in their Histories, that Calvin once gladly desiring to work a miracle
suborned a fellow to feigne himselfe dead that so he might raise him to
life. Gods hand was so visible upon the fellow that when he went to do it
he verily died and Calvin could not raise him: this was in Poictiers. And
it minded me first that I had read almost the like cited out of Gregorious
Turonensis History by Bellarmine in his treatise _de Christo_ refuting
Arianisine of a Arian bischop who just so suborned one to feinge himselfe
blind that he might cure him, but God really strake him blind. Also it
minded me of a certain Comoedian (who was to play before the Duc of
Florence) who in his part had to act himselfe as dead for a while. He that
he might act himselfe as dead wt the more life and vigeur agitated and
stirred or rather oppressed his spirits so that when he sould have risen he
was found dead in very truth. As also 3ly of a certain Italian painter who
being to draw our Saviour as he was upon the Cross in his greatest torment
and agony (he caused a comoedian whose main talent was to represent sorrow
to the life), he caused one come and sit doune before him and feigne one of
the dolfullest countenances that he could that he might draw Christ of
him; but he tuise sticked it, wt which being angred he drew out a knife and
stobbed the person to the heart; and out of his countenance as he was
wrestling wt the pangs of death he drow Christ on the cross more lively
then ever any had done, boasting that he cared not to dy for his murder
since he had Christ beholden to him for drawing him so livelylie. I
remember also of a passage that Howell in a letter he writes from Geneva
hes, that Calvin having bein banished once by a prævalent faction from the
city again being restored, he sould proudly and blasphemously have applied
to himselfe that saying of David, proper to Christ, the stone which the
builders refused the same is become the head of the corner. But granting
that all thir to be true, as they are not, they ware but personall escapes,
neither make they me to think a white worse of his doctrine. But as to the
point of miracles its notoriously knowen that the Church of Rome abuses the
world wt false miracles more then any: for besydes these fopperies we have
discovered of Ste. Radegonde they have also another. Thus once St. Hilary
(who was bischop of Poictiers about the 6 century, and who hes a church
that bears his name, erected on the wast syde of the toune a little from
the Scotes walk), about a league from the toune (thus reportes _les annales
de Aquitaine_), as he was riding on his mule Christ meit him. His beast, as
soon as it saw our Saviour, fell doune on the knees of it. As a testimony
wheirof that it fell doune they show at this day the _impressa_ both its
knee and its foot hes made miracoulously in the rock, but this is _fort mal
a propos_; since they seem to mak their St. Hilary Balaam; and his mulet
Balaam his ass which payed reverence to God before its mastre. This fable
minded me of the story we have heir at home, that we can show in Leith Wind
craigs the impressa that Wallace made wt his foot when he stood their and
shoot over the steeple of Edenburgh. Yet their all these things are
beleived as they do the bible.
When we was wtout the city we discovered that it would signify litle if it
wanted the convents and religious houses, which ware the only ornaments of
the city. This much for the 14 of August, I had not bein so much out a
fortnight before put it all together.
Heir I most impart a drollery which happened a little before in Poictiers.
Some Flamans had come to the toune and taken up the quarters in a certain
Innes.[108] While they ware supping, the servant that attended them chanced
to let a griveous and horrid fart. The landlady being in the roome and
enquiring give she thought not shame to do so, she franckly replied, _sont
Flamans, madame, sont Flamans, ils n'entendent pas_; thinking that because
they ware strangers that understood not the language, they understood not
also when they hard a fart.
[108] Inn.
O brave consequence, I went one night to the Marché Vieux and saw some
puppy playes, as also rats whom they had learned to play tricks on a
tow.[109]
[109] Rope.
Just besyde that port that leads to Quatre Picket (de St. Lazare) or Paris
is erectcd a monument of stone, something in the fashion of a pyramide. I
enquiring what it meant, they informed me the occasion of it was a man that
lived about 3 or 4 years ago in the house just forganst it, who keiping a
Innes, and receaving strangers or others, used to cut their throats and
butcher them for their money; which trade he drave a considerable tyme
undiscovered. At lenth it coming to light as they carried him to Paris to
receave condigne punishment, they not watching him weill enough he killed
himselfe whence they did execution on his body, and erected that before the
door, _ad æternam rei memoriam._ I think they sould have razed his house
also, yet their is folk dwelling in it prcsently.
