Series 1 > Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with his observations on public affairs and other memoranda, 1665-1676

GENTLEMEN AND BOURGEOIS
145
same scorne wt which he scorned him, the Frenchman sayes, il
ne vaut rien pour prendre la bal a la seconde enleuement, at
the 2d stot. He is a man of a 1000 crounes a year, Tun im¬
portant Fautre, on way or other; its used also in drinking
healths. Of a modest, learned young man, cui contigit ante
diem virtue, they say, qu’il demente son menton, he belyes his
chin. If one would know another weill he most try him and
sus et sous la peau trinque [land]1 hachis hach, old French
words used by Du Bartas. If ye demand him for a thing he
hath eaten, he ’el tel you, il est passe par la ville d’Angoulesme.
Of a man that hath not spirit, they say, il est ni chair ni
poisson; Ton moque de cela a la cour. Entre nous autres
Gentils-hommes il n’y a point de bourgois, as give ye would
say, among 10 whites their is not a black.
They put a gentleman and burgoise as opposites; he
cannot be a gentleman if a burgoise; but he may become on
and then he ceaseth to be a burgoise. I urged whither or no
a gentlemans sone by becoming a burgoise was not stil gentle¬
man ; they sayd not, for by becoming bourgoise (he is called
Roturier) he seimes to renounce his right of gentleman.
Throw Germany they are thought so incompatible, that if a
man can deduce himselfe, tho never so far fetcht, from gentle¬
men, he, tho he have no means and be like to starve, he wil not
turne marchand or any other trade.
Une harangue de Gascoigne is on courte et mauvaise, tho
they have not the tongue and cannot manage it weil, yet they
have ever manadged the sword weill, being brave sogers, and
consequently horrid Rodomontades and boasters. Du Bartas
tho was a Gascoin.
They call a brothers sone in France neveu; our sones sone
petit fils. A barren women in France they call very disdain¬
fully une mulct: thus they termed Marguerit, King of Spaines
daughter, Emperor Charles the 5 neice, Henry the 4ts queen,
for a tyme, who cucolded him.
We most never forget the 2 catalogues which served Pighoog2
of so great use, on of all the fathers, the other of all the
1 Interlined.
2 A nickname for somebody, perhaps a tutor or schoolmaster.
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