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 160 RABELAIS being largest in the west and smallest and coarsest-haired in the south ; it is found almost throughout the United States, from the south- ern parts of New Hampshire to Florida, and west to the upper Missouri, being most abun- dant in sandy regions covered with pines. It also frequents woods and thickets, concealing itself in its form, in thick bushes, or in holes in trees or under stones by day, coming out at night to feed ; in clover and corn fields, vege- table gardens, and nurseries of young trees, it does much mischief. It does not dig burrows like the European rabbit, and comes rather in the class of hares ; when pursued it runs with great swiftness and with few doublings to its hole in a tree or rock ; though it will breed in enclosed warrens, it does not become tame, and has not been domesticated. It is very prolific, or else it would be exterminated by its numerous enemies ; it often runs into the hole of the woodchuck, skunk, fox, or weasel, in the last three cases often falling a victim to the inhabitant of the burrow ; it is hunted by dogs, shot from its form, and caught in snares and traps ; its flesh is much esteemed. It somewhat resembles the European rabbit in its gray color, but it does not change its colors like the latter, and is smaller and more slender. Hybrids are sometimes produced between this species and the domesticated European rabbit which has escaped from confinement into the woods. The sage rabbit (L. artemisia, Bach.), from the west and the plains of Mexico and Texas, cannot be satisfactorily distinguished from the last species. The jackass rabbit or Texan hare (L. callotis, Wagl.) is so named from its very long ears, measuring about 5 in., though the animal is rather smaller than the European hare ; it is yellowish gray above, waved irregularly with black, upper part of tail black, sides gray, and dull whitish below ; nape sooty black ; it is found in Mexico, Texas, and Oregon, and on the plains. The long and slender legs indicate rapid locomotion and ti capacity for making long leaps ; it is a soli- tary and not very common species, and has not been found in California. RABELAIS, Francois a French author, born in Chinon, Touraine, about 1490, died about 1553. He was educated at the convent of Seuille and the monastery of La Baumette, and was ordained as a priest in 1511. He then made up for former idleness by devoting him- self to the study of ancient and modern lan- guages, mastering the Latin, Greek, Italian, Spanish, German, English, Hebrew, and Ara- bic. Greek had especial attraction for him ; and this involved him in serious quarrels with his fellow monks, who were fiercely hostile to the study. The ill feeling grew so strong that in 1524 he obtained permission from Pope Clement VII. to enter the order of Benedic- tines. He spent several years in their house at Maillezais, but in 1530 abandoned monas- tic life and repaired to Montpellier to study medicine. In 1532 he was a physician at Ly- ons, and published annotated 'and corrected editions of Hippocrates, Galen, and others. From 1583 to 1550 he published several edi- tions of a facetious production, in which he endeavored to destroy faith in astrology. At Lyons also he published the first rough sketch of the strange work upon which his fame rests : Lea faits et diets du geant Qargantua et de son fils Pantagruel (1533). Jean du Bellay, his old schoolmate, bishop of Paris and afterward cardinal, having been appointed French ambassador to Rome, engaged Rabelais as his physician, and obtained for him from Pope Paul III. a bull, dated Jan. 17, 1536, re- mitting the penalties which he had incurred by the abandonment of his order. He then be- came a member of the abbey of St. Maur des Fosses at Paris, where he remained till 1542, when he was presented with the comfortable living of Meudon. Here he applied himself faithfully to the duties of his ministry, and devoted his leisure hours to the completion of his great work, three books of which had already appeared. This being done in 1551, he went again to Paris, published the fourth book, and spent his later years at Meudon. Such are the ascertained facts of a life which has been egregiously misrepresented. No per- formance in French literature had greater suc- cess in its time, or has since attracted so much attention, as his " Gargantua and Pantagruel."' It is a ruthless attack upon monks, princes, kings, and all ecclesiastical and civil authori- ties. Amid its chaos of eccentricities and al- lusions to persons and events, of good sense and folly, of delicate thoughts and gross ob- scenities, commentators have tried in vain to unravel the work. According to the best au- thorities, Gargantua stands for King Francis I. ; Grandgousier for Louis XII. ; Pantagruel for Henry II. ; Pichrocole for Maximilian Sforza, duke of Milan ; Gargamelle for Anne of Brittany, the queen of Louis XII. ; Bade- bec for Claude of France, queen of Francis I. ; Grandejument de Gargantua for Diana of Poi- tiers ; Panurge for the cardinal de Lorraine ; and Frere Jean des Entomeurs for Cardinal du Bellay. Be this as it may, "the work was entirely in accordance with the taste of his age," as Vinet remarks ; " and excellent mind* which could appreciate its fine parts were also delighted with those that are repulsive to our taste." Lord Bacon called Rabelais " the great jester of France;" others have called him a "comic Homer." More than 60 editions of the work have been published; that of Bur- gaud des Marets and Rathery (2 vols. 12mo, Paris, 1857-'8) is the most convenient and acceptable, with a good biographical and criti- cal notice, explanations, notes, <fec. There are several English translations. That of Sir T. Urquhart (1653 ; reprinted by the Maitland club, 4to, 1838) was adopted by both Ozell and Motteux as a basis. Their united translation is often reprinted ; the last edition is by Bohn (2 vols., London, 1850). Sixteen private let-