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Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ^> signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent 6tre film6s d des taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est filmd d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 L I F E OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE (Magdalen de Ghauvigny), FOUNDHESS OP THE URSULINE CONVExM, QUEBEC. WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR THE PUPILS AND INSCRIBED TO T^TFji;^ ^ ___ ^ BY A mem: MMUNITY. EDWARD DUNIGA]^ & BROTHER, (JAMES B. KIRKER,) 871 BEOADWAY. 1859. ^ Entered accordin? to Act of Congress, in the year 1850, by JAMES 3^ KIKKEE, in the (nevk-s Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New ^ ork. P IS y es, fov 4 CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Birth and Education of Madame do la Peltrie ^"^^9 CHAPTER IT. Miss de Chauvigny is forced by her parents to leave the Abbey and embrace the married state— Yirtues which she practises during this period of her life- Death of Mr. de la Peltrie, her Husband lo CPIAPTER HI. Death of Mme. do la Poltrie's mother— Virtues whicii she practises during her widowhood 26 CHAPTER IV. Mr. de Chauvigny's friends unite Avitli .him to gain Mme. de la Peltrie— She has recourse to a strata- gem—Death of Mr. de Chauvigny 37 T II IV COXTKNTS. CirAPTER V. Other Trialy of Mmc. do la Poltrio — She Q'aiiis her I'AGK fn' Law-Suit — Preparations for the voyage to Canada. 45 CHAPTER \J. Departure I'rom Paris — Account of the Journey — Last Adieu — Stormy Passage — Safe Arrival 58 CHAPTER VII. .Landing of Mme. de la Peltrie and the Nuns — Re- ception given to them by the Chevalier de Mont- magny, Governor-in-Chief, and all orders of society in Quebec 68 if t? CHAPTER YIIL. Zeal of Mme. de la Peltrie for the salvation of souls — Arrival of two Sisters from the Ursulines of Paris — She lays the foundation of the first Convent — Her journey to Montreal 81 CHAPTER IX. Mme. de la Peltrie returns to Quebec — Joyful recep- tion at home — Virtues of Obedience and Poverty which she practises in the Ursuline Convent 99 81 CONTEXTS. PAGE CHAPTER X. Burning of the first Convent in 1G50, and other Sovoro Trials— Humility, Charity, and Self-Denial of Mmo. do la Peltrie— Death of the Rev. Mother St. Joseph. Ill 58 CHAPTER XL Austerity and Mortification of Mme. do la Peltrie, displayed in every circumstance of her Life— Her rapid progress in perfection— Earthquake and other trials 133 68 CHAPTER XIL Last Illness of Mme. de la Peltrie— Consternation and sorrow which it produces in Quebec— Her death and solemn funeral 25^ 99 1 ADDRESS TO OUR YOUNG READERS. -0- As more than two centuries liavc elapsed since the inter- esting events occurred which wo now lay before our Youthful Readers, it seems proper tliat we should at once introduce to them the various persons whoso names are identified with these historic facts and scenes of by-gone days. It was on the 4th of May, 1639, that a young and noble lady was seen ready to embark on board the Admiral's ves- sel, St. Joseph, about to sail from the port of Dieppe. On one side of her are two groups of ladies deeply veiled ; on the other, stands a dignified nobleman whose thought- ful air and beaming features reveal the interest he takes in her welfare ; before her stand several clergymen whose modest uniform warns us that they are the sons of St. Ignatius ; at a little distance is seen one maid, all that remains of her household. As they stand there together exchanging their last looks and words with their friends, you would scarce imagine that they are leaving their own dear France for ever, but it is even so. That lady is a young widow, the heiress of a noble name, who is going, with her whole fortune, to assist in diffusing the Catholic Faith among the savages of America ! . . . Young girls of Canada, do you not recognise the heroine and her companion ? Ah ! our 1 VI 11 ADDRESS TO Ol'll YOUNCJ RKADEllS. Indiun mounlainccr.s know tlicni l)y trndilion, uiid at this day neknowlcdgo that, "Tho llivat S[)h'it never smiled moi'o graciously on tiioir dark race, than when ho sent to these shores tho tall white virgins from beyond tho seasl" .... Lut whither are they going ? To tho far western shores of the great St. Lawrence? Yes, to tho shores of our own St. Lawrence ; not indeed smiling, as we now behold them from tho gay steamer aa wo sail along, admiring the surpassing beauty of mountain, wood, and water-fall, enlivened Ijy golden harvests, and crowned with cottage, hamlet, and village spire 1 At that remote period these shores were yet covered with their tall original forest trees, whoso dark dee[) foliage oft con- cealed the lurking savage foe, maturing his deathly designs of invasion and massacre, while hero and there, tho smoko of a solitary wigwam announced the presence of tho prhnitive proprietors of tho soil The adieus .are over, tho vessel sets sail — her path lies across the trackless waters of the western deep, and, as the suiniy plains of Franco recede from their view, all eyes turn in anxious expectation towards tho little fort of Quebec ! . . . . Let us follow them across the stormy sea, let us keep in sight this illustrious widow and her pious companions ; ever tho same in tempest and in calm, their prayers ascend to Heaven calling down blessings on all around them, and ere we witness their reception in Quebec, let us improve our leisure moments, while with the help of our ancient manuscripts and home-tradition, we pass in review the most remarkable events which illustrate tlie life of this distinguished and virtuous lady. .1 thin ,niilcd cut to a tho I'o the f cs, to miVmg, as wo untaiu, its, and At that th their oft con- ■ dcsignB lO smoke of the ath lies and, as view, all lo fort of le stormy and her in calm, ssings on eption in ^hile with tradition, nts which ous lady. ^L^SC^ CHAPTER I. )JIRTII AND EDUCATIOJ^ OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. Mrss Ma(U)alen de Ciiauviony was Lorn jit AIon9on, in France, in the year 1G03 ; her father, Mr. de Chauvigny, Lord of Vaubegon, was greatly distinguished among the nobility of tlie Province, and her mother was of equally illustrious origin : both parents being pene- trated with the love and fear of God, united their efforts to insjiirc their beloved daughter, with feehngs similar to their own. The young Magdalen did not disappoint their hopes; as she grew up, her exterior graces expanded each day to the admiration of her friends, but the fond parents rejoiced still more when they U' VWMVWMHM 10 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PET.TIIIE. h < I: h perceived that her pure soul was under the immediate influence of Heaven, and that her gentle inclinations led her, as if by attraction, to the practice of every virtue. Her purity of heart was remarkable ; in her childhood, she not only avoided those actions which in them- selves are evil, but likewise, all that could prove inducive to sin, such as self-indulgence, idle diversions, loss of time, etc. The Holy Ghost gave her such a particular zeal for the service of the church that, on Sundays and festivals, all her leisure was spent there. On other days, her spare hours were devoted to the poor who lived on her father's estate ; she treated them, not as beings inferior to herself, but as familiar friends, whom circumstances of birth and fortune had less favored. She visited the sick, consoled the afflicted, and es- teemed no kind of suffering beneath her notice. i LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 11 the her 5tioii, Ity of 1, she thein- could Q-ence, 5 Holy for the ys and ■e. On oted to ite; she herself, nstances 3d. She , and es- ir notice. Such were the pursuits and pastimes of Miss de Ohauvigny during the smiling years of her adolescence, when the world first laid before her youthful eyes the fascinating view of its deceitful pleasures ; but she was not deluded by the enchanting scene; its fleeting joys did not make her forget the eternal interests of her soul. Hence she had a sovereign dislike for the extravagance of fashion and dress, and would have refused all attention to them, had not her parents obliged her to conform herself to the usages established for ladies of her rank ; yet even then she was so forgetful of her personal appearance, so preoccupied with the wants of her favorite poor, that she was often seen trying to conceal a basket of provi- sions within the ample folds of her embroidered skirts, while stealing out of her father's house to relieve the wants of her beloved proteges. 12 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. ;- T Miss cle Chauvigny received her education under the watchful eye of her mother, and she made rapid progress in the studies and ac- complishments which the custom of the times assigned to ladies. By fragments of her cor- respondence we see that she was a well- informed person. Endowed with wisdbm beyond her years, she sought to please God in all things, and carefully avoided all that could draw upon her the admiration of the world. Virtues so solid, in a lady of Miss de Chau- vigny 's rank, rendered it obvious to her friends that the Almighty had some particular design over her ; while she herself felt such a power- ful attraction towards the religious life that she did not even try to conceal it. Her devoted parents, who had fostered in her every other pious inclination, were, however, averse to this, as they plainly foresaw that if they did not LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTKIE. 13 aliou , and id ac- times 31' cor- visd6m God in t could I \vorld. Q Ohau- r friends .r design a power- 3 that slic devoted ery other se to this, f did not oppose her, she would soon desert them to embrace the sechision of a cloistered life. They therefore determined to distract her mind from these pious desires, and seized the earliest opportunity of making known to her their real intentions. One evening, after a brilliant soiree, given in honor of her seven- teenth birthday, they exhausted the most insinuating tenderness, trying to persuade her that more good might be done by a virtuous lady in the gayest circles of society, than by a nun excluded from public view in the deep shade of a cloister. This argument was the most plausible they could urge upon their vir- tuous daughter; and as soon as she took leave of her parents that evening, she made it the subject of a long and serious meditation. Prostrate in the presence of her crucifix, she wept aloud, and thus addressed herself to 2* 14 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. >;( .>'* Heaven in the anguish of her heart: "Oh, my God ! can it be possible that I am doomed to work out my salvation in the midst of so many dangers ! My fither now wishes me to attend the opera, the chase, and the masque- rade, and, during the hours I shall spend there, I must forget thee, O my good God, who didst think of me from all eternity ! No, I cannot forsake thy presence to enjoy that of man, I cannot attend these masquerades during the carnival, I cannot appear at the chase and the opera during Lent, and above all, I cannot endure these visits which papa wishes me to receive !" . . . Then, after some moments of deep reflection, she exclaimed, " Yes, I will go to the Abbey, and beg of them to admit me for a few days, to perform the spiritual exercises at the beginning of Lent ; once I am within the gates, I will try to stay there !" LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PEI.TIiIE. 15 Greatly consoled by this sudden decision of mind, Miss de Chauvigny retired to rest with a light heart. The next morning at sunrise, Miss de Chau- vigny was on her way to the Abbey, where, after obtaining immediate admittance, she wrote home, requesting her parents' leave to stay there a few days. CHAPTER 11. u :i :'i MISS DE CIIAUVIGNY IS FORCED BY HER PARENTS TO LEAVE THE ABBEY AND EMBRACE THE MARRIED STATE — VIRTUES WHICH SHE PRACTISES DURING THIS PERIOD OF HER LIFE — DEATH OF MR. DE LA PELTRIE, HER HUSBAND. We have seen Miss de Chauvigny practise every virtue from her early childhood under the smiling approbation of her parents, who loved her so tenderly that they could not bear to lose sight of her even for one day. We have seen her, in a transport of fervor, desert their noble mansion to seclude herself from the admiration and the love of men, and we shall now again behold her patient and submissive, when forced by her weeping mother and disconsolate father to leave the convent of LIFE OF BfADAME DE LA PELTKIi:. 