The third book of the works of Mr. Francis Rabelais, Doctor in Physick containing the heroick deeds of Pantagruel the son of Gargantua / now faithfully translated into English by the unimitable pen of Sir Thomas Urwhart.

CHAP. X. How Pantagruel representeth unto Pa∣nurge the difficulty of giving Advice in the matter of Marriage; and to that purpose mentioneth somewhat of the Homerick and Virgilian Lotte∣ries. (Book 10)

YOur Counsel (quoth Panurge) under your Correction and Favour, seem∣eth unto me not unlike to the Song of Gammer Yeabynay; it is full of Sarcasms, Mockqueries, bitter Taunts, nipping Bobs, derisive Quips, biting Je••ks, and contradictory Iterations, the one part de∣stroying the other. I know not (quoth Pantagruel) which of all my Answers to lay hold on; for your Proposals are so full of ifs and buts, that I can ground no∣thing on them, nor pitch upon any solid and positive Determination satisfactory to what is demanded by them. Are not you assured within your self of what you have a mind to? the chief and main point of the whole matter lieth there; all the rest

is meerly casual, and totally dependeth upon the fatal Disposition of the Hea∣vens.

We see some so happy in the fortune of this Nuptial Encounter, that their Fa∣mily shineth (as it were) with the radiant Effulgency of an Idea, Model or Repre∣sentation of the Joys of Paradice; and perceive others again to be so unluckily match'd in the Conjugal Yoak, that those very basest of Devils, which tempt the Hermits that inhabit the Deserts of The∣baida and Montserrat, are not more mise∣rable than they. It is therefore expedient, seeing you are resolved for once to take a trial of the state of Marriage, that, with shut Eyes, bowing your Head, and kis∣sing the Ground, you put the business to a Venture, and give it a fair hazard in recommending the success of the residue to the disposure of Almighty God. It lieth not in my power to give you any other manner of Assurance, or otherways to certifie you of what shall ensue on this your Undertaking. Nevertheless (if it please you) this you may do, Bring hi∣ther Virgil's Poems, that after having o∣pened the Book, and without Fingers se∣ver'd the Leaves thereof three several times, we may, according to the num∣ber agreed upon betwixt our selves, ex∣plore

the future Hap of your intended Marriage: For frequently, by a Homerick Lottery, have many hit upon their De∣stinies; as is testified in the Person of So∣crates, who, whilst he was in Prison, hear∣ing the Recitation of this Verse of Ho∣mer said of Achilles, in the Ninth of the Iliads,

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We, the third day, to fertile Pthia came.

Thereby foresaw that on the third subse∣quent day he was to die: Of the truth whereof he assured Aschines, as Plato, in Critone; Cicero, in primo de Divinatione; Diogines Laertius, and others, have to the full recorded in their Works. The like is also witnessed by Opilius Macrinus, to whom, being desirous to know if he should be the Roman Emperor, befell, by chance of Lot, this Sentence in the eighth of the Iliads,

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Dotard, new Warriours urge thee to be gone. Thy Life decays, and old Age weighs thee down.

In Fact, he being then somewhat An∣cient, had hardly enjoyed the Sovereignty of the Empire for the space of Fourteen Months, when by Heliogabulus (then both young and strong) he was disposess'd thereof, thrust out of all, and killed. Brutus also doth bear witness of another Experi∣ment of this nature, who willing, through this exploratory way by Lot, to learn what the Event and Issue should be of the Phar∣salian Battel, wherein he perished, he ca∣sually encountred on this Verse, said of Patroclus in the Sixteenth of the Iliads,

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Fate, and Latona's Son have shot me dead.

And accordingly Apollo was the Field∣word in the dreadful Day of that Fight. Divers notable things of old have like∣ways been foretold and known by casting of Virgilian Lots; yea, in matters of no less importance than the obtaining of the Roman Empire, as it happened to Alexan∣der Severus, who trying his Fortune at the said kind of Lottery, did hit upon this Verse written in the Sixth of the Aeneids,

Tu regere imperio populos Romane momento.

Know, Roman, that thy business is to Reign.

He within very few years thereafter was effectually and in good earnest created and installed Roman Emperor. A sem∣blable Story thereto is related of Adrian, who being hughly perplexed within him∣self, out of a longing Humour to know in what Accompt he was with the Em∣peror Trajan, and how large the measure of that Affection was which he did bear unto him, had recourse after the manner above specified, to the Maronian Lottery, which by hap hazard tender'd him these Lines out of the Sixth of the Aeneids,

Quis procul ille autem ramis insignis olivae Sacra ferens? nosco crines incana{que} menta Regis Romani.

But who is he, conspicuous from afar, With Olive Boughs, that doth his Offerings bear? By the white Hair and Beard I know him plain, The Roman King.

Shortly thereafter was he adopted by Tra∣jan, and succeeded to him in the Empire. Moreover to the Lot of the praise-wor∣thy Emperor Claudius befel this Line of Virgil, written in the Sixth of his Aeneids,

Tertia dum Latio regnantem viderit aestas,

Whilst the third Summer saw him Reign, a King In Latium.

And in effect he did not Reign a∣bove two years. To the said Claudian also, enquiring concerning his Brother Quintilius, whom he proposed as a Col∣league with himself in the Empire, hap∣ned the Responce following in the sixth of the Aeneids,

Ostendent terris hunc tantum fata.

—Whom Fate let us see, And would no longer suffer him to be.

And it so fell out; for he was killed on the Seventeenth day after he had attained unto the management of the Emperial Charge. The very same Lot also, with the like misluck, did betide the Emperor

Gordian the younger. To Claudius Albi∣nus, being very sollicitous to understand somewhat of his future Adventures, did occur this Saying, which is written in the sixth of the Aeneids,

Hic rem Romanam magno turbante tumultu Sistet Eques, &c.

The Romans boyling with tumultuous rage, This Warriour shall the dangerous Storm asswage: With Victories he the Carthaginian mawls, And with strong hand shall crush the Rebel Gauls.

Likeways when the Emperor D. Claudi∣us, Aurelian's Predecessor, did with great eagerness research after the Fate to come of his Posterity, his hap was to alight on this Verse in the first of the Aeneids,

Hic ego nec metas rerum, nec tempore pono.

No bounds are to be set, no limits here.

Which was fulfilled by the goodly Gene∣alogical Row of his Race. When Mr. Pe∣ter Amy did in like manner explore and make trial, if he should escape the Am∣bush of the Hobgoblins, who lay in wait

all-to-bemawl him, he fell upon this Verse in the third of the Aeneids,,

Hugh fuge credules terras, fuge Littus ava∣rum!

Oh flee the bloody Land, the wicked Shoar!

Which Counsel he obeying, safe and sound forthwith avoided all these Ambuscades.

Were it not to shun Prolixity, I could enumerate a thousand such like Adven∣tures, which conform to the Dictate and Verdict of the Verse, have by that man∣ner of Lot-casting encounter befallen to the curious Researchers of them. Do not you nevertheless imagine, lest you should be deluded, that I would upon this kind of Fortune flinging Proof infer an uncon∣trolable, and not to be gainsaid Infallibility of Truth.