The works of the famous Mr. Francis Rabelais, doctor in physick treating of the lives, heroick deeds, and sayings of Gargantua and his son Pantagruel : to which is newly added the life of the author / written originally in French, and translated into English by Sr. Thomas Urchard.
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Title
The works of the famous Mr. Francis Rabelais, doctor in physick treating of the lives, heroick deeds, and sayings of Gargantua and his son Pantagruel : to which is newly added the life of the author / written originally in French, and translated into English by Sr. Thomas Urchard.
Author
Rabelais, François, ca. 1490-1553?
Publication
London :: Printed for R.B., and are to be sold by John Starkey,
1664.
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"The works of the famous Mr. Francis Rabelais, doctor in physick treating of the lives, heroick deeds, and sayings of Gargantua and his son Pantagruel : to which is newly added the life of the author / written originally in French, and translated into English by Sr. Thomas Urchard." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A57001.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 2, 2024.
Pages
descriptionPage 215
CHAP. XXXIII.
How Pantagruel became sick, and the manner
how he was recovered.
A While after this the good Pantagruel
fell sick, and had such an obstruction
in his stomack, that he could neither eate
nor drink: and because mischief seldome
comes alone, a hot pisse seised on him, which
tormented him more then you would be∣leeve:
His Physicians neverthelesse helped
him very well, and with store of lenitives
and diuretick drugs made him pisse away his
paine: his urine was so hot, that since that
time it is not yet cold, and you have of it
in divers places of France, according to the
course that it took, and they are called the
hot Baths, as
At Coderets.
At Limous.
At Dast.
At Ballervie.
At Nerie.
At Bourbonansie and elsewhere in Italie.
At Mongros.
At Appone.
At Sancto Petro de Adua.
...
descriptionPage 216
...At St. Helen.
At Casa Nuova.
At St. Bartolomee in the County of Boulogne.
At the Lorrette, and a thousand o∣ther
places.
And I wonder much at a rabble of foolish
Philosophers and Physicians, who spend
their time in disputing, whence the heat of
the said waters cometh, whether it be by
reason of Borax, or sulphur, or allum, or
salt-peter that is within the mine; for they
do nothing but dote, and better were it for
them to rub their arse against a thistle, then
to waste away their time thus in disputing of
that, whereof they know not the original;
for the resolution is easie, neither need we to
enquire any further, then that the said baths
came by a hot pisse of the good Pantagruel.
Now to tell you after what manner he
was cured of his principal disease; I let passe
how for a minorative, or gentle potion, he
took foure hundred pound weight of Colo∣phoniack
Scammonee: six score and eighteen
cart-loads of Cassia: an eleven thoufand and
nine hundred pound weight of Rubarb, be∣sides
other confused jumblings of sundry
drugs: You must understand, that by the
advice of the Physicians, it was ordained that
what did offend his stomach should be taken
away; and therefore they made seventeen
great balls of copper, each whereof was big∣ger
descriptionPage 217
then that which is to be seen on the top
of St. Peters needle at Rome, and in such sort,
that they did open in the midst, and shut
with a spring. Into one of them entered one
of his men carrying a Lanterne and a torch
lighted, and so Pantagruel swallowed him
down like a little pill: into seven others went
seven Countrey-fellows, having every one
of them a shovel on his neck: into nine o∣thers
entred nine wood-carriers, having each
of them a basket hung at his neck, and so
were they swallowed down like pills:
when they were in his stomack, every one
undid his spring, and came out of their ca∣bins:
the first whereof was he that carried
the Lantern, and so they fell more then half
a league into a most horrible gulph, more
stinking and infectious then ever was Me∣phitis,
or the marishes of Camerina, or
the abominably unsavoury lake of Sorbona,
whereof Strabo maketh mention. And had
it not been, that they had very well an∣tidoted
their stomach, heart and wine-pot,
which is called the noddle, they had been
altogether suffocated and choaked with
these detestable vapours. O what a per∣fume!
O what an evaporation wherewith
to beray the masks or musters of young
mangie queans: after that with groping
and smelling they came near to the fecal
matter and the corrupted humours; finally
descriptionPage 218
they found a montjoy or heap of ordure and
filth: then fell the Pioneers to work to dig
it up, and the rest with their shovels filled
the baskets; and when all was cleansed, e∣very
one retired himself into his ball.
This done, Pantagruel enforcing himself
to a vomit, very easily brought them out,
and they made no more shew in his mouth,
then a fart in yours: but when they came
merrily out of their pills, I thought upon
the Grecians coming out of the Trojan horse:
by this meanes was he healed, and brought
unto his former state and convalescence;
and of these brazen pills, or rather cop∣per-balls,
you have one at Orleans, upon the
steeple of the Holy Crosse Church.
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