See 490029.

Notes

Gargantua

Le grant roy de Gargantua. Les grãdes cronicques du grant énorme géant Gargantua, Contenãt sa généalogie, La grandeur et force de son corps. Aussi les faictz darmes ql fist pour le roy Artus, come verrez cy apres. Imprime nouuellement.

Attributed to Rabelais. Undated, but presumably previous to the publication of Pantagruel in 1532. Only one copy known, at the Bibliothèque nationale de France [Bibl. Nat., Rés. Y2. 2127].

Gargantua

Title page from 1537 edition of Gargantua. Paris, Denis Janot?

De l’origine & antiquité du grand Pantagruel

Et le premier fut Chalbroth, qui engendra Sarabroth, qui engendra Faribroth, qui engendra Hurtaly, qui fut beau mangeur de souppes & regna au temps du deluge, qui engendra Nembroth, qui engendra Athlas qui avecques ses espaules guarda le ciel de tumber, qui engendra Goliath, qui engendra Eryx [lequel feut inventeur du ieu des gobeletz], qui engendra Titius, [qui engendra Eryon:] qui engendra Polyphemus, qui engendra Cacus [qui engendra Etion, lequel premier eut la verolle pour avoir dormi la gueule baye comme tesmoigne Bartachim], qui engendra Enceladus, qui engendra Ceus, qui engendra Typhoeus, qui engendra Aloeus, qui engendra Othus, qui engendra Aegeon, qui engendra Briareus qui avoit cent mains…

Gargantua

Chapitre. vi. Comment le nom fut imposé à Gargantua: et comment il humoyt le piot.

Le bonhomme Grantgousier beuvant, et se rigollant avecques les aultres entendit le cris horrible que son filz avoit faict entrant en lumière de ce monde, quand il brasmoit demandant à boyre/ à boyre/ à boyre/ dont il dist, que grant tu as, supple le gousier. Ce que oyans les assistans, dirent que vrayment il debvoit avoir par ce le nom Gargantua, puis que telle avoyt esté la première parole de son père à sa nativité, à l’imitation et exemple des anciens Hebreux. A quoy fut condescendu par icelluy, & pleut tresbien à sa mère. Et pour l’appaiser, luy donnèrent à boyre à tirelarigot, et feut porté sus les fonts, et là baptisé, comme est la coustume des bons christians. Et luy feurent ordonnées dix et sept mille neuf cens vaches de Pautille, et de Brehemond: pour l’alaicter ordinairement, car de trouver une nourrice convenente n’estoit possible en tout le pais, consideré la grande quantité, de laict requis pour icelluy alimenter. Combien qu’aulcuns docteurs Scotistes ayent affermé que sa mère l’alaicta, et qu’elle pouvoit trayre de ses mammelles quatorze cens pippes de laict pour chascune fois. Ce que n’est vraysemblable. Et a esté la proposition declarée par Sorbone scandaleuse, et des pitoyables aureilles offensive, et sentant de loing heresie. En cest estat passa iusques à un an et dix moys, en quel temps par le conseil des medicins on commencza le porter, & fut faicte une belle charrette à boeufz par l’invention de Iean Denyau, et là dedans on le pourmenoit par cy/ par là, ioyeusement & le faisoyt bon veoir car il portoit bonne troigne, et avoyt presque dix et huyt mentons: & ne cryoit que bien peu, mais il se couchioyt à toutes heures, car il estoit merveilleusement phlegmaticque des fesses, tant de sa complexion naturelle, que de la disposition accidentale qui luy estoit advenue par trop humer de purée Septembrale. Et n’en humoyt poinct sans cause. Car s’il advenoyt qu’il feut despit, courroussé, faché, ou marry, s’il trepignoyt/ s’il pleuroyt, s’il cryoit, luy aportant à boyre, l’on le remettoyt en nature, & soubdain demouroyt quoy et ioyeux. Une de ses gouvernantes m’a dict, que de ce fayre il estoyt tant coustumier, qu’au seul son des pinthes & flaccons, il entroyt en ecstase, comme s’il goustoyt les ioyes de paradis. En sorte qu’elles considerant ceste complexion divine pour le resiouyr au matin faisoyent davant luy donner des verres avecques un cousteau, ou des flaccons avecques leur toupon, ou des pinthes avecques leur couvercle. Auquel son il s’esguayoit, il tressailoit, & luy mesmes se bressoit en dodelinant de la teste, monichordisant des doigtz, & baritonant du cul.

