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. XLVIII. How Gargantua sheweth, that the Chil∣dren ought not to marry without the special Knowledge and Advice of their Fathers and Mothers. (Book 48)

NO sooner had Pantagruel entred in at the Door of the Great Hall of the Castle, than that he encountred full but with the good honest Gargantua coming forth from the Council Board, unto whom he made a succinct and summary Narra∣tive

of what had pass'd and occurred worthy of his Observation in his Travels abroad, since their last Interview: Then, acquainting him with the Design he had in hand, besought him that it might stand with his good Will and Pleasure to grant him leave to prosecute and go thorough∣stitch with the Enterprize which he had undertaken. The good Man Gargantua having in one hand two great Bundles of Petitions, indorsed and answered; and in the other some remembrancing Notes and Bills, to put him in mind of such other Requests of Supplicants, which al∣beit presented, had nevertheless been nei∣ther read nor heard, he gave both to Ul∣rich Gallet, his ancient and faithful Ma∣ster of Requests; then drew aside Pan∣tagruel, and with a Countenance more se∣rene and jovial than customary, spoke to him thus: I praise God, and have great reason so to do, my most dear Son, that he hath been pleased to entertain ••n you a constant Inclination to vertuous Actions. I am well content that the Voyage which you have motioned to me be by you ac∣complished, but withal, I could wish you would have a mind and desire to marry, for that I see you are of competent years. Panurge in the mean while was in a rea∣diness of preparing and providing for

Remedies, Salves and Cures against all such Lets, Obstacles and Impediments as he could in the heighth of his Fancy con∣ceive might by Gargantua be cast in the way of their Itinerary Design. Is it your Pleasure (most dear Father) that you speak? (answered Pantagruel) For my part I have not yet thought upon it. In all this Affair I wholly submit and rest in your good liking and Paternal Autho∣rity: For I shall rather pray unto God that he would throw me down stark dead at your Feet, in your Pleasure, then that against your pleasure I should be found married alive. I never yet heard that by any Law, whether Sacred or Profane, yea, amongst the rudest and most barba∣rous Nations in the World, it was allowed and approved of, that Children may be suffered and tolerated to marry at their own good Will and Pleasure, without the Knowledge, Advice or Consent asked and had thereto of their Fathers, Mo∣thers, and nearest Kindred. All Legisla∣tors every where upon the Face of the whole Earth, have taken away and remo∣ved this Licentious Liberty from Chil∣dren, and totally reserved it to the Dis∣cretion of the Parents.

My dearly beloved Son (quoth Gargan∣tua) I believe you, and from my Heart thank God for having endowed you with the Grace of having both a perfect no∣tice of, and entire liking to laudable and praise worthy things; and that through the Windows of your exterior Senses he hath vouchsased to transmit unto the in∣teriour Faculties of your Mind, nothing but what is good and vertuous. For in my time there hath been found on the Continent a certain Country, wherein are I know not what kind of Pastophorian Mole-catching Priests, who albeit averse from engaging their proper Persons into a Matrimonial Duty, like the Pontifical Flamens of Cibele in Phrygia, as if they were Capons and not Cocks; full of Las∣civiousness, Salacity and Wantonness, who yet have nevertheless, in the matter of Con∣jugal Affairs, taken upon them to prescribe Laws and Ordinances to married Folks. I cannot goodly determine what I should most abhor, detest, loath and abominate, whether the Tyrannical Presumption of those dreaded Sacerdotal Molecatch••rs, who not being willing to contain and coop up themselves within the Grates and Treil∣lices of their own mysterious Temples, do deal in, meddle with, obtrude upon, and thrust their Sickles into Harvests of Secu∣lar

Businesses quite contrary, and diame∣trically opposite to the Quality, State and Condition of their Callings, Professions and Vocations; or the superstitious Stu∣pidity and senceless Scrupulousness of mar∣ried Folks, who have yielded Obedience, and submitted their Bodies, Fortunes and Estates to the Discretion and Authority of such odious, perverse, barbarous, and unreasonable Laws. Nor do they see that which is clearer than the Light and Splendour of the Morning Star, how all these Nuptial and Connubial Sanctions, Statutes and Ordinances have been de∣creed, made and instituted, for the sole Benefit, Profit and Advantage of the Fla∣minal Mists, and mysterious Flamens, and nothing at all for the good Utility or E∣molument of the silly hood-winked mar∣ried People; which administreth unto others a sufficient Cause for rendring these Church-men suspicious of Iniquity, and of an unjust and fraudulent manner of dealing, no more to be connived at nor countenanced, after that it be well weigh∣ed in the Scales of Reason, than if with a reciprocal Temerity the Laicks by way of Compensation would impose Laws to be followed and observed by those Mysts and Flamens; how they should behave them∣selves in the making and Performance of

their Rites and Ceremonies, and after what manner they ought to proceed in the offering up, and immolating of their various Oblations, Victims and Sacrifices; seeing that besides the Edecimation and Tith-haling of their Goods, they cut off and take Parings, Shreddings and Clip∣pings of the Gain proceeding from the Labour of their Hands, and Sweat of their Brows, therewith to entertain them∣selves the better. Upon which Conside∣ration in my Opinion, their Injunctions and Commands would not prove so per∣nicious and impertinent as those of the Ecclesiastick Power, unto which they had tendred their blind Obedience.

