Which sentence being pronounced, the two parties departed
both contented with the decree, which was a thing
almost incredible. For it never came to pass
since the great rain, nor shall the like occur in thirteen
jubilees hereafter, that two parties contradictorily
contending in judgment be equally satisfied and well
pleased with the definitive sentence. As for
the counsellors and other doctors in the law that were
there present, they were all so ravished with admiration
at the more than human wisdom of Pantagruel, which
they did most clearly perceive to be in him by his
so accurate decision of this so difficult and thorny
cause, that their spirits with the extremity of the
rapture being elevated above the pitch of actuating
the organs of the body, they fell into a trance and
sudden ecstasy, wherein they stayed for the space
of three long hours, and had been so as yet in that
condition had not some good people fetched store of
vinegar and rose-water to bring them again unto their
former sense and understanding, for the which God
be praised everywhere. And so be it.
Chapter 2.XIV.
How Panurge related the manner how he escaped out
of the hands of the Turks.
The great wit and judgment of Pantagruel was immediately
after this made known unto all the world by setting
forth his praises in print, and putting upon record
this late wonderful proof he hath given thereof amongst
the rolls of the crown and registers of the palace,
in such sort that everybody began to say that Solomon,
who by a probable guess only, without any further
certainty, caused the child to be delivered to its
own mother, showed never in his time such a masterpiece
of wisdom as the good Pantagruel hath done.
Happy are we, therefore, that have him in our country.
And indeed they would have made him thereupon master
of the requests and president in the court; but he
refused all, very graciously thanking them for their
offer. For, said he, there is too much slavery
in these offices, and very hardly can they be saved
that do exercise them, considering the great corruption
that is amongst men. Which makes me believe,
if the empty seats of angels be not filled with other
kind of people than those, we shall not have the final
judgment these seven thousand, sixty and seven jubilees
yet to come, and so Cusanus will be deceived in his
conjecture. Remember that I have told you of
it, and given you fair advertisement in time and place
convenient.
But if you have any hogsheads of good wine, I willingly
will accept of a present of that. Which they
very heartily did do, in sending him of the best that
was in the city, and he drank reasonably well, but
poor Panurge bibbed and boused of it most villainously,
for he was as dry as a red-herring, as lean as a rake,
and, like a poor, lank, slender cat, walked gingerly
as if he had trod upon eggs. So that by someone
being admonished, in the midst of his draught of a