I went also and saw the palais wheir the Advocats used to plead but it had
fallen down by meer antiquity about 3 moneths before I came to Poictiers
whence the session had translated themselfes to the Jacobines, whom I went
and saw their. In the falling of the palais it was observable that no harm
redounded to any, and that a certain woman wt a child in hir armes chancing
to be their on day raising out of a desk wheir she was sitting she was
hardly weill gon when a great jest[110] fell (for it fell by degries) and
brok the desk to peices.
[110] Joist.
Their hinges bound upon the wall wt iron chaines the relicts of a dead
hideous crocodile, which, tho' it be infinitly diminished from what it was
(it being some hundred years since it was slain), yet its monstrously great
wt a wast throat. This, they say, was found in one of their prisones, which
I saw also. On a tyme a number of prisoners being put in for some offences,
on the morrow as some came to sie the prisoners not one of them could be
found, it having eaten and devored them every one. Not knowing whow to be
red of this trubulsom beast no man daring attempt to kill it, they profered
one who was condemned to dy for some crime his life give he killed it.
Wheir upon he went to the prison wt a weill charged pistoll as it seimingly
being very hungry was advancing furiously to worry him he shoot in at a
white spot of its breast wheir its not so weill armed wt scalles as
elsewheir and slow it and wan his life.
I enquiring whow that beast might come their it seimed most probable that
it was engendred their _ex putri materia_, as the philosophers speaks, tho
I could hardly weill believe that the sun could giv life to such a
monstrous big creature as it.
We have had occasion to sie severall tymes Madame Biton the tailleurs
daughter, that lives forgainst Mr. Daillés, with whom Madame Daillé telles
me Mr. Hope was great. Truly a gallant, personable woman to be of such mean
extract and of parents wheirof the father is a wery unshappen man; the
mother neids yeeld nothing to Jenny Geddes.
I observing that ye sould never sy any of the religious orders be they
Jesuits or others on the streets but 2 of them togither, I enquired the
reason. First it was that the on might watch the other that so none may fly
from their convents, which they might easily do if they had the liberty of
going out alone. 2dly they do it to evite all scandall and suspicion. They
know the thoughts of the common peeple, that they be litle faworable to
them, the orders being talkt of as the lecherousest peeple that lives. To
exime their thoughts they go tuo and 2; for then if the one be so given he
his a restraint laying on him, to wit, another to sie his actions; but
usually they are both lounes.[111]
[111] Knaves.
They have a way of conserving great lumps of ice all the summer over heir
in low caves: and these to keip their wines cold and fresh from heating
when they bring it to their chamber.
To recknon over all the crys of Poictiers (since they are divers according
to the diverse seasons of the year) would be difficult. Yet theirs one I
cannot forgeet, a poor fellow that goes thorow the toune wt a barrell of
wine on his back; in his on hand a glass full halfe wt win; in his other a
pint stoop; over his arm hinges a servit; and thus marched he crieng his
delicate wine for 5 souse the pot thats our pint; or 4 souse or cheaper it
may be. He lets any man taste it that desires, giving them their loof full.
I did sy one fellow right angry on a tyme: their came about 7 or 8 about
one, every one to taste; giving every one of them some, to neir a
chopin[112] not one of them bought from him; wheiron he sayd he sould sie
better marchands before he gave to so many the nixt tyme.
[112] Half a pint old French, and also old Scots, measure, was equal to
about three times the present imperial measure.
Wood also is a passable commodity heir as in all France, wheir they burn no
thing but wood, which seimes indeed to be wholsomer for dressing of meat
then coall. Every fryday and saturday the peasants brings in multitude of
chariots charged wt wood, some of them drawen wt oxen, mo. wt mules,
without whilk I think France could not subsist they are so steadable to
them. For a chariot weill ladened theyle get 6 or 7 livres, which I
remember Mr. Daillé payed.
They have another use for wood in that country also which we know not: they
make sabots of them, which the peasants serve themselfes wt instead of
shoes; in some account they are better then shoes. They wil not draw nor
take in water as shoes whiles do, they being made of one intier lump of
wood and that whiles meikle enough. Their disadvantage is this none can run
wt them, they being loose and not fastened to our feet, yet some weill used
wt them can also run in them. They buy them for wery litle money.
These also that cannot aspire to ordinar hats (for since we left Berwick we
saw no bonnets as also no plaids) they have straw hats, one of which theyle
buy for 6 souse, and get 3 or 4 moneths wearing out of it.
The weather in France heir is large as inconstant as in Scotland, scarcely
a week goes over wtout considerable raines.
I cannot forgett the conditions that Madame Daillé in sport offered me if I
would wait till hir daughter ware ready, and then take hir to wife, that I
sould pay no pension all the tyme I stayed in their house waiting on hir.