Gargantua

Chapter VII. After what manner Gargantua had his name given him, and how he tippled, bibbed, and curried the can.

The good man Grangousier, drinking and making merry with the rest, heard the horrible noise which his son had made as he entered into the light of this world, when he cried out, Some drink, some drink, some drink; whereupon he said in French, Que grand tu as et souple le gousier! that is to say, How great and nimble a throat thou hast. Which the company hearing, said that verily the child ought to be called Gargantua; because it was the first word that after his birth his father had spoke, in imitation, and at the example of the ancient Hebrews; whereunto he condescended, and his mother was very well pleased therewith. In the meanwhile, to quiet the child, they gave him to drink a tirelaregot, that is, till his throat was like to crack with it; then was he carried to the font, and there baptized, according to the manner of good Christians.

Immediately thereafter were appointed for him seventeen thousand, nine hundred, and thirteen cows of the towns of Pautille and Brehemond, to furnish him with milk in ordinary, for it was impossible to find a nurse sufficient for him in all the country, considering the great quantity of milk that was requisite for his nourishment; although there were not wanting some doctors of the opinion of Scotus, who affirmed that his own mother gave him suck, and that she could draw out of her breasts one thousand, four hundred, two pipes, and nine pails of milk at every time.

Which indeed is not probable, and this point hath been found duggishly scandalous and offensive to tender ears, for that it savoured a little of heresy. Thus was he handled for one year and ten months; after which time, by the advice of physicians, they began to carry him, and then was made for him a fine little cart drawn with oxen, of the invention of Jan Denio, wherein they led him hither and thither with great joy; and he was worth the seeing, for he was a fine boy, had a burly physiognomy, and almost ten chins. He cried very little, but beshit himself every hour: for, to speak truly of him, he was wonderfully phlegmatic in his posteriors, both by reason of his natural complexion and the accidental disposition which had befallen him by his too much quaffing of the Septembral juice. Yet without a cause did not he sup one drop; for if he happened to be vexed, angry, displeased, or sorry, if he did fret, if he did weep, if he did cry, and what grievous quarter soever he kept, in bringing him some drink, he would be instantly pacified, reseated in his own temper, in a good humour again, and as still and quiet as ever. One of his governesses told me (swearing by her fig), how he was so accustomed to this kind of way, that, at the sound of pints and flagons, he would on a sudden fall into an ecstasy, as if he had then tasted of the joys of paradise; so that they, upon consideration of this, his divine complexion, would every morning, to cheer him up, play with a knife upon the glasses, on the bottles with their stopples, and on the pottle-pots with their lids and covers, at the sound whereof he became gay, did leap for joy, would loll and rock himself in the cradle, then nod with his head, monochordizing with his fingers, and barytonizing with his tail.

Gargantua

Clef des allégories du Roman de Rabelais. Donnée au XVII^e siècle. Cette clef ne mérite pas d’etre prise au sérieux. Elle peut cependant donner une idée des interprétations arbitraires dont le Roman de Rabelais a été l’object, et nous n’avons pas jugé inutile de la reproduire.

Gargantua = François I^er

Gargantua

Gargantua. A giant.

Hence gargantuan, enormous, monstrous; also as gargantuan-bellied.