17 her choice, and embrace a state of lite alto- gether opposed to her inclinations. As soon as the cari'iage returned home, and the servants announced that Magdalen was going to stay in the Abbey for a few days, nothing could equal the excitement caused by this unpleasant news. The father's surprise and displeasure, the mother's anguish and sorrow, the sister's regret and disappointment, the tears of the whole household, marked that day as one of deep mourning. But her father was, of all, the least resigned to lose her. She was his favorite, and he had already deter- mined that, as long as he lived, his dear Magdalen should not dwell two days in a convent. He immediately ordered the car- riage, sent invitations to his friends to meet him at home that evening, drove off without delay, and in less than an hour was standing 18 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA TELTRIE. ! f I •;, before the Abbey gate. The Abbess, who was a distant relative of his, did not appear in the least surprised by this sudden appari- tion ; she told him that his dear Magdalen had entered only to perform the spiritual exercises, in consequence of some private vow. This observation greatly irritated him, and he exclaimed, "My daughter will neither make nor accomplish any vow here as long as I live !" then, raising his voice, he cried aloud, "Give me my child!" At that moment Miss de Chauvigny entered the parlor and threw herself at her father's feet, begging of him to forgive the step she had taken. The fond parents were deeply affected, and while the tender mother wept in silence, the father spoke to his beloved child in the most touch- ing manner: "What have we done to you, my daughter, that you should thus forsake i k 1 who ppear ^ 1 ppan- n had 1 rcises, J This J id he i make i y as I i aloud, 1 t Miss 1 threw 1 1 lini to i 3 fond 1 lie the father touch- you, forsake LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 19 us ? Can you not stay with your parents, at least until you have closed their eyes ? After our death you may come to the Abbey if you choose !" Then seizins: her with a stroncf arm he hur- ried out of the room, followed by the mother ; the servants were watching his movements, the doors flew open before him, in an instant they were all seated in the carriage, and the abbey was out of sight before Miss de Chau- vigny had time to say a word in her own defence. On arriving at home, Mr. de Chau- vigny found a large circle of friends assembled, to congratulate him upon this achievement of his paternal affection, and the evening was spent in mirth and festivity ; only one person present retired to rest that night with a heavy heart, this was Miss de Chauvigny, who had been told by her father that she should attend 47J^ 20 LIFE OF MzVDAME BE LA PELTRIE. a hunting party the next morning, and she thereby understood, better than ever, her father's designs over lier. On returning from the chase the next day, he said to her, " Magdalen, did you notice the young gentleman who rode so gracefully in advance of our party ? " And, without w^ait- ing for a reply, he added, " That brave knight is my favorite, and I trust that he w^ill soon be vours also !" This choice had lon^r since been made by the devoted parents, and thus Miss de Chauvigny became aware that their fre- quent visitor, the Chevalier Charles de Grivel de la Peltrie, Avas the person on whom it had been fixed. In vain she remonstrated with her parents, and shed torrents of tears, in vain she alleged her youth and inexperience, being then only seventeen ; they were inexor- able, and a little delay was all the favor she LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 21 could obtain. In this state of anf^uisli she had recourse to prayer, offering to our divine Lord all the good desires she had ever formed of loving him alone ; this purity of intention was very pleasing to God, and He gave her an interior assurance that she would one day be His wholly and entirely. Thus comforted, she yielded to her father's wish, her marriage with the distinguished nobleman already mentioned was accordingly celebrated, and great was the joy in her father's house during the nuptial festivities. Placed at the head of a family, we shall now see Mme. de la Peltrie leading a life of uni- form devotedness to the duties of her state. Without forsaking any of her accustomed exercises of piety, this truly Christian woman gave her husband every mark of the most tender and respectful affection. One child 3 22 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. ' i» blessed their union, and as it pleased God to withdraw it from her shortly after its birth, she conformed entirely to her husband's will in regard to pastimes and diversions. With him she was seen in the gayest circles, yielding at all times to his wishes, and he w^as often heard to say that he had nothing to desire on earth but a long life, to enjoy the happiness of which she was the ministering angel. But such was not, however, the will of Heaven. About five years after his mar- riage, Mr. de la Peltrie was attacked with a mortal disease, and, though his devoted wife neglected no effort to relieve and restore him, he was, after a very short illness, withdrawn from her care and tenderness. Thus our young heroine was left at the early age of twenty-two, to mourn the loss of a generous and good man, who had never given her the LIFE OF MADAME DE LA FELTKIE. 23 slightest cause of grief; and, as she shed her last tear over his lifeless remains, she vowed herself anew to h<^r Divine Lord and Master, promisin'^ to devote to Ilim alone each day of her future liCu. An extract from the letters of our Ven. Mother de I'Incarnation, will fully explain to our young readers, the manner in which she accomplished this vow : " I will, therefore, tell you how this lady, after the death of her husband, embraced the practice of virtue in a very special manner. She left her own house, contrary to the will of her parents, who had so much tenderness and affection for her that they could not bear to have her out of their sight. She went to live in Alengon, where she could not, however, venture to stay in her father's house, for fear of being solicited to marry again. Being thus privately situated, her life became one con- 24 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. is? in tinual exercise of chanty ; she lodged the poor and served them with her own hands, and even gave shelter un.der her own roof to the nnfortunate victims of vice, whom she found willing to reform. Though her aversion to a second marriage was known to be very- great, her father, nevertheless, began to urge her to it, and as she positively refused each time he made the request, he at length became greatly irritated, and forbad her ever to enter his house. This harsh treatment obliged her to withdraw for some time into a Convent, where she was not, however, delivered from the importunity of her friends. "About that time Father Paul le Jeune published an account of his missions in Canada, in which he strongly exhorted his readers to assist in the conversion of the Indians, and where, among other reasons, he made use of LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 25 the ids, f to she sion very urge each came 3nter I her vent, from the following touching expressions. * Ah ! * will not some good and pious lady be found who will come to this country to gather up the precious drops of the blood of Jesus Christ, by instructing the little Indian girls P^ These words so penetrated her heart, that ever after her mind was more frequently in Canada than within herself, and full of these sentiments she was forced to quit the convent in consequence of the death of her mother, and return to her father's house." I u CHAPTER III. f p ' DEATH OP MME. DE LA PELTRIE'S MOTHER — VIRTUES WHICH SHE PRACTISES DURING HER WIDOWHOOD. We have admired our young widow resisting all the allurements of pleasure, after her hus- band's death, and transforming her house into a kind of refuge for all sorts of suiFering and unfortunate creatures, and waiting upon them in comj)any with her own servants. It was, indeed, her sweetest enjoyment to relieve the wants of all and to diffuse happiness around her, and such were the blessings with which the Almighty rewarded her charity that she was often astonished at the great improve- ment of morals which she witnessed among LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 27 the unfortunate beings whom she assisted. Her piety was not, however, yet satisfied, and the ardent zeal which burned in her breast, led her to desire some means of devoting her- self more particularly to the service of God. We have already seen how she became inter- ested in the Missions of Canada. Having no children to provide for, it seemed natural that she should seek some manner of rendering? ser- vice to her neighbor. At times, her prefer- ence for a life of total seclusion from the world revived, and at others, she felt strong desires of devoting herself to the conversion of the poor Indians of America. Thus she struggled for several months between the tranquil Abbey of her youthful choice, and the far-distant perilous missions of Canada. At length, however, the missions prevailed over the love of her favorite retreat, and she re- 28 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. I solved to devote herself to them as soon as she could obtain the approbation of her spiritual directors. Mme. de la Peltrie, therefore, con- sulted persons of learning and sanctity. She laid open before them with admirable sincerity all the feelings of her heart, and placed in their hands a paper containing an account of the in- terior attraction which the Almighty had long since given her for the conversion of souls. She therein acknowledged that it had been the subject of her communications with God for the last seven years, during which time his love had taken a stronger possession of her heart. This favor, she declared to have re- ceived during a spiritual retreat, adding that the conversion of the whole world did not seem sufficient for her zeal, and that, in her transports, she said to God incessantly : " All LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 29 is thine, O my God, my heart, my fortmie, and my life !" While awaiting this decision from the per- sons to whom she had given her confidence, Mme. de la Peltrie tried to place herself in a state of perfect indifference for any good work that might be proposed to her ; yet, in spite of all her efforts, one desire ever predominated in her soul — that of devoting herself and her for- tune to the education of the little girls of Canada. The death of her beloved mother, and other severe trials, having previously occurred, she was thereby greatly detached from all that bound her to this earth, and con- secrated herself with renewed fervor to the practice of good works. Other trials now awaited her. She fell dangerously ill, and her state soon became so alarming, that the physi- cians gave up all hopes of her recovery, and 30 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. i ! only visited her through consideration for her rank. Those who attended her expected that every moment would be her last, but in this extremity, she enjoyed the perfect use of her senses, and did not forget the mission so dear to her heart. As her thoughts were con- stantly turning towards Canada, she one day felt insj)ired to make a vow to St. Joseph, first patron of this country, that " Should it please God to restore lier to health, she would go there and found a house in his honor, and that she would devote her own life to the service and instruction of the Indian girls." It is worthy of remark here that she was at the time so near death, that her attendants passed the ensuing night in making for her a Habit of the Order of St. Francis, with which she desired to be buried. While those around her bed were watching her in the greatest sus- LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 31 pense, Mme. de la Peltrie fell into a profound sleep. Some hours after she awoke, and to the astonishment of all, she was perfectly cured ! No one could suspect what had passed between herself and her heavenly friend, St. Joseph, but she was more determined than ever to sacrifice her life and her fortune to the Mis- sions of Canada. The next morning, as the physicians heard that she was not yet dead, one of them called to see her, and, having felt her pulse, he exclaimed in a transport of sur- prise, " Madame, you are cured, your fever is certainly gone to Canada !" He knew nothing of her secret, but Mme. de la Peltrie, who well remembered what had passed during the night, answered with a pleasant smile, " Yes, sir, it is gone to Canada !" After so visible a protection of Heaven, our generous widow was more than ever pene- 32 LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTKIE. trated with a sense of the Divine goodness, and she felt Avithin her soul an increased zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. On one occasion especially, it was the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin, she was impressed more strongly than usual with the conviction that it was the will of God that she should go to Canada, that he would in consequence bestow abundant graces upon her in that savage land, that she would be an humble instrument of his glory, and there end her days iu peace. These interior manifesta- tions of the will of Heaven produced in her soul the most profound admii'ation of the in- finite goodness of God, as well as sentiments of confusion in view of her own unworthiness. She frequently wept with joy and gratitude, and renewed her hope in the promises of the Most High. However, Mme. de la Peltrie, LIFE OF MADAME DE LA TELTRIE. 33 who possessed in an eminent degree the vir- tues of modesty and submission, so becoming in her sex, referred all her doubts and per- plexities to the persons whom she at first consulted. These at length agreed in their decision, that it was evidently the work of God, and that she could not any longer defer the execution of her design without resisting the inspirations of the Holy Ghost. The vow which she had privately made during her illness could not, therefore, be any longer concealed ; and our illustrious widow, having made some disclosures on the subject, the most violent opposition arose against her. Friends, relatives, and acquaintances, all united to condemn her pious design as a rash, roman- tic, and ridiculous notion. They insisted that it was mere folly to allow a young w^idow of her rank and 5elicate health, endowed with 34 lAFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTIIIE. siicli exterior graces, and possessed of so bril- liant a fortune, to cross the seas and bury her- self alive in the dismal forests of America. Iler asfcd father bec^an about this time to sus- pcct that she had some pious project in view, and as he had so well succeeded in dissuad- ing his beloved daughter from the designs whicl) she had formed in early youth, he now again resorted to the same trying mode of persuasion. For this purpose he first ^nidea- vored to make her annul the will she had made during her late illness; this she reso- lutely refused to do, and ho was highly oifended. Being perfectly recovered, Mme. de la Pel- trie began to think seriously of the means of forwarding her proposed mission, while, strange to say, her loving parent was medi- tating on the execution of his f?ivorite project, LIFE OF MADAAIE DE I\ PELTIUE. oD — that of coinpelliiig her to many a second time ! We may therefore jutlge of the ai guish of the good old gentleman when, afti " assurmg his daughter that if she did not grant his request, she would soon see liim die with grief, he heard her soliciting, in the name of heaven, his leave to consecrate her person and her fortune to the Missions of Canada. " Fa- ther," said she to him one evening, throwing herself at his feet, after a most animated con- versation upon the subject, " Father, it is the will of God that I should leave both home and country for the salvation of the poor Ame- rican Indians. The Lord will bless your old age and protect me. You have sister and her children always here to comfort you. Dearest father, let me go ! " This was too much for so tender a parent, and ho was so completely overcome that, for a time, he could not utter 36 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE, a syllable. But these first emotions soon sub- sided, and he conjured his daughter, in the most touching manner, not to abandon him in his old age. Each successive day he renewed this request, thus opposing his tenderness and authority to the execution of this pious under- taking. 