How Pantagruel writ1 to his father Gargantua, and sent him several curiosities.
Pantagruel, having perused2 the letter, had a long conference with the esquire Malicorne; insomuch that Panurge, at last interrupting them, asked him, Pray, sir, when do you design to drink? When shall we drink? When shall the worshipful esquire drink? What a devil! have you not talked long enough to drink? It is a good motion, answered Pantagruel: go, get us something ready at the next inn; I think ’tis the Centaur3. In the meantime he writ to Gargantua as followeth, to be sent by the aforesaid esquire:
Most gracious Father,— As our senses and animal faculties4 are more discomposed at the news of events unexpected, though desired (even to an immediate5 dissolution of the soul from the body), than if those accidents had been foreseen, so the coming of Malicorne hath much surprised and disordered me. For I had no hopes to see any of your servants, or to hear from you, before I had finished our voyage; and contented6 myself with the dear remembrance of your august majesty7, deeply impressed in the hindmost ventricle of my brain, often representing you to my mind.
But since you have made me happy beyond expectation by the perusal8 of your gracious letter, and the faith I have in your esquire hath revived my spirits by the news of your welfare, I am as it were compelled to do what formerly9 I did freely, that is, first to praise the blessed Redeemer, who by his divine goodness preserves you in this long enjoyment10 of perfect health; then to return you eternal thanks for the fervent11 affection which you have for me your most humble12 son and unprofitable servant.
Formerly a Roman, named Furnius, said to Augustus, who had received his father into favour, and pardoned him after he had sided with Antony, that by that action the emperor had reduced him to this extremity13, that for want of power to be grateful, both while he lived and after it, he should be obliged to be taxed with ingratitude14. So I may say, that the excess of your fatherly affection drives me into such a strait, that I shall be forced to live and die ungrateful; unless that crime be redressed15 by the sentence of the Stoics16, who say that there are three parts in a benefit, the one of the giver, the other of the receiver, the third of the remunerator; and that the receiver rewards the giver when he freely receives the benefit and always remembers it; as, on the contrary, that man is most ungrateful who despises and forgets a benefit. Therefore, being overwhelmed with infinite favours, all proceeding17 from your extreme goodness, and on the other side wholly incapable18 of making the smallest return, I hope at least to free myself from the imputation19 of ingratitude, since they can never be blotted20 out of my mind; and my tongue shall never cease to own that to thank you as I ought transcends21 my capacity.
As for us, I have this assurance in the Lord’s mercy and help, that the end of our voyage will be answerable to its beginning, and so it will be entirely22 performed in health and mirth. I will not fail to set down in a journal a full account of our navigation, that at our return you may have an exact relation of the whole.
I have found here a Scythian tarand, an animal strange and wonderful for the variations of colour on its skin and hair, according to the distinction of neighbouring things; it is as tractable23 and easily kept as a lamb. Be pleased to accept of it.
I also send you three young unicorns24, which are the tamest of creatures.
I have conferred with the esquire, and taught him how they must be fed. These cannot graze on the ground by reason of the long horn on their forehead, but are forced to browse25 on fruit trees, or on proper racks, or to be fed by hand, with herbs, sheaves, apples, pears, barley26, rye, and other fruits and roots, being placed before them.
I am amazed that ancient writers should report them to be so wild, furious, and dangerous, and never seen alive; far from it, you will find that they are the mildest things in the world, provided they are not maliciously27 offended. Likewise I send you the life and deeds of Achilles in curious tapestry28; assuring you whatever rarities of animals, plants, birds, or precious stones, and others, I shall be able to find and purchase in our travels, shall be brought to you, God willing, whom I beseech29, by his blessed grace, to preserve you.
From Medamothy, this 15th of June. Panurge, Friar John, Epistemon, Zenomanes, Gymnast, Eusthenes, Rhizotome, and Carpalin, having most humbly30 kissed your hand, return your salute31 a thousand times.
Your most dutiful son and servant, Pantagruel.
While Pantagruel was writing this letter, Malicorne was made welcome by all with a thousand goodly good-morrows and how-d’ye’s; they clung about him so that I cannot tell you how much they made of him, how many humble services, how many from my love and to my love were sent with him. Pantagruel, having writ his letters, sat down at table with him, and afterwards presented him with a large chain of gold, weighing eight hundred crowns, between whose septenary links some large diamonds, rubies32, emeralds, turquoise33 stones, and unions were alternately set in. To each of his bark’s crew he ordered to be given five hundred crowns. To Gargantua, his father, he sent the tarand covered with a cloth of satin, brocaded with gold, and the tapestry containing the life and deeds of Achilles, with the three unicorns in friezed cloth of gold trappings; and so they left Medamothy — Malicorne to return to Gargantua, Pantagruel to proceed in his voyage, during which Epistemon read to him the books which the esquire had brought, and because he found them jovial34 and pleasant, I shall give you an account of them, if you earnestly desire it.
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1
writ
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| n.命令状，书面命令 | |
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perused
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| v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字） | |
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centaur
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| n.人首马身的怪物 | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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perusal
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| n.细读，熟读；目测 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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redressed
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| v.改正( redress的过去式和过去分词 )；重加权衡；恢复平衡 | |
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stoics
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| 禁欲主义者，恬淡寡欲的人，不以苦乐为意的人( stoic的名词复数 ) | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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imputation
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| n.归罪，责难 | |
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blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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transcends
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| 超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的第三人称单数 )； 优于或胜过… | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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23
tractable
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| adj.易驾驭的；温顺的 | |
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24
unicorns
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| n.（传说中身体似马的）独角兽( unicorn的名词复数 )；一角鲸；独角兽标记 | |
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browse
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| vi.随意翻阅，浏览；(牛、羊等)吃草 | |
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barley
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| n.大麦，大麦粒 | |
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maliciously
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| adv.有敌意地 | |
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tapestry
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| n.挂毯，丰富多采的画面 | |
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29
beseech
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| v.祈求，恳求 | |
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30
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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31
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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32
rubies
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| 红宝石( ruby的名词复数 )； 红宝石色，深红色 | |
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turquoise
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| n.绿宝石；adj.蓝绿色的 | |
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34
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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