New-York tribune., 1880-09-26
RIBELATS.
From The AHfnGHia.


Since the effort ft 10 real personages the f,.l-
tious characters of Rabelas abandoned. little
real difficulty has attended those who have sought
his meaDtpg Individual references may be still
obscure Not seldom probably. they are purpOscly
so Nothing was further trOm the intention o.!
Rabeias than 10 make his meaning SO PLAIN that lie
who ran might read. Whole pages or n,- work are
mere nonsense a Tub thrown 20 the whale Of the
Parliament or the S)rOOune Stil, the purpose,
moral social. political OF Rabeais stands out a.
distinct for practical purposes aS beacon N4ut
What thinkers have found IN hm that has recon-
cied them to his cOarseness and Induced them 10
wade through mass "i hIth j. now tAe properly OF
the world. In spite OF his singular AM. to
men of Northern race inexpicabe delight IN cru ely
he displays "A profound sympathy Wild humanity
especially with that portion OF 1t which Is feeble
and oppressed. 1t may. OF course be said that
cruelty was as charact teristic license OF express
sion IF the time of Rabelas. While, however,
cOarseuess OF expression was useiu or spensanle
10 Kabeais as a protection, the same cannot be sad
of cruelty. . . kabeals artist-a fact
which escapes the attention of some OF his COM
mcnfGtoFs. I Is easv, however, to believe that the
care bestowed upon revision was due less to desire
To avoid literary censure than 20 escape the stake
" Jnsqn'au feu eXclGsivement." Rabelals was pre-
pared t0 co. but the limits within which safety was
10 br found were laid down on no map. Parliament
and SOrbOnne were both dead against him.. and II
once hls firm ally the king-Francls /. or Henry III.
failed to see the point of his jokes his chances
but poor.
In spite of the inexplicable condemnation Of Ra-
helais-for which subsequent II inadequate Atone
ment was made-by Votare the opinion that Rabe-
lais was a drunken monk, or that he accompanied
the ardlual du Belay to Rome In the capacityof
a butio0u, is now wholly disregarded Were It ,her
WISE the correspondence that now remains. small In
bulk as this is, would serve to dispose OF such
fiction Had nothing of RaDelaIs been pre-
served but his correspondence we should have been
compelled the strength of this 70 accord HIM the
character or man of keen ami penetrat1ve insight.
With the evidence of his serious purpose supplied
thus by himself must be accepted the proofs afforded
of the estimation in which he was held by men of
highest mark with whom he was thrown into inti-
macy.
Numerous as are the portraits of RabelaIs, there Is
not one the authority of which lEcoutestabe.
Scarcely a town OF chateau of Importance is there
in the districts between the Loire aud the Garonne
which does not boast the possession Of oOe or more
hkenesses of the great Iourangeau. Most or these
are however without a vestlge OF authority and
not a few are purely fantastic.
That the portraits which have the strongest claim
TO acceptance those which II ~ most pleasant
to believe genuine students of Rabelais VIII readily
believe. There are presented, indeed. in the pic
lures of Rabelais. we recall, two types OF man
hood so distinct that il - impossible both should
be veracious. One, which depicts a man thoughtful
and d,gniiied with square, massive head broad
brOws long nose and wide nostrls, scarcely reveals
the humorst behind the scholar; second, with its
protuberant forehead, laughing eyes, round and
projecting cheeks and sensuous lips, parted IN
laugh ter and displaying splendid set OF Tee tl con-
forms exactly To tho idea formed Of Rabelais by
those VINO know him wholly by report