1633-34.] MAGIC. 33 



which he discharges upon these his miserable 

 slaves ; and in reference to this a \ ery remarkable 

 fact has been reported to me, namely, that, when 

 a Catholic approaches, the Devil takes flight and 

 beats these wretches no longer, but that in pres- 

 ence of a Huguenot he does not stop beating 

 them."i 



Thus prone to believe in the immediate pres- 

 ence of the nether powers, Le Jeune watched the 

 sorcerer with an eye prepared to discover in his 

 conjurations the signs of a genuine diabolic agency. 

 His observations, however, led him to a different 

 result ; and he could detect in his rival nothing but 

 a vile compound of impostor and dupe. The sor- 

 cerer believed in the efficacy of his own magic, and 

 was continually singing and beating his drum to 

 cure the disease from which he was suffering. 

 Towards the close of the winter, Le Jeune fell 

 sick, and, in his pain and weakness, nearly suc- 

 cumbed under the nocturnal uproar of the sorcerer, 

 who, hour after hour, sang and drummed without 

 mercy, — sometimes yelling at the top of his throat. 



1 " Surquoy on me rapporte me chose tres remarquable, c'est que 

 le Diable s'enfuit, et ne frappe point ou cesse de frapper ces miserables, 

 quand vn Catholique entre en leur compagnie, et qu'il ne laiss point 

 de les battre en la presence d'vn Huguenot : d'ou vient qu'vn iour se 

 voyans battus en la compagnie d'vn certain Francois, ils luy dirent : 

 Nous nous estonnons que le diable nous batte, toy estant auec nous, veu 

 qu'il n'oseroit le faire quand tes compagnons sont presents. Luy se 

 douta incontinent que cela pouuoit prouenir de sa religion (car il estoit 

 Caluiniste) ; s'addressant done a Dieu, il luy promit de se faire Catho- 

 lique si le diable cessoit de battre ces pauures peuples en sa presence. 

 Le vceu fait, iamais plus aucun Demon ne molesta Ameriquain en sa 

 compagnie, d'ou vient qu'il se fit Catholique, selon la promesse qu'il en 

 auoit faicte. Mais retournons k nostre discours." — Relation, 1634, 22. 



