fare. During the early years of the war, Thury and Bigot were especially conspicuous in this regard. "The savages," wrote Tibierge, " in the river Pentagoet, have great confidence in Monsieur Thury, who has been a missionary among them for eight years. I am persuaded that he is very necessary in that place for the service of the king and the welfare of the nation, and if it was desired to make use of the savages for some important enterprise, nobody could be found who could better persuade them than he to do what was desired."

And for his success in persuading his converts to renew the war against the English, the French minister not only wrote the bishop of Quebec to "increase his pay," but also wrote Thury himself, that he was glad to serve him in an application to the king for reward, "not only for your zeal and your application in your mission, and the progress it has made in the advancement of religion among the savages, but also for your pains

seq. Lettre de Monsieur de Champigny, au ministre, Oct. 5, 1692. Collection de Manuscrits, vol. 2, p. 88 et seq. Williamson's Maine, vol. 1, p. 672, and Journal of Rev. John Pike.

1 Vide Memoire sur l'Acadie par Monsieur Tibierge. Collection de Manuscrits, etc, vol. 2, p. 185.

in keeping them in the service of his majesty, and for encouraging them in expeditions of war." Proof is abundant to show how completely some of these missionaries identified themselves with their savage converts in their wars against the border settlers. It is a pleasant duty to recall, that even in this hard

1" Monsieur le Comte de Frontenac nonseulement a rendu tesmoniage de vostre faveur dans vostre mission-mais j'ay encore appris par les lettres de Monsieur de Villebon, commandant pour Sa Majesté à l'Acadie, et par la relation du Sieur du Villieu, l'usage que vous avez faict pour le service de Sa Majesté de la confiance que vous este acquise parmy ces Sauvages pour ayder à ces officiers à les maintenir dans le fidélité du service de sa

majesté contre les Anglois. C'est sur ces assurances que Monsieur de Frontenac, ayant faict connoistre à Sa Majesté la conséquence de secourir plus promtement les sauvages du quartier de Pentagouët et ceulx de la rivière Quinibéqui que nous comprenons soubs le nom de Cannibas, et pour leur plus grande commodité, Sa Majesté a donné l'ordre au Sieur de Bonnaventure, commandant le vaisseau l'Envieux, d'aller à Pentagouët pour y discharger la partie des munitions et marchandises destinez pour ceulx de Pentagouët et de Quinibéqui, et les marchandises que la compagnie a en ordre d'envoyer aussy pour la traitte avec eulx, affin qui ces présens, vous estans remis, sur vostre recepissé au pied de l'inventoire par le dit Sieur de Bonnaventure, vous leur en faissiez la distribution comme il est accoustumé, que vous vous entendiez avec ledit

age, there were men who realized what conversion really meant; men who knew that such men as

Sieur de Villebon, et que vous luy envoyiez l'estat de la distribution, affin qu'il me le fasse venir. J'espère que vous voudrez bien continuer de messager les sauvages avec la mesme application, et que leur fais ant connoistre l'affection qui Sa Majesté conserve pour eux par les secours qu'Elle leur donne et qu'Elle est dans le dessein de leur continuer plus fortement, vous maintiendrez le progrez des affaires de la religion avec eulx, en empeschant qu'ils ne se communiquent avec les Anglois." Lettre du Ministre à Monsieur de Thury, missionnaire, à Versailles, le 16o Avril, 1695. "Les tesmoignages qu'on a rendus à Sa Majesté de l'affection et du zèle du Sieur de Thury, missionnaire chez les Cannibas, pour son service, et particulièrment pour l'engagement où il a mis les sauvages de recommencer la guerre contre les Anglois avec lesquels ills avoient faict un accodement, m'oblige de vous pryer en conséquence de ce qu'on a mandé en mesme tems de sa pauvreté, de luy faire une plus fort part sur les 1500 I. de gratiffication que Sa Majeste accorde pour les ecclésiastiques de l'Acadie, dont celuy-cy a beaucoup plus de besoing que les aultres qui sont dans les endroits où ils prennent des dixmes qui sont fut considérables, comme aux Mines, quoyqu'elles ne soyent pas dües." Lettre du Ministre a Monsieur l'Evesque de Quebec, a Versailles le 16 Avril, 1695. "Je suis bien ayse de me servir de cette occasion pour vous dire que j'ay este informé non seulment de vostre zèle et de vostre application pour vostre mission et du progrez qu'elle faict pour l'avancement de nostre religion avec les

Thury and the Bigots were blind leaders of the blind, countenancing, by their presence amid scenes

sauvages, mais encore de vos soigns pour les maintenir dans le service de Sa Majesté, et pour les encourager aux expéditions de guerre auxquelles elle les faict employer." Lettre du Ministre à Monsieur Thury, à Versailles, le 23 Avril, 1697. These are but a few selections from the correspondence in French archives relating to Thury. Vide Collection de Manuscrits, etc., vol. 2, pp. 174-5, 179, 274, et passim.

1 The Rev. Peter Thury was a native of Bayeux, France, and was ordained a member of the seminary of Quebec, December 21, 1677. He was a friend of Castin, and through his influence was induced to settle at Pentagoet in 1687. He was active in every intrigue to excite the savages of his mission against the English frontier settlers, whom he denounced to them as heretics and robbers. On one occasion he harangued his savage converts in these words: "My children! when shall the rapacity of the unsparing New Englanders cease to afflict you, and how long will you suffer your lands to be violated by the encroaching heretics? By the religion I have taught, by the liberty you love, I exhort you to resist them. It is time for you to open your eyes which have long been shut; to rise from your mats and look to your arms and make them once more bright. This land belonged to your fathers, long before these wicked men came over the great water, and are you ready to leave the bones of your ancestors, that the cattle of the heretics may eat grass on your graves? The Englishmen think and say to themselves: 'We have cannon; we have grown strong, while the redman

of murder and torture, the crimes committed by their converts, and afterward condoning these crimes against humanity by administering to the perpetrators of them, while their hands were still red with the blood of innocent women and children, the sacraments of the church; men who had laid to heart the words, "Except ye turn and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven." Two such men are happily recorded as having refused absolution to some individuals engaged in the service against the English. These were Fathers Baudoin and Petit, and the bishop of Quebec was informed by the French minister, in a

has slept; while they are lying in their cabins and do not see, we will knock them on the head; we will destroy their women and children, and then shall we possess their land without fear, for there shall be none left to revenge them. My children! God commands you to shake the sleep from your eyes. The hatchet must be cleaned from its rust, to avenge Him of His enemies, and secure to you your rights. Night and day a continual prayer shall ascend to him for your success, an unceasing rosary shall be observed till you return covered with the glory of triumph.” He died at Chebuctou on the 3d of June, 1699. Vide Travels of Learned Missionaries, pp. 280, 309, Etat Présent, Quebec, pp. 12, 18; Voyage de l'Acadie, PP. 54, 179; Collections Me. Hist. Society, vol. 1, p. 435 et seq.; Taschereau's Memoir sur l'Acadie.