La Salle and the discovery of the great West - North Central ...

1680-83.] CHARGED WITH OSTENTATION. 335me that I have done still more, since I have puteverything at stake ; and it would be hard to reproachme either with foolish outlays or with the ostentationwhich is falsely imputed to me. Let my accusersexplain what they mean. Since I have been in thiscountry, I have had neither servants nor clothesfare which did not savor more ofnormeanness than ofostentation; and the moment I see that there is anythingwith which either you or the court find fault, Iassure you that I will give it up, — for the life I amleading has no other attraction for me than that ofhonor; and the more danger and difficulty there isin undertakings of this sort, the more worthy ofhonor Ithink they are."His career attests the sincerity of these words.They are a momentary betrayal of the deep enthu- /siasm of character which may be read in his life, butto which he rarely allowed the faintest expression."Above all," he continues, "if you want me tokeep on, do not compel me to reply to all the questionsand fancies of priests and Jesuits. They havemore leisure than I ; and I am not subtle enough toanticipate all their empty stories. I could easilygive you the information you ask ;but I have a rightto expect that you will not believe all you hear, norrequire me to prove to you that I am not a madman.That is the first point to which you should have attended,before having business with me ; and in ourlong acquaintance, either you must have found meout, or else I must have had long intervals of sanity."