as big as an ostrich’s egg, enchased very daintily
in gold of the fineness of a Turkey seraph.
Upon the middle finger of the same hand he had a ring
made of four metals together, of the strangest fashion
that ever was seen; so that the steel did not crash
against the gold, nor the silver crush the copper.
All this was made by Captain Chappuys, and Alcofribas
his good agent. On the medical finger of his
right hand he had a ring made spire-wise, wherein
was set a perfect Balas ruby, a pointed diamond, and
a Physon emerald, of an inestimable value. For
Hans Carvel, the king of Melinda’s jeweller,
esteemed them at the rate of threescore nine millions,
eight hundred ninety-four thousand, and eighteen French
crowns of Berry, and at so much did the Foucres of
Augsburg prize them.
Chapter 1.IX.
The colours and liveries of Gargantua.
Gargantua’s colours were white and blue, as
I have showed you before, by which his father would
give us to understand that his son to him was a heavenly
joy; for the white did signify gladness, pleasure,
delight, and rejoicing, and the blue, celestial things.
I know well enough that, in reading this, you laugh
at the old drinker, and hold this exposition of colours
to be very extravagant, and utterly disagreeable to
reason, because white is said to signify faith, and
blue constancy. But without moving, vexing,
heating, or putting you in a chafe (for the weather
is dangerous), answer me, if it please you; for no
other compulsory way of arguing will I use towards
you, or any else; only now and then I will mention
a word or two of my bottle. What is it that
induceth you, what stirs you up to believe, or who
told you that white signifieth faith, and blue constancy?
An old paltry book, say you, sold by the hawking pedlars
and balladmongers, entitled The Blason of Colours.
Who made it? Whoever it was, he was wise in
that he did not set his name to it. But, besides,
I know not what I should rather admire in him, his
presumption or his sottishness. His presumption
and overweening, for that he should without reason,
without cause, or without any appearance of truth,
have dared to prescribe, by his private authority,
what things should be denotated and signified by the
colour: which is the custom of tyrants, who will
have their will to bear sway in stead of equity, and
not of the wise and learned, who with the evidence
of reason satisfy their readers. His sottishness
and want of spirit, in that he thought that, without
any other demonstration or sufficient argument, the
world would be pleased to make his blockish and ridiculous
impositions the rule of their devices. In effect,
according to the proverb, To a shitten tail fails
never ordure, he hath found, it seems, some simple
ninny in those rude times of old, when the wearing
of high round bonnets was in fashion, who gave some
trust to his writings, according to which they carved
