Twice ToldAndré Thevet on the Isle of Demons and the abandoned Marguerite, Cosmographie universelle (1575)
- Language
- French
- Reading
- transcribed from the page image
- Translation
- ours
- Retrieved
- 18 October 2026
The passage has two parts from book 23. The first is the end of chapter 5, on the islands off Newfoundland and the island called of the Demons (f. 1018v). The second is the story of the young kinswoman in chapter 6, “Histoire de trois personnes François, estans en Terre-neufue, & d’vn Euesque Nestorien” (ff. 1019 to 1020), which stops at Thevet’s remark about the tellers who added to it. The long s is written as s and tildes are kept; page breaks are in square brackets. The 1575 book is foliated on the right-hand page only, so the verso carries no number: f. 1019v is the back of f. 1019. A woodcut with the caption “L’Isle où vne Damoiselle Françoise fut exilée” sits on f. 1019v in the middle of a sentence; the text resumes below it. The printer’s “Robernal” on f. 1019v is kept.
[f. 1018v] & celle qu’on appelle des Demons, qui est la plus grande & plus belle, mais à present deshabitée, à cause des grandes illusions & fantosmes qu’y se voyent, par la ruse & cautelle des diables. Ce qui a esté aussi experimenté par les Chrestiens mesmes, & c’est pourquoy on luy a donné ce nom d’Isle des Demons, ou des diables, côme dit est, & est grand dommage, veu la beauté du lieu, & qu’elle tire plus vers nous, que pas vne des autres. On y va assez de iour pour le fait de la pescherie, & pour la chasse : mais si on s’esgare bié auant, on ne fault d’y auoir rencontre des maudits esprits, qui vous font mille algarades par les bois & deserts en plain midy. […] Mais ie vous diray chose tresueritable, sans vous contenter de bourde, à la maniere de ceux qui ne veirét iamais que par vn trou, ce qui se voit en icelle Isle, & lieux voisins de la mer, ou aussi on tient, qu’il y a des esprits tourmentãs tant de nuict que de iour les hômes. Ce qui est vray, & me suis laissé dire, non à vn, mais à infiniz Pilotes & Mariniers, auec lesquels i’ay long temps voyagé, que lors qu’ils passoient par ceste coste, comme ils fussent agitez d’vne grande tempeste, ils oyoient en l’air, comme sur la hune & mastz de leurs vaisseaux, ces voix d’hommes, faisans grand bruit, sans qu’ils entédissent rien formé de leur parolle, seulement vn tel murmure, que vous oyez vn iour de foire au meillieu des halles publiques. Ces voix leur causoient plus d’estônemens cent fois, que la tempeste qui leur estoit voisine. Ils sçauoient bien qu’ils estoient pres de l’Isle, que on disoit des Demons, mais ils ne faisoient estat de telle chose, iusques à ce que quelques gens de bien se meirent en oraison & inuocquerét le sainct nom de Iesus, & peu à peu ils perdirét ce murmure, quoy que la tépeste ne cessast de long temps apres.
[f. 1019] Histoire de trois personnes François, estans en Terre-neufue, & d’vn Euesque Nestorien. CHAP. VI.
