Gargantua’s speech to the vanquished1.
Our forefathers2 and ancestors of all times have been of this nature and disposition3, that, upon the winning of a battle, they have chosen rather, for a sign and memorial of their triumphs and victories, to erect4 trophies5 and monuments in the hearts of the vanquished by clemency6 than by architecture in the lands which they had conquered. For they did hold in greater estimation the lively remembrance of men purchased by liberality than the dumb inscription7 of arches, pillars, and pyramids, subject to the injury of storms and tempests, and to the envy of everyone. You may very well remember of the courtesy which by them was used towards the Bretons in the battle of St. Aubin of Cormier and at the demolishing8 of Partenay. You have heard, and hearing admire, their gentle comportment towards those at the barriers (the barbarians) of Spaniola, who had plundered9, wasted, and ransacked10 the maritime11 borders of Olone and Thalmondois. All this hemisphere of the world was filled with the praises and congratulations which yourselves and your fathers made, when Alpharbal, King of Canarre, not satisfied with his own fortunes, did most furiously invade the land of Onyx, and with cruel piracies12 molest13 all the Armoric Islands and confine regions of Britany. Yet was he in a set naval14 fight justly taken and vanquished by my father, whom God preserve and protect. But what? Whereas other kings and emperors, yea, those who entitle themselves Catholics, would have dealt roughly with him, kept him a close prisoner, and put him to an extreme high ransom15, he entreated16 him very courteously17, lodged18 him kindly19 with himself in his own palace, and out of his incredible mildness and gentle disposition sent him back with a safe conduct, laden20 with gifts, laden with favours, laden with all offices of friendship. What fell out upon it? Being returned into his country, he called a parliament, where all the princes and states of his kingdom being assembled, he showed them the humanity which he had found in us, and therefore wished them to take such course by way of compensation therein as that the whole world might be edified21 by the example, as well of their honest graciousness to us as of our gracious honesty towards them. The result hereof was, that it was voted and decreed by an unanimous consent, that they should offer up entirely22 their lands, dominions23, and kingdoms, to be disposed of by us according to our pleasure.
Alpharbal in his own person presently returned with nine thousand and thirty-eight great ships of burden, bringing with him the treasures, not only of his house and royal lineage, but almost of all the country besides. For he embarking24 himself, to set sail with a west-north-east wind, everyone in heaps did cast into the ship gold, silver, rings, jewels, spices, drugs, and aromatical perfumes, parrots, pelicans25, monkeys, civet-cats, black-spotted weasels, porcupines26, &c. He was accounted no good mother’s son that did not cast in all the rare and precious things he had.
Being safely arrived, he came to my said father, and would have kissed his feet. That action was found too submissively low, and therefore was not permitted, but in exchange he was most cordially embraced. He offered his presents; they were not received, because they were too excessive: he yielded himself voluntarily a servant and vassal27, and was content his whole posterity28 should be liable to the same bondage29; this was not accepted of, because it seemed not equitable30: he surrendered, by virtue31 of the decree of his great parliamentary council, his whole countries and kingdoms to him, offering the deed and conveyance32, signed, sealed, and ratified33 by all those that were concerned in it; this was altogether refused, and the parchments cast into the fire. In end, this free goodwill34 and simple meaning of the Canarians wrought35 such tenderness in my father’s heart that he could not abstain36 from shedding tears, and wept most profusely37; then, by choice words very congruously adapted, strove in what he could to diminish the estimation of the good offices which he had done them, saying, that any courtesy he had conferred upon them was not worth a rush, and what favour soever he had showed them he was bound to do it. But so much the more did Alpharbal augment38 the repute thereof. What was the issue? Whereas for his ransom, in the greatest extremity39 of rigour and most tyrannical dealing40, could not have been exacted above twenty times a hundred thousand crowns, and his eldest41 sons detained as hostages till that sum had been paid, they made themselves perpetual tributaries42, and obliged to give us every year two millions of gold at four-and-twenty carats fine. The first year we received the whole sum of two millions; the second year of their own accord they paid freely to us three-and-twenty hundred thousand crowns; the third year, six-and-twenty hundred thousand; the fourth year, three millions, and do so increase it always out of their own goodwill that we shall be constrained43 to forbid them to bring us any more. This is the nature of gratitude44 and true thankfulness. For time, which gnaws45 and diminisheth all things else, augments46 and increaseth benefits; because a noble action of liberality, done to a man of reason, doth grow continually by his generous thinking of it and remembering it.
Being unwilling47 therefore any way to degenerate48 from the hereditary49 mildness and clemency of my parents, I do now forgive you, deliver you from all fines and imprisonments, fully50 release you, set you at liberty, and every way make you as frank and free as ever you were before. Moreover, at your going out of the gate, you shall have every one of you three months’ pay to bring you home into your houses and families, and shall have a safe convoy51 of six hundred cuirassiers and eight thousand foot under the conduct of Alexander, esquire of my body, that the clubmen of the country may not do you any injury. God be with you! I am sorry from my heart that Picrochole is not here; for I would have given him to understand that this war was undertaken against my will and without any hope to increase either my goods or renown52. But seeing he is lost, and that no man can tell where nor how he went away, it is my will that his kingdom remain entire to his son; who, because he is too young, he not being yet full five years old, shall be brought up and instructed by the ancient princes and learned men of the kingdom. And because a realm thus desolate53 may easily come to ruin, if the covetousness54 and avarice55 of those who by their places are obliged to administer justice in it be not curbed56 and restrained, I ordain57 and will have it so, that Ponocrates be overseer and superintendent58 above all his governors, with whatever power and authority is requisite59 thereto, and that he be continually with the child until he find him able and capable to rule and govern by himself.
