How Panurge asked a Semiquaver Friar many questions, and was only answered in monosyllables.
Panurge, who had since been wholly taken up with staring at these royal Semiquavers, at last pulled one of them by the sleeve, who was as lean as a rake, and asked him,—
Hearkee me, Friar Quaver, Semiquaver, Demisemiquavering quaver, where is the punk?
The Friar, pointing downwards1, answered, There.
Pan. Pray, have you many? Fri. Few.
Pan. How many scores have you? Fri. One.
Pan. How many would you have? Fri. Five.
Pan. Where do you hide ‘em? Fri. Here.
Pan. I suppose they are not all of one age; but, pray, how is their shape? Fri. Straight.
Pan. Their complexion2? Fri. Clear.
Pan. Their hair? Fri. Fair.
Pan. Their eyes? Fri. Black.
Pan. Their features? Fri. Good.
Pan. Their brows? Fri. Small.
Pan. Their graces? Fri. Ripe.
Pan. Their looks? Fri. Free.
Pan. Their feet? Fri. Flat.
Pan. Their heels? Fri. Short.
Pan. Their lower parts? Fri. Rare.
Pan. And their arms? Fri. Long.
Pan. What do they wear on their hands? Fri. Gloves.
Pan. What sort of rings on their fingers? Fri. Gold.
Pan. What rigging do you keep ‘em in? Fri. Cloth.
Pan. What sort of cloth is it? Fri. New.
Pan. What colour? Fri. Sky.
Pan. What kind of cloth is it? Fri. Fine.
Pan. What caps do they wear? Fri. Blue.
Pan. What’s the colour of their stockings? Fri. Red.
Pan. What wear they on their feet? Fri. Pumps.
Pan. How do they use to be? Fri. Foul3.
Pan. How do they use to walk? Fri. Fast.
Pan. Now let us talk of the kitchen, I mean that of the harlots, and without going hand over head let’s a little examine things by particulars. What is in their kitchens? Fri. Fire.
Pan. What fuel feeds it? Fri. Wood.
Pan. What sort of wood is’t? Fri. Dry.
Pan. And of what kind of trees? Fri. Yews4.
Pan. What are the faggots and brushes of? Fri. Holm.
Pan. What wood d’ye burn in your chambers5? Fri. Pine.
Pan. And of what other trees? Fri. Lime.
Pan. Hearkee me; as for the buttocks, I’ll go your halves. Pray, how do you feed ‘em? Fri. Well.
Pan. First, what do they eat? Fri. Bread.
Pan. Of what complexion? Fri. White.
Pan. And what else? Fri. Meat.
Pan. How do they love it dressed? Fri. Roast.
Pan. What sort of porridge? Fri. None.
Pan. Are they for pies and tarts6? Fri. Much.
Pan. Then I’m their man. Will fish go down with them? Fri. Well.
Pan. And what else? Fri. Eggs.
Pan. How do they like ‘em? Fri. Boiled.
Pan. How must they be done? Fri. Hard.
Pan. Is this all they have? Fri. No.
Pan. What have they besides, then? Fri. Beef.
Pan. And what else? Fri. Pork.
Pan. And what more? Fri. Geese.
Pan. What then? Fri. Ducks.
Pan. And what besides? Fri. Cocks.
Pan. What do they season their meat with? Fri. Salt.
Pan. What sauce are they most dainty for? Fri. Must.
Pan. What’s their last course? Fri. Rice.
Pan. And what else? Fri. Milk.
Pan. What besides? Fri. Peas.
Pan. What sort? Fri. Green.
Pan. What do they boil with ‘em? Fri. Pork.
Pan. What fruit do they eat? Fri. Good.
Pan. How? Fri. Raw.
Pan. What do they end with? Fri. Nuts.
Pan. How do they drink? Fri. Neat.
Pan. What liquor? Fri. Wine.
Pan. What sort? Fri. White.
Pan. In winter? Fri. Strong.
Pan. In the spring. Fri. Brisk.
Pan. In summer? Fri. Cool.
Pan. In autumn? Fri. New.
Buttock of a monk7! cried Friar John; how plump these plaguy trulls, these arch Semiquavering strumpets, must be! That damned cattle are so high fed that they must needs be high-mettled, and ready to wince8 and give two ups for one go-down when anyone offers to ride them below the crupper.