111 id OHAFrER IV. v-v', MR. DE CHAUVIONY'S FRIENDS UNITE WITH IIIM TO GAIN MME. DE LA PELTRIE — SHE HAS RECOURSE TO A STRA- TAGEM — DEATH OF MR. DE CHAUVIGNY. Until the present moment, we have seen Mme. de la Peltrie struggling against the subduing tenderness of her father alone, but henceforth we shall see her assailed by two different parties ; the one headed by her father, who exhausted every effort to try and force her to marry again ; the other by her sis- ter and brother-in-law, who tried to deprive her of the management of her proj)erty. Per- sons of rank and merit, both in church and state, advised her to marry according to her 4* 38 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. I:. i \M. I !■!«,' father's wish. Authorized by him, powerful and wealthy noblemen were constantly renew- ing their addresses, and, as she declined them all without exception, she saw her aged parent so unhappy that it required all her energy of character and solid virtue to resist him. In this trying position she again addressed her- self to God, humbly begging him to bless a little stratagem- inspired by her filial piety. As she was fully determined never to marry, and wished at the same time to please her father, she was inspired and advised to open her mind upon the subject to a man well- known for the sanctity of his life ; this was Mr. de Bernieres, the Royal Treasurer at Caen. Having in a long letter explained to him her trials, as well as the resolution she had taken of devoting herself to the Missions of Canada, she concluded by declaring frankly that he I I LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 39 )f could deliver her from all jDursuit and annoy- ance by only pretending to her father that he wished to marry her, and begged of him to make that demand, on condition that such an alliance should never in reality take place. To throw more light upon the subject, we shall here again lay before our young readers an extract from the writings of the venerable Mother de L'Incarnation, who was afterwards so intimately connected with these two pure and holy souls. " Mr. de Bernieres, who was as pure as an angel, having received this letter from Mme. de la Peltrie, was surprised beyond all expres- sion, and did not know what answer he should make to such an extraordinary request. He consulted his director and other persons of eminent piety, who advised him to accede to the lady's proposal, adding that they knew I I 40 LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. Mrae. de la Peltrie, and that she only requested his concurrence to favor her pious design. He, however, afterwards acknowledged to me that, notwithstanding all the esteem he had for Mme. de la Peltrie, he was three days trying to decide himself to make the proposed demand. He felt a great struggle, fearing to risk himself in such a perilous position ; besides this, all the world was aware of his resolution never to marry. However, after many fervent prayers addressed to heaven, he resolved to proceed in this affair, and accordingly wrote to an intimate friend of his residing at Alengon, Mr. de la Bourbonniere, charging him to make this singular demand of marriage of Mme. de la Peltrie's father. The worthy friend w^as delighted to have so very agreeable an oppor- tunity of rendering an essential service to Mr. de Bernieres. As soon as Mr. de Yaubeson LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 41 read the letter and understood the import of this commission, lie was transported with joy, and begged of Mr. de la Bourbonniere to call on his daughter and obtain her consent. Im- patient, however, to know what might be the result, he called her in private, and asked her what she thought of this gentleman's proposal. The prudent young widow answered with much respect and modesty, that as she knew Mr. de Bernieres to be a favorite with himself, she also preferred him to all others. The nobleman already mentioned having also soli- cited her consent (which it was not very hard for him to obtain), he went immediately to give the answer to Mr. de Bernieres, who was thereby thrown into the most awkward posi- tion, because he had to repair without delay to the city of Alengon, to make the arrange- 42 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. ments necessary for this singular form of f '" marriage ! " Mr. de Vaubegon, though confined to his bed at the time, did not cease pressing his daughter to conclude her preparations, and as the good old gentleman at length perceived that neither herself nor Mr. de Bernieres seemed in a hurry, he began to suspect that they wished to deceive him. Their friends, also, became irritated ; they publicly declared that she was incapable of managing her pro- perty, and a suit at law being brought before the court of Alengon, judgment was given against her. Our virtuous widow did not, however, lose courage. As she had given her confidence to Mr. de Bernieres, she informed him of all that passed. While, on one hand, she flattered her father each day, telling him that this nobleman was too honorable to fail in LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTKIE. 43 of keeping his word, and that she had letters in- forming her that his affixirs would not permit him to come before the expiration of several weeks. Meanwhile this excellent man devoted himself with the zeal of an apostle to the in- terests of Mme. de la Peltrie. " Having made, in secret, the journey to Alengon, he went to stay at the house of a mutual friend, where they had frequent oppor- tunities of seeing each other and consulting the most eminent divines on the means of eifecting this pretended marriage. Some were of opi- nion that they should marry in reality, and, with reciprocal consent, observe their former vows ; others feared that her family would, in that case, trouble Mr. de Bernieres on account of the property, so the resolution was taken that they should only pretend to be married." When the news of this apparent engage- 44 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. ment became known, it procured her the liberty of corresponding with Mr. de Bernieres about her mission ; and, while her father was getting his chateau repaired and hung with n€w tapestry, to receiye this intended son-in- law, Mme. de la Peltrie was adorning it with new furniture to amuse the world. Mean- while, these two holy persons had frequent in- terviews, during which, they concerted the means of securing the success of an enterprise which had become equally dear to both. It was thus in the saloons of a Catholic noble- man, under appearances so different from re- ality, that Mme. de la Peltrie formed one of the most generous designs ever executed by a womani Her friends are weaving garlands to adorn her bridal chamber, and she is laying plans to divest herself of a noble inheritance, for the love of Jesus Christ. Oh ! Holy LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 45 Church, in every age, thou hast had children worthy of thyself ! 4^ 4« «r i|e «r ♦ He Several months had now elapsed, during which this incomparable lady and gentleman had settled various affairs relative to the Mis- sion of Canada. The season was advancing, yet they dared not reveal the secret of this intended voyage, to the old gentleman, who, quite unconscious of their real project, was con- stantly urging them to celebrate their long- wished for nuptials. It is easy to imagine the distress and anxiety of Mme. de la Peltrie at this critical period. In her embarrassment, she had frequent recourse to prayer, conjuring the Almighty to give her father sufficient strength to bear this necessary separation. It, however, pleased the Lord to relieve her, in a most unexpected manner, by calling to him- f! 46 LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. self the good old gentleman, who, happy to think that his daughter had chosen so worthy a guardian and protector, calmly resigned his son! into the hands of his Creator. m I m \ '\ V is CHAPTER V. OTHEE TRIALS OF MMB. DE LA PELTRIE — SHE GAINS HBR LAWSUIT — PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE TO CANADA. By the death of her father, Mme. de la Peltrie saw one great obstacle to her design removed ; but numerous others were soon raised against her. Persons who had formerly admired her devout life, now blamed her for the sudden and unaccountable change that appeared in her exterior ; they even went so far as to reproach her in public, for having embraced a state of life which she had so for- mally renounced ! To all these insults she answered, with a modest smile, that she felt herself bound to do the will of God. By Mr. de 48 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. Bernieres' advice, she appealed to the Supreme Court of Rouen, to have her law-suit revised ; on repairing to that city, with her lawyer, they requested her to take, in Court, a certain oath, which, to them, appeared necessary for the success of her affairs. As she was very timid, she could not resign herself to this, but placing her trust in God, she begged of him, through the intercession of St. Joseph, to grant her success for His greater glory, renewing, at the same time, her vow to establish a House in Quebec, for the instruction of the Indian girls. The Almighty was pleased to hear the prayer of his devoted servant. To the astonishment of all, Mme. de la Peltrie gained her law-suit, and the very next day a deputy came to her with the joyful news ! . . . Our virtuous widow now saw her affairs so judiciously managed by Mr. de Bernieres that nothing remained to be LIFE OF MADAME DE LA rELTRIE. 49 ) done, but to select the nuns required for the establishment. For this purpose Mr. de Bernieres accom- panied her to Paris. During her stay in that city, the party opposed to her had spies posted to watch and seize her, so as to prevent the execution of her design. To elude their pur- suit, she changed dresses with her waiting-maid every time she went out ; thus equipped, and walking through the streets beside her foot- man, she acted her part so admirably, that they could not detect her. From Paris they went to Tours, whither the Jesuit Fathers had directed them to get, in the Ursuline Convent of that city, the venerable Mother Mary de L'Incarnation, a woman of extraordinary sanc- tity, who in the year 1633 had a remarkable in- sight given to her by God, in regard to Mme. de la Peltrie and her establishment in Canada. 5* 50 LIFE OF MADAMS DE LA PELTBIS. I But we must hear what she herself says on the subject, and, as our young readers are con- versant in both languages, though we translate our extracts, we will retain the original, lest we injure the admirable simplicity of expres- sion which stamps them with the sacred seal of truth. " On her arrival the bell summoned tho community. All the religious wept with joy on beholding this lady whom they regarded as an angel from heaven ; while, for her part, she thought herself in paradise. For myself I can say that the moment I laid my eyes on her, I recollected my vision and recognised in her the companion with whom I had seen that great country. Her sweet expression, her complex- ion and her whole manners renewed the idea. Still more had I to admire the designs of divine providence when I learned from her own lips that at the very time that God enabled me I LIFE OW MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 51 to recognise her, he had also given her the first inspirations of founding a seminary in Canada."* The Ven. Archbishop of Tours gave Mme. de la Peltrie and Mr. de Bernieres a most dis- tinguished reception, and promised to do every- thing in his power to favor the success of their enterprise. He authorised the Ursulines to re- * " A son arrivee la Communaute s'assembla au son de la cloche. Toutes les religieuses pleuraient de joie de voir cette pieuso Dame qu'elles regardaient comme un ange du Ciel. Elle, de sou c6te, pensait 6tre en Paradis. Pour inoi, au moment que jo jetai les yeux sur elle, je me souvins de ma vision, et je reconnus en elle la compagne avec qui j'avais vu ce grand pays. Sa douceur, son teint et toutes ses manieres m'en renouvellerent I'idee. Co qui me fit encore admirer la Divine Providence, fut ce que j'appris apres d'elle-meme, qu'en memo temps que Dieu me I'avait fait connaitre, 11 lui avait aussi donne les premieres inspi- rations de fonder un Seminaire en Canada^' 52 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. ■3 ceive Mine, de la Peltrie within the cloister, and pay to her all the honors due to his own rank. She was much pleased with the whole community, and very particularly so with the Ven. Mother de L'Incarnation. Mr. de Ber- nieres, who had remained in the parlor, assisted her in the selection of the second sister required. After gome deliberation, the choice fell upon the daughter of a distinguished nobleman of Anjou, Mr. de Savonniere de la Troche de St. Germain, a young religious named Marie de St. Joseph, who was held in great esteem for her piety. Having thus happily settled all things with the Ursulines, Mme. de la Peltrie took leave of them, and leading with her the two nuns, chosen for her Mission, she went to present her respects to the Yen. Archbishop. The aged prelate, being unable to celebrate mass LIFE OF lifADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 53 for them that morning, got his chaplain to offer the Holy Sacrifice in his own private chapel, after which he made them a most touching exhortation and his clergymen sang the psaiiii la exitu and the Magnificat. Then he blessed them with many tears, and they left for Paris. As soon as the Queen heard of their arrival in the capital, she expressed a desire to see them, and sent an invitation to Mme. de la Peltrie, who conducted the two Ursulines to the Royal Palace of the Louvre, and presented them to her Majesty. The Queen bestowed much praise on their noble undertaking, presented them to the Dauphin, her son, and obtained for them the special protection of the King. During their stay in Paris, they also received an invitation from the Ursulines of that city, but as their affairs did not permit them to go there immediately, 54 LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELl :IE. ) S! V,. they went to lodge at the residence of Mr. de Meules, Master of the King's Household. For the greater edification of my