The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion, Part 2
[AT MONTREAL.]
When I came to Montreal, which was eight weeks*Tueſday, April 25. after my captivity; the governor de'Vaudrel redeemed me out of the hands of the Indians, gave me good cloathing, took me to his table, gave me the uſe of a very good chamber; and was in all reſpects relating to my outward man, courteous and charitable to admiration. At my firſt entering into his houſe, he ſent for my two children, who were in the city, that I might ſee them; and promiſed to do what he could to get all my children and neighbors out of the hands of the Savages. My change of diet, after the difficulties of my Journeys, cauſed an alteration in my body: I was phyſicked, and blooded, and very tenderly taken care of in my ſickneſs. The governor redeemed my eldeſt daughter out of the hands of the Indians; and ſhe was carefully tended in the hoſpital, until ſhe was well of her lameneſs; and by the governor provided for reſpectfully, during her ſtay in the country. My youngeſt child was redeemed by a gentlewoman in the city, as the Indians paſſed by. After the Indians had been at their fort, and diſcourſed with the prieſts, they came back and offered to the gentlewoman a man for the child, alledging that the child could not be profitable to her, but the man would, for he was a weaver, and his ſervice would much advance the deſign ſhe had of making cloth: But GOD overruled ſo far, that this temptation to the woman prevailed not for an exchange; for had the child gone to the Indian fort, in an ordinary way it had abode there ſtill, as the reſt of the children carried there do. The governor gave orders to certain officers to get the reſt of my children out of the hands of the Indians, and as many of my neighbors as they could. After ſix weeks, a merchant of the city obtained my eldeſt ſon, that was taken, to live with him: He took a great deal of pains to perſuade the ſavages to part with him. An Indian came to the city (Sagamore George of Pennacook) from Cowaſs, and brought word of my ſon Stephens' being near that place; ſome money was put into his hand for his redemption, and a promiſe of full ſatisfaction if he brought him; but the Indian proved unfaithful, and I never ſaw my child till a year after.
The governor ordered a Prieſt to go along with me to ſee my youngeſt daughter among the Macquas, and endeavor for her ranſom. I went with him; he was very courteous to me, and from his pariſh which was near the Macqua fort, he wrote a letter to the Jeſuit, to deſire him to ſend my child to ſee me, and to ſpeak with them that took her, to come along with it. But the Jeſuit wrote back a letter, that I ſhould not be permitted to ſpeak with, or ſee my child, and if I came my labor would be loſt; and that the Macquas would as ſoon part with their hearts, as my child. At my return to the city, I with an heavy heart carried the Jeſuit's letter to the governor, who when he read it, was very angry, and endeavored to comfort me, aſſuring me I ſhould ſee it, and ſpeak with it; and he would to his utmoſt endeavor for it's ranſom: Accordingly he ſent to the Jeſuits who were in the city, and bid them improve their intereſt for the obtaining the child. After ſome days, he went with mé in his own perſon to the fort. When we came thither, he diſcourſed with the Jeſuit: After which my child was brought into the chamber where I was, I was told I might ſpeak with her, but ſhould not be permitted to ſpeak to no other Engliſh perſon there. My child was about ſeven years old; I diſcourſed with her near an hour; ſhe could read very well, and had not forgot her catechiſm; and was very deſirous to be redeemed out of the hands of the Macquas, and bemoaned her ſtate among them, telling me how they prophaned God's ſabbath, and ſaid, ſhe thought that a few days before they had been mocking the devil, and that one of the Jeſuits ſtood and looked on them. I told her, ſhe muſt pray to God for his grace every day; ſhe ſaid, ſhe did as was able, and God helped her: But, ſays ſhe, they force me to ſay ſome prayers in latin, but I don't underſtand one word of them, I hope it wont do me any harm. I told her ſhe muſt be careful ſhe did not forget her catechiſm, and the ſcriptures ſhe had learnt by heart. She told the captives after I was gone, as ſome of them have ſince informed me, almoſt every thing I ſpake to her; and ſaid, ſhe was much afraid ſhe ſhould forget her catechiſm, having none to inſtruct her. I ſaw her once a few days after in the city, but' had not many minutes of time with her, but what time I had improved to give her the beſt advice I could. The governor laboured much for her redemption, at laſt he had the promiſe of it, in caſe he would procure for them, an Indian girl in her ſtead. Accordingly he ſent up the river ſome hundred of leagues for one, and when offered by the governor it was refuſed: He offered them an hundred pieces of eight for her redemption, but it was refuſed. His lady went over to have begged her from them, but all in vain; it is there ſtill; and has forgotten to ſpeak Engliſh. Oh! that all who peruſe this hiſtory, would join in their fervent requeſts to God, with whom all things are poſſible, that this poor child, and ſo many others of our children who have been caſt upon God from the womb, and are now outcaſts ready to periſh, might be gathered from their diſperſions, and receive ſanctifying grace from God.
When I had diſcourſed with the child, and was coming out of the fort, one of the Jeſuits went out of the chamber with me, and ſome ſoldiers to convey me to the canoe. I ſaw ſome of my poor neighbors, who ſtood with longing expectations to ſee me, and ſpeak with me, and had leave from their ſavage maſters ſo to do. I was by the Jeſuit himſelf thruſt along by force, and permitted only to tell them ſome of their relations they aſked after, were well in the city, and that with a very audable voice; being not permitted to come near to them.
