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PARTISAN REVIEW
mouton eriant et bellant. Tous les aultres moutons, erians et bellans
en pareille intonation, eommeneerent soy jeeter et saulter en mer
apres,
a
la file. La foulle estoit
a
qui premier y saulteroit apres leur
eompaignon. Possible n'esoit les en garder/
and now a sudden excur–
sion into grotesque erudition:
eomme vous seavez estre du mouton Ie
naturel, tous jours suyvre Ie premier, quelque part qu'il aille. Aussi
Ie diet Artistoteles, lib.
IX,
de Histo. anima!., estre Ie plus sot et inepte
animant du monde.
5
So much for the commonplace. But the seriousness lies in the joy
of discovery-pregnant with all possibilities, ready to try every ex–
periment, whether in the realm of reality or super-reality-which was
characteristic of his time, the first half of the century of the Renais–
sance, and which no one has so translated into terms of the senses as
Rabelais with the language which he created for his book. That is
why it is possible to call his mixture of styles, his Socratic buffoonery,
high style. He himself found a charming phrase for the high style of
his book, which is itself an example of that style. It is taken from the
art of fattening stock, we have already quoted it above:
ees beaulx
livres de haulte gresse- "these
goodly and well-fleshed books."
(Translated from the German by Willard R. Trask)
1
Then, as well as I could, I got upon it, and went along full two leagues
upon his tongue, and so long marched, that at last I came into his mouth. But,
oh gods and goddesses, what did I see there! Jupiter confound me with his
trisulk lightning if I lie! I walked there as they do in Sophie, at Constantinople,
and saw there great rocks, like the mountains in Denmark- I believe that those
were his teeth. I saw also fair meadows, large forests, great and strong cities,
not a jot less than Lyons or Poictiers. The first person I met there was a man
planting cabbages, whereat being very much amazed, I asked him, My friend,
what dost thou make here? I plant cabbages, said he. But how, and wherewith,
said I? Ha, Sir, said he, everyone cannot have his ballocks as heavy as a mortar,
neither can we be all rich. Thus do I get my living, and carry them to the market
to sell in the city which is here behind. Jesus! said I, is there here a new world?
Sure, said he, it is never a jot new, but it is commonly reported, that, without
this, there is a new earth, whereof the inhabitants enjoy the light of a sun and
moon, and that it is full of very good commodities; but yet this is more ancient
than that. Yea, but, said I, what is the name of that city, whither thou carriest
thy cabbages to sell? It is called Aspharage, said he, and all the in-dwellers are
Christians, very honest men, and will make you good cheer. To be brief, I
resolved to go thither. Now, in my way, I met with a fellow that was lying in
wait to catch pigeons, of whom I asked, My friend, from whence come these
pigeons? Sir, said he, they come from the other world. Then I thought, that,