young readers I shall here again present them an extract from Yen. Mother's writings, which we were forced to translate in consequence of its length : " Mr. de Bernieres accompanied us everywhere, and all took him to be the husband of Mme. de la Peltrie, so that during his illness, she remained all the day at his bedside ; the physi- cians made to her their observations on his state as well as their prescriptions for the medicine. Her mask was suspended to his bed-curtains, and those who called to see him spoke to her as to his wife. Though we were all much grieved at this illness, yet it proved to us a subject of mirth and recreation. This comedy of marriage gave him other thoughts, for when he reflected on the message he had LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 55 given his friend to go and ask Mme. de la Peltrie's father to give her to him in marriage, he used to say to us : ' Oh ! what will Mr. de la Bourbonniere think of me for acting such a farce ? My God ! what will he say ? I do not dare to appear in his presence, yet I will go throw myself at his feet, and beg his par- don.' Thus we spent our recreations together, the ordinary conversation was about our Ca- nada, the things requisite for the journey, and what we should do for the natives of that savage land. Mr. de Bernieres had an ex- treme compassion for Mother St. Joseph, who was then but twenty-two years of age. As to Mme. de la Petrie and myself, he had no pity at all on us, and he used to say that he wished we might both be put to death for the faith of Jesus Christ." All the preparations for this extraordinary f oQ LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. voyage were carried on very secretly in Pa- ris. During Mr. de Bernieres' illness, Father Charles Lalemant took care of their affairs; and as place could not be found for their bag- gage and provisions, in the vessels of the co- lony, Mr. de Bernieres freighted a vessel pur- posely for them, because Mme. de la Peltrie spared no expense, provided she could succeed in her undertaking. As we have previously mentioned, the Ursulines of Paris invited our zealous missionaries to go and stay with them, but it was not until the week before their departure that they could enjoy this mutual satisfaction. While in the Convent, this fervent band gave much edification, and they had the pleasure to find one of the community, Mother St. Jerome, dis- posed to join the Mission. In this, how- ever, all were severely disappointed; by the LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 51 illness of this excellent religious, she was pre- vented from joining the Mission to Canada, and it was not until the year following, that the Convent of Paris sent out two members to assist in the foundation at Quebec. i . *E LA PKLTUIK. 91 remaikable. On the Feast of Corpns-Christi^ we raised a sploiidkl altar iu our admiral's cabin ; all hands joined to adorn a magnificent ^ Repository ' at the prow of the vessel, and our Lord, who was pleased to receive our hum- ble adorations on the watery element, gave us a cahn and beautiful day. We made a solemn procession around the vessel in perfect order. Our brother, Dominic Scott, in surplice, car- ried the cross. At his side were two young midshipinen, then followed the Ursulines and riospitalioies, with angelic modesty, bearing lighted tapers. After the priest who carried the Blessed Sacrament, marched the admiral, then the officers and crew ; the sea and air re-echoed to the roaring of our cannon, while heavenly spirits invisibly joined in the praises, which, from our hearts, were poured forth in presence of our sovereign King." At length, iV*?;. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) r A A 4. k /S^^ ^ <^^.^ 1.0 1.1 IM 12.5 ■ 50 K 1^ 1^ 12.2 1*0 111112.0 1.8 L25 i^ l^ 6" V] 7] 7: e^ ^5 y /^ Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS 80 (716) 872-4503 4^ ^ ^^ J ■' ^1 I I I 6 Sill : :fi V I 92 LIFE OP madamp: i)e la peltrif. our pious travellers reached this Port of Que- bec in safety. On the 1st of July, 1640, the Chevalier de Montmagny, Gov.-General, accom- panied by the officers of his staff, went to re- ceive them on landing, and presented them to Mme. de la Peltrie, who had also gone forth to meet them with her little Indians. After the first joyful salutation, they were conducted to the little log chapel of the Ursulines, where a hymn of thanksgiving was sung by all pre- sent; then Mme. de la Peltrie took them to the Castle of St. Louis, where the Governor and principal citizens were assembled to com- pliment them on their safe arrival. After this visit, the happy foundress led back her new sisters to the poor habitation occupied by her- self and the other nuns. Here they found plenty of labor, and, having soon acquired from the Venerable Mother, a practical knowledge LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTKIE. 93 of the Algonquin and Huron languages, they rendered much service to the community by their success in teaching and their exem- plary lives. It will, no doubt, gratify our young readers, to find here some fragments of the letter in which Kev. Father Menard, their guardian angel during the voyage, renders an account of them to their Rev. Mother the Su- perior of the Ursulincs in Paris. " My Reverend Mother, " This letter is due to you in virtue of the charge I had of your sisters. I am desirous you should know that I so much value this privilege that I place it among the special graces by which our Lord has drawn me most efficaciously to himself. I did not expect that in a sex so delicate, in an age yet so youthful, and in times so degenerate as 9 I .1, : ( 111 94 LITE OF MADA^ri: DE LA PEI/IRIE. ours, there could be found liearts so generous and ardent for perfection. Their example has covered me with confusion ! . . . . " Perhaps they will confidentially acknow- ledge to you as to their Mother, the sufferings they endured on the passage. As to rae, though I tried to render myself as free as pos- sible, I could not perceive anything, and many have been deceived by their exterior so un- changeably gay, that I took them to be as healthy as myself through ignorance, not knowing how to discern between the opera- tions of nature and grace. For this reason I may have shown less compassion to them than to the Hospital sisters who w^ere much more sensibly incommoded than they, by the bad weather and the agitation of the vessel. I will therefore bring them into port in the same state of health as they were confided to LIFE OF MADAME DE LA rELTRIE. 95 :l I inc. their ominciit dei>Tee of virtue beinc: suffi- cie!it to supply tor bodily weakness. We lived together like brother and sister, with this ex- ception only that they treated me with much more deference than I should have found de- sirable or reasonable, as I felt rather like a companion than a superior as they forced me to be, seeking in all things my approbation with a degree of submission that confounded me. In all things else nothing could surpass the sweetness of our pious interviews and exercises of devotion which we discharged throughout." A little further, he adds : " We cast anchor at Bonaventure Isle, for the first time, on the 1 9th of June ; there I availed myself of the opportunity of discharging a vow which I had made to the glorious St. Joseph to celebrate Mass in his honor, as soon as I should land on , 96 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTKIE. I IJ iiii ' i'i; M II ' I '«! il I the shores of Canada. The day was Hm". and pleasant, a circumstance that made me enjoy exceedingly the charms of nature, then bloom- ing in all the beauty of spring, while the night- ingale's song resounded through the green cedar and pine woods, as sweetly as in our own na- tive groves of old France. Our sisters did not feel courage enough to follow me, or, I should rather say, they were not quite so portable as myself in such a light skiff. While on shore, after satisfying my own private devotion, I made for them a collection of all the beautiful flowers and rare plants that I could find in the surrounding woods, so as to furnish them with a new subject for admiring and praising the in- finite goodness of God, so liberal towards poor savages who never loved Him. The currants, strawberries, and raspbernes seemed more beautiful than in France : nothing was wanting LIF^E OF MADAME DE LA PELTKIE. 97 to our enjoyment that day, save the presence of a few Indians, and it pleased Divine Provi- dence to give us that consolation also. They came to us in their light canoes, and seemed quite friendly, and much less barbarous than they are represented to us in France. It is true that, at first sight, there is something re- volting in their dark complexion and black oily hair, and above all, in their nakedness ; for the skins, which cover only about half their bodies, are not sufficient to protect them from the cold in the winter and the flies in the sum- mer. We made them form the sign of the cross, and we found that they were not with- out some knowledge of Christianity." . . . In the course of the following year, 1641 — all the materials being prepared for the build- of the new convent, Mme. de la Peltrie being satisfied with the workmen whom Mr. de Ber- 9* i i f" 98 LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. a 1!i '4 iHi;; nieres had sent her from Franco, she laid the foundation of the first building raised in Cana- da by the Ursulines. About this time the arrival of Mile. Manse and Mr. de Maisonneuve caused some excite- ment in the colony, as they were going to raise new establishments in Montreal, so as to forward the conversion of the Indians. This was more than sufficient to excite the ardent and somewhat chivalrous zeal of a descendant of chevaliers ! Mme. de la Peltrie, therefore, manifested great interest in these enterprises, and even went to Montreal, where, as the chronicle adds, she had evervthinGr in readi- ness to go to the Huron mission of St. Josei3h, had not a Jesuit Father from these parts dis- suaded her from so doing, by making known to her the countless perils attendant on such a journey. CHAPTER IX. MME. DE LA PELTRIE llETUUNS TO QUEBEC — JOYFUL RE- CEPTION AT HOME — VIRTUES OF OBEDIENCE AND PO- VERTY WHICH SHE PRACTISES IN THE URSULINE CON- VENT. As we have just seen, Mme. de la Pel trie left Quebec for some time to try and extend her Mission in the upper parts of the country. This she did contrary to the wishes of all her friends. From Montreal, she wrote most affectionate letters to her ever-dea, isters, assuring them that she only wished to extend the Ursuline Order. This was, however, not desirable at that period, and her Venerable friend. Mother de L'Incarnation, as well as I Hi! it fi i 1 1 100 LIFE OF MADAME DK LA PELTKIE. the Jesuit Fathers, and the Governor-General, could not be reconciled to her absence from the capital, where her virtues had given the highest edification, as we see by all the old manuscripts of the times. Alluding to the public devotions, in which she always took an edifying part, the Venerable Mother, writing to France during Mme. de la Peltrie's absence, observes : " Our foundress usually took our pupils to the procession and w^ent at the head of the w^omen and Indian girls, after which we prepared a banquet for them ; now that she has left us she is deprived of that conso- lation."* .1 * " Mme. notre Fondatrice avait coutume de conduire nos S6minaristes aux processions et de marcher 4 la t^te des femmes et des filles sauvages, apr^s quoi, nous leur preparions un Festin ; arijourd'hui, qu'elle est eloignee de nous, elle est privee de cette consolation!" LIFE OF MADAMK DK LA I'KLTUJIC. 101 The poor Indians, as well aa the nnns, wero inconsolable ; all therefore joined to solicit her return. Mine, de la Peltrie at lenurth under- stood by all these circunnstances, tliat God did not require of her this new sacrifice, and that she could contribute more effectually and securely by devoting lierself anew to the duties which she so nobly discharged in the institu- tion that owed its existence to her generosity. Thus persuaded that her own important under- taking in Quebec was more worthy of her own undivided attention and affections, she returned to her own house, where she was re- ceived by the nuns and the children with transports of joy. From that moment Mme. de la Peltrie em- braced as^ain the rules and restraints of the cloister, observing them with the utmost punctuality for the space of twenty-nine years, 102 I.IFK OF MADAME DK LA PKI/rKli:. that is to say, until her death, though she refused, tliroui^-h liuinilitv, to wear the Ijabit of the order, saying tliat she was not wortliy to appear in the garments worn by the eonse- crated spouses of Jesus Christ. Though the Venerable Mother tried on all occasions to make her spare herself, yet she w\as ever the iirst to seek the most humiliatino; and labori- CD ous employments. We have seen how she scoured and washed the little savages, and made their clothing, but it \vould fill a volume to detail the various services which the noble- hearted widow rendered each day, both to the parents who daily frequented the parlor, and to the children who were constantly with the nuns, and required their care and attention botli in sickness and in health. The number of Indians instructed by Mme. de la Peltrie and her nuns would seem incredible to our ir r.iFi-: OF MA DA. mi: dk la i'i:i/ji:n<:. 