me for ever hereafter a very clounch and bacon-slicer
of Brene. This pleased Grangousier very well,
and he commanded that it should be done. At
night at supper, the said Des Marays brought in a young
page of his, of Ville-gouges, called Eudemon, so neat,
so trim, so handsome in his apparel, so spruce, with
his hair in so good order, and so sweet and comely
in his behaviour, that he had the resemblance of a
little angel more than of a human creature.
Then he said to Grangousier, Do you see this young
boy? He is not as yet full twelve years old.
Let us try, if it please you, what difference there
is betwixt the knowledge of the doting Mateologians
of old time and the young lads that are now.
The trial pleased Grangousier, and he commanded the
page to begin. Then Eudemon, asking leave of
the vice-king his master so to do, with his cap in
his hand, a clear and open countenance, beautiful
and ruddy lips, his eyes steady, and his looks fixed
upon Gargantua with a youthful modesty, standing up
straight on his feet, began very gracefully to commend
him; first, for his virtue and good manners; secondly,
for his knowledge, thirdly, for his nobility; fourthly,
for his bodily accomplishments; and, in the fifth
place, most sweetly exhorted him to reverence his father
with all due observancy, who was so careful to have
him well brought up. In the end he prayed him,
that he would vouchsafe to admit of him amongst the
least of his servants; for other favour at that time
desired he none of heaven, but that he might do him
some grateful and acceptable service. All this
was by him delivered with such proper gestures, such
distinct pronunciation, so pleasant a delivery, in
such exquisite fine terms, and so good Latin, that
he seemed rather a Gracchus, a Cicero, an Aemilius
of the time past, than a youth of this age.
But all the countenance that Gargantua kept was, that
he fell to crying like a cow, and cast down his face,
hiding it with his cap, nor could they possibly draw
one word from him, no more than a fart from a dead
ass. Whereat his father was so grievously vexed
that he would have killed Master Jobelin, but the said
Des Marays withheld him from it by fair persuasions,
so that at length he pacified his wrath. Then
Grangousier commanded he should be paid his wages,
that they should whittle him up soundly, like a sophister,
with good drink, and then give him leave to go to
all the devils in hell. At least, said he, today
shall it not cost his host much if by chance he should
die as drunk as a Switzer. Master Jobelin being
gone out of the house, Grangousier consulted with
the Viceroy what schoolmaster they should choose for
him, and it was betwixt them resolved that Ponocrates,
the tutor of Eudemon, should have the charge, and
that they should go altogether to Paris, to know what
was the study of the young men of France at that time.
How Gargantua was sent to Paris, and of the huge great
mare that he rode on; how she destroyed the oxflies
of the Beauce.
