at remove from our own Friar Tuck, to the
later portraits of whom he has lent some of his own traits) pleases the
soul well, as do the feats of Gymnast against Tripet, and the fate of
the unlucky Touquedillon, and the escalade of La Roche Clermande, and (a
little less perhaps) the pure burlesque of the eating of the pilgrims,
and the combing out of the cannon balls, and the contrasted sweet
reasonableness of the amiable though not at all cowardly Grandgousier.
But the advice of the Evil Counsellors to Picrochole is still perhaps
the pearl:

[Sidenote: The Counsel to Picrochole.]

Then there appeared before Picrochole the Duke of Mennail,
Count Spadassin, and Captain Merdaille, and said to him,
"Sire, this day we make you the most happy and chivalrous
prince that ever has been since the death of Alexander of
Macedon." "Be covered, be covered," said Picrochole.
"Gramercy, sire", said they, "but we know our duty. The
means are as follows. You will leave here in garrison some
captain with a small band of men to hold the place, which
seems to us pretty strong, both by nature and by the
fortifications you have contrived. You will, as you know
well, divide your army in half. One half will fall upon this
fellow Grandgousier and his people, and easily discomfit him
at the first assault. There we shall gain money in heaps,
for the rascal has plenty. (Rascal we call him, because a
really noble prince never has a penny. To hoard is the mark
of a rascal.)

"The other part will meanwhile draw towards Aunis,
Saintonge, Angoumois, and Gascony, as well as Perigord,
Medoc, and Elanes. Without any resistance they will take
towns, castles, and fortresses. At Bayonne, at St. Jean de
Luz, and at Fontarabia you will seize all the ships, and
coasting towards Galicia and Portugal, will plunder all the
seaside places as far as Lisbon, where you will be
reinforced with all the supplies necessary to a conqueror:
_Corbleu!_ Spain will surrender, for they are all poltroons.
You will pass the Straits of Seville,[94] and will there
erect two columns more magnificent than those of Hercules
for the perpetual memory of your name. And that Strait shall
thenceforward be named the Sea of Picrochole.

"When that sea has been passed, lo! comes Barbarossa[95] to
surrender as your slave." "I," said Pic