Gargantua

Out of nowhere Gargantua stepped smack into a convocation at Pantagruel’s castle, as you would have guessed, in time for dessert. Moments earlier one of the serving girls, after stashing the bundle of kindling she had picked up from the woodpile on the path to the privy, had whispered to Panurge, “Keep your fork, Duke, the pie’s coming.” As Panurge parted his lips to respond, Pantagruel spotted Gargantua’s dog Kyne and commanded, “All stand for the King.” Gargantua begged the crowd to do him the favor of not leaving their seats or interrupting their discourse, and in compliance, discussion continued on a question posed by Panurge—should he marry, or should he not.

The philosopher Trouillogan had offered two pieces of advice: “Both the two together,” and “Neither the one, nor the other.” Gargantua chimed in that the answer “is like the one given by an ancient philosopher, when asked whether he had a certain woman as his wife. ‘I’ve had her,’ he answered, ‘but she hasn’t got me. I possess her, but I’m not possessed by her.’” Pantagruel smiled. “A similar answer was made by a Spartan wench when she was asked whether she had ever fucked a man,” he said. “She answered, ‘Never, but they sometimes fuck me.’” See also on this intercourse, the Apothegms of Erasmus of Rotterdam, and Book Three, 49.11

“That same wench,” said Garganuta, “if I be not mistaken, used to fill her mouth full of wheat and run around the neighborhood, listening at doors. If a boy’s name was mentioned, it was he who was to be her husband.”

“Yes,” said Epistemon, “She would buy a penny’s worth of pins, stick nine into an apple, throw the tenth away, and put the apple in her left stocking. She tied the stocking with her right garter and then went to bed, hoping to dream of her future husband. On Halloween she would go into a strange garden and steal a head of cabbage. She would take the cabbage into a field, find a dunghill, and standing on it and eating the cabbage, would look into a mirror, hoping for a glimpse of her future husband.”

“But the Fates were cruel to her in the end,” said Pantagruel. “When she was groping, blindfolded, for her wedding ring, the children tricked her into dipping her hand in a bowl of clay.”

Panurge then said that the mention of a wedding ring put him in mind of the story of Hans Carvel, which he would relate in its proper time, and also of an affair he had lately had with a lady in Paris. Although pressed to tell this story, he would only say, “The whole shooting match was a pain in the butt. I’m glad it’s behind me now.”

Notes

Pantagruel

Illustration from title page of 1535 edition of Pantagruel, Lyon, Pierre de Saincte Lucie.

Pantagruel

Title page of 1537 edition of Pantagruel.

Pantagruel

Smith – Pantagruel, Ch. 1, p. 209

It is fitting then for you to note that at the Beginning of the World (I am speaking of a distant Date, more than forty Quarantaines of Nights ago, to count in the fashion of the ancient Druids ), a little after Abel was killed by his Brother Cain, the Earth, imbrued with the Blood of the Righteous, was one Year

So mighty fertile in all Fruit,
That from her Loins for us do shoot,

and particularly in Medlars, that in all recorded Time it has been called the Year of great Medlars, for three of them made up a Bushel….

Put it down then in your Account that the World willingly ate the said Medlars, for they were pleasant to the Eye and delicious to the Taste. … But from it there befell them very different Accidents; for upon all there fell in the Body a very horrible Swelling, but not to all in the same Place…. The others grew in Length of Body; and by them Pantagruel.