APRES le premier voyage fait par Iaques Cartier, côme le grand Roy François fut conuoiteux, & de sçauoir beaucoup, & d’entêdre ce qui estoit rare & exquis par les pays estranges, voulut que Roberual, Gentilhôme Fraçois, allast vers ce pays de Terre-neufue, & de là passer iusques en la mesme terre de Canada, auec bonne côpagnie, & que (si faire se pouuoit) il peuplast ceste côtree de François naturels, puis que le commencemêt y estoit si bon, & le chemin tant defriché : Esperât que encor que ce pays ne luy fust point de grand reuenu, à tout le moins ce luy seroit hôneur immortel, & grace enuers Dieu, d’auoir retiré ce peuple, barbare, d’ignorance en laquelle il estoit plongé, pour le rendre fils & allié de l’Eglise Chrestienne. Roberual mon familier, aussi bié que ledit Cartier, s’estât mis en equipage tel, qu’il suffisoit pour faire entree en ce pays, tant par la liberalité de son Prince, que aussi y employât bonne partie de son bien, prist auec soy bône côpagnie de Gentilshômes & artisans de toutes sortes, & quelques femmes : entre autres vne Damoiselle, qui luy estoit assez proche parente, nômee Marguerite, laquelle il respectoit fort, & luy declaroit toutes ses affaires, comme estant de son sang. Entre les Gentilshômes qui l’acompagnoient, en y auoit vn de bonne part, lequel y alla plus pour l’amour de ladite Damoiselle, que pour le seruice du Roy, ou respect du Capitaine, ainsi que bien apparut peu de têps apres. Estans sur mer, ce Gentilhôme ne faillit d’acoster si priuement ladite Damoiselle, que nonobstant les perils & dângers, qui s’offrent ordinairemêt à ceux qui courent à la mercy des vents, ioüerent si bien leur roullet ensemble, qu’ils passerent plus auant que promesses ou vaines paroles. Or de tout cecy estoit côsentente vne vieille seruante de ladite Damoiselle, nommee Damienne, natiue de Normandie, fort accorte maquerelle, laquelle faisoit la sentinelle, tandis que les deux amoureux estoient en leurs affaires. Quelques vns feirent raport de ce audit Roberual, lequel accort & sage, dissimula son courroux, & le côceut plus contre sa parente, que contre le Gentilhomme. Et pour la punir, sans faire tort audit ieune hôme, comme ils furent pres l’Isle des Demons, de laquelle ie viens de parler au precedent Chapitre, les voulut separer & mettre en diuers vaisseaux. Puis voyât ne pouuoir estre maistre de leurs affectiôs, & qu’ils se carressoiét plus que deuant, descêduz qu’ils furent en terre ferme, par la solicitation de la seruâte, luy craignant Dieu, & creuant de despit, aussi qu’il estoit Chef d’vn tel equipage, delibera les surprêdre. Parainsi ayât trousse bagage, & laissé partir deuât luy Iaques Cartier, feit voile apres. Mais côme il fut audroit de ceste Isle des Demôs, il y feit descêdre sa parente, & la vieille qui la seruoit, luy disant, que c’estoit le lieu qu’il auoit ordonné pour la penitence de son forfait, & du scandale qu’elle luy auoit fait : & luy feit donner quatre harquebuses & de la munition pour se deffendre des bestes. La pauure femme estant arriuee en France, apres auoir demeuré deux ans cinq mois en ce lieu là, & venuë en la ville de Nautron, pays de Perigort lors que i’y estois, me feit le discours de toutes ses fortunes passees, & me dit entre autres, que le Gentilhomme, voyant ceste cruauté, & craignant qu’il ne luy en fust fait autant en quelque autre Isle, fut si transporté, que oubliant le peril de mort, auquel il se lançoit & les recits espouuentables qu’on luy auoit fait de ceste terre, prist son harquebuze & habits, auec vn fusil, & peu d’autres commoditez, quelque muyd de Biscuit, Citre, linge, ferremens, & plusieurs choses necessaires pour leur seruice, & se ietta en l’Isle, pour tenir compagnie à sa maistres[f. 1019v]se : où Robernal les laissa, marry du tort que sa parente luy auoit fait, & ioyeux de les auoir puniz, sans se souiller les mains en leur sang. Comme ils sont là, ils dressent leur petit mesnage, bastissent vne loge de fueilles, & se