Prithee, Friar John, quoth Panurge, hold thy prating9 tongue; stay till I have done.
Till what time do the doxies sit up? Fri. Night.
Pan. When do they get up? Fri. Late.
Pan. May I ride on a horse that was foaled of an acorn10, if this be not as honest a cod11 as ever the ground went upon, and as grave as an old gate-post into the bargain. Would to the blessed St. Semiquaver, and the blessed worthy12 virgin13 St. Semiquavera, he were lord chief president (justice) of Paris! Ods-bodikins, how he’d despatch14! With what expedition would he bring disputes to an upshot! What an abbreviator and clawer off of lawsuits15, reconciler of differences, examiner and fumbler16 of bags, peruser17 of bills, scribbler of rough drafts, and engrosser of deeds would he not make! Well, friar, spare your breath to cool your porridge. Come, let’s now talk with deliberation, fairly and softly, as lawyers go to heaven. Let’s know how you victual the venereal camp. How is the snatchblatch? Fri. Rough.
Pan. How is the gateway18? Fri. Free.
Pan. And how is it within? Fri. Deep.
Pan. I mean, what weather is it there? Fri. Hot.
Pan. What shadows the brooks19? Fri. Groves20.
Pan. Of what’s the colour of the twigs21? Fri. Red.
Pan. And that of the old? Fri. Grey.
Pan. How are you when you shake? Fri. Brisk.
Pan. How is their motion? Fri. Quick.
Pan. Would you have them vault22 or wriggle23 more? Fri. Less.
Pan. What kind of tools are yours? Fri. Big.
Pan. And in their helves? Fri. Round.
Pan. Of what colour is the tip? Fri. Red.
Pan. When they’ve even used, how are they? Fri. Shrunk.
Pan. How much weighs each bag of tools? Fri. Pounds.
Pan. How hang your pouches24? Fri. Tight.
Pan. How are they when you’ve done? Fri. Lank25.
Pan. Now, by the oath you have taken, tell me, when you have a mind to cohabit, how you throw ‘em? Fri. Down.
Pan. And what do they say then? Fri. Fie.
Pan. However, like maids, they say nay26, and take it; and speak the less, but think the more, minding the work in hand; do they not? Fri. True.
Pan. Do they get you bairns? Fri. None.
Pan. How do you pig together? Fri. Bare.
Pan. Remember you’re upon your oath, and tell me justly and bona fide how many times a day you monk it? Fri. Six.
Pan. How many bouts27 a-nights? Fri. Ten.
Catso, quoth Friar John, the poor fornicating brother is bashful, and sticks at sixteen, as if that were his stint28. Right, quoth Panurge, but couldst thou keep pace with him, Friar John, my dainty cod? May the devil’s dam suck my teat if he does not look as if he had got a blow over the nose with a Naples cowl-staff.
Pan. Pray, Friar Shakewell, does your whole fraternity quaver and shake at that rate? Fri. All.
Pan. Who of them is the best cock o’ the game? Fri. I.
Pan. Do you never commit dry-bobs or flashes in the pan? Fri. None.
Pan. I blush like any black dog, and could be as testy29 as an old cook when I think on all this; it passes my understanding. But, pray, when you have been pumped dry one day, what have you got the next? Fri. More.
Pan. By Priapus, they have the Indian herb of which Theophrastus spoke30, or I’m much out. But, hearkee me, thou man of brevity, should some impediment, honestly or otherwise, impair31 your talents and cause your benevolence32 to lessen33, how would it fare with you, then? Fri. Ill.
Pan. What would the wenches do? Fri. Rail.
Pan. What if you skipped, and let ‘em fast a whole day? Fri. Worse.
Pan. What do you give ‘em then? Fri. Thwacks.
Pan. What do they say to this? Fri. Bawl34.
Pan. And what else? Fri. Curse.
Pan. How do you correct ‘em? Fri. Hard.
Pan. What do you get out of ‘em then? Fri. Blood.
Pan. How’s their complexion then? Fri. Odd.
Pan. What do they mend it with? Fri. Paint.
Pan. Then what do they do? Fri. Fawn35.
Pan. By the oath you have taken, tell me truly what time of the year do you do it least in? Fri. Now (August.).
Pan. What season do you do it best in? Fri. March.
Pan. How is your performance the rest the year? Fri. Brisk.
