ened to imitate him.

Not less readily did they imitate a virtuous action by one of our
fathers, who performed it in order to preach to them by deeds as
well as words, that he might at once constrain them and render good
deeds easier for them; and, by the grace of our Lord, he succeeded
in his purpose. Those people are fastidious to such an extreme that
they are annoyed and disgusted by any object offensive to the senses,
especially to sight and smell. They are passionately fond, on the other
hand, of fine colors and flavors, and eager to see or hear agreeable
things. Accordingly, they cannot endure foul odors, and have great
aversion for persons who are wounded or bruised; among them such
persons suffer, in consequence, great privation and neglect, bodily
as well as spiritual. On this point, several sermons were preached to
them; but, as the achievement of victory in such a cause is, in truth,
arduous and heroic, the preacher, seeing that words were of no avail,
determined to preach a sermon of deeds. They had one day in the week
set apart when all the old, the sick, and the wounded assembled to
receive instruction; and the father knew that some were not present
because they had no one to carry them, or help them to come--among
these, especially, there was a female slave who belonged to one of the
chiefs; her masters had never been willing to carry her to the church,
on account of their great loathing for her. At a time when many of
these poor creatures were assembled, and the most notable of the
people were present, the father took in his hands the feet of a poor
slave who was covered with sores, kissed them, and placed his lips on
the wound itself. There was another unfortunate whom they all held in
great contempt, who himself did not dare to expose his countenance,
on account of an ulcer which had eaten away his mouth, nose, and the
greater part of his face; but the father drew this man to himself,
spoke to him, and caressed him, even touching his face. This example
made so great an impression upon them that, from that time forth,
they have displayed great compassion for such unfortunates--aiding
them in their necessities, and, when they cannot walk, carrying
them on their shoulders to the church. One of the chiefs did this
several times for his slave woman, although, before that occurrence,
he had not been accustomed even to approach her. The governor of that
same village, an Indian of very high rank and much estee