font des lits de mesme, iusques à ce qu’ils eussent occis des bestes en abondance, desquelles ils mangeoient la chair, & viuoient des fruicts : car de pain ils n’auoient moyen d’en auoir. Mais c’estoit pitié d’ouyr les rauages, que ces malings esprits leur faisoient autour, & comme ils taschoient d’abbattre leur logette, se presentans en diuerses especes & figures d’animaux effroyables : mais à la fin vaincuz de la constance & perseuerance de ces Chrestiens contrits de leurs faultes, ne les affligerent ou inquieterent dauantaige, sinon que souuent la nuict ils oyoient des criz si grãds, qu’il sembloit que ce fussent plus de cent mil hômes qui fussent ensemble. Durant ce temps, ceste femme deuint grosse, (de laquelle ie vous represente cy dessus le pourtraict, ensemble de l’Isle, auec la maniere & façon que ceste guerriere combattoit contre ceste vermine, qui ne taschoit qu’à la surprêdre pour la deuorer & son enfant aussi :) & comme elle estoit pres de son terme, le pauure Gentilhomme trespassa de tristesse & fascherie, qu’en huict mois qu’il estoit là, il n’estoit passé vaisseau quelcôque, duquel ils peussent auoir secours, soulagement & liberté. Ceste mort fut fascheuse à la femme : toutesfois faisant de necessité vertu, tant la maistresse que seruante, se deffendoiêt, tresuaillamment des bestes farouches, auec leurs harquebuses, & l’espee du deffunct, & estoit si adextre à tirer de l’harquebuze, que pour vn iour elle m’a asseuré auoir tué trois Ours, dont l’vn estoit aussi blanc qu’vn œuf. Produit qu’elle eut son enfant, & baptisé, à sa mode, au nom de Dieu, sans ceremonies, voicy fortune qui luy va donner vn autre assault. Ce fut que sa seruante suyuit le chemin du gentil amoureux, le seize ou dixseptieme mois qu’ils estoient dans l’Isle, & peu de temps apres, l’enfant [f. 1020] [a]lla suyuant la route des deux premiers. C’est icy que la pauure mal auisée se desconforte, n’ayant plus à qui parler, si ce n’estoit aux bestes, contre lesquelles elle estoit en guerre nuict & iour : & si la grace de Dieu ne l’eust soustenuë, c’estoit pour la faire entrer en desespoir, veu que, côme elle m’a dit, elle fut plus de deux mois, que tousiours elle voyoit des visions les plus estranges qu’homme sçauroit imaginer : mais tout aussi tost qu’elle prioit Dieu, ces fantosmes s’esuanouissoiêt. A la fin, ayant par l’espace, comme i’ay dit, de deux ans cinq mois demeuré en ce lieu, côme quelques nauires de basse Bretaigne passassent par là, allãs pescher des moües [word?], elle estant sur le bord de l’eau, leur criant à l’aide, leur fit signe auec fumee & feu. Et quoy que au commencement ils pensassent que ce fussent illusions des Demons, qui trompent les passans, attendu que l’Isle n’auoit iamais esté habitee d’homme viuant, que de bestes rauissantes, & d’oyseaux, & de vermine, si est ce que à la fin ils aprocherent, & sçachans que c’estoit, la receurent au nauire, & ramenerent en France : de la bouche de laquelle i’ay sceu & entendu ceste pitoyable histoire de sa penitence. Et quoy que i’eusse ouy parler, côme de chose asseuree, de ces esprits malins, si est ce qu’elle m’en asseura dauantage, & me dist toutesfois, que depuis les deux premieres nuictz iamais ilz n’auoient approché leur logette, n’y ne c’estoient monstrez visiblement, que iusques à ce qu’elle fust seule : & que lors encor cela ne dura, sinon tant qu’elle estoit sur la grande aprehension de ses tristesses. Et me dit outre, que lors qu’elle s’embarqua dans ces nauires de bretaigne, pour s’en retourner en France, luy print vne certaine volonté de ne passer plus auant, & mourir en ce lieu solitaire, comme son mary, son enfant & sa seruante, & qu’elle desiroit y estre encor, agitee de tristesse côme elle estoit. Ie sçay bien, que quelques folastres euentez, apres m’en auoir ouy faire le discours, comme il est aduenu, y ont augmenté des folies & mensonges, lesquels ils ont inserees parmy leurs fables & histoires tragiques, desrobees deçà & delà.
