been his own executioner, had he determined to observe
his canonical continence. Add to this that he
was a Tourainian, id est, dark, and had in his eyes
flame to light, and water to quench all the domestic
furnaces that required lighting or quenching; and
never since at Azay has been such vicar seen!
A handsome vicar was he, square-shouldered, fresh
coloured, always blessing and chuckling, preferred
weddings and christenings to funerals, a good joker,
pious in Church, and a man in everything. There
have been many vicars who have drunk well and eaten
well; others who have blessed abundantly and chuckled
consumedly; but all of them together would hardly
make up the sterling worth of this aforesaid vicar;
and he alone has worthily filled his post with benedictions,
has held it with joy, and in it has consoled the afflicted,
all so well, that no one saw him come out of his house
without wishing to be in his heart, so much was he
beloved. It was he who first said in a sermon
that the devil was not so black as he was painted,
and who for Madame de Cande transformed partridges
into fish saying that the perch of the Indre were
partridges of the river, and, on the other hand, partridges
perch in the air. He never played artful tricks
under the cloak of morality, and often said, jokingly,
he would rather be in a good bed then in anybody’s
will, that he had plenty of everything, and wanted
nothing. As for the poor and suffering, never
did those who came to ask for wool at the vicarage
go away shorn, for his hand was always in his pocket,
and he melted (he who in all else was so firm) at
the sight of all this misery and infirmity, and he
endeavoured to heal all their wounds. There have
been many good stories told concerning this king of
vicars. It was he who caused such hearty laughter
at the wedding of the lord of Valennes, near Sacche.
The mother of the said lord had a good deal to do
with the victuals, roast meats and other delicacies,
of which there was sufficient quantity to feed a small
town at least, and it is true, at the same time, that
people came to the wedding from Montbazon, from Tours,
from Chinon, from Langeais, and from everywhere, and
stopped eight days.
Now the good vicar, as he was going into the room
where the company were enjoying themselves, met the
little kitchen boy, who wished to inform Madame that
all the elementary substances and fat rudiments, syrups,
and sauces, were in readiness for a pudding of great
delicacy, the secret compilation, mixing, and manipulation
of which she wished herself to superintend, intending
it as a special treat for her daughter-in-law’s
relations. Our vicar gave the boy a tap on the
cheek, telling him that he was too greasy and dirty
to show himself to people of high rank, and that he
himself would deliver the said message. The merry
fellow pushes open the door, shapes the fingers of
his left hand into the form of a sheath, and moves
gently therein the middle finger of his right, at
the same time looking at the lady of Valennes, and
saying to her, “Come, all is ready.”
Those who did not understand the affair burst out
laughing to see Madame get up and go to the vicar,
because she knew he referred to the pudding, and not
to that which the others imagined.