Kabanata Kabanata 67 · How Pantagruel found Panurge

Chapter 2.IX.

How Pantagruel found Panurge, whom he loved all his lifetime.

One day, as Pantagruel was taking a walk without the city, towards St.

Anthony’s abbey, discoursing and philosophating with his own servants and

some other scholars, (he) met with a young man of very comely stature and

surpassing handsome in all the lineaments of his body, but in several parts

thereof most pitifully wounded; in such bad equipage in matter of his

apparel, which was but tatters and rags, and every way so far out of order

that he seemed to have been a-fighting with mastiff-dogs, from whose fury

he had made an escape; or to say better, he looked, in the condition

wherein he then was, like an apple-gatherer of the country of Perche.

As far off as Pantagruel saw him, he said to those that stood by, Do you

see that man there, who is a-coming hither upon the road from Charenton

bridge? By my faith, he is only poor in fortune; for I may assure you that

by his physiognomy it appeareth that nature hath extracted him from some

rich and noble race, and that too much curiosity hath thrown him upon

adventures which possibly have reduced him to this indigence, want, and

penury. Now as he was just amongst them, Pantagruel said unto him, Let me

entreat you, friend, that you may be pleased to stop here a little and

answer me to that which I shall ask you, and I am confident you will not

think your time ill bestowed; for I have an extreme desire, according to my

ability, to give you some supply in this distress wherein I see you are;

because I do very much commiserate your case, which truly moves me to great

pity. Therefore, my friend, tell me who you are; whence you come; whither

you go; what you desire; and what your name is. The companion answered him

in the German (The first edition reads “Dutch.”) tongue, thus:

‘Junker, Gott geb euch gluck und heil. Furwahr, lieber Junker, ich lasz

euch wissen, das da ihr mich von fragt, ist ein arm und erbarmlich Ding,

und wer viel darvon zu sagen, welches euch verdrussig zu horen, und mir zu

erzelen wer, wiewol die Poeten und Oratorn vorzeiten haben gesagt in ihren

Spruchen und Sentenzen, dasz die gedechtniss des Elends und Armuth

vorlangst erlitten ist eine grosse Lust.’ My friend, said Pantagruel, I

have no skill in that gibberish of yours; therefore, if you would have us

to understand you, speak to us in some other language. Then did the droll

answer him thus:

‘Albarildim gotfano dechmin brin alabo dordio falbroth ringuam albaras.

Nin portzadikin almucatin milko prin alelmin en thoth dalheben ensouim;

kuthim al dum alkatim nim broth dechoth porth min michais im endoth, pruch

dalmaisoulum hol moth danfrihim lupaldas in voldemoth. Nin hur diavosth

mnarbotim dalgousch palfrapin duch im scoth pruch galeth dal chinon, min

foulchrich al conin brutathen doth dal prin.’ Do you understand none of

this? said Pantagruel to the company. I believe, said Epistemon, that this

is the language of the Antipodes, and such a hard one that the devil

himself knows not what to make of it. Then said Pantagruel, Gossip, I know

not if the walls do comprehend the meaning of your words, but none of us

here doth so much as understand one syllable of them. Then said my blade

again:

‘Signor mio, voi vedete per essempio, che la cornamusa non suona mai,

s’ella non ha il ventre pieno. Cosi io parimente non vi saprei contare le

mie fortune, se prima il tribulato ventre non ha la solita refettione. Al

quale e adviso che le mani et li denti habbiano perso il loro ordine

naturale et del tutto annichilati.’ To which Epistemon answered, As much

of the one as of the other, and nothing of either. Then said Panurge:

‘Lord, if you be so virtuous of intelligence as you be naturally relieved

to the body, you should have pity of me. For nature hath made us equal,

but fortune hath some exalted and others deprived; nevertheless is virtue

often deprived and the virtuous men despised; for before the last end none

is good.’ (The following is the passage as it stands in the first edition.

Urquhart seems to have rendered Rabelais’ indifferent English into worse

Scotch, and this, with probably the use of contractions in his MS., or ‘the

oddness’ of handwriting which he owns to in his Logopandecteision (p.419,

Mait. Club. Edit.), has led to a chaotic jumble, which it is nearly

impossible to reduce to order.--Instead of any attempt to do so, it is here

given verbatim: ‘Lard gestholb besua virtuisbe intelligence: ass yi body

scalbisbe natural reloth cholb suld osme pety have; for natur hass visse

equaly maide bot fortune sum exaiti hesse andoyis deprevit: non yeless

iviss mou virtiuss deprevit, and virtuiss men decreviss for anen ye

ladeniss non quid.’ Here is a morsel for critical ingenuity to fix its

teeth in.--M.) Yet less, said Pantagruel. Then said my jolly Panurge:

‘Jona andie guaussa goussy etan beharda er remedio beharde versela ysser

landa. Anbat es otoy y es nausu ey nessassust gourray proposian ordine

den. Non yssena bayta facheria egabe gen herassy badia sadassu noura

assia. Aran hondavan gualde cydassu naydassuna. Estou oussyc eg vinan

soury hien er darstura eguy harm. Genicoa plasar vadu.’ Are you there,

said Eudemon, Genicoa? To this said Carpalim, St. Trinian’s rammer

unstitch your bum, for I had almost understood it. Then answered Panurge:

‘Prust frest frinst sorgdmand strochdi drhds pag brlelang Gravot Chavigny

Pomardiere rusth pkaldracg Deviniere pres Nays. Couille kalmuch monach

drupp del meupplist rincq drlnd dodelb up drent loch minc stz rinq jald de

vins ders cordelis bur jocst stzampenards.’ Do you speak Christian, said

Epistemon, or the buffoon language, otherwise called Patelinois? Nay, it

is the puzlatory tongue, said another, which some call Lanternois. Then

said Panurge:

‘Heere, ik en spreeke anders geen taele dan kersten taele: my dunkt

noghtans, al en seg ik u niet een wordt, mynen noot verklaert genoegh wat

ik begeere: geeft my uyt bermhertigheit yets waar van ik gevoet magh zyn.’

