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. XI. How Pantagruel sheweth the Trial of ones Fortune by the throwing of Dice to be unlawful. (Book 11)

IT would be sooner done (quoth Pa∣nurge) and more expeditely, if we should trie the matter at the chance of three fair Dice. (Quoth Pantagruel) that fort of Lottery is deceitful, abusive, illici∣tous, and exceedingly scandalous; never trust in it; the accursed Book of the Recreation of Dice was a great while ago excogitated in Achaia near Bourre, by that ancient Enemy to Mankind, the Infernal Calumniator, who before the Statue or Massive Image of the Bourraick Hercules, did of old, and doth in several places of the World as yet, make many simple Souls to err and fall into his Snares. You know how my Father Gargantua hath forbidden it over all his Kingdoms and Dominions; how he hath caused burn the Moulds and Draughts thereof, and altogether suppres∣sed, abolished, driven forth and cast it out

of the Land, as a most dangerous Plague and Infection to any well-polished State or Commonwealth. What I have told you of Dice, I say the same of the Play at Cockall. It is a Lottery of the like Guile and Deceitfulness; and therefore do not for convincing of me, alledge in oppositi∣on to this my Opinion, or bring in the Example of the fortunate Cast of Teberi∣us, within the Fountain of Appona, at the Oracle of Gerion. These are the bait∣ed Hooks by which the Devil attracts and draweth unto him the foolish Souls of silly People into eternal Perdition.

Nevertheless to satisfie your Humour in some measure, I am content you throw three Dice upon this Table, that accord∣ing to the number of the Blots which shall happen to be cast up, we may hit upon a Verse of that Page, which in the setting open of the Book you shall have pitched upon.

Have you any Dice in your Pocket? A whole Bag full, answered Panurge, that is Provision against the Devil, as is ex∣pounded by Merlin Coccajus, Lib. 2. De Patria Diabolorum, the Devil would be sure to take me napping, and very much at un∣awares, if he should find me without Dice. With this the three Dice being taken out, produced and thrown, they fell so pat

upon the lower Points, that the Cast was Five, Six and Five. These are (quoth Pa∣nurge) Sixteen in all. Let us take the Six∣teenth Line of the Page, the number pleaseth me very well; I hope we shall have a prosperous and happy Chance. May I be thrown amidst all the Devils of Hell, even as a great Bowl cast athwart at a Set of Nine Pins, or Cannon-ball shot among a Batalion of Foot, in case so ma∣ny times I do not boult my future Wife the first Night of our Marriage. Of that, forsooth, I make no doubt at all: (quoth Pantagruel) You needed not to have rap∣ped forth such a horrid Imprecation, the sooner to procure Credit for the Perfor∣mance of so small a business, seeing possi∣bly the first Bout will be amiss, and that you know is usually at Tennis called Fif∣teen. At the next justling Turn you may readily amend that Fault, and so compleat your Reckoning of Sixteen. Is it so (quoth Panurge) that you understand the matter? and must my Words be thus interpreted? Nay, believe me, never yet was any So∣lecism committed by that valiant Champi∣on, who often hath for me in Belly-dale stood Centry at the Hypogastrian Crany. Did you ever hitherto find me in the Confraternity of the Faulty? Never, I trow; never, nor ever shall, for ever and

a day. I do the Feat like a goodly Friar, or Father Confessor without Default: And therein am I willing to be judged by the Players. He had no sooner spoke these Words, than the Works of Virgil were brought in: But before the Book was laid open, Panurge said to Pantagruel, My Heart, like the Furch of a Hart in▪ Rut, doth beat within my Breast. Be pleased to feel and grope my Pulse a lit∣tle on this Artery of my Left Arm; at its frequent Rise and Fall you would say that they swinge and belabour me after the manner of a Probationer posed, and put to a peremptory Trial in the Examination of his Sufficiency for the Discharge of the Learned Duty of a Graduate in some Eminent Degree in the Colledge of the Sorbonists.

But would not you hold it expedient, before we proceeded any further, that we should invocate Hercules and the Teni∣tian Goddesses, who in the Chamber of Lots are said to Rule, sit in Judgment, and bear a Presidential Sway? Neither him nor them, (answered Pantagruel) only o∣pen up the Leaves of the Book with your Fingers, and set your Nails a work.