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to build chapels, and to establish public worship; the 
novelty of which proceedings attracted the admiration of 
the natives, who flocked in crowds to view them, and 
testified a great deal of zeal in imitating the devotions of 
the French worshippers. They also brought their children 
by hundreds to be baptized, and intreated the missionaries 
to impart to them the knowledge requisite to prepare them¬ 
selves for that sacrament.* * 
These outward testimonies of conversion, however, 
though great stress is laid on them by the French writers, 
were not followed by that evidence which must be looked 
for as alone sufficient, in the view of man at least, to 
determine its reality — a corresponding course of life. 
Indeed the conduct of the French themselves was of the 
most flagitious description; and when contrasted with the 
austerity of the Catholic religion, must render the latter 
not a little paradoxical to the natives. A very high system 
of morals certainly could not be expected from the colo¬ 
nists; for the manner in which they were got together 
was such, as that a good moral character would scarcely 
associate himself with them. Thus, when it was necessary 
to plant a colony on any newly - acquired territory, the 
prisons and the streets were swept, and a cargo of vice 
and depravity, with a few monks to complete the set, were 
shipped off* to the new station; and these were the kind 
of embassies that were to disseminate the true faith! A 
change of climate, however, did not affect their character: 
if they possessed so little restraint over their bad passions 
at home, where the inducement was strongest, it was not 
probable, that when they found themselves at liberty in 
a country where a laxity of morals universally prevailed, 
they should all at once become reformed. The French, 
ing some good forts, and keeping a pretty numerous body of troopsfor 
which advice he gives two reasons: —the opposition of heretical strangers, such 
as the English and Dutch, and that of the native chiefs!! 
* This result, it is to be understood, is taken from the French accounts. 
