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a good onemust Rabelais's lighter talk have had； as he loungedso the
story goesin his dressing…gown upon the public place； picking up quaint
stories from the cattle… drivers off the Cevennes； and the villagers who
came in to sell their olives and their grapes； their vinegar and their vine…
twig faggots； as they do unto this day。 To him may be owing much of the
sound respect for natural science； and much； too； of the contempt for the
superstition around them； which is notable in that group of great
naturalists who were boys in Montpellier at that day。 Rabelais seems to
have liked Rondelet； and no wonder： he was a cheery； lovable； honest
little fellow； very fond of jokes； a great musician and player on the violin；
and who； when he grew rich； liked nothing so well as to bring into his
house any buffoon or strolling… player to make fun for him。 Vivacious he
was； hot…tempered； forgiving； and with a power of learning and a power of
work which were prodigious； even in those hard…working days。 Rabelais
chaffs Rondelet； under the name of Rondibilis； for； indeed； Rondelet grew
up into a very round； fat； little man； but Rabelais puts excellent sense into
his mouth； cynical enough； and too cynical； but both learned and
humorous； and； if he laughs at him for being shocked at the offer of a fee；
and taking it； nevertheless； kindly enough； Rondelet is not the first doctor
who has done that； neither will he be the last。
Rondelet； in his turn； put on the red robe of the bachelor； and received；
on taking his degree； his due share of fisticuffs from his dearest friends；
according to the ancient custom of the University of Montpellier。 He
then went off to practise medicine in a village at the foot of the Alps； and；
half…starved； to teach little children。 Then he found he must learn Greek；
went off to Paris a second time； and alleviated his poverty there somewhat
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by being tutor to a son of the Viste de Turenne。 There he met
Gonthier of Andernach； who had taught anatomy at Louvain to the great
Vesalius； and learned from him to dissect。 We next find him setting up as
a medical man amid the wild volcanic hills of the Auvergne； struggling
still with poverty； like Erasmus； like George Buchanan； like almost every
great scholar in those days； for students then had to wander from place to
place； generally on foot； in search of new teachers； in search of books； in
search of the necessaries of life； undergoing such an amount of bodily and
mental toil as makes it wonderful that all of them did notas some of them
doubtless diddie under the hard training； or； at best； desert the penurious
Muses for the paternal shop or plough。
Rondelet got his doctorate in 1537； and next year fell in love with and
married a beautiful young girl called Jeanne Sandre； who seems to have
been as poor as he。
But he had gained； meanwhile； a powerful patron； and the patronage of
the great was then as necessary to men of letters as the patronage of the
public is now。 Guillaume Pellicier； Bishop of Maguelonneor rather
then of Montpellier itself； whither he had persuaded Paul II。 to transfer the
ancient seewas a model of the literary gentleman of the sixteenth century；
a savant； a diplomat； a collector of books and manuscripts； Greek； Hebrew；
and Syriac； which formed the original nucleus of the present library of the
Louvre； a botanist； too； who loved to wander with Rondelet collecting
plants and flowers。 He retired from public life to peace and science at
Montpellier； when to the evil days of his master； Francis I。； succeeded the
still worse days of Henry II。； and Diana of Poitiers。 That Jezebel of France
could conceive no more natural or easy way of atoning for her own sins
than that of hunting down heretics； and feasting her wicked eyesso it is
saidupon their dying torments。 Bishop Pellicier fell under suspicion of
heresy： very probably with some justice。 He fell； too； under suspicion
of leading a life unworthy of a celibate churchman； a fault whichif it
really existedwas； in those days； pardonable enough in an orthodox
prelate； but not so in one whose orthodoxy was suspected。 And for
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awhile Pellicier was in prison。 After his release he gave himself up to
science； with Rondelet and the school of disciples who were growing up
around him。 They rediscovered together the Garum； that classic sauce；
whose praises had been sung of old by Horace； Martial； and Ausonius； and
so child…like； superstitious if you will； was the reverence in the sixteenth
century for classic antiquity； that when Pellicier and Rondelet discovered
that the Garum was made from the fish called Picarelcalled Garon by the
fishers of Antibes； and Giroli at Venice； both these last names corruptions
of the Latin Gerresthen did the two fashionable poets of France； Etienne
Dolet and Clement Marot； think it not unworthy of their muse to sing the
praises of the sauce which Horace had sung of old。 A proud day； too； was
