How Gargantua was instructed by Ponocrates, and in
such sort disciplinated, that he lost not one hour
of the day.
When Ponocrates knew Gargantua’s vicious manner
of living, he resolved to bring him up in another
kind; but for a while he bore with him, considering
that nature cannot endure a sudden change, without
great violence. Therefore, to begin his work
the better, he requested a learned physician of that
time, called Master Theodorus, seriously to perpend,
if it were possible, how to bring Gargantua into a
better course. The said physician purged him
canonically with Anticyrian hellebore, by which medicine
he cleansed all the alteration and perverse habitude
of his brain. By this means also Ponocrates
made him forget all that he had learned under his
ancient preceptors, as Timotheus did to his disciples,
who had been instructed under other musicians.
To do this the better, they brought him into the
company of learned men, which were there, in whose
imitation he had a great desire and affection to study
otherwise, and to improve his parts. Afterwards
he put himself into such a road and way of studying,
that he lost not any one hour in the day, but employed
all his time in learning and honest knowledge.
Gargantua awaked, then, about four o’clock
in the morning. Whilst they were in rubbing of
him, there was read unto him some chapter of the holy
Scripture aloud and clearly, with a pronunciation
fit for the matter, and hereunto was appointed a young
page born in Basche, named Anagnostes. According
to the purpose and argument of that lesson, he oftentimes
gave himself to worship, adore, pray, and send up
his supplications to that good God, whose Word did
show his majesty and marvellous judgment. Then
went he unto the secret places to make excretion of
his natural digestions. There his master repeated
what had been read, expounding unto him the most obscure
and difficult points. In returning, they considered
the face of the sky, if it was such as they had observed
it the night before, and into what signs the sun was
entering, as also the moon for that day. This
done, he was apparelled, combed, curled, trimmed,
and perfumed, during which time they repeated to him
the lessons of the day before. He himself said
them by heart, and upon them would ground some practical
cases concerning the estate of man, which he would
prosecute sometimes two or three hours, but ordinarily
they ceased as soon as he was fully clothed.
Then for three good hours he had a lecture read unto
him. This done they went forth, still conferring
of the substance of the lecture, either unto a field
near the university called the Brack, or unto the
meadows, where they played at the ball, the long-tennis,
and at the piletrigone (which is a play wherein we
throw a triangular piece of iron at a ring, to pass
it), most gallantly exercising their bodies, as formerly
they had done their minds. All their play was