On the 15 of August (being wt the Scots the 5 and observed by them in
remembrance of Gourie conspiracie) came about to be observed _feste de
Nostre Dame_, who hath 4 or 5 fests in the year, as the annuntiation, the
conception, hir purification; and this was hir death and assumption day.
I went and heard the Jesuits preach, a very learned fellow, but turbulent,
spurred and hotbrained; affecting strange gestures in his delivery mor
beseiming a Comoedian then a pulpit man. Truly ever since in seing the
Comoedians act I think I sy him. He having signed himselfe, using the words
_In nomine patris, filij_, etc., and parfaited all the other ceremonies we
mentioned already, he began to preach. The text was out of some part of
Esay, thus, _Et sepulcrum ipsius erat gloriosum_. He branched out his
following discourse unto 2:--1. the Virgines Death; 2. hir assumption. As
to hir death he sayd she neided not have undergoon it but give she liked,
since death is the wages of sin, _mais Nostre Dame estoit affranchie de
toutes sorte de peché, soit originell, soit actuell_. In hir death he fand
3 priviledges she had above all others: first she died most voluntarly,
villingly, and gladly; when to the most of men Death's a king of terrors.
2ndly, she died of no sickness, frie of all pain, languor or angoisse.
3dly, hir body after death was not capable of corruption, since its absurd
to think that that holy body, which carried the Lord of Glory 9 moneths,
layes under the laws of corruption. For thir privelegdes he cited Jean
Damascen and their pope Victor. But it was no wonder she putrified no, for
she was not 3 dayes in the grave (as he related to us) when she was assumed
in great pomp, soul and body, unto heaven, Christ meiting hir at heavens
port and welcoming hir.
He spoke much to establish monstrous merite; laying doune for a principle
that she had not only merited heaven, and indeed the first place their,
being the princess of heaven; but also had supererogated by hir work for
others to make them merit, which works the church had in its treasury to
sell at mister.[113] He made heaven also _a vendre_ (as it is indeed amongs
them), but taking himselfe and finding the expression beastly and
mercenarie he began to speir, but whow is it to sell, is it not for your
_bonnes oeuures_, your penances, repentance, etc. This was part of his
sermon.
[113] Mister, need.
That Strachan that was regent at Aberdeen and turned papist, I was informed
that he was in a society of Jesuits at Naples.
This order ever since it was a order hath bein one of the most pestilent
orders that ever was erected, being ever a republick in a republick wheir
ever they be; which caused Wenice throw them out of hir, and maugre the
pope who armed Spaine against hir for it holds them out unto this day. They
contemne and disdain all the rest of the orders in comparation of
themselfes; they being indeed that great nerve and sinew that holds all the
popes asustataes[114] togither; whence they get nothing but hatred again
from the other religious, who could wt ease generally sy them all hanged,
especially the Peres de l'Oratoire, who are usually all Jansenists, so that
ye sall seldome find these 2 orders setled in one city, tho they be at
Orleans. The Jesuits be the subtilist folk that breathes, which especially
appears when under the praetext of visitting they fly to a sick carkcass,
especially if it be fat, as ravens does to their prey. Their insteed of
confirming and strenthening the poor folk to dy wt the greater alacrity,
they besett them wt all the subtile mines imaginable to wring and suck
money from them, telling them that they most leive a dozen or 2 of serviets
to the poor Cordeliers; as many spoones to the godly Capuchines who are
busie praying for your soul, and so something to all the rest; but to us to
whom ye are so much beholden a goodly portion, which they repeit wery oft
over; but all this tends as one the one hand to demonstrate their
inexplebible greediness, so one the other to distraict the poor miser wt
thoughts of this world and praejudice or defraudation of his air.
[114] Apparently from [Greek: asustatos], meaning 'ill-compacted
forces or elements.'
Some things are very cheap their. We have bought a quarter a 100 of delicat
peirs for a souse, which makes just a groat the hunder. Madame Daillé also
bought very fat geese whiles for 18 souse, whiles 12, whiles 15, whiles for
20; which generally they blood their, reserving it very carefully and makes
a kind of pottages wt it and bread which seimes to them very delicious but
not so to me, tho' not out of the principle that the Apostles, Actes 15,
discharged the gentils to eat blood or things strangled. That which they
call their pottage differ exceidingly from ours, wt which they serve
themselfes instead of our pottage, as also our broth, neither of which they
know. It seems to diffir little from our soups when we make them wt loaves.
