whereupon to dine.  What do you pretend by these large conquests?  What shall be the end of so many labours and crosses?  Thus it shall be, said Picrochole, that when we are returned we shall sit down, rest, and be merry.  But, said Echephron, if by chance you should never come back, for the voyage is long and dangerous, were it not better for us to take our rest now, than unnecessarily to expose ourselves to so many dangers?  O, said Swashbuckler, by G—­, here is a good dotard; come, let us go hide ourselves in the corner of a chimney, and there spend the whole time of our life amongst ladies, in threading of pearls, or spinning, like Sardanapalus.  He that nothing ventures hath neither horse nor mule, says Solomon.  He who adventureth too much, said Echephron, loseth both horse and mule, answered Malchon.  Enough, said Picrochole, go forward.  I fear nothing but that these devilish legions of Grangousier, whilst we are in Mesopotamia, will come on our backs and charge up our rear.  What course shall we then take?  What shall be our remedy?  A very good one, said Dirt-tail; a pretty little commission, which you must send unto the Muscovites, shall bring you into the field in an instant four hundred and fifty thousand choice men of war.  Oh that you would but make me your lieutenant-general, I should for the lightest faults of any inflict great punishments.  I fret, I charge, I strike, I take, I kill, I slay, I play the devil.  On, on, said Picrochole, make haste, my lads, and let him that loves me follow me.

Chapter 1.XXXIV.

How Gargantua left the city of Paris to succour his country, and how Gymnast encountered with the enemy.

In this same very hour Gargantua, who was gone out of Paris as soon as he had read his father’s letters, coming upon his great mare, had already passed the Nunnery-bridge, himself, Ponocrates, Gymnast, and Eudemon, who all three, the better to enable them to go along with him, took post-horses.  The rest of his train came after him by even journeys at a slower pace, bringing with them all his books and philosophical instruments.  As soon as he had alighted at Parille, he was informed by a farmer of Gouguet how Picrochole had fortified himself within the rock Clermond, and had sent Captain Tripet with a great army to set upon the wood of Vede and Vaugaudry, and that they had already plundered the whole country, not leaving cock nor hen, even as far as to the winepress of Billard.  These strange and almost incredible news of the enormous abuses thus committed over all the land, so affrighted Gargantua that he knew not what to say nor do.  But Ponocrates counselled him to go unto the Lord of Vauguyon, who at all times had been their friend and confederate, and that by him they should be better advised in their business.  Which they did incontinently, and found him very willing and fully resolved to assist them, and therefore was of opinion that they should send some one of his