Pale, Pale, Which Signifies, Goe, Goe; And At Every Word The
Bridge Ballances, And Rises His Knife, And The Traveller
Offering himselfe,
receives a blow by which he is cut in two, and each halfe is found upon
that moving,
And according as he had lived they stay upon it; that is, if
his body was valiant the passage was soon made free to him, for the two
halfes come together and joyn themselves again. So passe to the other side
where she finds a bladder of bear's grease to grease herselfe and refresh
herselfe for that which she is to do, which being done she finds a wood
somewhat cleerer and a straight road that she must goe, and for 5 dayes
neither goe to the right nor to the left hand, where at last being arrived
she finds a very great and cleer fire, through which she must resolve to
passe. That fire is kindled by the young men that dyed since the beginning
of the world to know whether those that come have loved the women or have
been good huntsmen; and if that soule has not had any of those rare Vertues
she burnes and broiles the sole of her feet by going through the fire; but
quite contrary if she has had them qualityes, she passes through without
burning her selfe in the least, and from that so hot place she finds grease
and paint of all sorts of colour with which she daubs and makes herselfe
beautifull, to come to that place so wished for. But she has not yet all
done, nor made an end of her voyage; being so dress'd she continues her
course still towards the same pole for the space of two dayes in a very
cleer wood, and where there is very high and tall trees of which most be
oakes, which is the reason that there is great store of bears. All along
that way they do nothing else but see their enemies layd all along upon the
ground, that sing their fatall song for having been vanquished in this
world and also in the other, not daring to be so bold as to kill one of
those animalls, and feed onely upon the down of these beasts. Being
arrived, if I may say, at the doore of that imaginarie paradise, they find
a company of their ancestors long since deceased, by whom they are received
with a great deale of ceremony, and are brought by so venerable a company
within halfe a daye's journey of the place of the meeting, and all along
the rest of the way they discourse of things of this world that are passd;
for you must know they travell halfe a day without speaking one word, but
keepe a very deep silence, for, said they, it is like the Goslings to
confound one another with words. As soon as they are arrived they must have
a time to come to themselves, to think well upon what they are to speak
without any precipitation, but with Judgement, so that they are come where
all manner of company with drumms & dryd bumpkins, full of stones and other
such instruments. The elders that have brought her there cover her with a
very large white skin, and colour her leggs with vermillion and her feet
likewise, and so she is received amongst the Predestinates. There is a deep
silence made as soon as she is come in, and then one of the elders makes a
long speech to encourage the young people to go a hunting to kill some meat
to make a feast for entertainment of the soul of their countryman, which is
put in execution with a great deal of diligence and hast; and while the
meat is boyling or roasting, and that there is great preparations made for
the feast, the young maidens set out themselves with the richest Jewells
and present the beesome to the new-comer. A little while after the kettles
are filled, there is feasting every where, comedies acted, and whatsoever
is rare is there to be seene; there is dancing every where. Now remaines
nothing but to provide that poor soule of a companion, which she does
presently, for she has the choice of very beautifull women, and may take as
many as she pleases, which makes her felicity immortall.
By this you may see the silly beleefe of these poor People. I have seen
right-minded Jesuites weep bitterly hearing me speake of so many Nations
that perish for want of Instruction; but most of them are like the wildmen,
that thinke they offend if they reserve any thing for the next day. I have
seen also some of the same company say, "Alas, what pity 'tis to loose so
many Castors. Is there no way to goe there? The fish and the sauce invite
us to it; is there no meanes to catch it? Oh, how happy should I be to go
in those countreys as an Envoye, being it is so good a countrey." That is
the relation that was made me severall times by those wildmen, for I
thought they would never have done. But let us come to our arrivall againe.
The Governour, seeing us come back with a considerable summe for our own
particular, and seeing that his time was expired and that he was to goe
away, made use of that excuse to doe us wrong & to enrich himselfe with the
goods that wee had so dearly bought, and by our meanes wee made the country
to subsist, that without us had beene, I beleeve, oftentimes quite undone
and ruined, and the better to say at his last beeding, no castors, no ship,
& what to doe without necessary commodities. He made also my brother
prisoner for not having observed his orders, and to be gone without his
leave, although one of his letters made him blush for shame, not knowing
what to say, but that he would have some of them at what price soever, that
he might the better maintain his coach & horses at Paris.
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