Surely I fand it sensibly to be nourishing meat; and it could not be
otherwise, since it consisted of the substance first of the bread, which
wtout doute is wholsomer then ours, since they know not what barme is
their, or at least they know not what use we make of it, to make our bread
firme, yet their bread is as firme wtout it: next the substance of the
flech, which usually they put in of 3 sorts, of lard of mouton, of beef, of
each a little morsell; 3dly of herbes for seasoning, whiles keel, whiles
cocombaes, whiles leeks, whiles minte or others. In my experience I fand it
very loosing, for before I was weill accoustened wt it, if I chanced to sup
any tyme any quantity of the pottage, I was sure of 2 or 3 stools afternoon
wt it.
The French air after the sun setting I learned in my oune experience to be
much more dangerous then ours in Scotland, for being much more thinner and
purer, its consequently more peircing; for even in August their, which is
the hotest and warmest moneth, if at night efter 8 a cloak I had sitten
doune in my linnens and 2 shirtes to read but halfe a hower or a hower
(which I have done in Scotland the mides of vinter and not have gotten
cold) after the day I was sure to feell I had gotten cold; and that by its
ordinary symptomes a peine and throwing in my belly, & 4 or 5 stools; I
played this to my selfe tuize or I observed; ever after if I had liked to
give my selfe physick I had no more ado but to let my selfe get cold.
They let their children suck long heir, usually 2 years; if weak 2 years
and a halfe. Madame Daillé daughter suckt but 6 quatres, they think much to
give 40 or 50 livres to nourses for fostering. Madame Daillé gave 15
crounes in cash and some old cloaths and sick things as they to hir that
nursed her daughter, a peasants wife whom I saw. The gossips and
commers[115] heir give nothing as they do in Scotland, save it may be a
gift to the child.
[115] Godmothers, _commères_.
I have called my selfe to mind of a most curious portrait that we saw in
Richeliew castle, the description wheirof by reason its so marvelously
weill done sall not be amiss tho it comes in heir _postliminio_ to insert.
On the walls theirfor of one of the chambers we saw is drawen at large the
emblem of the deluge or universall floud, in one corner of it I discovered
men wt a great deall of art swiming (for the world is drawen all over
covered wt waters, the catarracts of the heavens are represented open, the
water deschending _guttatim_ so lively that til a man recall himselfe and
wiew it narrowly hel make a scrupule to approach the broad[116] for fear of
being wett), and that wt a bensill[117] their course being directed to a
mountain which they sy at a distance; which is also drawen. Painters skill
heir hes bein such, that a man would almost fancy he hears the dine the
water makes wt their strugling and striking both hands and feet to gaine
that mountaine. Just besydes thies are laying dead folke wt their armes
negligently stretched out, the furious wawes tossing them terribly, as a
man would think, some of them laying on their back, some of them on their
belly, some wheirof nothing is to be sein but their head and their arme
raxed up above their head. Amongs those that are laying wt their face up
may be observed great diversity of countenances, some wt their mouth wide
open and their tongue hinging out, some glooring,[118] some girning,[119]
some who had bein fierce and cruell during their life, leiving legible
characters in their horrible and barbarous countenances. In another part of
the broad is to be sein all sorts of creatures confusedly thorow other,
notwtstanding of that naturell antipathy that is betuixt some of them, as
the sheip and the wolf, the crocodile and Lizard, etc.; ther may we sy the
wawes peele mel swallowing up wolfes and sheip, Lions and buls, and other
sorts of beasts. Remove your eyes to another corner, and their yeel sy
great tries torn up by the roots, and tost heir and their by the waves;
also hie strong wales falling; also rich moveables, as brave cloaths and
others, whiles above and whiles beneath; and go a litle wy farder yeel sie
brave tower which at every puft of wind give a rock, the water busily
undermining its foundation. A little way from that ye have to admiration,
yea, to the moving of pity, draweu women wt their hair all hinging
disorderly about their face, wt their barnes in their armes, many a
mint[120] to get a clift of a craig to save themselfes and the child to,
some of them looking wt frighted countenances to sy give the waves be
drawing neir them. In a nother ye have a man making a great deall of work
to win out, hees drawen hinging by the great tronc of a try. At his back is
drawen another that claps him desperatly hard and fast by the foot, that if
he win out he may be drawen out wt him. Its wonderfull to sy whow weill the
sundry passions of thir 2, the anger of him who hes a grip of the trunck,
and the trembling fear of him who hes his neighbour by the foot are
expressed; and what strugling they make both, the one to shake the other
loose of his gripes, the other to hold sicker, and this all done so weill
that it occasions in the spectateurs as much greife in beholding it as they
seim to have who are painted. Finaly, the painter hath not forgot to draw
the ark it selfe floting on the waters.
