Page:Joutel's journal of La Salle's last voyage, 1684-7 (IA joutelsjournalof00jout).pdf/67

 ''the Mouths, but unfortunately, without perceiving them, which was the main Cause of his Death and the Ruin of his Enterprize''.

''To conclude, it must be granted, that as the Return of that small Number of Persons from a Country so remote and through so many Dangers, is a visible Effect of the Divine Protection; so it is also an Effect of Heavenly Justice to have preserv'd those Witnesses, and to have brought them Home into Monsieur de la Sale's Country, to retrieve his Reputation, which had been sully'd by his Enemies''.

Monsieur de la Sale ''would have been taken for a Dreamer, and even for an Impostor; his Enterprize had been condemn'd, and his Memory blasted; but God would not permit the Honour of a Man of such singular Merit to suffer; it pleas'd him to preserve and bring Home unquestionable Witnesses, who, by Word of Mouth and other undoubted Proofs of the notable Discoveries made by Monsieur'' de la Sale, ''have stopp'd the Mouths of his Enemies, and made out the Truth of what has been asserted at the Beginning of this Discourse'', viz. that Monsieur de la Sale ''only wanted good Fortune to secure him the Title of a great Man and a renowned Traveller''.