Iroquois?" asked one of the dying neophytes, speaking of the prisoner
recently tortured; "he will get to Heaven before us, and, when he sees us
coming, he will drive us out." [ Most of the above traits are drawn from
Le Mercier's report of 1637. The rest are from Brebeuf. ]

Thus did these worthy priests, too conscientious to let these
unfortunates die in peace, follow them with benevolent persecutions to
the hour of their death.

It was clear to the Fathers, that their ministrations 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,
firmly believed that saints and angels were always at hand with temporal
succors for the faithful. At their intercession, St. Joseph had
interposed to procure a happy delivery to a squaw in protracted pains of
childbirth; [ Brebeuf, Relation des Hurons, 1636, 89. Another woman was
delivered on touching a relic of St. Ignatius. Ibid., 90. ] and they
never doubted, that, in the hour of need, the celestial powers would
confound the unbeliever with intervention direct and manifest. At the
town of Wenrio, the people, after trying in vain all the feasts, dances,
and preposterous 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 answer 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."