The first was Chalbroth,
Who begat Sarabroth,
Who begat Faribroth,
Who begat Hurtaly, that was a rare Eater of Potage and reigned in the
time of the Flood;
Who begat Nembroth (Nimrod),
Who begat Atlas, who with his Shoulders kept the Sky from falling;
Who begat Goliath,
Who begat Eryx, who was the Inventor of the Tricks of Thimble-rigging
Who begat Tityus,
Who begat Eryon,
Who begat Polyphemus,
Who begat Cacus,
Who begat Etion, who was the first to have the Pox for not drinking fresh in Summer, as Bartachin testifieth;
Who begat Enceladus,
Who begat Ceus,
Who begat Typhoeus,
Who begat Aloeus,
Who begat Otus,
Who begat Aegeon,
Who begat Briareus, that had a hundred Hands ;
Who begat Porphyrio,
Who begat Adamastor,
Who begat Antaeus,
Who begat Agatho,
Who begat Porus, against whom fought Alexander the Great ;
Who begat Aranthas,
Who begat Gabbara, who was the first Inventor of drinking Healths
Who begat Goliath of Secundilla,
Who begat Offot, who had a terrible fine Nose from drinking at the Cask;
Who begat Artachaeus,
Who begat Oromedon,
Who begat Gemmagog, who was the Inventor of peaked Shoes;
Who begat Sisyphus,
Who begat the Titans, from whom sprang Hercules ;
Who begat Enay, who was very expert in taking the little Worms out of the Hands ;
Who begat Fierabras, who was conquered by Oliver, Peer of France, Companion of Roland;
Who begat Morgan, who was the first in this World who played at Dice with Spectacles;
Who begat Fracassus, of whom Merlin Coccai has written,
Of whom was born Ferragus;
Who begat Happe-mouche, who was the first to invent drying Neats’ Tongues in the Chimney; for before that people used to salt them as they do Hams;
Who begat Bolivorax,
Who begat Longis,
Who begat Gayoffe, whose Cods were of Poplar, and his Member of the
Service-tree;
Who begat Maschefain,
Who begat Bruslefer,
Who begat Engoulevent,
Who begat Galehault, the Inventor of Flagons;
Who begat Mirelangaut,
Who begat Galaffre,
Who begat Falourdin,
Who begat Roboastre,
Who begat Sortibrant of Conimbres,
Who begat Brushant of Mommière,
Who begat Bruyer, that was overcome by Ogier the Dane, Peer of France ;
Who begat Mabrun,
Who begat Foutasnon,
Who begat Hacquelebac,
Who begat Vit-de-grain,
Who begat Grandgousier,
Who begat Gargantua,
Who begat the noble Pantagruel, my Master.

[Smith’s note: The editors of the Variorum edition make out, not only that the fifty-nine giants here mentioned correspond, in number,to the fifty-nine kings of France from Pharamond to Henry II (which is very possible), but they go so far as to identify each giant in order with the corresponding king.]

Pantagruel

Cha.ii. De la nativité du tresredoubté Pantagruel.

Gargantua en son aage de quattre cens quattre vingtz quarante & quattre ans engendra son fils Pantagruel de sa femme nommée Badebec fille du Roy des Amaurotes en Utopie, laquelle mourut de mal d’enfant: car il estoit si grand & si lourd, qu’il ne put venir à lumiere, sans ainsi suffocquer la mere. Mais pour entendre pleinement la cause et raison de son nom qui luy fut baillé en baptesme: Vous noterez que celle année il y avoit une si grand seicheresse en tout le pays de Affricque, pour ce qu’il y avoit passé plus de xxxvi. moys sans pluye, avec chaleur de soleil si vehesmente, que toute la terre en estoit aride. Et ne fut point au temps de Helye plus eschauffée que fut pour lors. Car il n’y avoit arbre sus terre qu’il eust ny feuille ny fleur, les herbes estoient sans verdeur, les rivieres taries, les fontaines à sec, les pauvres poissons delaissez de leurs propres elements vagans et cryans par la terre horriblement, les oyseaulx tumbans de l’air par faulte de rosée, les loups, les regnars, cerfs, sangliers, daims, lievres, connils, bellettes, foynes, blereaux & aultres bestes l’on trouvoit par les champs mortes la gueule baye. Et au regard des hommes, c’estoit la grande pitié, vous les eussiez veus tirans la langue comme levriers qui ont couru six heures. Plusieurs se gettoient dedans les puys, d’aultres se mettoient au ventre d’une vache pour estre à l’umbre: & les appelle Homere Alibantes. Toute la contrée estoit à l’ancre: c’estoit pitoyable de veoir le travail des humains pour se guarantir de ceste horrificque alteration. Car il y avoit prou affaire de saulver l’eau benoiste par les esglises qu’elle ne feust desconfite: mais l’on y donna tel ordre par le conseil de messieurs les cardinaulx & du sainct pere, que nul n’en osoit prendre qu’une venue: Encores quand quelqu’ung entroit en l’esglise, vous en eussiez veu à vingtaines de pauvres alterez qui venoient au derriere de celluy qui la distribuoit à quelqu’ung la gueulle ouverte pour en avoir quelque petite goutelette: comme le maulvais Riche, affin que rien ne se perdit. O que bienheureux fut en ceste année celuy qui eut cave fraische & bien garnie.

