ABC so well, that he could say it by heart backwards;
and about this he was five years and three months.
Then read he to him Donat, Le Facet, Theodolet, and
Alanus in parabolis. About this he was thirteen
years, six months, and two weeks. But you must
remark that in the mean time he did learn to write
in Gothic characters, and that he wrote all his books—for
the art of printing was not then in use—and
did ordinarily carry a great pen and inkhorn, weighing
about seven thousand quintals (that is, 700,000 pound
weight), the penner whereof was as big and as long
as the great pillars of Enay, and the horn was hanging
to it in great iron chains, it being of the wideness
of a tun of merchant ware. After that he read
unto him the book de modis significandi, with the
commentaries of Hurtbise, of Fasquin, of Tropdieux,
of Gualhaut, of John Calf, of Billonio, of Berlinguandus,
and a rabble of others; and herein he spent more than
eighteen years and eleven months, and was so well versed
in it that, to try masteries in school disputes with
his condisciples, he would recite it by heart backwards,
and did sometimes prove on his finger-ends to his mother,
quod de modis significandi non erat scientia.
Then did he read to him the compost for knowing the
age of the moon, the seasons of the year, and tides
of the sea, on which he spent sixteen years and two
months, and that justly at the time that his said
preceptor died of the French pox, which was in the
year one thousand four hundred and twenty. Afterwards
he got an old coughing fellow to teach him, named
Master Jobelin Bride, or muzzled dolt, who read unto
him Hugutio, Hebrard(’s) Grecism, the Doctrinal,
the Parts, the Quid est, the Supplementum, Marmotretus,
De moribus in mensa servandis, Seneca de quatuor virtutibus
cardinalibus, Passavantus cum commento, and Dormi
secure for the holidays, and some other of such like
mealy stuff, by reading whereof he became as wise
as any we ever since baked in an oven.
Chapter 1.XV.
How Gargantua was put under other schoolmasters.
At the last his father perceived that indeed he studied
hard, and that, although he spent all his time in
it, he did nevertheless profit nothing, but which
is worse, grew thereby foolish, simple, doted, and
blockish, whereof making a heavy regret to Don Philip
of Marays, Viceroy or Depute King of Papeligosse,
he found that it were better for him to learn nothing
at all, than to be taught such-like books, under such
schoolmasters; because their knowledge was nothing
but brutishness, and their wisdom but blunt foppish
toys, serving only to bastardize good and noble spirits,
and to corrupt all the flower of youth. That
it is so, take, said he, any young boy of this time
who hath only studied two years,—if he have
not a better judgment, a better discourse, and that
expressed in better terms than your son, with a completer
carriage and civility to all manner of persons, account