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. XIX. How Panurge put to a non-plus the English∣man, that argued by signes. (Book 19)

EVery body then taking heed, and heark∣ening with great silence, the Englishman lift up on high into the aire his two hands se∣verally, clunching in all the tops of his fin∣gers, together after the manner which (alachi∣nonnese) they call the hens arse, and struck the one hand on the other by the nailes foure se∣veral times: then he opening them, struck the one with the flat of the other, till it yielded a clashing noise, and that only once: again in joyning them as before he struck twice, and afterwards foure times in opening them; then did he lay them joyned, and ex∣tended the one towards the other, as if he had been devoutly to send up his prayers un∣to God. Panarge suddenly lifted up in the

aire his right hand, and put the thumb there∣of into the nostril of the same side, holding his foure fingers streight out, and closed or∣derly in a parallel line to the point of his nose, shutting the left eye wholly, and making the other wink with a profound depression of the eye-brows and eye-lids. Then lifted he up his left hand, with hard wringing and stretch∣ing forth his foure fingers, and elevating his thumb, which he held in a line directly correspondent to the situation of his right hand, with the distance of a cubit and a halfe between them. This done, in the same forme he abased towards the ground, both the one and the other hand; Lastly, he held them in the midst, as aiming right at the English mans nose: And if Mercurie, said the English man: there Panurge interrupted him, and said, You have spoken Mask.

Then made the English man this signe, his left hand all open he lifted up into the aire, then instantly shut into his fist the foure fin∣gers thereof, and his thumb extended at length he placed upon the gristle of his nose: Presently after, he lifted up his right hand all open, and all open abased and bent it down∣wards, putting the thumb thereof in the ve∣ry place where the little finger of the left hand did close in the fist, and the foure right hand fingers he softly moved in the aire: then contrarily he did with the right hand what he

had done with the left, and with the left what he had done with the right.

Panurge being not a whit amazed at this, drew out into the aire his Trismegist Codpiece with the left hand, and with his right drew forth a trunchion of a white oxe-rib, and two pieces of wood of a like forme, one of black eben, and the other of incarnation brasil, and put them betwixt the fingers of that hand in good symmetrie: then knocking them toge∣ther, made such a noise as the Lepers of Bri∣tanie use to do with their clappering click∣ets, yet better resounding, and farre more harmonious; and with his tongue contracted in his mouth, did very merrily warble it, al∣wayes looking fixedly upon the English man. The Divines, Physicians and Chirurgions that were there, thought that by this signe he would have inferred that the English man was a Leper: the Counsellors, Lawyers and Decretalists conceived, that by doing this he would have concluded some kinde of mor∣tal felicity to consist in Leprosie, as the Lord maintained heretofore,

The English man for all this was nothing daunted, but holding up his two hands in the aire, kept them in such forme, that he closed the three master-fingers in his fist, and pas∣sing his thumbs thorough his indical, or fore∣most and middle fingers, his auricularie or little fingers remained extended and stretch∣ed

out, and so presented he them to Panurge; then joyned he them so, that the right thumb touched the left, and the left little finger touched the right. Hereat Panurge, without speaking one word, lift up his hands and made this signe.

He put the naile of the forefinger of his left hand, to the naile of the thumb of the same, making in the middle of the distance as it were a buckle, and of his right hand shut up all the fingers into his fist, except the forefinger which he often thrust in and out through the said two others of the left hand: then stretched he out the forefinger, and middle finger or medical of his right hand, holding them asunder as much as he could, and thrusting them towards Thaumast. Then did he put the thumb of his left hand upon the corner of his left eye, stretching out all his hand like the wing of a bird, or the finne of a fish, and moving it very daintily this way and that way, he did as much with his right hand upon the corner of his right eye. Thau∣mast began then to waxe somewhat pale, and to tremble, and made him this signe.

