Laudator Temporis Acti

François Rabelais, Gargantua, chap. 7 (tr. J.M. Cohen):

For if by chance he was vexed, angry, displeased, or peeved, if he stamped, if he wept or if he screamed, they always brought him drink to restore his temper, and immediately he became quiet and happy.

One of his governesses told me, on her Bible oath, that he was so accustomed to this treatment, that at the mere sound of pint pots and flagons, he would fall into an ecstasy, as if tasting the joys of paradise. Taking this divine disposition of his into account, therefore, in order to cheer him up in the mornings, they would have glasses chinked for him with a knife, or flagons tapped with their stoppers, and at this sound he would become merry, leap up, and rock himself in his cradle, nodding his head, playing scales with his fingers, and beating slow time with his bottom.

Car s'il advenoit qu'il feust despit, courroussé, fasché ou marry, s'il trepignoyt, s'il pleuroit, s'il crioit, luy apportant à boyre l'on le remettoit en nature, et soubdain demouroit coy et joyeulx.

Une de ses gouvernantes m'a dict, jurant sa fy , que de ce faire il estoit tant coustumier, qu'au seul son des pinthes et flaccons il entroit en ecstase, comme s'il goustoit les joyes de paradis. En sorte qu’elles, considerans ceste complexion divine, pour le resjouir, au matin, faisoient davant luy sonner des verres avecques un cousteau, ou des flaccons avecques leur toupon, ou des pinthes avecques leur couvercle, auquel son il s'esguayoit, il tressailloit, et luy mesmes se bressoit en dodelinant de la teste, monichordisant des doigtz et barytonant du cul.