120 PERSECUTION. [,637. 



ered its source." Then, with words of studied mod- 

 eration, alternating with bursts of angry invective, 

 he proceeded to accuse the Jesuits of causing, by 

 their sorceries, the unparalleled calamities that af- 

 flicted them ; and in support of his charge he ad- 

 duced a prodigious mass of evidence. When he 

 had spent his eloquence, Brebeuf rose to reply, 

 and in a few words exposed the absurdities of his 

 statements ; whereupon another accuser brought a 

 new array of charges. A clamor soon arose from 

 the whole assembly, and they called upon Brebeuf 

 with one voice to give up a certain charmed cloth 

 which was the cause of their miseries. In vain the 

 missionary protested that he had no such cloth. 

 The clamor increased. 



" If you will not believe me," said Brebeuf, " go 

 to our house ; search everywhere ; and if you are 

 not sure which is the charm, take all our clothing 

 and all our cloth, and throw them into the lake." 



" Sorcerers always talk in that way," was the 

 reply. 



'^Then what will you have me say?" demanded 

 Brebeuf. 



" Tell us the cause of the pest." 



Brebeuf replied to the best of his power, min- 

 gling his explanations with instructions in Christian 

 doctrine and exhortations to embrace the Faith. 

 He was continually interrupted ; and the old chief, 

 Ontitarac, still called upon him to produce the 

 charmed cloth. Thus the debate continued till af- 

 ter midnight, when several of the assembly, seeing 

 no prospect of a termination, fell asleep, and oth- 



