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.

THE AUTHORS Prologue.

MOst Illustrious and thrice valour∣ous Champions, Gentlemen and others, who willingly ap∣ply your mindes to the enter∣tainment of pretty conceits, and honest harmlesse knacks of wit: You have not long ago seen, read and un∣derstood the great and inestimable Chronicle of the huge and mighty Gyant Gargantua, and like upright Faithfullists, have firmly beleeved all to be true that is contained in them, and have very often past your time with them, amongst Honourable Ladies and Gentlewomen, telling them faire long stories, when you were out of all other talk, for which you are worthy of great praise and sempiternal memory: and I do hear∣tily wish that every man would lay aside his own businesse, meddle no more with his Professi∣on nor Trade, and throw all affaires concerning himself behinde his back, to attend this wholly, without distracting or troubling his minde

with any thing else, until he have learned them without book; that if by chance the Art of printing should cease, or in case that in time to come all books should perish, every man might truly teach them unto his children, and deliver them over to his successors and survivors from hand to hand, as a religious Cabal; for there is in it more profit, then a rabble of great pockie Loggerheads are able to discern, who surely un∣derstand far lesse in these little merriments, then the foole Raclet did in the institutions of Ju∣stinian.

I have known great and mighty Lords, and of those not a few, who going a Deer-hunting, or a hawking after wilde Ducks, when the chase had not encountred with the blinks, that were cast in her way to retard her course, or that the Hawk did but plaine and smoothly fly without moving her wings, perceiving the prey by force of flight to have gained bounds of her, have been much chafed and vexed, as you understand well enough; but the comfort unto which they had refuge, and that they might not take cold, was to relate the inestimable deeds of the said Gargantua. There are others in the world, (These are no flimflam stories, nor tales of a tub) who being much troubled with the tooth∣ache, after they had spent their goods upon Phy∣sicians, without receiving at all any ease of their pain, have found no more ready remedy, then to put the said Chronicles betwixt two pieces of

linnen cloth made somewhat hot, and so apply them to the place that smarteth, synapising them with a little powder of projection, other∣wayes called doribus.

But what shall I say of those poor men, that are plagued with the Pox and the Gowt? O how often have we seen them, even immediate∣ly after they were anointed and throughly greased, till their faces did glister like the Key-hole of a powdering tub, their teeth dance like the jacks of a paire of little Organs or Virginals, when they are played upon, and that they foamed from their very throats like a boare, which the Mon∣grel Mastiffe-hounds have driven in, and over∣thrown amongst the foyles: what did they then? All their consolation was to have some page of the said Roll-book read unto them: and we have seen those who have given themselves to a hundred punchions of old devils, in case that they did not feele a manifest ease and asswage∣ment of paine, at the hearing of the said book read, even when they were kept in a purgatory of torment; no more nor lesse then women in travel use to finde their sorrow abated, when the life of St. Margarite is read unto them: is this nothing? finde me a book in any language, in any faculty or science whatsoever, that hath such vertues, properties and prerogatives, and I will be content to pay you a quart of tripes. No, my Masters, no, it is peerlesse, incomparable, and not to be matched; and this am I resolved

for ever to maintaine even unto the fire ex∣clusivè. And those that will pertinaciously hold the contrary opinion, let them be account∣ed Abusers, Predestinators, Impostors and Se∣ducers of the People; it is very true, that there are found in some gallant and stately books, wor∣thy of high estimation, certain occult and hid properties; in the number of which are reck∣oned Whippot, Orlando furioso, Robert the devil, Fierabras, William without feare, Hu∣on of Bourdeaux, Monteville, and Mata∣brune: but they are not comparable to that which we speak of; and the world hath well known by infallible experience, the great emolu∣ment and utility which it hath received by this Gargantuine Chronicle; for the Printers have sold more of them in two moneths time, then there will be bought of Bibles in nine yeares.

I therefore (your humble slave) being very willing to increase your solace and recreation yet a little more, do offer you for a Present another book of the same stamp, only that it is a little more reasonable and worthy of credit then the other was; for think not, (unlesse you wilfully will erre against your knowledge) that I speak of it as the Jewes do of the Law; I was not born under such a Planet, neither did it ever be∣fall me to lie, or affirme a thing for true that was not: I speak of it like a lustie frolick * 1.1 O∣nocrotarie, I should say * 1.2 Crotenotarie, of the martyrifed Lovers and Croquenotarie of love:

••uod vidimus, testamur. It is of the horrible and dreadful feats and prowesses of Pantagruel whose menial servant I have been ever since •• was a page till this houre, that by his leave I am permitted to visit my Cow-countrey, and to know if any of my Kindred there be alive.

And therefore to make an end of this Pro∣logue, even as I give my selfe to an hundred Pannier-fulls of faire devils, body and soule▪ tripes and guts, in case that I lie so much at one single word in this whole History: After the like manner, St. Anthonies fire burne you▪ Mahooms disease w•••••• ••e you▪ the squinan•• with a sti••ch i•• your side, and the Wolfe in you•• stomack trusse you, the bloody flux seize upon you, the curst sharp inflammation of wilde fire as slender and thin as Cowe haire, strengthened with quick silver, enter into your fundament•• and like those of Sodom and Gomorrha, may you fall into sulphur, fire and bottomlesse pits in case you do not firmly beleeve all that I shall relate unto you in this present Chronicle.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Onocra∣tal is a bird u••t mu••h unlike a Swan, which sings like an Ass••s••••ray∣ing. Croteno∣tai••e ••r no∣tai••e crotté croqueno∣taire or no∣taire cro∣qué are ••••t 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of P••otono∣ta••re, w••••ch 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a Pregno∣tarie.
• * 1.2

  Onocra∣tal is a bird u••t mu••h unlike a Swan, which sings like an Ass••s••••ray∣ing. Croteno∣tai••e ••r no∣tai••e crotté croqueno∣taire or no∣taire cro∣qué are ••••t 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of P••otono∣ta••re, w••••ch 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a Pregno∣tarie.