The first [second] book of the works of Mr. Francis Rabelais, Doctor in Physick, containing five books of the lives, heroick deeds, and sayings of Gargantua, and his sonne Pantagruel. Together with the Pantagrueline prognostication, the oracle of the divine Bachus, and response of the bottle. Hereunto are annexed the navigations unto the sounding isle, and the isle of the Apedests: as likewise the philosophical cream with a Limosm epistle. / All done by Mr. Francis Rabelais, in the French tongue, and now faithfully translated into English.

CHAP. XXXV. How Gymnast very souply and cunningly killed Captain Tripet, and others of Picrocholes men.

WHen they heard these words, some amongst them began to be afraid, and blest themselves with both hands, think∣ing indeed that he had been a devil disguised: insomuch that one of them, named good Ihon, Captain of the trained bands of the Countrey bumpkins, took his Psalter out of his Codpiece, and cried out aloud, Hagios ho theos. If thou be of God speak: if thou be of the other spirit avoid hence, and get thee going: yet he went not away; which words being heard by all the souldiers that were there, divers of them being a little inwardly

terrified, departed from the place: all this did Gymnast very well remark and consider, and therefore making as if he would have alighted from off his horse, as he was poy∣sing himself on the mounting side, he most nimbly (with his short sword by his thigh,) shifting his feet in the stirrup, performed the stirrup-leather feat, whereby after the incli∣ning of his body downwards, he forthwith lanch't himself aloft in the aire, and placed both his feet together on the saddle, stand∣ing upright with his back turned towards the horses head; Now (said he) my case goes backward. Then suddenly in the same ve∣ry posture wherein he was, he fetched a gam∣bole upon one foot, and turning to the left hand, failed not to carry his body perfectly round, just into its former stance, without missing one jot. Ha (said Tripet,) I will not do that at this time, and not without cause. Well, (said Gymnast) I have failed, I will undo this leap: then with a marvellous strength and agility, turning towards the right hand he fetch't another frisking gambole, as before, which done, he set his right hand thumb upon the hinde bowe of the saddle, raised himself up, and sprung in the aire, poysing and upholding his whole body, upon the muscle and nerve of the said thumb: and so turned and whirled himself about three times: at the fourth re∣versing

his body, and overturning it upside down, and foreside back, without touching any thing he brought himself betwixt the horses two eares, springing with all his body into the aire, upon the thumb of his left hand, and in that posture turning like a windmill, did most actively do that trick which is called the Millers Passe. After this, clapping his right hand flat upon the middle of the saddle, he gave himself such a jerking swing, that he thereby seated himself upon the crupper, after the manner of Gentle∣womens sitting on horseback: this done, he easily past his right leg over the saddle, and placed himself like one that rides in croup: But, said he, it were better for me to get in∣to the saddle; then putting the thumbs of both hands upon the crupper before him, and thereupon leaning himself, as upon the only supporters of his body, he incontinent∣ly turned heels over head in the aire, and streight found himself betwixt the bowe of the saddle in a good settlement. Then with a summer-sault springing into the aire again, he fell to stand with both his feet close toge∣ther upon the saddle, and there made above a hundred frisks, turnes and demi-pom∣mads, with his armes held out acrosse, and in so doing, cried out aloud, I rage, I rage, devils, I am stark mad; devils, I am mad, hold me, devils, hold me, hold, devils, hold, hold.

Whilest he was thus vaulting, the Rogues in great astonishment said to one another, By cocks death he is a goblin or a devil thus dis∣guised, Ab hoste maligno libera nos, Domine, and ran away in a ful flight, as if they had been routed, looking now and then behinde them like a dog that carrieth away a goose-wing in his mouth. Then Gymnast spying his ad∣vantage, alighted from his horse, drew his sword, & laid on great blows upon the thick∣est, and highest-crested amongst them, and overthrew them in great heaps, hurt, wound∣ed and bruised, being resisted by no body, they thinking he had been a starved devil, as well in regard of his wonderful feats in vaulting, which they had seen, as for the talk Tripet had with him, calling him poor devil: only Tripet would have traiterously cleft his head with his horsemans sword, or lanse-knight fauchion; but he was well armed, and felt nothing of the blow, but the weight of the stroke; whereupon turning suddenly about, he gave Tripet a home-thrust, and up∣on the back of that, whilest he was about to¦ward his head from a flash, he in ran him at the breast with a hit, which at once cut his sto∣mack, the fifth gut called the Colon; and the half of his liver, wherewith he fell to the ground, and in falling gushed forth above foure pottles of pottage, and his soule ming∣led with the pottage.

This done, Gymnast withdrew himself, very wisely considering, that a case of great adventure and hazard, should not be pursu∣ed unto its utmost period, and that it be∣comes all Cavaliers modestly to use their good fortune, without troubling or stretch∣ing it too farre; wherefore getting to horse, he gave him the spurre, taking the right way unto Vauguyon, and Prelingot with him.