For as you have very well said, there is no place in the World where legally a Licence is granted to the Children to marry without the Advice and Consent of their Parents and Kindred. Nevertheless by those wicked Laws and Mole-catching Customs, whereat there is a little hinted in what I have already spoken to you, there is no scurvy, mezely, lepro••s or pocky Ruffian, Pander, Knave, Rogue, Skelm, Robber or Thief, pilloried, whip∣ped and burn-marked in his own Coun∣try for his Crimes and Felonies, who may not violently snatch away and ravish what Maid soever he had a mind to pitch up∣on,

how noble, how fair, how rich, ho∣nest and chaste soever she be, and that out of the House of her own Father, in his own Presence, from the Bosom of her Mother, and in the sight and despight of her Friends and Kindred looking on a so woful Spectacle, provided that the Rascal Villain be so cunning as to associate unto himself some Mystical Flamen, who ac∣cording to the Covenant made betwixt them two, shall be in hope some day to participate of the Prey.

Could the Goths, the Scyths, or Messa∣gets do a worse or more cruel Act to any of the Inhabitants of a Hostile City, when after the loss of many of their most consi∣derable Commanders, the expence of a great deal of Money, and a long Siege, they shall have stormed and taken it by a vio∣olent and impetuous Assault? May not these Fathers and Mothers (think you) be sorrowful and heavy-hearted, when they see an unknown Fellow, a Vagabond Stranger, a barbarous Lowt, a rude Curr, rotten, fleshless, putrified, scraggy, boily, botchy, poor, a forlorn Caitif and mise∣rable Snake, by an open Rapt, snatcht a∣way before their own Eyes their so fair, delicate, neat, well-behavioured, richly provided for, and healthful Daughters, on whose Breeding and Education they had

spared no Cost nor Charges, by bringing them up in an honest Discipline to all the honourable and vertuous Employments becoming one of their Sex, descended of a noble Parentage, hoping by those com∣mendable and industrious means in an opportune and convenient time to be∣stow them on the worthy Sons of their well-deserving Neighbours and ancient Friends, who had nourished, entertained, taught, instructed and schooled their Chil∣dren with the same Care and Sollicitude, to make them Matches fit to attain to the Felicity of a so happy Marriage; that from them might issue an Off-spring and Progeny no less Heirs to the laudable En∣dowments and exquisite Qualifications of their Parents whom they every way re∣semble, than to their Personal and Real Estates, Moveables and Inheritances? How doleful, trist and plangorous would such a Sight and Pageantry prove unto them? You shall not need to think that the Col∣lachrymation of the Romans, and their Confederates, at the Decease of Germani∣cus Drusus, was comparable to this Lamen∣tation of theirs? Neither would I have you to believe, that the Discomfort and Anxiety of the Lacedemonians, when the Greek Helen, by the Perfidiousness of the

Adulterous Trojan Paris was privily stollen away out of their Country, was greater or more pitiful than this ruthful and de∣plorable Collugency of theirs? You may very well imagine that Ceres, at the Ra∣vishment of her Daughter Proserpina, was not more attristed, sad, nor mournful than they. Trust me, and your own Reason, that the loss of Osyris was not so regreatable to Isis; nor did Venus so de∣plore the Death of Adonis; nor yet did Hercules so bewail the straying of Hylas; nor was the Rapt of Polyxena more throb∣bingly resented and condoled by Pryamus and Hecuba, than this aforesaid Accident would be sympathetically bemoaned, grie∣vous, ruthful and anxious to the wofully desolate and disconsolate Parents.

