Readings In Rabelais Author:Francis Rabelais, Walter Besant General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1883 Original Publisher: W. Blackwood Description: Microfilm. New Haven, Yale University Photographic Services, 1978. 1 reel. 35 mm. Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the Ge... more »neral Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: THE DREAM OF PICROCHOLE. [The peace-loving King Grandgousier exhausts every means of preventing a conflict, but in vain. Having rejected the last overtures, King Picrochole holds a council of war.] The cakes being unloaded, there came before Picrochole the Duke of Menuail, the Count Spa- dassin, and Captain Merdaille, who said unto him, " Sire, this day we make you the happiest, the most chivalrous prince that ever was since the death of Alexander of Macedonia." " Be covered, be covered," said Picrochole. " We thank you," said they; " we do but our duty. The manner is thus. You shall leave some captain here to have the charge of this garrison, with a small party to keep the place, which, besides its natural strength, is made stronger by the ramparts of your devising. Your army you will divide into two parts, as you know very well how to do. One part thereof shall fall upon Grangousier and his forces. By it shall he be easily at the very first shock routed, and then shall you get money by heaps, for the clown hath store. Clown we call him, because a generous prince hath never a penny. To hoard up treasure is a clown's trick. The other part of the army in the meantime shall draw towards Onys, Saintonge, Angoumois, and Gascony; then toPerigord, Medoc, and the Landes. Without resistance they will take towns, castles, and forts. At Bayonne, St Jean de Luz, Fontarabia, you will seize upon the ships, and coasting along Gallicia and Portugal, will pillage all the maritime places, ev...« less