[116] Panel.
[117] Strenuous effort.
[118] Staring.
[119] Grinning (like a child crying).
[120] Mint, attempt.
On a night falling in discours wt some 2 or 3 Frenchmen of Magick and
things of that nature, I perceaved it was a thing wery frequent in France,
tho' yet more frequent in Italy. They told me seweral stories of some that
practized sorcery, for the most part preists who are strangely given to
this curiosity. They told of one who lived at Chateleraut, who, when he
pleased to recreat himselfe, would sit doune and sett his charmes a work,
he made severalls, both men and women, go mother naked thorow the toune,
some chanting and singing, others at every gutter they came to taking up
the goupings[121] of filth and besmeiring themselfes wt it. He hath made
some also leip on horseback wt their face to the horse taill, and take it
in their teeth, and in this posture ride thorow all the toune.
[121] Handfuls.
Ware their not a Comoedian at Orleans who used to bring us billets when
their ware any Comoedies to be acted, who offered for a croune to let us sy
what my father and mother was doing at that instant, and that in a glasse,
I made my selfe as wery angry at him, telling him that I desired not to
know it by such means. On that he gott up the laughter, demanding if I
thought he had it be ill means; for his oune part he sayd he never saw the
Dewill.
Not only is it usuall heir to show what folkes are doing tho ther be 1000
miles distant; but their[122] also that will bring any man or woman to ye
if ye like, let them be in the popes Conclave at Rome; but incontrovertably
its the Devill himselfe that appeires in this case. The tricks also of
robbing the bride groomes of their faculty that they can do nothing to the
wives is very ordinar heir; as also that of bewitching gentlewomen in
causing them follow them lasciviously and wt sundry indecent gestures; and
this they effectuat sometymes by a kind of pouder they have and mix in
amongs hir wine; some tymes by getting a litle of hir hair, which they
boill wt pestiferous herbs; whilk act when its parfaited the women who
aught the hair will come strangely, let hir be the modestest woman in
Europe, wheir the thing is doing, and do any thing the persones likes.
[122] their = there are.
Plumes are in wery great abondance heir, and that of many sorts. We have
bein offered the quatrain, thats 26 of plumes, wery like that we call the
whitecorne, tho' not so big, for 2 deniers or a double, thats for 8 penies
the 100; and they sel them cheaper.
Great is the diversity amongs peirs their. Mr. Daillé hath told me that at
least theirs 700 several sorts of peirs that grows in France, al
distinguasble be the tast. We ourselfes have sien great diversity. Theirs a
wery delicious sort of poir they call the _poir de Rosette_, because in
eating it ye seime as give ye ware smelling a rose. They have also among
the best of the peirs _poir de Monsieur_, and _de Madame_. They have the
_poir de piss_, the _poir blanchette_ (which comes wery neir our safron
peer we have at home), and _trompe valet_, a excelent peir, so called
because to look to ye would not think it worth anything, whence the valets
or servants, who comes to seik good peirs to their masters, unless they be
all the better versed, will not readily buy it, whence it cheats them. They
distinguise their peires into _poirs de l'esté de l'automne_, and _de
l'yver_, amongs whilk theirs some thats not eatable til pais or pasque.
In the gazetts or news books (which every friday we get from the
Fullions[123] or Bernardines at their Convent, such correspondence does the
orders of the country keip wt thess at Paris), we heard newes passing at
home. The place they bring it from they terme it Barwick, on the borders of
Scotland. We heard that the 29 of May, our Soverains birth day, was solemly
keipt by the Magistrates of Edinburgh and the wholle toune. At another tyme
we heard of a act of our privy counsill, inhibiting all trafic whatsoever
wt any of the places infected wt the plague. In another we heard of a
breach some pirates made in on our Northren Iles, setting some houses on
fire; on whilk our privy counsell by a act layd on a taxation on the
kingdome, to be employed in the war against the Hollanders, ordaining it to
be lifted wtin the 5 years coming.
[123] Fullions, Feuillants, 'Nom de religieux réformés de l'ordre de
Citeaux, appelés en France feuillants, et en Italie réformés de
St. Bernard... Etym., Notre-Dame de Feuillans, devenue en 1573 le
chef de la congrégation de la plus étroite observation de Citeaux
... en Latin, Beata Maria fuliensis, fulium dicta a nemore
cognomine, aujourd'hui Bastide des Feuillants, Haute Garonne.'--
Littré, _Dict_. s.v.