90 THE HURON AND THE JESUIT. [1636-37. 



It was clear to the Fathers, that their mmis- 

 trations were valued solely because their religion 

 was supposed by many to be a " medicine," or 

 charm, efficacious against famine, disease, and 

 death. They themselves, indeed, fii'mly believed 

 that saints and angels were always at hand with 

 temporal succors for the faithful. At their inter- 

 cession, St. Joseph had interposed to procure a 

 happy delivery to a squaw in protracted pains of 

 childbirth ; ^ and they never doubted, that, in the 

 hour of need, the celestial powers would confound 

 the unbeliever with intervention direct and mani- 

 fest. At the town of Wenrio, the people, after 

 trying in vain all the feasts, dances, and prepos- 

 terous ceremonies by which their medicine-men 

 sought to stop the pest, resolved to essay the 

 " medicine " of the French, and, to that end, called 

 the priests to a council. " What must we do, that 

 your God may take pity on us?" Brebeuf's an- 

 swer was uncompromising : — 



" Believe in Him ; keep His commandments ; 

 abjure your faith in dreams ; take but one wife, 

 and be true to her ; give up your superstitious 

 feasts ; renounce your assemblies of debauchery ; 

 eat no human flesh ; never give feasts to demons ; 

 and make a vow, that, if God will deliver you from 

 this pest, you will build a chapel to offer Him 

 thanksgiving and praise."^ 



The terms were too hard. They would fain bar- 



^ Brebeuf, Relation des Hurons, 1636, 89. Another -vvomaii was deliv- 

 ered on touching a relic of St. Ignatius. Ibid., 90. 



2 Le Mercier, Relation des Hurons, 1637, 114, 116 (Cramoisy) 



