The second book of the works of Mr. Francis Rabelais, Doctor in Physick treating of the heroick deeds and sayings of the good Pantagruel. Written originally in the French tongue, and now faithfully translated into English. By S.T.U.C.

CHAP. V. Of the Acts of the noble Pantagruel in his youthful age. (Book 5)

THus grew Pantagruel from day to day, and to every ones eye waxed more and more in all his dimensions, which made his father to rejoyce by a natural affection: therefore caused he to be made for him, whilest he was yet little, a pretty Crosse∣bowe, wherewith to shoot at small birds, which now they call the great Crossebowe at Chantelle. Then he sent him to the school to learn, and to spend his youth in vertue: in the prosecution of which designe he came first to Poictiers, where, as he studied and profited very much, he saw that the Scholars were oftentimes at leisure, and knew not how to bestow their time, which moved him to take such compassion on them, that one day he took from a long ledge of rocks (cal∣led there Passelourdin,) a huge great stone, of about twelve fathom square, and fourteen handfuls thick, and with great ease set it up∣on foure pillars in the midst of a field, to no other end, but that the said Scholars when they had nothing else to do, might passe their

time in getting up on that stone, and feast it with store of gammons, pasties and flag∣gons, and carve their names upon it with a knife, in token of which deed, till this houre the stone is called the lifted stone: and in re∣membrance hereof there is none entered in∣to the Register and matricular Book of the said University, or accounted capable of ta∣king any degree therein, till he have first drunk in the Caballine fountain of Croustel∣les, passed at Passelourdin, and got up upon the lifted stone.

Afterwards reading the delectable Chro∣nicles of his Ancestors, he found that Iafrey of Lusinian called Iafrey with the great tooth, Grandfather to the Cousin in law of the eldest Sister of the Aunt of the Son in law of the Uncle of the good daughter of his Stepmother, was interred at Maillezais; therefore one day he took campos, (which is a little vacation from study to play a while,) that he might give him a visit as unto an ho∣nest man: and going from Poi••tiers with some of his companions, they passed by the Guge, visiting the noble Abbot Ardillon: then by Lusinian, by Sansay, by Celles, by Coalon∣ges, by Fontenay the Conte, saluting the learn∣ed Tiraqueau, and from thence arrived at Maillezais, where he went to see the Se∣pulchre of the said Iafrey with the great tooth; which made him somewhat afraid,

looking upon the picture, whose lively draughts did set him forth in the represen∣tation of a man in an extreme fury, drawing his great Malchus faulchion half way out of his scabbard: when the reason hereof was demanded, the Chanons of the said place told him, that there was no other cause of it, but that Pictoribus atque Poetis, &c. that is to say, that Painters and Poets have liberty to paint and devise what they list after their own fancie: but he was not satisfied with their answer, and said, He is not thus painted without a cause; and I suspect that at his death there was some wrong done him, whereof he requireth his Kinred to take revenge: I will enquire further into it, and then do what shall be reasonable; then he returned not to Poictiers, but would take a view of the other Universities of France: therefore go∣ing to Rochel, he took shipping and arri∣ved at Bourdeaux, where he found no great exercise, only now and then he would see some Marriners and Lightermen a wrestling on the key or strand by the river-side: From thence he came to Tholouse, where he learned to dance very well, and to play with the two∣handed sword, as the fashion of the Scho∣lars of the said University is to bestir them∣selves in games, whereof they may have their hands full: but he stayed not long there, when he saw that they did cause bury their Re∣gents

alive, like red herring, saying, Now God forbid that I should die this death; for I am by nature sufficiently dry already, with∣out heating my self any further.

He went then to Monpellier, where he met with the good wives of Mirevaux, and good jovial company withal, and thought to have set himself to the study of Physick; but he considered that that calling was too troublesome and melancholick; and that Phy∣sicians did smell of glisters like old devils: Therefore he resolved he would studie the lawes; but seeing that there were but three scauld, and one bald-pated Legist in that place, he departed from thence, and in his way made the Bridge of Gard, and the Am∣phitheater of Neems in lesse then three houres, which neverthelesse seems to be a more di∣vine then humane work. After that he came to Avignon, where he was not above three dayes before he fell in love; for the women there take great delight in playing at the close buttock-game, because it is Papal ground; which his Tutor and Pedagogue Epistemon perceiving, he drew him out of that place, and brought him to Valence in the Dauphinee, where he saw no great matter of recreation, only that the Lubbards of the Town did beat the Scholars, which so incen∣sed him with anger, that when upon a certain very faire Sunday, the people being at their

publick dancing in the streets, and one of the Scholars offering to put himself into the ring to partake of that sport, the foresaid lubbardly fellowes would not permit him the admittance into their society; He taking the Scholars part, so belaboured them with blowes, and laid such load upon them, that he drove them all before him, even to the brink of the river Rhosne, and would have there drowned them, but that they did squat to the ground, and there lay close a full halfe league under the river. The hole is to be seen there yet.

After that he departed from thence, and in three strides and one leap came to Angiers, where he found himself very well, and would have continued there some space, but that the plague drove them away. So from thence he came to Bourges, where he studied a good long time, and profited very much in the fa∣culty of the Lawes: and would sometimes say, that the books of the Civil Law, were like unto a wonderfully precious, royal and triumphant robe of cloth of gold, edged with dirt; for in the world are no goodlier books to be seen, more ornate, nor more elo∣quent then the texts of the Pandects; but the bordering of them, that is to say, the glosse of Accursius is so scurvie, vile, base and unsavourie, that it is nothing but filthi∣nesse and villany.

Going from Bourges, he came to Orleans, where he found store of swaggering Scho∣lars that made him great entertainment at his coming, and with whom he learned to play at tennis so well, that he was a Master at that game; for the Students of the said place make a prime exercise of it; and sometimes they carried him unto Cupids houses of com∣merce (in that City termed Islands, because of their being most ordinarily environed with other houses, and not contiguous to a∣ny,) there to recreate his person at the sport of Poussevant, which the wenches of London call the Ferkers in and in. As for breaking his head with over-much study, he had an espe∣cial care not to do it in any case, for feare of spoiling his eyes; which he the rather obser∣ved, for that it was told him by one of his Teachers, (there called Regents,) that the paine of the eyes was the most hurtful thing of any to the sight: for this cause when he one day was made a Licentiate, or Graduate in law, one of the Scholras of his acquaintance, who of learning had not much more then his burthen, though in stead of that he could dance very well, and play at tennis, made the blason and device of the Licentiates in the said University, saying,

So you have in your hand a racket, A tennis-ball in your Cod-placket,

A Pandect law in your Caps tippet, And that you have the skill to trip it In a low dance, you will b'allow'd The grant of the Licentiates hood.