Now I must tell you, that you are to understand how a too feeble and dissolute facility in pardoning evildoers giveth them occasion to commit wickedness afterwards more readily, upon this pernicious confidence of receiving favour. I consider that Moses, the meekest60 man that was in his time upon the earth, did severely61 punish the mutinous62 and seditious people of Israel. I consider likewise that Julius Caesar, who was so gracious an emperor that Cicero said of him that his fortune had nothing more excellent than that he could, and his virtue nothing better than that he would always save and pardon every man — he, notwithstanding all this, did in certain places most rigorously punish the authors of rebellion. After the example of these good men, it is my will and pleasure that you deliver over unto me before you depart hence, first, that fine fellow Marquet, who was the prime cause, origin, and groundwork of this war by his vain presumption63 and overweening; secondly64, his fellow cake-bakers, who were neglective in checking and reprehending65 his idle hairbrained humour in the instant time; and lastly, all the councillors, captains, officers, and domestics of Picrochole, who had been incendiaries or fomenters of the war by provoking, praising, or counselling him to come out of his limits thus to trouble us.
1 vanquished | |
v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 );战胜;克服;抑制 | |
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2 forefathers | |
n.祖先,先人;祖先,祖宗( forefather的名词复数 );列祖列宗;前人 | |
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3 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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4 erect | |
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 | |
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5 trophies | |
n.(为竞赛获胜者颁发的)奖品( trophy的名词复数 );奖杯;(尤指狩猎或战争中获得的)纪念品;(用于比赛或赛跑名称)奖 | |
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6 clemency | |
n.温和,仁慈,宽厚 | |
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7 inscription | |
n.(尤指石块上的)刻印文字,铭文,碑文 | |
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8 demolishing | |
v.摧毁( demolish的现在分词 );推翻;拆毁(尤指大建筑物);吃光 | |
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9 plundered | |
掠夺,抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10 ransacked | |
v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 );抢劫,掠夺 | |
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11 maritime | |
adj.海的,海事的,航海的,近海的,沿海的 | |
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12 piracies | |
n.海上抢劫( piracy的名词复数 );盗版行为,非法复制 | |
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13 molest | |
vt.骚扰,干扰,调戏 | |
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14 naval | |
adj.海军的,军舰的,船的 | |
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15 ransom | |
n.赎金,赎身;v.赎回,解救 | |
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16 entreated | |
恳求,乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17 courteously | |
adv.有礼貌地,亲切地 | |
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18 lodged | |
v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 );暂住;埋入;(权利、权威等)归属 | |
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19 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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20 laden | |
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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21 edified | |
v.开导,启发( edify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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23 dominions | |
统治权( dominion的名词复数 ); 领土; 疆土; 版图 | |
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24 embarking | |
乘船( embark的现在分词 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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25 pelicans | |
n.鹈鹕( pelican的名词复数 ) | |
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26 porcupines | |
n.豪猪,箭猪( porcupine的名词复数 ) | |
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27 vassal | |
n.附庸的;属下;adj.奴仆的 | |
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28 posterity | |
n.后裔,子孙,后代 | |
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29 bondage | |
n.奴役,束缚 | |
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30 equitable | |
adj.公平的;公正的 | |
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31 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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32 conveyance | |
n.(不动产等的)转让,让与;转让证书;传送;运送;表达;(正)运输工具 | |
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33 ratified | |
v.批准,签认(合约等)( ratify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34 goodwill | |
n.善意,亲善,信誉,声誉 | |
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35 wrought | |
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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36 abstain | |
v.自制,戒绝,弃权,避免 | |
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37 profusely | |
ad.abundantly | |
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38 augment | |
vt.(使)增大,增加,增长,扩张 | |
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39 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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40 dealing | |
n.经商方法,待人态度 | |
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41 eldest | |
adj.最年长的,最年老的 | |
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42 tributaries | |
n. 支流 | |
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43 constrained | |
adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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44 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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45 gnaws | |
咬( gnaw的第三人称单数 ); (长时间) 折磨某人; (使)苦恼; (长时间)危害某事物 | |
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46 augments | |
增加,提高,扩大( augment的名词复数 ) | |
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47 unwilling | |
adj.不情愿的 | |
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48 degenerate | |
v.退步,堕落;adj.退步的,堕落的;n.堕落者 | |
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49 hereditary | |
adj.遗传的,遗传性的,可继承的,世袭的 | |
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50 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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51 convoy | |
vt.护送,护卫,护航;n.护送;护送队 | |
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52 renown | |
n.声誉,名望 | |
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53 desolate | |
adj.荒凉的,荒芜的;孤独的,凄凉的;v.使荒芜,使孤寂 | |
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54 covetousness | |
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55 avarice | |
n.贪婪;贪心 | |
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56 curbed | |
v.限制,克制,抑制( curb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57 ordain | |
vi.颁发命令;vt.命令,授以圣职,注定,任命 | |
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58 superintendent | |
n.监督人,主管,总监;(英国)警务长 | |
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59 requisite | |
adj.需要的,必不可少的;n.必需品 | |
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60 meekest | |
adj.温顺的,驯服的( meek的最高级 ) | |
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61 severely | |
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 | |
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62 mutinous | |
adj.叛变的,反抗的;adv.反抗地,叛变地;n.反抗,叛变 | |
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63 presumption | |
n.推测,可能性,冒昧,放肆,[法律]推定 | |
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64 secondly | |
adv.第二,其次 | |
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65 reprehending | |
v.斥责,指摘,责备( reprehend的现在分词 ) | |
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