Laudator Temporis Acti

François Rabelais, I:25 (tr. Samuel Putnam):

And note right here that grapes and freshly-baked cakes make a most heavenly breakfast, especially when the grapes are black Burgundies, fig-grapes, muscadines, sour grapes or diarrheic ones—these last, for the benefit of those who are constipated in the belly, for they make you squirt the length of a good long pole; and frequently, when those who have eaten them think they are going to fart, they crap instead, and hence, these persons are called "vintage-thinkers."

Car notez que c'est viande celeste manger à desjeuner raisins avec fouace fraiche, mesmement des pineaulx, des fiers, des muscadeaulx, de la bicane, et des foyrars pour ceulx qui sont constipéz de ventre, car ilz les font aller long comme un vouge, et souvent, cuidans peter, ilz se conchient, dont sont nomméz les cuideurs des vendanges.

Juan Fernández "el Labrador", Still Life with Four Bunches of Grapes (Museo del Prado): George Orwell, review of Landfall by Nevil Shute and Nailcruncher by Albert Cohen:

We are forever being told that whereas pornography is reprehensible, "hearty Rabelaisian humour" (meaning a preoccupation with the W.C.) is perfectly all right. This is partly, perhaps, because Rabelais is nowadays seldom read. So far from being "healthy" as is always alleged, he is an exceptionally perverse, morbid writer, a case for psycho-analysis. But people who lead strict lives have dirty minds...

J.M. Cohen's translation of Rabelais (1955; rpt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1970) and a French edition (Paris: Gallimard, 1955) are on my bedside bookshelf. Probably I am a case for psycho-analysis too.

Immediately following the passage above I find a nice collection of terms of abuse:

The bakers were by no means inclined to grant the shepherds' request, but, what was worse, proceeded to insult the latter, terribly, calling them "scum of the earth, toothless bastards, red-headed rogues, chippy-chasers, dirty sons-of-bitches, big lubbers, sneaky curs, lazy hounds, hungry-harries, potbellies, windjammers, good-for-nothings, hicks, ornery customers, hand-out-grabbers, big bluffers, mamma's-boys, monkey-faces, do-nothings, measly wretches, poor boobs, dirty scoundrels, simpletons, foul-mouthed-loafers, dudes, panhandlers, filthy cowherds and shitty-assed shepherds," with other like defamatory epithets...

A leur requeste ne feurent aulcunement enclinéz les fouaciers, mais (que pis est) les oultragèrent grandement, les trop diteulx, breschedens, plaisans rousseaulx, galliers, chienlictz, averlans, limes sourdes, faictnéans, friandeaulx, bustarins, talvassiers, riennevaulx, rustres, challans, hapelopins, trainne-guainnes, gentilz flocquetz, copieux, landores, malotruz, dendins, baugears, tézéz, gaubregeux, goguelus, claquedens, boyers d'étrons, bergiers de merde, et aultres telz épithètes diffamatoires...

Related post: An Early Mention of Sharting.