To which answered Pantagruel, As much of that. Then said Panurge:

‘Sennor, de tanto hablar yo soy cansado, porque yo suplico a vuestra

reverentia que mire a los preceptos evangelicos, para que ellos movan

vuestra reverentia a lo que es de conscientia; y si ellos non bastaren,

para mouer vuestra reverentia a piedad, yo suplico que mire a la piedad

natural, la qual yo creo que le movera como es de razon: y con esso non

digo mas.’ Truly, my friend, (said Pantagruel,) I doubt not but you can

speak divers languages; but tell us that which you would have us to do for

you in some tongue which you conceive we may understand. Then said the

companion:

‘Min Herre, endog ieg med ingen tunge talede, ligesom baern, oc uskellige

creatuure: Mine klaedebon oc mit legoms magerhed uduiser alligeuel klarlig

huad ting mig best behof gioris, som er sandelig mad oc dricke: Huorfor

forbarme dig ofuer mig, oc befal at giue mig noguet, af huilcket ieg kand

slyre min giaeendis mage, ligeruiis som mand Cerbero en suppe forsetter:

Saa skalt du lefue laenge oc lycksalig.’ I think really, said Eusthenes,

that the Goths spoke thus of old, and that, if it pleased God, we would all

of us speak so with our tails. Then again said Panurge:

‘Adon, scalom lecha: im ischar harob hal hebdeca bimeherah thithen li

kikar lehem: chanchat ub laah al Adonai cho nen ral.’ To which answered

Epistemon, At this time have I understood him very well; for it is the

Hebrew tongue most rhetorically pronounced. Then again said the gallant:

‘Despota tinyn panagathe, diati sy mi ouk artodotis? horas gar limo

analiscomenon eme athlion, ke en to metaxy me ouk eleis oudamos, zetis de

par emou ha ou chre. Ke homos philologi pantes homologousi tote logous te

ke remata peritta hyparchin, hopote pragma afto pasi delon esti. Entha gar

anankei monon logi isin, hina pragmata (hon peri amphisbetoumen), me

prosphoros epiphenete.’ What? Said Carpalim, Pantagruel’s footman, It is

Greek, I have understood him. And how? hast thou dwelt any while in

Greece? Then said the droll again:

‘Agonou dont oussys vous desdagnez algorou: nou den farou zamist vous

mariston ulbrou, fousques voubrol tant bredaguez moupreton dengoulhoust,

daguez daguez non cropys fost pardonnoflist nougrou. Agou paston tol

nalprissys hourtou los echatonous, prou dhouquys brol pany gou den bascrou

noudous caguons goulfren goul oustaroppassou.’ (In this and the preceding

speeches of Panurge, the Paris Variorum Edition of 1823 has been followed

in correcting Urquhart’s text, which is full of inaccuracies.--M.)

Methinks I understand him, said Pantagruel; for either it is the language

of my country of Utopia, or sounds very like it. And, as he was about to

have begun some purpose, the companion said:

‘Jam toties vos per sacra, perque deos deasque omnes obtestatus sum, ut si

quae vos pietas permovet, egestatem meam solaremini, nec hilum proficio

clamans et ejulans. Sinite, quaeso, sinite, viri impii, quo me fata vocant

abire; nec ultra vanis vestris interpellationibus obtundatis, memores

veteris illius adagii, quo venter famelicus auriculis carere dicitur.’

Well, my friend, said Pantagruel, but cannot you speak French? That I can

do, sir, very well, said the companion, God be thanked. It is my natural

language and mother tongue, for I was born and bred in my younger years in

the garden of France, to wit, Touraine. Then, said Pantagruel, tell us

what is your name, and from whence you are come; for, by my faith, I have

already stamped in my mind such a deep impression of love towards you,

that, if you will condescend unto my will, you shall not depart out of my

company, and you and I shall make up another couple of friends such as

Aeneas and Achates were. Sir, said the companion, my true and proper

Christian name is Panurge, and now I come out of Turkey, to which country I

was carried away prisoner at that time when they went to Metelin with a

mischief. And willingly would I relate unto you my fortunes, which are

more wonderful than those of Ulysses were; but, seeing that it pleaseth you

to retain me with you, I most heartily accept of the offer, protesting

never to leave you should you go to all the devils in hell. We shall have

therefore more leisure at another time, and a fitter opportunity wherein to

report them; for at this present I am in a very urgent necessity to feed;

my teeth are sharp, my belly empty, my throat dry, and my stomach fierce

and burning, all is ready. If you will but set me to work, it will be as

good as a balsamum for sore eyes to see me gulch and raven it. For God’s

sake, give order for it. Then Pantagruel commanded that they should carry

him home and provide him good store of victuals; which being done, he ate

very well that evening, and, capon-like, went early to bed; then slept

until dinner-time the next day, so that he made but three steps and one

leap from the bed to the board.