Then quoth Panurge, sneering36, Of all, and of all, commend me to Ball; this is the friar of the world for my money. You’ve heard how short, concise37, and compendious38 he is in his answers. Nothing is to be got out of him but monosyllables. By jingo, I believe he would make three bites of a cherry.
Damn him, cried Friar John, that’s as true as I am his uncle. The dog yelps39 at another gate’s rate when he is among his bitches; there he is polysyllable enough, my life for yours. You talk of making three bites of a cherry! God send fools more wit and us more money! May I be doomed40 to fast a whole day if I don’t verily believe he would not make above two bites of a shoulder of mutton and one swoop41 of a whole pottle of wine. Zoons, do but see how down o’ the mouth the cur looks! He’s nothing but skin and bones; he has pissed his tallow.
Truly, truly, quoth Epistemon, this rascally42 monastical vermin all over the world mind nothing but their gut43, and are as ravenous44 as any kites, and then, forsooth, they tell us they’ve nothing but food and raiment in this world. ‘Sdeath, what more have kings and princes?
1 downwards | |
adj./adv.向下的(地),下行的(地) | |
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2 complexion | |
n.肤色;情况,局面;气质,性格 | |
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3 foul | |
adj.污秽的;邪恶的;v.弄脏;妨害;犯规;n.犯规 | |
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4 yews | |
n.紫杉( yew的名词复数 ) | |
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5 chambers | |
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
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6 tarts | |
n.果馅饼( tart的名词复数 );轻佻的女人;妓女;小妞 | |
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7 monk | |
n.和尚,僧侣,修道士 | |
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8 wince | |
n.畏缩,退避,(因痛苦,苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动;v.畏缩,退缩,退避 | |
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9 prating | |
v.(古时用语)唠叨,啰唆( prate的现在分词 ) | |
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10 acorn | |
n.橡实,橡子 | |
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11 cod | |
n.鳕鱼;v.愚弄;哄骗 | |
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12 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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13 virgin | |
n.处女,未婚女子;adj.未经使用的;未经开发的 | |
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14 despatch | |
n./v.(dispatch)派遣;发送;n.急件;新闻报道 | |
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15 lawsuits | |
n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 ) | |
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16 fumbler | |
愚笨的人 | |
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17 peruser | |
精细阅读者 | |
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18 gateway | |
n.大门口,出入口,途径,方法 | |
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19 brooks | |
n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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20 groves | |
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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21 twigs | |
细枝,嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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22 vault | |
n.拱形圆顶,地窖,地下室 | |
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23 wriggle | |
v./n.蠕动,扭动;蜿蜒 | |
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24 pouches | |
n.(放在衣袋里或连在腰带上的)小袋( pouch的名词复数 );(袋鼠等的)育儿袋;邮袋;(某些动物贮存食物的)颊袋 | |
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25 lank | |
adj.瘦削的;稀疏的 | |
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26 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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27 bouts | |
n.拳击(或摔跤)比赛( bout的名词复数 );一段(工作);(尤指坏事的)一通;(疾病的)发作 | |
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28 stint | |
v.节省,限制,停止;n.舍不得化,节约,限制;连续不断的一段时间从事某件事 | |
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29 testy | |
adj.易怒的;暴躁的 | |
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30 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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31 impair | |
v.损害,损伤;削弱,减少 | |
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32 benevolence | |
n.慈悲,捐助 | |
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33 lessen | |
vt.减少,减轻;缩小 | |
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34 bawl | |
v.大喊大叫,大声地喊,咆哮 | |
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35 fawn | |
n.未满周岁的小鹿;v.巴结,奉承 | |
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36 sneering | |
嘲笑的,轻蔑的 | |
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37 concise | |
adj.简洁的,简明的 | |
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38 compendious | |
adj.简要的,精简的 | |
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39 yelps | |
n.(因痛苦、气愤、兴奋等的)短而尖的叫声( yelp的名词复数 )v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的第三人称单数 ) | |
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40 doomed | |
命定的 | |
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41 swoop | |
n.俯冲,攫取;v.抓取,突然袭击 | |
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42 rascally | |
adj. 无赖的,恶棍的 adv. 无赖地,卑鄙地 | |
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43 gut | |
n.[pl.]胆量;内脏;adj.本能的;vt.取出内脏 | |
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44 ravenous | |
adj.极饿的,贪婪的 | |
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