Translation
[End of chapter 5] … and the one called the island of the Demons, which is the largest and finest, but is now uninhabited because of the great illusions and phantoms seen there, through the cunning and trickery of devils. Christians themselves have found this out, and that is why it was given the name Isle of Demons, or of devils, as I said, which is a great pity given how beautiful the place is and that it lies nearer to us than any of the others. People go there by day for fishing and hunting, but if you wander far in, you are sure to meet cursed spirits who play a thousand tricks on you in the woods and wastes at midday. [Thevet passes over here a stretch on the nature of demons and on conjuring.] But I will tell you something entirely true, not a tall tale of the kind told by people who have only ever seen through a keyhole, about what is seen on that island and in the places near the sea, where it is also held that spirits torment people night and day. This is true, and I have been told it not by one but by countless pilots and sailors with whom I travelled for a long time. When they passed this coast in a great storm, they heard in the air, as if up on the masthead and the masts of their ships, voices of men making a great noise, without being able to make out any words, only a murmur like the one you hear on a fair day in the middle of the public market halls. These voices shook them a hundred times more than the storm around them. They knew well that they were near the island they called the Isle of Demons, but they took no notice of it, until some good men began to pray and called on the holy name of Jesus, and little by little the murmur died away, though the storm did not stop for a long time after.
Story of three French people in Newfoundland, and of a Nestorian bishop. Chapter 6.
After Jacques Cartier’s first voyage, the great King Francis, who was eager to know much and to find out what was rare and choice in foreign lands, ordered Roberval, a French gentleman, to go to Newfoundland and from there on to the same land of Canada, with a good company. If it could be done, he was to settle that country with native-born French, since the start there was so good and the way so well cleared. The king hoped that even if the country brought him no great revenue, it would at least bring him immortal honour, and grace before God, for having drawn these barbarous people out of the ignorance they were sunk in and made them children and allies of the Christian church. Roberval, my close acquaintance, like Cartier, equipped himself well enough to enter the country, partly through the generosity of his prince and partly by spending a good share of his own wealth. He took with him a good company of gentlemen and craftsmen of every sort, and some women. Among them was a young lady, a fairly close relative, named Marguerite, whom he respected greatly and told all his affairs, as she was of his blood.
Among the gentlemen who went with him was one of good family, who went more for love of that young lady than for the king’s service or respect for the captain, as soon became plain. At sea this gentleman paid court to the lady so closely that, despite the perils and dangers that come to those who run at the mercy of the winds, they played their game so well together that they went further than promises or empty words. An old servant of the lady’s, called Damienne, a native of Normandy and a very cunning bawd, consented to all this and stood guard while the two lovers were at their business. Some people reported this to Roberval, who was shrewd and wise, hid his anger, and was angrier at his relative than at the gentleman. To punish her without wronging the young man, when they were near the Isle of Demons, which I have just spoken of in the previous chapter, he wanted to separate them and put them in different ships. Then, seeing that he could not master their feelings and that they caressed each other more than before, once they had gone ashore on the mainland, helped along by the servant, he, fearing God and bursting with spite, and being the head of such an expedition, resolved to take them by surprise. So he packed up, let Jacques Cartier sail ahead of him, and sailed after. But when he came up to the Isle of Demons, he made his relative land there, with the old woman who served her. He told her this was the place he had picked for the penance of her fault and the scandal she had caused him, and he had four arquebuses and some ammunition given to her to defend herself from the beasts.
The poor woman, once back in France after spending two years and five months in that place, came to the town of Nontron in Périgord when I was there, and told me the whole story of her misfortunes. She said, among other things, that the gentleman, seeing this cruelty and fearing the same would be done to him on some other island, was so beside himself that he forgot the danger of death he was throwing himself into and the frightening things he had been told about the place. He took his arquebus and clothes, a flint-and-steel, and a few other comforts, a muid or so of biscuit, cider, linen, tools and many things needed for their use, and threw himself onto the island to keep his mistress company. Roberval left them there, angry at the wrong his relative had done him and glad to have punished them without soiling his hands with their blood.