10.? niodeni comprchonsioiis, if it were not so [>l:iinly attested by tiie writings of the Vene- rable Mother, which bear the seal of lii.storic veracity, and whose antliority lias been ac- knowledged by every judicious writer in Canada since the days of Citarlevoix. The Venerable INFother says : " I have not lost my pains in studying a foreign and barbarous language, which has now become to me so easy, that I have not the slightest trouble in teaching the holy mysteries of the faith to our neophytes. We have had this year a large number, more than fifty scholars, besides above seven hundred visits of passing Indians, all of whom we assisted both spiritually and corpo- rally. As to the extension of Christianity, here are three nations who have come to settle permanently at Sillery, and whose daughters are to be sent to our seminary." . . . And 104 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTEIE. fflf again, she says : " Mother St. Joseph is study- ing the Huron language, in which she succeeds very well, we are, however, still more in need of the Algonquin." We have before observed that Muie. de la Peltrie was, in all things, perfectly faithful to the rules and regulations of the Convent, but the inward submission of her will and judg- ment were still more remarkable than her ex- terior punctuality. Of this fact, one example will fully convince our young readers. Desir- ous to render her virtues more perfect, she at one time resolved to renounce the privilege which she had enjoyed of assisting, at the head of the Indian women and children, at the pub- lic processions ; also, that of going out of the cloister sometimes, to visit the Indian chapels, as well as the Castle of St. Louis, when the state of her affairs required it. Actuated by LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 105 this desire, she went to throw herself at the feet of the Venerable Mother, beside her own waiting- maid, Miss Barre, on the day upon which the latter went to receive the Superior's blessing- before entering the noviciate. Sur- prised and moved at so touching a sight, the Venerable Mother de L'lncarnation burst into tears, and, raising our virtuous foundress from the ground, she exclaimed : " We know, Madame, that you are all ours, but, for the sake of our dear Indians, you must not re- linquish your visits among them, nor change the modest becoming dress in which they first beheld you.'- Without one word of objection, this admirable ladv submitted to the decision of her dear friend, and returned, like a gentle child, to her usual occupations This perfect abnegation of self appeared in all things ; when any general duty was to be fulfilled, or 10 I !' .♦' >lil 106 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTIIIE. any particular order given by the Superiors, all the otlier members of the Community felt encouraged to obey on seeing the good grace with which their respected foundress per- formed these actions. During all hours in the day, from four o'clock in the morning until nine at night, she was so exact to the exercises prescribed, that no one else could get to the chapel for prayer, or elsewhere for employ- ment, before her ; and a tradition of our ancient Mothers informs us, that " the regulai- observances were never so punctually an- nounced, as while Mme. de la Peltrie had carc^ of rinc^ini? the Convent bell !" Her love of religious poverty was also very great. On her arrival in Canada, seeing the extreme destitution of the churches and cha- pels, she sacrificed all her silk, velvet, and satin dresses, to make vestments for the clergy, and LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 107 antependiums, le year, ne little made by the noble foundress, previous to her leaving France, thirty-one years before her death! Writing from Paris, to a friend at Tours, on the 26th February, 1630, the Vene- rable Mother says : " What shall I say of Mme. de la Peltrie ? Her goodness confuses me exceedingly ! She is an admirable Mother who spares no expense for us ; I fear she will go too far, and I beg you will write to her on the subject !"* Do we not here see the virtues of this illustrious lady increase with her years ? In France she required the interference of her friends, to prevent her from exceeding in gene- rosity ; iu Canada, her house, her food, her ters ad- sxposi- /ances * Que dirais-je de Madame de la Peltrie ? Elle me met dans de continuelles confusions, par ses bontes en mon on- droit. Cost uno Mere admirable qui n'epargne aucun*^ depense a notre sujet ; je crains qu'elle n'y excede, et je vous prie de lui en ecriro. i! 1 112 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTKIE. elothing were common property, and she her- i it ! I l]l>' .1 '- telf was reduced to receive alms ! Oh 1 beauteous flower of old France, your fragrance yet perfumes our western wilds ! H|!ii' "I If f ■^'!-^ .»&^^ CHAPTER X. BURNING OP THE FIRST CONVENT IN 1650, AND OTHER SEVERE TRIALS — HUMILITY, CHARITY, AND SELF-DENIAI. OF MME. DE LA PELTRIE — DEATH OF REV. MOTHER ST. JOSEPH. The love of privations and suffering being a natural consequence of the fervent practice of religious poverty, we will not be surprised to find that Mme. de la Peltrie excelled also in this perfection, and to prove to our young read- ers, that she found in Canada abundant means of gratifying this dear affection of her heart. rr It 114 LIFE OF MADAME DK LA PELTRIK. I J ;: ii-li, I i. 'I '^'m i we will here insert an account of the fire which destroyed the Convent in 1650, as it so parti- cularly refers to one of the most trying periods of her life The ;JOth of December, 1650, was a day of deep mourning for the IJrsulines of Quebec, as they saw their first Monastery cease, as it were, to exist. Some hot embers having been left in a fire-pan to heat the dough prepared by a sister for baking, w^ere unfortunately forgotten there, while the whole community retired to rest, as usual about nine o'clock. Shortly afler, the dough-trough took fire^ then the flames spread through the bakehouse, which was situated at the northern extremity of the building, beneath our present refectory. In a few moment the conflagration spread, and reduced the whole house to ashes. The only things that could be saved were a LIFE OF MADAME J)E LA PELTKIE. 115 few articles belonging to the sacristy, and some important papers of the community which the Venerable Mother threw out of a Avindow. Tiie nuns only saved themselves by running out of the house half-dressed, without shoes or stockings, and the children, particu- larly the little Indian girls, were almost naked. A Huron woman (Cecile Archatsi) threw her- self out of a window in the upper story with- out sustaining any serious injury from so dangerous a fall upon the ice. All their pro- visions laid up in the fall, as well as those received from France, were totally destroyed in the cellars, as these were not vaulted. But to understand more clearly the state of desti- tution to which the inmates of the Convent were, by this accident, reduced, we must hear the simple and touching narrative written by the Venerable Mother herself, who seem« ii J' M li^ I -Ml ill MG LIFE OF MADAME I)E LA Plan KIM to have forgotton her own sufferings on be holding tliose of Mme. de la Peltrie. " If the letters which we sent by tlie way of N"ew England, and by the fishermen, were handed to you, you have been ah'eady in- formed that the hand of God has visited us, and reduced us to the last extremity, as I will now relate. On Friday, in the octave of the Nativity of our Lord, a lay sister-novice, liaving put into the dough-trough a firepan filled with burning coals to raise it sufficiently ibr baking in the morning, forgot to withdraw it before she left at night, so that the fire soon (Spread all over the bakehouse. About eleven o'clock at night, one of our sisters, who slept with the oldest of the children in the apart- ment just over the bakehouse, was suddenly startled l>y the crackling noise of the flames as LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 117 they increased and spread. Greatly alarmed, she rang the bell, and i\iiw wp to the dormi- tory, crying aloud, "'Sauvez-vous!" Fly! It was, indeed, time to mako our escape ; we break down the grates, try to save tlin child- ren, but not without imminent danger to our- selves ; we all pass through the sacristy (at the south end of the house) the flames having in- vaded every other avenue. I had a wish to go up to our little depot, or magazine, and throw out some articles of clothing, as I fore- saw that several of our poor sisters would have to fly out of the house half dressed, but our good God, wishing to spare my life, deter- red me from so doing, by giving me another thought — that of saving the papers oi the community, and I ran to secure them. Though the danger was not so great in that direction, I had, however, a fire on each side, and one 11 I 118 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. n l'-'^:' u.. behind me. In this extreme peril I made an inclination to my crucifix, and abandoned my- self to the divine will. The Reverend Father Superior of your house, and all your Reverend Fathers, threw themselves into the chapel, car- ried away the Blessed Sacrament, and saved the greater part of the things which were in the sacristy : one of your brothers nearly lost his life in the flames. As soon as I completed my escape, I found all my poor sisters half- naked on the snow, which, at this season, is very deep ; praying to Heaven there, they be- held this trial, with as much calm resignation, as if the misfortune did not at all concern them. For this reason several persons pre- sent, who were greatly affected at the sight of this awful distress, exclaimed that our sisters had either lost their senses, or were altogether transported by the love of God. I assure you, i,;i:i|ii LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 119 Reverend Father, that we never felt so pow- erful an effect of grace as we did at that try- ing hour, in which we were, in a few minutes, deprived of all that we possessed in this world. Clothing, provisions, furniture, house, all was consumed in the space of a few hours! . . . But, ah ! what would have been your feelings had you seen our foundress, Mme. de la Pel- trie, so delicate, so sensible to the cold, stand- ing barefoot on the ice, without any other co- vering but a light tunic ! . . . The night was clear, the heavens spangled with stars, and the frost intense. It was not windy, but as the fire progressed a slight wind arose, that threw back the flames towards the gardens and fields. Had it not been for this, your col- lege, the fort, and neighboring buildings would have been enveloped in our ruin, as the sparks were carried to a great distance by the vehe- ■■H mii'v' ;ii 120 LIFE OF MADAME VE LA PELTKIE". r mence of the flames. Fire was found in the ruins six weeks after the burning^. But, Jet us return to our poor sisters. Our good Mother Superior, St. Athanase, not seeing us all at the beginning, suffered an agony of death ; fearing that some of us might be buried in the flames, she threw herself on the snow at the feet of the Holy Virgin, and made a vow in honor of her Immaculate Conception. As for me, I attribute to a signal miracle that not one of ourselves or our boarders w^as injured by a fire so violent, and so sudden ! A Hu- ron woman, w^ho is a fervent Christian, not having been awakened as soon as. the rest, and finding herself surrounded by the flames, threw herself out of one of the upper win- dows, and remained as it were lifeless on the bare ice, but she afterwards came to her senses, and it pleased the Lord to restore her LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 121 to US. Our little boarders were beside us, in their night-gowns, on the snow, almost dead with cold, and some ot them have since been very ill. We had some clothing and other necessaries for our Indian scholars, the fire has robbed us of all, and reduced us like good Job, even to the dunghill, with this difference, how- ever, that all our dear friends, both French and Indians, were moved with extreme com- passion, a merciful consolation of which holy Job w^as deprived. The Reverend Mothers of the Hotel-Dieu, hearing of our disaster, sent for us to go and stay with them. Your Reverend Fathers conducted us there ; on seeing us in so pitiful a state, they shed abun- dant tears, and clothed us with their grey habits, giving us all they could, with the most admirable cordiality, for, having nothing, we were in want of all things. We spent three 11* p^^ ;• 122 LIFE OF MADAME I>E LA TELTRIE. \Im- 1 ^ ' i .' i ; 1 j; 1 ;! ^^1 1 1 ill weeks in their house, fifteen persons, as we were, sitting at their table, living like them- Belves, and performing tlie same exercises. The day after the fire, the Governor, Mr, d'Aillebont, and yonr Reverend Father, took lis to see these desolate ruins, or rather this vast furnace, which we could not venture to approach, the chimneys having been thrown down, and the walls all cracked. To build on these ruins, appeared a thing impossible, all having been destroyed to the very founda- tion. Besides this, we had nothing, and all our funds did not seem sufficient to cover the expenses of a new building. Our friends, therefore, thought that we would decide upon returning to France, after these immense losses ; but each of us was so strengtliened in her vocation, by an extraordinary effect of grace, that not one showed the least desire of LIFE OF MADAME DK LA TELTUIE. 