Le philosophe racompte en mouvant la question, pourquoy c’est que l’eau de la mer est sallée? qu’au temps que Phebus bailla le gouvernement de son chariot lucificque à son fils Phaeton: Ledict Phaeton mal apris en l’art, et ne sçavant ensuyvre la ligne eclipticque entre les deux tropicques de la sphere du Soleil, varia de son chemin: et tant approcha de la terre, qu’il mist à sec toutes les contrées subiacentes, bruslant une grande partie du ciel, que les philosophes appellent via lactea: & les Lifrelofres nomment le chemin sainct Jacques. Adonc la terre fut tant eschauffée, qu’il luy vint une sueur enorme, dont elle sua toute la mer, que par ce est sallée: car toute sueur est sallée, ce que vous direz estre vray si voulez taster de la vostre propre: ou bien de celle des verollez quand on les faict suer, ce me est tout ung. Quasi pareil cas arriva en ceste dicte année: Car ung iour de Vendredy tout le monde s’estoit mis en devotion, & faisoit une belle procession avecques force letanies et beaux preschans, supplians à dieu omnipotent les vouloir regarder de son oeil de clemence en tel desconfort, visiblement fut veu de la terre sortir grosses gouttes d’eau, comme quand quelque personne sue copieusement. Et le pauvre peuple se commença à esiouyr comme sy ce eust esté chose à eulx proffitable: Car les aulcuns disoient que de humeur il n’y en avoit point en l’air, dont on esperast de avoir pluye, et que la terre supplioit au deffault. Les aultres gens sçavans disoient que c’estoit pluye des Antipodes: comme Senecque narre au quart livre questionum naturalium, parlant de l’origine et source du fleuve du Nile. Mais ils y furent trompez: car la procession finée alors que chascun vouloit recueillir de ceste rousée & en boire à plein godet, trouverent que ce n’estoit que saulmere pire et plus salée que n’est l’eau de la mer.

Et par ce qu’en ce propre iour nasquit Pantagruel, son pere luy imposa tel nom: car Panta en Grec vault autant à dire comme tout: & Gruel en langue hagarene vault autant comme alteré, voulant inferer qu’à l’heure de sa nativité le monde estoit tout alteré. Et voyant en esperit de prophetie qu’il seroit quelque iour dominateur des alterez. Ce que luy fut monstré à celle heure mesmes par aultre signe plus evident. Car alors que sa mere Badebec enfantoit, & que les sages femmes attendoient pour le recepvoir, issirent premier de son ventre soixante & huyt tregeniers chascun tirant par le licol ung mulet tout chargé de sel: apres lesquels sortirent neuf dromadaires chargez de iambons & langues de boeuf fumées: sept chameaulx chargez d’anguillettes: puis vingt et cinq charrettes de porreaulx, d’aulx, d’oignons, & de cibots: ce qui espoventa bien lesdictes saiges femmes, mais les aucunes d’entre elles disoient: Voicy bonne punition: cecy n’est que bon signe: ce sont agueillons de vin. Et comme elles caquettoient de ses menuz propos entre elles, voicy sortir Pantagruel tout velu comme ung Ours, dont dit une d’elles en esperit propheticque, Il est né à tout le poil, il fera choses merveilleuses: et s’il vit, il aura de l’eage.

