approached him immediately. "Will you tell me," said he, "what you are doing there?" "My Lord," replied the man, "you shall see as soon as this lake is full; I shall drink it at one draught, for I am still thirsty, although I have already twice emptied it." And accordingly he stooped down, and in a few minutes left scarcely sufficient water for the smallest fish to swim in. Fortuné was not more surprised than all his followers. "What!" said he, "are you always so thirsty?" "No," said the water-drinker; I only drink like this when I have eaten anything too salt, or in case of some wager. I have been known for some time past by the name of the Tippler." "Come with me, Tippler," said the Knight; "I will give you wine to tipple, which you will find better than spring-water." This promise pleased the man very much, and he forthwith took service with the others.
The Chevalier had now arrived within sight of the place fixed on for the general rendezvous of the King's forces, when he perceived a man eating so greedily, that, although he had more than sixty thousand loaves of Gonesse bread[1] before him, he seemed resolved not to leave the smallest morsel of it. Comrade said to his master, "My Lord, you want but this man; pray make him come with you." The Chevalier accosted him, and, smiling, said to him, "Are you determined to eat all this bread for your breakfast?" "Yes,"
- ↑ Gonesse is a little village in the neighbourhood of Paris, which was celebrated for its very white and delicate bread. During the wars of the Fronde, the pain de Gonesse was the luxury the deprivation of which was most regretted by the Parisians. Guy Patin, writing to his friend Spon at that period, when the Prince de Condé had cut off the supplies of the city by taking possession of the principal entrances to it, says, "Corbeil is of importance to us. It will be the first town we shall try to take. After that Lagny, after that we must take St. Denys, in order to get le pain de Gonesse for those who have delicate stomachs, and have been accustomed to it." Gonesse formed a portion of the ancient county of Paris, and was united with the domains of the Crown by Hugh Capet. Even in that early period, it was famed for its granaries. The principal inhabitants of the village were bound to watch "the King's Grange," by turns, every night during the month of August; but this service being construed into a species of serfdom which prevented them from marrying free women, they petitioned Louis IX., who affranchised them. The great King, Philippe Auguste, was born in this village, and was in consequence sometimes called De Gonesse; and Francis I., writing to Charles V. during their quarrels, styled himself ironically, "Par la grace de Dieu, Roi de France; et premier citoyen de Gonesse et de Vanves." So much wealth was amassed by the bakers of Gonesse, that marble monuments were frequently raised to the memory of the men as well as the masters; but very little bread has been made there during the present century, and what is still so called comes mostly from the Faubourgs of St. Denis and St. Martin. I trust the details of this note are sufficiently curious to excuse the length of it.