123 returning to her native country. . , . This Jill opted land of Canada, furnishes us with abundant em[)loynient for tlio instruction of the young French and Indian girls, and >vlien the people became aware of our resolution to stay, they expressed to us their entire appro- bation. It is a cfreat consolation for us to wit- ness this affection of the people. I say no- thing of your Fathers ; they assisted us to the full extent of their power, sending us the nwi- terials of clothinc: destined for their own use. In a word, they fully proved to us that they possess nothing in this world for themselves alone. This charitable feeling was evinced to- wards us even by the poor ; one brought us a napkin, the other a chemise, or a mantle, one a hen, the other a few eggs, and all with words of commiseration so very kind that our feelings were deeply moved. You are aware fir" iiiiiii '!' :i 124 LIFE OF MADAME DK LA PELTRIE, of the poverty of this country, but the charity of the people is still more remarkable. After three weeks spent with our good Mothers of the Hotel-Dieu, we were conducted to a little building of our own, erected some time ago, at a few yards' distance from the Convent, by our foundress, and we are now lodging there until the building can be restored : the inconve- nience which we endure in this habitation, can only be compared to the extent of our priva- tions. But this is not what grieves me most ; we are greatly in debt, and without one article of furniture for the new building, or any other clothing but that which now covers us, or any provisions for ourselves or our poor Indians." ^ If : ifrl if;!.;: ii iiiiii And now, young ladies of the nineteenth century, nursed in the lap of comfort or afflu- ence, will you not, perhaps, hesitate to give LIFE OF ilADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 125 larity After ers of little ago, It, by there sonve- n, can priva- most ; article other or any iians." teenth ' afflu- o give credit to the touching accounts left to us of the misery endured by these patient sufferers ? Ah ! no ; tradition, our old Convent tradition, is there to confirm them, and we know that Madame de la Peltrie, after that awful fire of the 30th December, 1650, humbled herself, like her divine Lord, during his mortal life, receiving a few eggs fi'om one poor woman, a pair of stockings or a chemise from another, and a loaf of bread from a third ! Thus, she and her nuns suffered, during our long Cana- dian winter, until the spring vessels brought th'3m, at the end of May, their usual supply of provisions and money from France. . . . To increase their merit, at this trying period, the Almighty permitted that the youngest and most delicate member of the community, should be reduced to the last stage of consumption ; yes, one of the severest n ir^- n II, ■■■;, 126 LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. trials of Mme. de la Peltrie, was the illness and death of her beloved friend, Rev. Mother St. Joseph de la Troche. In allusion to this event, our annals contain the following pas- sage: "The Monastery having been burnt down, the beds of our nuns were all crowded into one little room, and placed one above the other, like berths on board a vessel or steamer ; and the dying sister was placed in one of these. The noise of the Indian girls reciting their lessons, in one end of the room, and the little French girls in the other, was a constant an- noyance ; besides this, the nuns, being obliged to cook in the open fire-place of the same apartment, it was constantly filled with smoke. •The recitation of the divine ofiice, and the singing of psalms, being on the lower flat, every sound was heard above. Then, as the fire had destroyed their shoes, these heroic iii: :; LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 127 sisters had nothing to wear but wooden san- dals, and the coarsest kind of galoches, as they were then worn by the poorest peasantry in France, and as they are yet worn by our 'femmes de gros travail,' or washerwomen, who come to work now and again in our 'Lavoir.' Yet, in the midst of privations almost incredible, these true daughters of St. Angela and St. Ursula, were, as the Vene- rable mother observes, in her own beautiful language, ' comblees de joie,' replenished with joy, to see themselves obliged to receive alms from the poorest of the poor !* We cannot with propriety close this chapter, without adding a few words concerning this first blessed sister, who died among us. Mo- ther St. Joseph was the first Ursuline who died in America. Beloved by God and man, she was one of the brightest ornaments of the w ilPii ' 1 : ! 128 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE, order. Gifted with all those graces of nature so highly valued by those of her sex, she also might have enjoyed, amid her high-born friends, a fortune amounting to £12,006 sterling! Owing to this last circumstance, especially, ^she had the most trying assaults to bear before she could tear herself away from her friends, to conceal her virtues, her talents, and her w^ell-known worth, within the shade of our austere-looking cloister, . . , During her whole life, her fervor was angelic, and she died in the odor of sanctit ' at the age of thirty-six! What a touching scene her death-bed offered. While all around were we^^ping, she smiled on them like an angel, and exclaimed : ' How happy am I to die in so poor a place, deprived of all the comforts of France !' . . . ' Que je suis heureuse de mourir en un lieu pauvre, privee de toutes les douceurs de la France !' " LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTKIE. '29 Such was the person, whom Mme. de la Peltrie had to part with. It was a painful sacrifice, but the spirit of true humility that reigned in her heart, controlling all its ener- gies, rendered easy to her, the practice of every virtue. The severest trials seemed to lose for her their poignancy, once that she had raised her eyes to Heaven, and exclaimed in the sincerity of her generous feelings, " My God ! I deserve this chastisement !" Contrary to the wishes of all, Madame de la Peltrie took to herself, as if by right of foundation, the last place in the chapel, at communion, at table, and in every other place where the community assembled. When spoken of, or addressed by the title of Foundress, she was often observed to sigh deeply,^ and exclaim : " My God I I am no- thing but a poor sinner who has not ceased 12 U Mil 130 LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. M'..;.iiii offending thee !" Of this she seemed to have a strong, positive conviction, though lier con- science was extremely pure, and her life alto- gether unblemished. Her gait and manners, though naturally dignified, were so modest and unassuming, that her very look inspired the rude Indians with a love of the most amiable of virtues. Madame de la Peltrie never spoke but to humble herself. One New Year's day, according to a custom ob- served among the Ursulines, the little French and Indian girls having been led by their teachers, to the amiable Foundress, to atk her blessing, she raised her eyes to Heaven, and then looking down upon them all in tears, she exclaimed : " My poor children, do you know to whom you address yourselves ? Ah ! you come for blessings to the vilest of God's crea- tures!" LIFE OF MADAME VE LA PEI^TllIE. 131 Renouncing the various privileges, and ex- erajjtions froui rule, usually granted by ecclesi- astical authority, to the foundress of an institu- tion, she con:V)rnied in all things to the rules of the convent, her food, lodging, occupations, hours of rising and retiring to rest, visits with- in, all was the same as the nuns. So tender was her piety that she would have received holy communion each day of her life, did not her humility make her dread becoming singu- lar, but to atofie for this privation, she used to procure for the community the greatest num- ber of masses possible, laying aside the most urgent occupations to go and hear them, and abruptly quitting, at the parlor, persons of the highest distinction, as soon as she heard the mass-bell ring. Her deportment towards the nuns of this community was, in all things, really admirable ; she treated them as if they \r m I lilP l;S|I "^1 Vi 1 'li: Mi •'s S ' a .i»* ll!!;i:ii |i;||i !l li .;il 132 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. had all been her superiors, and this defer- ence, so honorable to both parties, appeared chiefly at recreation. Although she had received the gift of con- stant prayer, and could speak divinely of the things of God, to persons from without, who came to enjoy her edifying conversation, yet she was so reserved in the community, so far from thinking herself worthy of notice, that she never said a word on spiritual matters, un- less it were to answer some direct question proposed. Being one day, particularly pressed to make known some of her feelings towards God, she quickly replied with the simplicity of a child : " What can I say, but that I am con- stantly offending his divine Majesty !" . . . .CHAPTER XI. AUSTERITY AND MORTIFICATION OF MME. DE LA PELTRIE, DISPLAYED IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE OF HER LIFE — HER RAPID PROGRESS IN PERFECTION — EARTHQUAKE AND OTHER TRIALS. To furnish our young readers with more satisfactory references, concerning the illustri- ous lady whom we now propose to their imita- tion, we shall here again introduce a note from the writings of the Venerable Mother who knew so well how to appreciate the virtues of her noble and generous friend.* " Madame de la Peltrie, our Foundress, is * " Madame notre Fondatrice court a grands pas dans la voie de la saintet^ je suis ravie de la voir, et si vous la 12* I ^J»SM,|,, lil. •■■■li i K « if i f\'{i m ■ iii'ii, 134 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. making rapid progress in the ways of holiness. I am delighted to see her, and if you could see her, you would be as delighted as I am. We feel much obliged to you for the holy relic you were pleased to send us. This dear lady would not hear to the proposal you made of giving a part of it to the parish church, as you said no- thing to her. ' It is for our own chapel,' said she, 'the parish church possesses two entire bodies of saints!' When I heard her speak voyiez, vous seriez ravi comme nous. Nous vous sommes obligees de la ste. Rolique, qu'il vous plCit nous envoyer. Nous avons re^u ce precieux depot avec des chants d'al- legresse. Cetto chere Dame n'a pas voulu entendre la proposition que vous me faites d'en donner il la Paroisse, comme vous ne lui en dites rien. C'est pour notre Eglise, dit-elle, la Paroisse a deux corps de saints entiers. Quand je I'entendis parler de la sorte, je gardai le silence Et, pour vous parler ingenument j'ai ete consolee de sa resolution." LIFE OF MADAME DB LA PELTRIE. 135 thus, I remained silent And I frankly own to you that her decision was a great con- Bolation to me." The spirit of mortification both interior and exterior, was also very remarkable in the life of Madame de la Peltrie, and a person of much stronger constitution could scarcely have en- dured the rigors which she exercised on her delicate body. During the time of illness, especially, she was inexorable, refusing herself all comfort and relief. Each day of her life in Canada, afforded her new opportunities of suffering, but her u'ials were, as we have al- ready seen, more severe, at some periods than at others, owing to the unsettled state of the country, and various other local causes. Among these, the earthquakes and the Indian wars hold the most conspicuous place, on ac- count of the terror and distress which accom- i IM m 136 LIFE OF MADAAIE DE LA PELTRIE. jfi^ I'll? >* ( ; I- r; .( I' panied them. The earthquake, which spread the greatest desolation throughout the colony, was felt at Quebec for the first time on the 5th of February, 1663. The Venerable Mo- ther gives a full and detailed account of it, and from her writings, we extract the follow- ing description. The first alarm of this ter- rific event, was caused by a low, rumbling, penetrating noise, like that of carriages rolling over the pavement : then the terrified people saw the houses waving backward and forward, like tempest-tossed barks upon a rough sea. After this the bells began to ring, the clocks to strike, and an awful noise was heard on the roofs of the houses, similar to that which is caused by hailstones during a hurricane. Then the extreme agitation of the buildings made the partitions split and the walls crack, while the furniture rolled about in every LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTKIE. 137 direction. The first impression produced by this extraordinary disorder in nature, was truly fearful. The people, in danger of being crush- ed to death at each repeated shock, pushed out of their houses as if they had been on fire, and as the disorder without was still greater than within, they fled from one place to another in the most extreme terror. The cattle, and wild beasts of the surrounding country, as well as the * domestic animals in the city, were howling in the most pitiful manner, and as these shocks were frequently repeated, that whole night offered a scene of inward anguish and terror unequalled in the annals of the colony. The ground, though covered with snow and ice to the depth of five and six feet, burst open in a great many places ; the ice being thrown up into the air, — thick clouds of smoke and sulphur issued from 111 k 1.^8 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. Hi :• m 'I I' ill . i ; ? ■■; these apertures. The earth thus continued to quake violently, at intervals, during that whole night, so that, between the hours of five in the evening and three in the morning, thirty-two shocks had been felt throughout the extent of this immense country, from the vicinity of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the borders of the great Lakes ! To finish this distressing picture, we shall here, also insert, a few lines from the fragments of our annals, written from memory after the second fire which destroyed this house on the 20th of Oc- tober, 1686. " During this time of public cala- mity, we took our rest on the floor of the community ; without undressing, we lay our- selves down on straw beds so as to be ready to fly more quickly, in case the danger should increase. At the moment of the first shock, we were all assembled in the chapel, reciting LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 139 matins, and as we stood there, praying, we were all frequently thrown to the ground. At each redoubled shock during the night, we all arose, and recited aloud the fourth penitential psalm, Miserere. . . . Nor did we spare the fasts and other exercises of penance to appease the wrath of our merciful God. Thus did Mme. de la Peltrie and her nuns devote themselves, like victims, for the sins of the people, and this generosity on their part ■^as felt and appreciated by all ranks of the citizens. Mme. de la Peltrie, in particular, re- tained nothing for herself, and even when at the point of starvation, she could not take a morsel of food, without dividing it with the ever famishing Indians around her. Writing to a friend in France, the Venerable Mother thus describes the distress to which they were re- duced by a shipwreck. " We have again, this :• iiiup^' 1,1'; '"«' •'- m 'Ul iir ii^iiili 140 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. year, suffered considerably by the loss of a ves- sel, which was wrecked almost in sight of port. All our flour was steeped in the salt water, as well as our other provisions." At another sea- son, she thus gently alludes to the scarcity of provisions. " Would you believe that for about fifty persons, as we are, we have just flour enough to bake three times, and we have no news of the vessels laden with provisions for the country ! Yet I cannot help rejoicing in all that it will please God's infinite goodness to ordain ! May He be eternally praised ! . . . . Yv^hen Monseigneur de Laval, the first Bish- op of Canada, arrived, in 1659, such was the poverty of the colony, that no suitable dwelling could be found for him. He therefore lodged for some time at the Jesuits' College (the spa- cious building fronting the French Cathedral, transformed into barracks after the conquest, LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 141 and yet occupied by British soldiers). At the end of some months, the Bishop was invited by the nuns, to accept a ward belonging to the poor at the Hotel Dieu Convent. There, amid the beloved of Christ, the noble son of Mont- morency Laval went to reside. Seeing him in a place rather unfavorable to his