352 THE HURON CHURCH. [1645-48. 



Undeniably, the Faith was making progress ; yet 

 it is not to be supposed that its path was a smooth 

 one. The old opposition and the old calumnies 

 were still alive and active. "It is la priere that 

 kills us. Your books and your strings of beads 

 have bewitched the country. Before you came, we 

 were happy and prosperous. You are magicians. 

 Your charms kill our corn, and bring sickness and 

 the Iroquois. Echon (Brebeuf ) is a traitor among 

 us, in league with our enemies." Such discourse 

 was still rife, openly and secretly. 



The Huron who embraced the Faith renounced 

 thenceforth, as we have seen, the feasts, dances, 

 and games in which was his delight, since all 

 these savored of diabolism. And if, being in 

 health, he could not enjoy himself, so also, being 

 sick, he could not be cured ; for his physician was 

 a sorcerer, whose medicines were charms and in- 

 cantations. If the convert was a chief, his case 

 was far worse ; since, writes Father Lalemant, " to 

 be a chief and a Christian is to combine water and 

 fire ; for the business of the chiefs is mainly to do 

 the Devil's bidding, preside over ceremonies of hell, 

 and excite the young Indians to dances, feasts, and 

 shameless indecencies." ^ 



at once his enemies, his judges, and his executioners, raises his eyes and 

 his voice heavenward, and cries aloud, ' Sun, who art witness of my tor- 

 ments, hear my Avords ! I am about to die ; but, after my death, I shall 

 go to dwell in heaven.' " — Relation des Hurons, 1641, 67. 



The Sun, it will be remembered, was the god of the heathen Iroquois. 

 The convert appealed to his old deity to rejoice with him in his happy 

 future. 



1 Relation des Hurons, 1642, 89. The indecencies alluded to were 

 chiefly naked dances, of a superstitious character, and the mvstical cure 

 called Andacwandet, before mentioned. 



