The works of F. Rabelais, M.D., or, The lives, heroic deeds and sayings of Gargantua and Pantagruel with a large account of the life and works of the author, particularly an explanation of the most difficult passages in them never before publish'd in any language / done out of French by Sir Tho. Urchard, Kt., and others.

CHAP. X. Of that which is signified by the Co∣lours, White and Blew.

THe White therefore signifieth Joy, So∣lace and Gladness, and that not at ran∣dom, but upon just and very good Grounds; Which you may perceive to be true, if laying aside all prejudicate Affections, you will but give ear, to what presently I shall expound unto you.

Aristotle saith, That supposing two things, contrary in their kind, as Good and Evil, Vertue and Vice, Heat and Cold, White and Black, Pleasure and Pain, Joy and Grief: And so of others, if you couple them in such man∣ner, that the contrary of one kind may a∣gree in reason with the contrary of the other; it must follow by consequence, that the other contrary must answer to the remanent opposite to that wherewith it is conferred; as for ex∣amples, Vertue and Vice are contrary in one kind, so are Good and Evil; if one of the con∣traries

of the first kind, be consonant to one of those of the second, as Vertue and Goodness, for it is clear that Vertue is good, so shall the other two contraries (which are Evil and Vice) have the same connexion, for Vice is evil.

This Logical Rule being understood, take these two contraries, Joy and Sadness; then these other two, White and Black, for they are Physically contrary: If so be then that Black do signifie Grief, by good reason then should White import Joy. Nor is this signification in∣stituted by human Imposition, but by the uni∣versal consent of the World received, which Philosophers call Ius Gentium, the Law of Na∣tions, or an uncontroulable right, of force in all Countreys whatsoever; for you know well enough, that all People and all Languages and Nations (except the ancient Syracusans, and certain Argives, who had cross and thwarting Souls) when they mean outwardly to give e∣vidence of their sorrow, go in Black; and all mourning is done with Black, which general consent is not without some Argument and Reason in Nature, the which every Man may by himself very suddenly comprehend, with∣out the Instruction of any; and this we call the Law of Nature; By vertue of the same natural Instinct, we know that by White all the World hath understood Joy, Gladness, Mirth, Pleasure and Delight.

In former times, the Thracians and Grecians did mark their good, propitious and fortunate days with white stones; and their sad, dismal and unfortunate ones with black; is not the night mournful, sad and melancholic? it is black and dark by the privation of light; doth not the light comfort all the World? and it is more white than any thing else, which to prove, I could direct you to the book of Lau∣rentius Valla against Bartolus, but an Evangeli∣cal Testimony I hope will content you, Mat. 7. it is said, that at the transfiguration of our Lord, Vestimenta ejus facta sunt alba sicut lux, his apparel was made white like the light; by which lightsom whiteness he gave his three A∣postles to understand the Idea and figure of the eternal Joys▪ for by the light are all Men comforted, according to the Word of the old Woman, who although she had never a tooth in her head, was wont to say, Bona lux: and Tobit, chap. 5. after he had lost his sight, when Raphael saluted him, answered, What Ioy can I have, that do not see the Light of Heaven? In that colour did the Angels testifie the Joy of the whole World, at the Resurrection of our Saviour, Iohn 20. and at his Ascension, Acts 1. with the like colour of Vesture did St. Iohn the Evangelist, Apoc. 4.7. see the faithful Clo∣thed in the Heavenly and Blessed Ieru∣salem.

Read the Ancient both Greek and Latin Histories, and you shall find that the Town of

Alba (the first Patron of Rome) was founded, and so Named by Reason of a White Sow, that was seen there. You shall likewise find in those stories, that when any Man, after he had Vanquished his Enemies, was by decree of the Senate, to enter into Rome, triumphantly, he usually rode in a Chariot, drawn by White-Horses: Which in the Ovation, Triumph, was also the custom; for by no sign or colour would they so significantly express the Joy of their coming, as by the White: You shall there also find, how Paricles, the Generals of the Athenians, would needs have that part of his Army, unto whose Lot befel the White Beans, to spend the whole Day in Mirth, Pleasure and Ease, whilst the rest were a Fighting. A thousand other Examples and Places could I alledge to this Purpose, but that it is not here, where, I should do it.

By understanding hereof, you may re∣solve one Problem, which Alexander Aphro∣diseus hath accounted unanswerable, why the Lion who with his only Cry and Roaring, affrights all Beasts, dreads and feareth only a White Cock? for (as Proclus saith, libro de Sacrificio & Magia,) it is because the Presence, of the Vertue, of the Sun; which is the Or∣gan and Promptuarie, of all terrestrial and Syderial light doth more Symbolize, and agree with a White Cock, as well in regard of that colour, as of his Property and Specifical qua∣lity, then with a Lion. He saith further∣more,

that Devils have been often seen in the shape of Lions, which at the sight of a White Cock have presently vanished. This is the cause why the Gauli, Gauls or Galathians (so are the Frenchmen called, because they are naturally white as Milk, which the Greeks call Gala) do willingly wear in their Caps white Feathers; for by Nature they are of a candid disposition, merry, kind, gracious and well-beloved, and for their Cognizance and Arms have the whitest Flower of any, the Flower de Luce or Lilie.

If you demand, how by White, Nature would have us understand Joy and Gladness? I answer, that the Analogy and Uniformity is thus, for as the White doth outwardly disperse and scatter the rays of the Sight, whereby the Optic Spirits are manifestly dis∣solved, according to the Opinion of Aristotle in his Problems and perspective Treatises; as you may likewise perceive by Experience, when you pass over Mountains covered with Snow, how you will complain that you can∣not see well! as Xenophon writes to have hap∣pened to his Men, and as Galen very largely declareth, lib. 10. de usu partium: Just so the Heart with excessive Joy is inwardly dilated, and suffereth a manifest dissolution of the vital Spirits; which may go so far on, that it may thereby be deprived of its Nourishment, and by consequence of Life it self. By this Pericharie or extremity of Gladness, as Galen

saith, lib. 12. method. lib. 5. de locis affectis, & lib. 2. de symptomatum causis. And as it hath come to pass in former times, witness Marcus Tullius lib. 1. quaest. Tuscui. Verrius, A∣ristotle, Titus Livius in his relation of the Battle of Canna, Plinius lib. 7. cap. 32. & 34. A. Gellius lib. 3. cap. 15. and many other Wri∣ters of Diagoras the Rhodian, Chilon, Sophocles, Dionysius the Tyrant of Sicily, Philippides, Phi∣lemon, Polycrates, Philipion, M. Iuventi; and others who died with Joy, and as Avicen speak∣eth, in 2. Canon. & lib. de virib. cordis, of the Saffron, that it doth so rejoice the Heart, that if you take of it excessively, it will by an ex∣cessive dissolution and dilatation, deprive it altogether of Life, Here peruse Alex. Aphrodi∣seus lib. 1. Probl. cap. 19. and that for a cause: But what? it seems I am entred further into this point then I intended at the first: here therefore will I strike Sail, referring the rest to that Book of mine, which handleth this matter to the full. Mean while, in a word I will tell you, that Blew doth certainly signi∣fie Heaven and heavenly Things, by the same very tokens and symbols, that White signifieth Joy and Pleasure.