it for Pellicier and Rondelet； when wandering somewhere in the marshes
of the Camargue； a scent of garlic caught the nostrils of the gentle bishop；
and in the lovely pink flowers of the water…germander he recognised the
Scordium of the ancients。 〃The discovery；〃 says Professor Planchon；
〃made almost as much noise as that of the famous Garum； for at that
moment of naive fervour on behalf of antiquity； to re…discover a plant of
Dioscorides or of Pliny was a good fortune and almost an event。〃
I know not whether； after his death； the good bishop's bones reposed
beneath some gorgeous tomb； bedizened with the incongruous half… Pagan
statues of the Renaissance； but this at least is certain； that Rondelet's
disciples imagined for him a monument more enduring than of marble or
of brass； more graceful and more curiously wrought than all the sculptures
of Torrigiano or Cellini； Baccio Bandinelli or Michael Angelo himself。
For they named a lovely little lilac snapdragon； Linaria Domini Pellicerii
〃Lord Pellicier's toad…flax；〃 and that name it will keep； we may believe； as
long as winter and summer shall endure。
But to return。 To this good Patronwho was the Ambassador at
Venicethe newly…married Rondelet determined to apply for employment；
and to Venice he would have gone； leaving his bride behind； had he not
been stayed by one of those angels who sometimes walk the earth in
women's shape。 Jeanne Sandre had an elder sister； Catharine； who had
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brought her up。 She was married to a wealthy man； but she had no
children of her own。 For four years she and her good husband had let the
Rondelets lodge with them； and now she was a widow； and to part with
them was more than she could bear。 She carried Rondelet off from the
students who were seeing him safe out of the city； brought him back；
settled on him the same day half her fortune； and soon after settled on him
the whole； on the sole condition that she should live with him and her
sister。 For years afterwards she watched over the pretty young wife and
her two girls and three boysthe three boys； alas！ all died youngand over
Rondelet himself； who； immersed in books and experiments； was utterly
careless about money； and was to them all a mother advising； guiding；
managing； and regarded by Rondelet with genuine gratitude as his
guardian angel。
Honour and good fortune； in a worldly sense； now poured in upon the
druggist's son。 Pellicier； his own bishop； stood godfather to his first…born
daughter。 Montluc； Bishop of Valence； and that wise and learned
statesman； the Cardinal of Tournon； stood godfathers a few years later to
his twin boys； and what was of still more solid worth to him； Cardinal
Tournon took him to Antwerp； Bordeaux； Bayonne； and more than once to
Rome； and in these Italian journeys of his he collected many facts for the
great work of his life； that 〃History of Fishes〃 which he dedicated；
naturally enough； to the cardinal。 This book with its plates is； for the time；
a masterpiece of accuracy。 Those who are best acquainted with the
subject say； that it is up to the present day a key to the whole ichthyology
of the Mediterranean。 Two other men； Belon and Salviani； were then at
work on the same subject； and published their books almost at the same
time； a circumstance which caused； as was natural； a three…cornered duel
between the supporters of the three naturalists； each party accusing the
other of plagiarism。 The simple fact seems to be that the almost
simultaneous appearance of the three books in 1554…55 is one of those
coincidences inevitable at moments when many minds are stirred in the
same direction by the same great thoughts coincidences which have
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happened in our own day on questions of geology； biology； and astronomy；
and which； when the facts have been carefully examined； and the first
flush of natural jealousy has cooled down； have proved only that there
were more wise men than one in the world at the same time。
And this sixteenth century was an age in which the minds of men were
suddenly and strangely turned to examine the wonders of nature with an
earnestness； with a reverence； and therefore with an accuracy； with which
they had never been investigated before。 〃Nature；〃 says Professor
Planchon； 〃long veiled in mysticism and scholasticism； was opening up
infinite vistas。 A new superstition； the exaggerated worship of the
ancients； was nearly hindering this movement of thought towards facts。
Nevertheless； Learning did her work。 She rediscovered； reconstructed；
purified； mented on the texts of ancient authors。 Then came in
observation； which showed that more was to be seen in one blade of grass
than in any page of Pliny。 Rondelet was in the middle of this crisis a man
of transition； while he was one of progress。 He reflected the past； he
opened and prepared the future。 If he mented on Dioscorides； if he
remained faithful to the theories of Galen； he founded in his 'History of
Fishes' a monument which our century respects。 H