[f. 1019v] Once there, they set up their little household and built a hut of leaves, and made their beds of leaves too, until they had killed a great many animals, whose flesh they ate; they lived on fruit as well, since they had no way to get bread. But it was pitiful to hear the havoc that these evil spirits made around them as they tried to knock down their hut, appearing in the shapes and forms of frightful animals. In the end, beaten by the steadiness and perseverance of these Christians, repentant of their faults, they stopped troubling or tormenting them, except that at night they often heard cries so loud that it seemed more than a hundred thousand men were shouting together. During this time the woman became pregnant (I show you her picture above, along with the island and the way this warrior woman fought that vermin, which tried only to catch her and eat her and her child too). As she neared her time, the poor gentleman died of sadness and vexation, because in the eight months he had been there no ship had passed from which they could hope for help, relief and freedom. This death hurt the woman, but she made a virtue of necessity, and mistress and servant defended themselves very bravely against the fierce beasts with their arquebuses and the dead man’s sword. She was so good a shot that she assured me she had killed three bears in one day, one of them as white as an egg. When she had given birth to her child and baptised it in her own way, in God’s name and without ceremony, fortune dealt her another blow. Her servant followed the gentleman, in the sixteenth or seventeenth month of their stay on the island, and soon after the child [f. 1020] followed the path of the first two. Here the poor, ill-advised woman lost heart, with no one left to talk to except the beasts, against which she was at war night and day. If God’s grace had not held her up, it would have driven her to despair, since, as she told me, for more than two months she kept seeing the strangest visions a man could imagine, but as soon as she prayed to God, the phantoms vanished.
At last, after two years and five months in that place, as I said, some ships from Lower Brittany passed by to fish [word uncertain]. She stood at the water’s edge, called out to them for help and signalled to them with smoke and fire. At first they thought it was illusions of the demons that fool passers-by, since the island had never been lived on by any living man, only by ravening beasts and birds and vermin. In the end they came close, and, learning who it was, they took her aboard and brought her back to France. From her own mouth I learned this pitiful story of her penance. Although I had heard these evil spirits spoken of as something certain, she assured me of it all the more, and told me, however, that after the first two nights they never came near their hut or showed themselves visibly until she was alone, and even then it lasted only while she was in the grip of her sorrows. She also told me that when she boarded the Breton ships to go back to France, she was seized with a certain wish not to go any further but to die in that lonely place, like her husband, her child and her servant, and that she longed to be there still, stirred up with sadness as she was. I know well that some giddy jesters, after hearing me tell it, as happened, added follies and lies to it, which they inserted into their fables and tragic stories, stolen from here and there.
Notes
Thevet says in this passage that he heard the story from the woman herself at Nontron in Périgord. This is the earliest text we found that names Marguerite, the lover, the servant Damienne, the child, the Isle of Demons as the place, and the phantoms.
“Roberual” is Thevet’s spelling of Roberval (the printer slips once into “Robernal” on f. 1019v). “Roberual mon familier” means he counts Roberval as a close acquaintance. Thevet gives no date for the story in this passage, and no surname for Marguerite. The lover is “un Gentilhomme”, not a sailor, and the woman is a relative, “parente”, not named as a niece. In one place near the end he writes that she wished to die there “comme son mary”, like her husband; elsewhere he calls the man her lover or “gentil amoureux”, never her husband.
The word before the full stop after “pescher des” reads “moües” on the page but the letters are small and one could read “mouës” or “morües”; we do not know what fish or bird Thevet means. “Par la solicitation de la seruante” on f. 1019 can be read as the servant helping the lovers or as the servant urging Roberval; we have followed the first. The first letter of “[a]lla” at the top of f. 1020 is worn.
Chapter 5 describes the Isle of Demons as the largest and finest island of its group off the Newfoundland and Canada coast. In chapter 6 he says the abandonment happened “au droit de” it, which can mean “off”, “level with” or “opposite”, so the text does not decide which island she stood on. Berson (2020) says Mercator’s 1569 map draws the Demons and the exile island apart.
The woodcut on f. 1019v is captioned in the margin “L’Isle où vne Damoiselle Françoise fut exilée” and shows a woman sitting among animals on a small island, with an arquebus. Thevet’s text points to it (“de laquelle ie vous represente cy dessus le pourtraict”).