With the middle finger of his right hand, he struck against the muscle of the palme or pulp, which is under the thumb: then put he the forefinger of the right hand in the like buckle of the left, but he put it under and not over, as Panurge did. Then Panurge knock∣ed

one hand against another, and blowed in his palme, and put again the forefinger of his right hand into the overture or mouth of the left, pulling it often in and out; then held he out his chinne, most intentively looking up∣on Thaumast. The people there which under∣stood nothing in the other signes, knew ve∣ry well what therein he demanded (without speaking a word to Thaumast,) What do you mean by that? In effect, Thaumast then be∣gan to sweat great drops, and seemed to all the Spectators a man strangely ravished in high contemplation. Then he be thought himself, and put all the nailes of his left hand against those of his right, opening his fin∣gers as if they had been semicircles, and with this signe lift up his hands as high as he could. Whereupon Panurge presently put the thumb of his right hand under his jawes, and the little finger thereof in the mouth of the left hand, and in this posture made his teeth to sound very melodiously, the upper against the lower. With this Thaumast with great toile and vexation of spirit rose up, but in rising let a great bakers fart, for the bran came after, and pissing withal very strong vi∣neger, stunk like all the devils in hell: the company began to stop their noses; for he had conskited himself with meer anguish and perplexity. Then lifted he up his right hand, clunching it in such sort, that he brought the

ends of all his fingers to meet together, and his left hand he laid flat upon his breast: whereat Panurge drew out his long Codpiece with his tuffe, and stretched it forth a cubit and a half, holding it in the aire with his right hand, and with his left took out his orange, and casting it up into the aire seven times, at the eight he hid it in the fist of his right hand, holding it steadily up on high, and then be∣gan to shake his faire Codpiece, shewing it to Thaumast.

After that Thaumast began to puffe up his two cheeks like a player on a bagpipe, and blew as if he had been to puffe up a pigs blad∣der; whereupon Panurge put one finger of his left hand in his nockandrow, by some cal∣led St. Patricks hole, and with his mouth suck't in the aire, in such a manner as when one eats oysters in the shell, or when we sup up our broth; this done, he opened his mouth somewhat, and struck his right hand flat upon it, making therewith a great and a deep sound as if it came from the superficies of the midriffe through the trachiartere or pipe of the lungs, and this he did for sixteen times▪ but Thaumast did alwayes keep blow∣ing like a goose. Then Panurge put the fore∣finger of his right hand into his mouth, pres∣sing it very hard to the muscles thereof; then he drew it out, and withal made a great noise, as when little boyes shoot pellets out

of the pot-canons made of the hollow sticks of the branch of an aulder-tree, and he did it nine times.

Then Thaumast cried out, Ha, my Ma∣sters, a great secret; with this he put in his hand up to the elbow; then drew out a dag∣ger that he had, holding it by the point down∣wards; whereat Panurge took his long Cod∣piece, and shook it as hard as he could against his thighes; then put his two hands intwined in manner of a combe upon his head, laying out his tongue as farre as he was able; and turning his eyes in his head, like a goat that is ready to die. Ha, I understand (said Thau∣mast) but what? making such a signe, that he put the haft of his dagger against his breast, and upon the point thereof the flat of his hand, turning in a little the ends of his fin∣gers; whereat Panurge held down his head on the left side, and put his middle fin∣ger into his right eare, holding up his thumb bolt upright; then he crost his two armes upon his breast, and coughed five times, and at the fifth time he struck his right foot a∣gainst the ground: then he lift up his left arme, and closing all his fingers into his fist, held his thumbe against his forehead, striking with his right hand six times against his breast. But Thaumast, as not content therewith, put the thumb of his left hand upon the top of his nose, shutting the rest of his said hand:

whereupon Panurge set his two Master-fin∣gers upon each side of his mouth, drawing it as much as he was able, and widening it so, that he shewed all his teeth: and with his two thumbs pluck't down his two eye-lids very low, making therewith a very ill-favour'd countenance, as it seemed to the com∣pany.