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.

CHAP. IX. (Book 9)

The Colours and Liveries of Gargantua. (Book 9)

GArgantua's colours were white and blew, as I have shewed you before, by which his father would give us to understand, that his sonne to him was a heavenly joy, for the white did signifie gladnesse, plea∣sure, delight and rejoycing, and the blew, celestial things, I know well enough, that in reading this you laugh at the old drinker, and hold this exposition of colours to be very extravagant, and utterly disagreeable to reason, because white is said to signifie faith, and blew constancy. But without mo∣ving, vexing, heating or putting you in a chafe, (for the weather is dangerous) answer me if it please you; for no other compulso∣ry way of arguing will I use towards you, or any else; only now and then I will mention a word or two of my bottle. What is it that induceth you? what stirs you up to believe, or who told you that white signifieth faith; and blew, constancy? An old paultry book, say you, sold by the hawking Pedlars and Balladmongers, entituled The Blason of Co∣lours: Who made it? whoever it was, he was wise in that he did not set his

to it; but besides, I know not what I should rather admire in him, his presumption or his sottishnesse: his presumption and overween∣ing, for that he should without reason, with∣out cause, or without any appearance of truth, have dared to prescribe by his private authority, what things should be denotated and signified by the colour: which is the custome of Tyrants, who will have their will to bear sway in stead of equity; and not of the wise and learned, who with the evidence of reason satisfie their Readers: His sottish∣nesse and want of spirit, in that he thought, that without any other demonstration or suf∣ficient argument, the world would be plea∣sed to make his blockish, and ridiculous im∣positions, the rule of their devices. In ef∣fect, (according to the Proverb, To a shitten taile failes never ordurre,) he hath found (it seems) some simple Ninnie in those rude times of old, when the wearing of high round Bonnets was in fashion, who gave some trust to his writings, according to which they carved and ingraved their apophthegms and motto's, trapped and caparisoned their Mules and Sumpter-horses, apparelled their Pages, quartered their breeches, bordered their gloves, fring'd the courtains and vallens of their beds, painted their ensignes, com∣posed songs, and which is worse, placed ma∣ny deceitful juglings, and unworthy base

tricks undiscoveredly, amongst the very chastest Matrons, and most reverend Scien∣ces. In the like darknesse and mist of ignorance, are wrapped up these vain-glorious Courtiers, and name-transposers, who going about in their impresa's, to sig∣nifie esperance, (that is, hope) have portray∣ed a sphere and birds pennes for peines: An∣cholie (which is the flower colombine) for melancholy: A waning Moon or Cressant, to shew the increasing or rising of ones for∣tune; A bench rotten and broken, to sig∣nifie bankrout: non and a corslet for non dur habit, (otherwise non durabit, it shall not last) un lit sanc ciel, that is, a bed without a te∣sterne, for un lìcencìé, a graduated person, as Batchelour in Divinity, or utter Barrester at law; which are aequivocals so absurd and witlesse, so barbarous and clownish, that a foxes taile should be fastened to the neck-piece of, and a Vizard made of a Cowsheard, given to every one that henceforth should offer, after the restitution of learning, to make use of any such fopperies in France, by the same reasons (if reasons I should call them, and not ravings rather, and idle triflings about words,) might I cause paint a panier, to signifie that I am in peine: a Mustard-pot, that my heart tarries much for't: one pis∣sing upwards for a Bishop: the bottom of a paire of breeches for a vessel full of far∣things:

a Codpiece for the office of the Clerks of the sentences, decrees or judge∣ments, or rather (as the English beares it,) for the taile of a Cod-fish; and a dogs turd, for the dainty turret, wherein lies the love of my sweet heart. Farre otherwise did hereto∣fore the Sages of Egypt, when they wrote by letters, which they called Hieroglyphicks, which none understood who were not skil∣led in the vertue, propertie and nature of the things represented by them: of which Orus Apollon hath in Greek composed two books, and Polyphïlus in his dream of love set down more: In France you have a taste of them, in the device or impresa of my Lord Admiral, which was borne before that time by Octavian Augustus. But my little skiffe alongst these unpleasant gulphs and sholes, will faile no further, therefore must I return to the Port from whence I came: yet do I hope one day to write more at large of these things, and to shew both by Philosophical arguments and authorities, received and ap∣proved of by and from all antiquity, what, and how many colours there are in nature, and what may be signified by every one of them, if God save the mould of my Cap, which is my best Wine-pot, as my Gran∣dame said.