Notwithstanding all this, the greater part of so vilely abused Parents, are so timerous and afraid of Devils and Hob∣goblins, and so deeply plunged in Super∣stition, that they dare not gainsay nor contradict, much less oppose and resist those unnatural and impious Actions, when the Mole-catcher hath been present at the perpetrating of the Fact, and a Party Contracter and Covenanter in that de∣testable Bargain. What do they do then? They wretchedly stay at their own mise∣rable

Homes, destitute of their well-be∣loved Daughters; the Fathers cursing the days and the hours wherein they were mar∣ried; and the Mothers howling and crying that it was not their fortune to have brought forth Abortive Issues, when they hapned to be delivered of such unfortunate Girls; and in this pitiful plight spend at best the remainder of their Time with Tears and Weeping for those their Children of, and from whom they expected (and with good reason should have obtained and reaped) in these latter days of theirs, Joy and Comfort. Other Parents there have been, so impatient of that Affront and Indigni∣ty put upon them and their Families, that, transported with the Extremity of Passi∣on, in a mad and frantick mood, through the Vehemency of a grievous Fury and raging Sorrow, have drowned, hanged, killed, and otherways put violent hands on themselves. Others again of that Pa∣rental Relation, have upon the reception of the like Injury, been of a more mag∣nanimous and heroick Spirit, who (in imitation, and at the Example of the Children of Iacob, revenging upon the Sichemits the Rapt of their Sister Dina) having found the Rascally Ruffian in the Association of his mystical Mole-catcher closely and in hugger-mugger, conferring,

parlying, and coming with their Daugh∣ters, for the suborning, corrupting, de∣praving, perverting and enticing these in∣nocent, unexperienced Maids unto filthy Lewdnesses, have, without any further Advisement on the matter, cut them in∣stantly into pieces, and thereupon forth∣with thrown out upon the Fields their so dismembred Bodies, to serve for Food unto the Wolves and Ravens. Upon the chivalrous, bold and couragious Atchieve∣ment of a so valiant, stout and man-like Act, the other Mole catching Symmists have been so highly incensed, and have so chaffed, fretted and fumed thereat, that Bills of Complaint and Accusations ha∣ving been in a most odious and detestible manner put in before the competent Judges, the Arm of Secular Authority hath with much Importunity and Impetuosity been by them implored and required, they proudly contending, that the Ser∣vants of God would become contempti∣ble, if exemplary Punishment were not speedily taken upon the Persons of the Perpetrators of such an enormous, horrid, sacrilegious, crying, heinous, and execra∣ble Crime.

Yet neither by Natural Equity, by the Law of Nations, nor by any Imperial Law whatsoever, hath there been found

so much as one Rubrick, Paragraph, Point or Tittle, by the which any kind of Cha∣stisement or Correction hath been adjudg∣ed due to be inflicted upon any for their Delinquency in that kind. Reason op∣poseth, and Nature is repugnant: For there is no vertuous Man in the World, who, both naturally and with good rea∣son, will not be more hugely troubled in Mind, hearing of the News of the Rapt, Disgrace, Ignominy and Dishonour of his Daughter, than of her Death. Now any Man finding in hot Blood, one who with a fore-thought Felony hath mur∣thered his Daughter, may, without tying himself to the Formalities and Circum∣stances of a Legal Proceeding, kill him on a sudden, and out of hand, without incurring any hazard of being attainted and apprehended by the Officers of Ju∣stice for so doing. What wonder is it then? or how little strange should it ap∣pear to any rational Man, if a Lechering Rogue, together with his Mole catching Abetter, be entrapped in the flagrant Act of suborning his Daughter, and stealing her out of his House, (though her self con∣sent thereto) that the Father in such a case of Stain and Infamy by them brought upon his Family, should put them both to a shameful Death, and cast their Car∣casses

upon Dunghils to be devoured and eaten up by Dogs and Swine, or other∣wise fling them a little further off to the direption, tearing and rending asunder of their Joynts and Members by the Wild Beasts of the Field.

Dearly beloved Son, have an especial Care, that after my Decease none of these Laws be received in any of your King∣doms; for whilst I breath, by the Grace and Assistance of God I shall give good Order.

Seeing therefore you have totally re∣ferred unto my Discretion the Disposure of you in Marriage, I am fully of an O∣pinion, that I shall provide sufficiently well for you in that Point. Make ready and prepare your self for Panurge's Voy∣age: Take along with you Epistemon, Friar Ihon, and such others as you will choose: Do with my Treasures what un∣to your self shall seem most expedient: None of your Actions, I promise you, can in any manner of way displease me. Take out of my Arcenal Thalasse, what∣soever Equipage, Furniture or Provision you please, together with such Pilots, Mariners and Truchmen, as you have a mind to; and with the first fair and favourable Wind set sail and make out to Sea in the Name of God our Saviour. In

the mean while, during your Absence, I shall not be neglective of providing a Wife for you, nor of those Preparations, which are requisite to be made for the more sumptuous solemnizing of your Nuptials with a most splendid Feast, if ever there was any in the World, since the days of Assuerus.