health, Mme. de la Pel trie, with her usual generosity, offered him her house, then used as the convent school, and to oblige him to accept it, the nuns assem- bled the children, each day at the community, for their classes. Bishop de Laval, through respect for the cloister ground, enclosed this house with a liglit paling, and fixed his resi- dence there for the space of two years, during which time he celebrated mass almost every day, in the chapel, which was contiguous as at present. This chapel was a handsome edifice, situated precisely on the spot now occupied by 13 142 LIFE OF MADAME BE LA PEI.TEIE. : -I } ■ li '., ■ ■ i iii the antiquated, though venerable old door and parlors. The corner-stone of this building, had been laid by the Governor-General, Mr. de Lauzon, on the 19th of May, 1656. Various losses at that time, prevented the nuns from completing it, by adding the chapel of St. Anne, as had been designed. However, on the 29th of April, 1667, the first stone of this ele- gant addition was laid by the Governor-General in presence of Mn\e. de la Peltrie. The Mar- quis de Tracy, who was her particular friend, insisted on defraying all the expenses himself. Another trial which greatly increased the sufferings of all, was the frequent recurrence of the most fearful epidemics, which made awful havoc among the Indians and ever found their way into the convent by them. The intense cold of this climate, also rendered their lives one uninterrupted scene of severe suffering and LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 143 calm endurance. What must then have been the feelings of this generous lady, who had, as we have seen, the tenderness of a mother's heart, both for the nuns and the children, when despite of all the sacrifices w^iich she had made, she saw them exposed to the most bitter cold, during the long winter months. The use of stoves not being then known in Canada, they had to crowd around the open fire-places with- out grates, to warm themselves in the course of the day, and were reduced to take their rest at night, in a kind of wooden form or chests, lined with some woollen material. The poor little Indians used to wrap themselves up in skins ; but to make our young readers more plainly understand the state of the whole co- lony, as w^ell as the convent in those days, we shall here introduce a few lines from the Vene- rable Mother's writings. " Our building is 144 LIFE OF MADAME 1>E LA PELTRIE. in , :; H ? ■■ t t' I !i Si three stories high, the second flat being occu- pied by our cells. The chimney which heats the dormitory is at the end, yet so great is the cold, that we cannot stay away from the fire, even for an hour. Between the observances, (prayers, meals, <&c.), the place to read, write, study, or Avork, is, of all necessity, by the fire- place. Our bedsteads are made of wood, and shut up like presses, and although lined with blankets, we can scarcely keep ourselves warm in them. In our four chimneys we burn 175 cords of hard w^ood !" Thus for their sufferings in winter ; now let us pass in review their trials during one short summer. The summer of 1660 has been rendered ever memorable in Canada, by the irruptions of the Iroquois Indians, the most barbarous and powerful of our native tribes in the north. Having sworn to exterminate both the Hurons LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTUIE. 145 and the P'rencli, they infest the borders of our beautiful lakes and rivers, the whole length and extent of the country, from Nia- gara to Quebec. Concealed in the dark re- cesses of our noble forests, these faithless infi- dels lay in ambush, day and night, for whole months together, to surprise and massacre our unwary travellers ! But in 1660, they could no longer assuage their savage tliirst for human blood by so slow a mode of w^arfare, and all these barbarians united their forces for the general invasion and total de- struction of the French settlers, as well as the Huron and Algonquin tribes, who w^ere well- known to be their faithful allies. After re- peated acts of the most awful treachery, they took possession of all the advanced posts, spreading terror and desolation to the very gates of our little fort, St. Louis, in Quebec. 13* '1i 146 LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIB. .» This was previous to the heroic sacrifice of Daulac and his brave companions, who, devot- ing themselves to save their country, went in- trepidly to attack these savage hordes, in their stronghold at the " Long sault.'' Resolved like Spartans of old, to " conquer or to die," they also fell and saved their country. Owing to the state of extreme excitement which pre- ceded this event, the whole population being in constant alarm. Bishop de Laval thought it prudent for the nuns of the Hotel Dieu, as well as the Ursulines, to go every night, with their pupils to the Jesuits' College. Accordingly Mme. de la Peltrie, with the children, and the greater part of the community went there, while the Venerable Mother, with three sisters, remained in the convent with the soldiers, who had fortified it and kept con- stant watch, in case of an attack. This terrible LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 147 panic lasted a whole fortnight. A letter of the Venerable Mother, dated June 25th, in- forms us that, to defend the convent, two de- tachments of guard •' rad been placed at its extremities, and that a redoubt, in due form, was constructed by the soldiers to protect the barn on one side, and the church on the other. " All our windows were defended by walls breast-high and loop-holes; there were also defences made on our porches." These per- rons, or little galleries, were situated outside the two large doors, one of which now leads to the interior yard, the other, just opposite the ice-house, leads to " Notre Dame de Grace," the new boarding-school, built in 1853. " All the avenues leading through the grounds to the monastery, were barricaded, and a dozen large dogs were placed out- side, and the guard kept by them, was, with- /• i .i i 'i' i :i / / 148 LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. out comparison, much better than that of the men, to keep off the Indians, because they fear the French dogs as much as our men, for these animals fly at them when they can catch them and tear them to pieces."* Thus we see the convent transformed into a little fort, dur- ing the summer of 1660, with two detachments of soldiers and their officers living with the Venerable Mother, as also their women and * " Toutes nos fenetres," says she, " etaient garnies do poutreaux et de murailles a moitie avec des meurtrieres, Ton a aussi fait des defenses sur nos perrons. Les ave- nues des cours du Monastere, etaient barricadees, et puis, una douzaine de grands chiens gardaient les portes do dehors, et dont la garde valait mieux, sans eom5)araison que celle des hommes, car les sauvages craignent autant les chiens fran^ais que les hommes eux-memes, car ces animaux se jettent sur eux et les de'chirent quand ils peu- vent les attraper." / LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTEIE. 149 children, whose excitement sometimes greatly- annoyed her. Yet she bore all with dauntless courage, confiding in the providence of God, whose divine care she sensibly felt, even in that instinct of watchfulness and fidelity which she ever admired in her noble dogs, who were, it seems, as formidable to the Indians, as the fabled Cerberus was, in times of old, to all intruders at Pluto's gate A little further on she gives, in the same letter, details replete with interest. " I obtained leave to stay in the convent, so as not to leave it en- tirely deserted. Three of our sisters remained with me, but I must own to you that I was sensibly affected, when I saw them take away from us the most Blessed Sacrament. Sister St. Ursula wept bitterly, and was inconsolable." On the 8th of the same month, a false alarm had been given, in allusion to which our vene- ; ';,'( ::H 150 LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. rable writer observes: "In less than half an hour each one was ranged at his post. All the doors were again barricaded, and I distri- buted among our soldiers all that was neces- sary. The women were greatly alarmed, but as to myself, I assure you, I felt not the slight- est fear either interior or exterior And yet I did not sleep much during those days of alarm : my ear kept watch during the night, so as to prevent my being taken by sur- prise, and also to be ready, in case of sudden attack, to give our soldiers all they needed." Happily all this terror and excitement was not followed by the events which were so fearfully threatening; though detached par- ties of these cunning and cruel Iroquois, made frequent descents here by day and by night, in despite of the consummate vigilance of the colonists, and the bravery of the gallant iiil LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PEIiTRIE. 151 French soldiers. Thus these savages greatly annoyed the settlers, as we see by what hap- pened to the nuns themselves. Alluding to the farm belonging to the convent, situated outside of St. John's Gate, Mother de L'ln- carnation says : " There remained in that place but one house, where our laborers used to stay About 8 o'clock at night, the Iroquois spies appeared at a distance, and called our young man who had care of the cattle. We suppose that they wanted to carry him off, as they had done another young man a few days before. The poor boy was so ter- rified that he ran to hide himself in the woods. Then, after a little reflection, he came to in- form us of what had happened. ,-j Immediately all our domestics, to the number of ten, ran off to defend the house, but it was too late ; they found it on fire, and the cattle gone." i 'i r:«' mm -I 152 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. The next day these ten faithful men, who had risked their lives in defence of our property, were found at a great distance from the farm, all tied to a huge stake of wood, and yet alive, with the exception of one, who had ex- pired from the effect of the deep wounds and gashes with which his body was covered. Two years later, we see the nuns and their saintly foundress, suffering from a still severer trial, the death of the Reverend Wm. Vignal, their kind and good friend, who had served them as chaplain during the sjxice of eleven years. This respected clergyman was induced by the restless and intriguing Abbe de Quelus to leave our nuns, in 1658, and join the Sulpi- tians in Montreal. In 1662 he was massacred at Pile de la Pierre, whither he went, with a small party, to collect materials for building. In allusion to these distressing events of 1660- s. ho had operty, e farm, nd yet had ex- ds and Dvered. i their severer Hgnal, served eleven iduced Quelus Sulpi- isacred with a ilding. 1660- LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 153 M\ 1652, our Venerable Mother says : " It is really an admirable thing to see the designs of God upon this country. They are altogether above human conception. At the very time that we expected to be all exterminated, those who ventured forth to oppose the Iroquois were taken themselves, and immolated for the whole country."^- * " C'est une chose admirable de voir la conduite de Dieu sur ce pays; elle est tout-a-Dait audessus des con- ceptions humaines. Lorsque nous devions etre tons de- truits, ceux qui etaient partis pour prendre des Iroquois, ont ete pris eux-memes, et immoles pour tout lo pays." x 14 CHAPTER XII. LAST ILLNESS OF MME. DE LA PELTRIE — CONSTERNATION AND SORROW WHICH IT PRODUCES IN QUEBEC — HER DEATH AND SOLEMN FUNERAL, i Since the beginning of our simple narrative we have laid before our young readers, with the utmost fidelity, the chief interesting events of Madame de la Peltrie's life, as well as a few of the trials by which she rendered her j)ure soul so agreeable to her Creator. We have admired her virtues in the house of ERNATION JEC — HER arrative readers, eresting as well endered Creator, house of LIFE OF IMADAME DE LA PELTKIE. 155 lier lather ; amid the gay scenes of life in the society of her husband ; in the public exercise of good works during her widowhood ; in the palace of kings, in the Huron hut, and in the solitude of our cloisters. We have found her ever the same ; and of all that is admirable in so beautiful a life, an estimate must be formed by the readers themselves, as we now resume the last events connected with the illness and death of that illustrious lady. Our amiable foundress, having now spent thirty-one years of her life in Canada, in the active practice of every virtue, her angelic soul began to long more ardently than ever, for that eternal en- joyment promised to those who forsake all things here below for the love of Jesus. She liad seen this institution, so dear to her heart, rebuilt after the fire, more spacious than be- fore, and flourishing to the entire satisfaction !V 156 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. I of the Governor-General, the clergymen, and the whole population Some frag- ments of letters, written to the Duchess de Sennesay, and other ladies of high rank in France, plainly attest the great good which was effected by the humble labors of the vir- tuous foundress and her nuns. A letter to the Archbishop of Tours, writ- ten a few^ months before Mme. de la Peltrie's death, gives the following details : " As to our community, it is composed of twenty-two nuns ; the seminary is filled with French and Indian girls."* The noble task of this virtuous lady was, therefore, completed, the design of her mission to Canada was fully accomplished ; yet, though naturally delicate, her healthy * " Pour notre communaute elle est composee de vingt- deux religieuses ; le seminaire est remplie de fiUes fran- 9aises et sauvages." LIFE OF MA.DAME DE LA PELTRIE. 