, that it used to afflict him 

 to be asked to show his hands mutilated in the service of Christ. He cherished no resent- 

 ment toward those who wreaked their cruel tortures on his frame, biit regarded them with 

 an eye of pity, as a mother does her child which has been smitten with madness.' " I be- 

 lieve," writes Lalemant, " that in heaven he has prayed for the salvation of his murderer, 

 and that his i^rayer has been granted him." Like the inspired apostle, he " gloried in 

 tribulation also," and used to kiss and embrace the posts of the scaffold on which he so 

 often suffered.' 



Yet he was naturally of a timid and shrinking disposition, and so great was his self- 

 abasement that he vised to say that never had the company of Jesus received a person so 

 vile as himself, nor so unworthy of the habit which he wore.'^ But at the command of 

 duty there was neither monster nor demon which he dared not confront.' Though meekly 

 svibmitting to the greatest indignities of savage malice, bowing his ])ack to the most 

 menial toils, yet when God was mocked, the des]îised slave rose in native majesty of soul 

 and boldly rebuked his savage masters as Elijah rebuked the priests of Baal. 



No one can read the story of the noble lives and martyr deaths of Father Jogues and 

 of many others of the Jesuit Fathers of the wilderness missions without recognizing, 

 notwithstanding all outward differences of creed, the grandest traits of Christian man- 

 hood ; the saintliness, piety, and purity of their character ; their sublime daring, their 

 l^assionate charity, their enthusiastic love for souls ; and to them must be assigned a 

 foremost place in the race of hero spirits who throvighout the ages have glorified the annals 

 of mankind. 



' il les regardoit d'vn oil de compassion lomiiie vue mere regarde vn sien enfant frappé d'vne maladie pbre- 

 netique. Ibid., 1(347, p. 40. 



- Les poteaux qui soustenoient I'ecliafaut nù il auoittant souffert, il les alloit baisser et embrasser. Ibid., p. 39. 

 ■' lamais la comjiagnie n'auoit receu une personne si lasche que luj', ny si indigne de l'habit qu'il portoit. Jbid, 

 * Il n'y a monstre, il n'y a Di'mon qu'il u'eust atfronté auec cette parole. Ibid., p. 40. 