After my return to the city, I was very melancholy, for I could not be permitted ſo much as to pray with the Engliſh, who dwelt in the ſame houſe. And the Engliſh who came to ſee me, were moſt of them put back by the guard at the door, and not ſuffered to come and ſpeak with me. Sometimes the guard was ſo ſtrict that I could ſcarce go aſide on neceſſary occaſions without a repulſe; and whenever I went out into the city (a favor the governor himſelf never refuſed when I aſked it of him) there were ſpies to watch me, and to obſerve whether I ſpake to the Engliſh. Upon which I told ſome of the Engliſh, they muſt be careful to call to mind and improve former inſtructions, and endeavor to ſtand at a further diſtance for a while, hoping that after a ſhort time I ſhould have more liberty of converſing with them. But ſome ſpies ſent out, found on a ſabbath day more than three of us in company together, the number we by their order publiſhed were not to exceed, who informed the Prieſt; the next day one of the Prieſts told me, I had a greater number of the Engliſh with me, and that I had ſpoken ſomething reflecting on their religion. I ſpake to the governor that no forcible means might be uſed with any of the captives reſpecting their religion; he told me he allowed no ſuch thing. I am perſuaded that the governor, if he might act for himſelf, would not have ſuffered ſuch things to be done as have been done, and that he never did know of ſeveral things acted againſt the Engliſh.
At my firſt coming to Montreal, the governor told me, I ſhould be ſent home as ſoon as Captain Battiſs was returned, and not before; and that I was taken in order to his redemption. The governor ſought by all means to divert me from my melancholy ſorrows, and always ſhewed a willingneſs for my ſeeing my children. One day I told him of my deſign of walking into the city; he pleaſantly anſwered, Go with all my heart. His eldeſt ſon went with me as far as the door, and ſaw the guard ſtop me, he went and informed his father, who came to the door and aſked, Why they affronted the gentleman going out? they ſaid, It was their order: But with an angry countenance he ſaid, His orders were that I ſhould not be ſtopped. But within a little time I had orders to go down to Quebeck. Another thing ſhowing that many things are done without the governor's conſent, tho' his name be uſed to juſtify them, viz. I aſked the Prieſt, after I had been at Montreal two days, leave to go and ſee my youngeſt child; he ſaid, Whenever you would ſee it, tell me, and I will bring it to you; for, ſays he, the governor is not willing you ſhould go thither. And yet not many days after, when we were at dinner, the governor's lady (ſeeing me ſad) ſpake to an officer at table, who could ſpeak latin, to tell me, That after dinner I ſhould go along with them and ſee my two children. And accordingly after dinner I was carried to ſee them; and when I came to the houſe, I found three or four Engliſh captives who lived there, and I had leave to diſcourſe with them. And not long after, the governor's lady aſked me to go along with her to the hoſpital to ſee one of my neighbors who was ſick there.
One day one of the Jeſuits came to the governor, and told the company there, That he never ſaw ſuch perſons as were taken from Deerfield; ſaid he, The Macquas will not ſuffer any of their priſoners to abide in their wigwams whilſt they themſelves are at maſs, but carry them with them to the church, and they cannot be prevailed with to fall down on their knees to pray there, but no ſooner are they returned to their wigwams, but they fall down on their knees to prayer. He ſaid, They could do nothing with the grown perſons there; and they hindered the childrens complying. Whereupon the Jeſuits counſelled the Macquas to fell all the grown perſons from the fort; a ſtratagem to ſeduce poor children. Oh Lord! Turn the counſels of theſe Ahitophels into fooliſhneſs, and make the counſels of the heathens of none effect!
Here I obſerved, they were wonderfully lifted up with pride, after the return of captain Montinug from Northampton, with news of ſucceſs: They boaſted of their ſucceſs againſt New-England. And they ſent out an army as they ſaid of ſeven hundred men, if I miſtake not, two hundred of which were French, in company of which army went ſeveral Jeſuits; and ſaid, They would lay deſolate all the places on Connecticut river. The ſuperior of the Prieſts told me, Their general was a very prudent and brave commander, of undaunted courage, and he doubted not but they ſhould have great ſucceſs. This army went away in ſuch a boaſting triumphing manner; that I had great hopes God would diſcover and diſappoint their deſigns: Our prayers were not wanting for the blaſting of ſuch a bloody deſign. The ſuperior of the Prieſts ſaid to me, Do not flatter yourſelves in hopes of a ſhort captivity; for, ſaid he, There are two young princes contending for the kingdom of Spain; and for a third, that care was to be taken of his eſtabliſhment on the Engliſh throne. And boaſted what they would do in Europe; and that we muſt expect not only in Europe, but in New-England, the eſtabliſhment of popery. I ſaid, glory not, God can make great changes in a little time, and revive his own intereſt, and yet ſave his poor afflicted people. Said he, The time for miracles is paſt; and in the time of the laſt war, the king of France was as it were againſt all the world, and yet did very great things; but now the kingdom of Spain is for him, and the duke of Bavaria, and the duke of Savoy, &c. and ſpake on a lofty manner of great things to be done by them; and having the world, as I may ſay, in ſubjection to them.
I was ſent down to Quebeck in company of governor de Ramſay, governor of Montreal, and the ſuperior of the Jeſuits, and ordered to live with one of the council; from whom I received many favors, for ſeven weeks. He told me, It was the Prieſts doings to ſend me down before the governor came down; and that if I went much to ſee the Engliſh, or they came much to viſit me, I ſhould yet certainly be ſent away where I ſhould have no converſation with the Engliſh.