De l’origine & antiquité du grand Pantagruel

Et le premier fut Chalbroth, qui engendra Sarabroth, qui engendra Faribroth, qui engendra Hurtaly, qui fut beau mangeur de souppes & regna au temps du deluge, qui engendra Nembroth, qui engendra Athlas qui avecques ses espaules guarda le ciel de tumber, qui engendra Goliath, qui engendra Eryx [lequel feut inventeur du ieu des gobeletz], qui engendra Titius, [qui engendra Eryon:] qui engendra Polyphemus, qui engendra Cacus [qui engendra Etion, lequel premier eut la verolle pour avoir dormi la gueule baye comme tesmoigne Bartachim], qui engendra Enceladus, qui engendra Ceus, qui engendra Typhoeus, qui engendra Aloeus, qui engendra Othus, qui engendra Aegeon, qui engendra Briareus qui avoit cent mains…

Pantagruel

Clef des allégories du Roman de Rabelais. Donnée au XVII^e siècle. Cette clef ne mérite pas d’etre prise au sérieux. Elle peut cependant donner une idée des interprétations arbitraires dont le Roman de Rabelais a été l’object, et nous n’avons pas jugé inutile de la reproduire.

Pantagruel = Henri II

Pantagruel Chapter 1

Pantagruel

Et parce que en ce propre jour nasquit Pantagruel, son père luy imposa tel nom, car panta en grec vault autant à dire comme tout et gruel en langue Hagarene vault autant comme alteré, voulent inférer que à l’heure de sa nativité le monde estoit tout altéré, et voyant, en esperit de prophétie, qu’il seroit quelque jour dominateur des altérez, ce que luy fut monstre à celle heure mesmes par aultre signe plus évident.

Note: Etymologie burlesque, comme on en rencontre fréquemment dans Rabelais. Ce nom de Pantagruel, inconnu aux traditions populaires, dérive des Mystères du XV^e siècle, où le personnage possède déjà les qualités particulières dont on retrouve des traces éparses dans le roman de Rabelais Il désigne primitivement un démon qui altère ou le mal qui suffoque. Chez Rabelais, Pantagruel vient au monde après une terrible sécheresse, et son nom y est synonyme d’altération opprimante ou de respiration pénible ; ailleurs on dit de ceux qui sont au point d’étouffer que Pantagruel les tient à la gorge ; de là, son attribut, le sel, produit altérant par excellence. Cf. R.E.R., X, 481-489. Le sens essentiel de « suffocation » rattache le nom, quant à son élément initial, à toute un famille lexique — panteler, pantois, pantoier — exprimant la notion de respiration pénible, état d’opression ou d’étouffement; mais son élément final, gruel, reste obscur. Quoi qu’il en soit, l’étymologie gréco-arabe, donnée par Rabelais est purement facétieuse (Lazare Sainéan).

Pantagruelism

Pantagruelism, n.

Pronunciation:
Brit./ˌpantəˈɡruːəlɪz(ə)m/
U.S./ˌpæn(t)əˈɡru(ə)ˌlɪz(ə)m/

Etymology: < the name of Pantagruel + -ism suffix Categories » 1. The philosophy and practice ascribed to Pantagruel; extravagant and coarse humour with a satirical purpose. Also, more generally: coarseness, vulgarity.

