Marquet, who was most shrewdly wounded, and forthwith
returned to Lerne, changing the resolution they had
to go to Pareille, threatening very sharp and boisterously
the cowherds, shepherds, and farmers of Seville and
Sinays. This done, the shepherds and shepherdesses
made merry with these cakes and fine grapes, and sported
themselves together at the sound of the pretty small
pipe, scoffing and laughing at those vainglorious
cake-bakers, who had that day met with a mischief
for want of crossing themselves with a good hand in
the morning. Nor did they forget to apply to
Forgier’s leg some fair great red medicinal
grapes, and so handsomely dressed it and bound it up
that he was quickly cured.
Chapter 1.XXVI.
How the inhabitants of Lerne, by the commandment of
Picrochole their king, assaulted the shepherds of
Gargantua unexpectedly and on a sudden.
The cake-bakers, being returned to Lerne, went presently,
before they did either eat or drink, to the Capitol,
and there before their king, called Picrochole, the
third of that name, made their complaint, showing their
panniers broken, their caps all crumpled, their coats
torn, their cakes taken away, but, above all, Marquet
most enormously wounded, saying that all that mischief
was done by the shepherds and herdsmen of Grangousier,
near the broad highway beyond Seville. Picrochole
incontinent grew angry and furious; and, without asking
any further what, how, why, or wherefore, commanded
the ban and arriere ban to be sounded throughout all
his country, that all his vassals of what condition
soever should, upon pain of the halter, come, in the
best arms they could, unto the great place before the
castle, at the hour of noon, and, the better to strengthen
his design, he caused the drum to be beat about the
town. Himself, whilst his dinner was making
ready, went to see his artillery mounted upon the carriage,
to display his colours, and set up the great royal
standard, and loaded wains with store of ammunition
both for the field and the belly, arms and victuals.
At dinner he despatched his commissions, and by his
express edict my Lord Shagrag was appointed to command
the vanguard, wherein were numbered sixteen thousand
and fourteen arquebusiers or firelocks, together with
thirty thousand and eleven volunteer adventurers.
The great Touquedillon, master of the horse, had
the charge of the ordnance, wherein were reckoned
nine hundred and fourteen brazen pieces, in cannons,
double cannons, basilisks, serpentines, culverins,
bombards or murderers, falcons, bases or passevolins,
spirols, and other sorts of great guns. The
rearguard was committed to the Duke of Scrapegood.
In the main battle was the king and the princes of
his kingdom. Thus being hastily furnished, before
they would set forward, they sent three hundred light
horsemen, under the conduct of Captain Swillwind,
to discover the country, clear the avenues, and see