157 appearance seemed to promise, for many yeai*s, the preservation of a life so precious, and so dear to all. It, however, pleased the Almighty to ordain otherwise, for the greater good of his devoted servant. In the year 1652 she had parted with the youngest of her companions; in 1667 she had lost an- other dear friend. Miss Philippa do Boulogne, sister of Madame d'Aillehont, better known among us by the name of Mere St. Dominique. In 1669, she had closed tlie eyes of another valued sister, the first devoted person who offered her services to our nuns, in the capa- city of sister servant. Tliis was the Sister St. Lawrence of Dieppe, and one sentence will suffice to reveal the virtues with which she was endowed. Her father being a silk-trader (marchand de sole), and all her friends in easy circumstances, when she decided upon enter- 14 * :i 158 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. ?l'>i: ing the convent, they pressed her to embrace the state of ohoh'-sister, or teacher, for which her natural abilities and fortune seemed to qualifv her. To all their solicitations she op- posed these few words : *' If I had all the crowns of the universe I would gladly sacri- fice them to obtain the place of lay-sister in a house of Ursulines !".... It was now the turn of our beloved foundress to depart, and she was therefore called in the year 1671 to receive tho reward of her unblemished and meritorious life. Known and revered through- out the colony for the sanctity of her morals and conversation, her liberality in forwarding every kind of good work, and relieving every species of human misery, Madame de la Pel- trie, esteemed and honored by the great and good, was beloved by the poor and humbk^ and respected by alL i'l LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 159 On the 11th of Novemhor, 1671, she was seized with a pleurisy, which terminated lier life on the seventh day of her ilhiess. The few eventful days that elapsed from the 11th till the 18th, appeared very short to those who dreaded to lose her ; but that interval sufficed to exemplify in her death all the he- roic and lovely virtues which we admire in the chosen servants of the Lord. Never before had she appeared more humble, more patient, or mortified. Two clauses, which we here ex- tract from her last will and testament, will suffice to exhibit the perfection to which she had attained in the practice of these virtues. After the ordinary preamble, we read as fol- lows :* " Moreover, the said Lady de la Pel- * " Plus, declare la dite Dame de la Peltrie, que son intention est que son corps soit pose en le lieu oh les reli- gieuses du Monastere de St. Joseph de cette ville de Que- 1 ll ■ ''V f II' 1 ^H^l ' i ''n If'* ^ f ^ 160 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. trie decares that her intention is, that her body shall be laid in the same grave where the nuns of this Monastery of St. Joseph, of the city of Quebec, are interred. She begs of the reverend TJrsuline Mothers to grant her this favor, through charity." .... How admirable it is to see the noble foundress, begging of her nuns to give her a grave through charity ! Her submission to the Su- perior and attending physicians, during her illness, was like that of a gentle child. Then, also, her piety became more tender, her union with God more expressive, and «her resigna- tion to his divine will more entire. Then, she was seen to emulate in holy poverty the an- chorites themselves ! Desirous of rendering this holy virtue more perfect, she divested bee, doivent etre enterrees. Ello demando aux reverendos Meres Religieuses Ursulines cette cliarite par aumosno." at her where eph, of 3egs of nt her How ad r ess, grave he Su- ig her Then, • union esigna- en, she ;he an- dering vested /■erendes losne." ::! LIFE OP MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 161 herself of tlie most necessary articles, and even begged of the Venerable Mother to take away from her beside various little refreshments des- tined for her use. On the seventh day of her illness Madame de la Peltrie, having settled her temporal affairs, gave all her thoughts to heaven, and received the last sacraments of the church ; yet seeing her large family of nuns and children sobbing and weeping around her bed of death, she summoned up all her strength to address them a few words of consolation : " Tell my friends in France," said she, " that I die happy in Canada. Having enjoyed here, among you, the hundredfold promised to those who forsake all things for God, I humbly trust that his Divine Majesty will now give me eter- nal life, of which this is the pledge." Shortly after, while deeply engaged in prayer she raised her eyes towards heaven, 'h t if If Sri,! Hi )•;:;'■ « H ♦ ^rf 162 LIFE OF MADAAfE DE LA PELTRIE. and calmly gave up her pure spirit into the hands of her Creator, on the evening of the 18th of November, 1671. We may easily form an idea of the feelings of the Venerable Mother and the whole community on this oc- casion. They wept and prayed, they blessed God, and recounted to all, with feelings of unbounded gratitude, the virtues of their be- loved benefactress, and for this reason, after a lapse of two centuries, the deeds of this truly Christian lady are enshrined in living temples, each member of her community having re- ceived by tradition, as well as by written do- cuments, the most minute and edifying details of her life and death. And how, indeed, could she be forgotten, the tender Mother, who, after sacrificing a large fortune to raise this in- stitution and secure its prosperity, renounced every comfort and satisfaction to dwell with LIFE OF MADAME DE LA TELTRIE. 163 her nuns and children in the obscurity of the cloister, there practising heroic virtues, unseen by man, but known and appreciated by a just and generous God. The day of her death was, therefore, one of mourning for all but herself, and it may be truly said that, in her, these words of Scrip- ture were fully realized : " They shall rest from their labors, and their works shall follow them." Ill pursuance of her last will, the body of Mme. de la Peltrie was opened after her death by the attending physicians, Mr. de Bonamour, Medecin du Roi, and J. B. Gosset, practitioner, of Quebec. Her heart was taken out, and put into a small wooden case without any other covering but quicklime and earth. This was enclosed in another case of lead, which we see at the present day, though all within is reduced to dust, and thus it was de- jir y II, 164 LIFE OP MADAlklE DE LA PELTRIE. livered to the Reverend Fathers of the So- ciety of Jesus, " as a proof of the respect and affection she always had for their holy So- ciety ; to be buried under the steps of the altar, where reposes the most holy sacrament ; to be there consumed and reduced to ashes at the foot of his Divine Majesty." She was not buried in the religious habit, in consequence of her extreme humility, which made her declare, that, as she had been uii- Avorthy to wear it during her life, she did not deserve that honor after death, and her will was again respected on this point. According to the Ursuline rules, the nuns went in solemn procession to convey the body of their de- ceased foundress to the choir, on the evening before her burial. As they moved in slow and solemn order, chanting the psalms pre- ecribed, and bearing, amid lighted torches. E. LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. 165 the So- )ect and loly So- i of the rament ; aslies at habit, in ^, which )een un- ! did not her will ceording 1 solemn heir de- evening in slow 1ms pre- torches, the body of their beloved foundress, who had dejDarted from among them with such evideni' marks of beatitude, we might have taken them for a fervent band of primitive Christians. Yes, even for those blessed ones who bore silently, amid the shades of eve, to the soli- tary catacombs, the mortal remains of some generous martyr, who had nobly struggled in defence of our holy faith, and confounded the Prince of Darkness with all his satellites. The funeral of Madame de la Peltrie was honored by the presence of the Governor- General, Mr. de Courcelle ; the Intendant of Justice, Finance, and Laws, Mr. Talon ; and every person of distinction in Quebec and the surrounding country. The Indians, also, flock- ed in great numbers, rending the air with their lamentations, as well as the poor French people, who looked upon her a^s a ministering 15 I ^ 160 LIFE OF MADAME DE LA PELTRIE. angel sent by Heaven to Canada to be their comfort and support, and it may well be said that the tears shed upon that day, within and without the cloister, were the o"reatest eulo- gium of her virtues. After the solemn service, Mr. de Berni^res, Vicar-General, and nephew of her valued friend, entered the nuns' chapel, with the rest of the clergy, to perform tlie rites of burial. These being concluded, they took the case containing the heart of Madame de la Peltrie, to carry it to the church of the Jesuit Fathers. Veiled with black crape, it was borne beneath a canopy by one of the principal citizens of Quebec ; preceded by the clergy, and followed by the Governor-General, Mr. de Courcelles, and suite, this solemn fune- ral proceeded to the Jesuits' College. As soon as the procession had reached the chapel •door, the valued gift was received by the Re- G. LIFE OF MADAME DE LA TELTKIE. 167 )e their be 8aid ihin and st eulo- service, nephew chapel, 3rm tlie ed, they Madame li of the crape, it e of the d by the General, mn fune- ige. As le chapel ' the Re- verend Father Superior, and immediately de- posited in the vault, which had been prepared for its reception, beneath the steps of the grand altar, where it rested in peace for many years Then, eventful days came on, and changed the face of all things in the colony At the beginning of the present century, the Jesuits' church having been burnt down, the British authorities com- pletely demolished these interesting ruins, but the Ursuline nuns, desirous to secure the heart of their beloved foundress, caused an excava- tion to be made, and the precious deposit hav- ing been found in the precise place marked in our registers, it was brought back to the Con- vent, and laid in the same tomb which con- tained the other remains, as well as those of the saintly Mother St. Joseph and the Vene- rable ]Mother de L'Incarnation. ■i B ' ^1 Ml' 1 ' ' ''fl it lis'! 1 '1 1 p ■'Ml DUNIGAN & SROTHER'S NEW, CHEAP, SUPERBLY ILLUSTRATED, AND UN- ABRIDGED EDITION OF Ilaydock's Catholic Family Bible and Coiiimciilary. 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Price. lO to 6 00 4 00 2 25 . 1 75 63 63 50 i}8 25 63 50 31 ly ,'n's veal Price. 3S . 75 Price. . ^1 50 1 75 68 63 50 38 25 DEVOUT MANUAL, edition for the Aged, 18rno. plates. Turkey, super extrn^ clusp, Turkey, extrn Anierk'iui morocco, jrilt edges and sides, gilt edges, .... gilt hides, .... Itoan, »t (k II n tl II 8 00 Price. 2 50 1 50 1 0() 75 50 DAILY PIKTY. AVith tliirty-six rictorial Illustrations. Turkey morocco, super extra, 8 plates, " " ful gilt sides and edges, clasps, 8 plates, . American morocco, full gilt sides and edges, clasps. S pis. . " " illuminated sides, gilt edges, S pfatus, " " full gilt sides and edges, . " " gilt back and sides, .... Koan, gilt hack, Handsome cloth binding, Price. $1 50 1 75 63 63 50 38 25 19 THE SERAPTTIC MANUAL. A selection of Devotions accordiuir to the spirit of the Catholic Church, with the Uule of the Third Order of St. Francis; Confraternity of the Cord. &c., 24mo., price 50 cents to $2 00 KEY OF IIEAYEN. 24mo. Turkey morocco, sup. extra gilt edges and clasp, 9 pis " " super extra gilt edges, 9 plates, gilt edges and clasp, 6 plates, illuminated sides, 6 plates, 4 plates, gilt sides, 2 plates, gilt back, 1 plate, American " It II (I II II II Roan Price. $2 25 1 75 8H 88 75 63 50 88 CHILD'S CATHOLIC PIETY. 384 pages. 48mo. Turkey morocco, super extra, 8 plates. American morocco, or cloth, gilt edges, 8 plates, Cloth, gilt sides and back, 4 plates, Handsome cloth binding, 1 plate, . . , Price. 1 38 38 25 19 CATHOLIC'S POCKET COMPANION. 254 pages. Price. Cloth, plain edges, |0 19 lioan, gilt back, 20 American morocco, gilt back and sides, . . . . 81 " full gilt sides and edges, . . . 88 " tuck; 38 \r m rOCIvKT CATHOLIC !sIANUAL. G4mo. Cloth, plain edpcs, " Kilt biick, '• ;^ilt 0(1^08, 2 plates, .... Turkey morocco, extra, plates, . MASS AND VESPER BOOK. Gliuo. Cloth, Gilt edges, 2 ])latcs, Turkey morocco, extra, C plates, . DAS rAllADIES GARTLEIN. Willi of the Mass. 82mo. Pricfi. $0 18 19 25 75 Price. |0 18 25 75 3(5 Illustrations u l( (( M (. (( Koan morocco, gilt back, American morocco, gilt ssides, full gilt sides and edges, '■' " clasp, illuminated sides, gilt edges, Turkey morocco, gilt sides and edges, " WEO ZUAI lilMMEL. 24mo. G08 pages. Roan morocco, gilt back, Imitation morocco, plain edges, '' " gilt edges, American " gilt edges and clasp, " " illuminated sides, . Turkey morocco, gilt edges, . L'ANGE CONDUCTEUR.. 24mo. Rich velvet, various splendid styles, Turkey mor., sup. ex. gill edges nnd clasp, 9 plates, " '• " ' " ' 9 plates, . " " gilt edges, 8 plates, .... American morocco, gilt edges and clasp, G plates, Price. $0 25 38 50 es 68 1 50 Price. $0 38 50 75 88 88 1 75 gilt edges, C plates, gilt edges, 4 ])latcs, gilt sides, 2 plates, . Roan morocco, 1 plate, .... 11 Price> from $6 to $8 00 2 26 2 00 1 50 88 75 63 50 88 P)ice. froin $G to .$8 CO EL DIAMANTE DEL CATOLlCO. Rich velvet, several elegant patterns, . Turkey mor., super ex., gilt edges and clasp, 9 plates, . 2 25 " " super extra gilt edires, J) \,lales, . . . 2 CO " " gilt edges and sides, 8 plates, . . . . 1 50 American morocco, gilt .'dges and sides, and clasp, 9 plates, 1 13 " '^ uilt edges and sides, . . . . 1 00 " " gilt sides, 4 plates 75 Roan uiorocco, 1 plate, 50 Wif^ Pricfi. $0 18 19 25 75 Price. . $0 18 25 75 istnitions Price. $0 25 8S 50 €8 68 1 50 Price. $0 88 50 75 88 88 1 75 Price. 16 to %% 00 2 25 2 00 1 50 88 75 68 50 38 Price. ^6 to .$8 CO 2 25 2 CO 1 50 ;os, 1 13 1 00 75 50 TriR aOLDEXBOOK OF TFIR COXFRATRRXtTFES Adapted to tho Rosary, Living liosaiy, Scapular Societies, Con- fraternities of the Blessed Sa(!rament, Sacred Heart of desus, Im- inaculate Heart of Mary, Cord of St. Francis, »fec., tfcc, with Prayers for Mass and Vespers, Way of the Cross, &c. Price. One vol. neat cloth, 88 THE SERAPrirO STAFF. A Manual for tlie Members of the Third Order of St. Francis. 32nio. Price. Neat cloth, .$1 19 EXERCISE OF THE WAY OF THE CROSS. As it is performed at Jerusalem and in the Coliseum at Homo. Trans- lated from the Italian by a Priest of the Order of St. Francis. 82mo. Price, Paper, 4 cents. EXERCISE OF THE WAY OF THE CROSS. By St. Alphonsus Ligiiori, with engravings of the Passion, 32mo. Price, 4 cents. VIA CRUCIS, OR THE HOLY WAY OF THE (^ROSS, by Abp. Walsh. Price, G}i cents. THE ROSARY OF THE BLESSED VIRCilX MARY. ♦ J'rice, Pa[)er covers, 6 cents. THE SCAPULAR BOOIC. Price, cents. ETJCIIARTSTICA: OR. A SERIES OF PIECKS, ORI- GLNALAND TIIANSLATEI). ON THE MOST HOLY AND ADOllAP.LE SACRAMENT OF THE KircHAKlST. JJy Abp. Walsli. Price, 1 vol. neat clo. 63 cents. LEXTi^:X MANUAL. AND COMPANION FOR PAS- SION TIME AND HOLY WEEK. 47(; parres, 24mo. Price, Clotli, 87;