1835 R. Southey Doctor III. 340 Ignorant of humorology! more ignorant of psychology! and most ignorant of Pantagruelism!
a1849 H. Coleridge Ess. & Marginalia (1851) II. 234 An unsuccessful attempt at pantagruelism, with all the outrageousness and none of the richness of Rabelais.
1865 T. Wright Hist. Caricature & Grotesque xix. 342 Pantagruelism, or, if you like, Rabelaism, did not, during the sixteenth century, make much progress beyond the limits of France.
1934 Mod. Lang. Notes 49 528 To us the most important pages are those upon Swift, Smollett, and Sterne, which not only point out the many borrowings, but also the distinctions in purpose and tone between those humorists and the Father of Pantagruelism.
1989 S. Bedford Jigsaw v. 294 His post-war recoil from some forms of Frenchness, a protest against his compatriots’ pantagruelism.

Categories » †2. The theory and practice of medicine. Obs. rare.

1864 Webster’s Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang. 944/1 s.v. Pantagruelism, the theory or practice of the medical profession;—used in burlesque or ridicule. Southey.
1882 Ogilvie’s Imperial Dict. (new ed.) (at cited word) Pantagruelism, a burlesque term applied to the profession of medicine. Southey.
1890 Cent. Dict. (at cited word) Pantagruelism, a satirical or opprobrious term applied to the profession of medicine.

Notes

Gargantua speaking

Filz trescher, après mon decès guardez que telles loigs ne soient en cestuy Royaulme receues: tant que seray en ce corps spirant & vivent, ie y donneray ordre tresbon avec l’ayde de mon Dieu. Puys doncques que de vostre mariage sus moy vous deportez, i’en suis d’opinion. Ie y pourvoiray. Aprestez vous au voyage de Panurge. Prenez avecques vous Epistemon, frère Ian, & aultres que choisirez. De mes thesaurs faictez à vostre plein arbitre. Tout ce que ferez, ne pourra ne me plaire. En mon arcenac de Thalasse prenez equippage tel que vouldrez: telz pillotz, nauchiers, truschemens, que vouldrez: & à vent oportun faictez voile on nom & protection du Dieu servateur. Pendent vostre absence ie feray les appretz & d’une femme vostre, & d’un festin, que ie veulx à vos nopces faire celèbre, si oncques en feut.

Comment Pantagruel monta sus mer, pour visiter l’Oracle de la dive Bacbuc

On moys de Iuin, au iour des festes Vestales: celluy propre on quel Brutus conquesta Hespaigne, & subiugua les Hespaignolz, on quel aussi Crassus l’avaricieux feut vaincu & deffaict par les Parthes, Pantagruel prenent congé du bon Gargantua son père, icelluy bien priant (comme en l’Eglise primitive estoit louable coustume entre les saincts Christians) pour le prospère naviguaige de son filz, & toute sa compaignie, monta sus mer au port de Thalasse, accompaigné de Panurge, frère Ian des entommeures, Epistemon, Gymnaste, Eusthenes, Rhizotome, Carpalim, & aultres siens serviteurs & domesticques anciens: ensemble de Xenomanes le grand voyageur & traverseur des voyes perilleuses, lequel certains iours par avant estoit arrivé au mandement de Panurge. Icelluy pour certaines & bonnes causes avoit à Gargantua laissé & signé en sa grande & universelle Hydrographie la routte qu’ilz tiendroient visitans l’oracle de la dive Bouteille Bacbuc.
Le nombre des navires feut tel que vous ay exposé on tiers livre, en conserve de Trirèmes, Ramberges, Gallions, & Liburnicques nombre pareil: bien equippées, bien calfatées, bien munies, avecques abondance de Pantagruelion. L’assemblée de tous officiers, truchemens, pilotz, capitaines, nauchiers, fadrins, hespailliers, & matelotz feut en la Thalamège. Ainsi estoit nommée la grande & maistresse nauf de Pantagruel: ayant en pouppe pour enseigne à moytié d’argent bien liz & polly: l’aultre moytié estoit d’or esmaillé de couleur incarnat. En quoy facile estoit iuger, que blanc & clairet estoient les couleurs des nobles voyagiers: & qu’ilz alloient pour avoir le mot de la Bouteille.

