The works of François Rabelais / translated from the French by Sir Thomas Urquhart, M. Le Motteux and others ; revised and edited by Wm. M. Thomson.

  • Rabelais, François, approximately 1490-1553?
Date:
[1896]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The works of François Rabelais / translated from the French by Sir Thomas Urquhart, M. Le Motteux and others ; revised and edited by Wm. M. Thomson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    lais held also a private correspondence in characters with the Bishop of Maillezais, to whom they are directed, and that the bishop was far from being bigoted to Popery. We also know by them that Rabelais obtained his absolution of Pope Paul III., the 17th of January 1536, whereby he had leave given him to return to Maillezais, and to practise physic, either at Rome or elsewhere ; that is, without any gain and only by charity. We also find that he had gained the es- teem of Cardinal de Genutiis, accounted the ornament of the college, and Cardinal Simonetta, eminent for virtue, and other worthy prelates, besides Cardinal du Bellay, and the Bishop of Mascon, who procured him his bulls gratis, and had even offered him to make use of their king’s name, had it been needful. It is reported that Bishop du Bellay, as King Francis I.’s ambassador when he had audience of Paul III., having kissed that pope’s slipper, which ceremony is by some called adoration, ail the rest of his retinue did the same, if we except Rabelais, who, fixed as the pillar against which he leaned, said, that if the ambassador, who was a very great lord in France, was unworthy to kiss the pope’s foot, they might even let down his holiness’s breeches and wash his a—, and then he might présumé to kiss something about him. Another time, that cardinal having brought him with the rest of his retinue to the same pope, that they might beg some favour of his holiness, Rabelais, being bid to make his demand, only begged that his holiness would be pleased to excommunicate him. So strange a request having caused much surprise, he was ordered to say why he made it. Then addressing himself to that pope, who was doubtless a great man, and had nothing of the moroseness of many others : “ May it please your holiness,” said he, “I am a Frenchman, of a little town called Chinon, whose inhabitants are thought some- what too subject to be thrown into a sort of unpleasant bonfires ; and, indeed, a good number of honest men, and, amongst the rest, some of my relations, hâve been fairly burned there already. Now, would your holiness but ex- communicate me, I should be sure never to burn. My reason is, that, passing through the Tarantese, where the cold was very great, in the way to this city, with my Lord