Gargantua ordains the expedition

Third Book, Chapter 48, Gargantua speaking.

“My dearly beloved Son, after my Decease, have especial Care that such Laws be not received into this Kingdom ; as long as I shall be living and have Breath in this Body, I shall give good Order thereunto, with the Assistance of God. Since then, with regard to your Marriage, you refer it to me, I am of Opinion that you should marry, and I will provide for it. Make you ready for the Voyage of Panurge ; take with you Epistemon, Friar John, and others of your Choice. With my Treasures do according to your full Discretion ; whatever you do can only please me. From my Arsenal at Thalassa take what Provision you shall please, Pilots, Crews, Interpreters, at your Pleasure, and with the first favourable Wind set sail in the Name and under the Protection of God our Preserver. During your Absence I will set about providing you a Wife and a Festival, which, at your Nuptials, I wish to make renowned for its Magnificence, if ever one was.”

How Pantagruel put to Sea to visit the Oracle of the Holy Bacbuc

Smith Quart Livre Chapter 1

How Pantagruel put to Sea to visit the Oracle of the Holy Bacbuc

In the Month of June, on the Day [Ov. Fast. vi. 247] of the a Feast of Vesta [The 9th of June], on the very Day on which Brutus conquered Spain [Ov. Fast. vi. 461] and subjugated the Spaniards, and also on which the covetous [ Ov. Fast. vi. 465 ] Crassus was conquered and destroyed by the Parthians — Pantagruel took Leave of the good Gargantua his Father, who prayed devoutly, according to the laudable [Act. Apostol. xxi. 36, xxi. 5] Custom in the primitive Church among the holy Christians, for the prosperous Voyage of his Son and all his Company. Pantagruel put to Sea at the Port of Thalassa, accompanied by Panurge, Friar John of the Trencherites, Epistemon, [Cf.ii. 18, 19, 20, 30] Gymnast, Eusthenes, Rhizotomus, Carpalim and others his ancient Servants and Domestics ; with them Xenomanes, the great Traveller and Traverser of perilous Ways, [This was the title assumed by Jean Bouchet, a friend of Rabelais. Cf. iii. 46, 49, and the Epistle to Bouchet] who had been sent for by Panurge and had arrived certain Days before.

For certain good Reasons Xenomanes had left with Gargantua, and marked out in his great and universal Hydrography the Route which they were to take in their Visit to the Oracle of the Holy Bottle Bacbuc. [Bacbuc is a Chaldean word occurring in the sense of “bottle” I Kings xiv. 3, Jeremia xix. I, and as a proper name, Ezra ii. 51, Nehemiah vii. 53]

The Number of the Ships was such as I have described in the Third Book, with a Convoy of Triremes, Cruisers [Ramberges, long swift ships used by the English against the French in the Channel. Du Bellay’s Memoirs, bk. x.], Galleons and Liburnian Galleys in equal Number, well rigged, caulked and stored, and with a plentiful Supply of Pantagruelion.

The Meeting-place of all the Officers, Interpreters, Pilots, Captains, Mates, Midshipmen, Rowers [hespailliers, so called from the espale or bridge on which they used to sit (M.)] and Sailors, was on board the Thalamege [Thalamege was the name of the Egyptian galley on which Cleopatra took Julius Caesar on a trip to Aethiopia. Cf. Suet. i. 52] ; for that was the Name of Pantagruel’s great Flag-ship, which had on her Stern for Ensign a large, capacious Bottle, half of Silver smooth and polished; the other half was of Gold, enamelled with crimson Colours ; whereby it was easy to determine that White and Claret were the Colours of the noble Travellers, and that they were going to get the Word of the Bottle.

The date

The opening notation of time [in the QL], establishing the date, oddly enough, as that on which Virgil’s hero Aeneas completed his journey, the list of the voyagers, and particularly of their ships (cf. Iliad 2): all these belong to the epic genre.