The
scene is laid at Mans, the town in which the author had himself
perpetrated his chief follies; and many of the characters were probably
drawn from life, while it is likely enough that some of the stories were
taken from facts which had there come to his knowledge. As in many of
the romances of that age, a number of episodes are introduced into the
main story, which consists of the adventures of a strolling company.
These are mainly amatory, and all indelicate, while some are as coarse
as anything in French literature. Scarron had little of the clear wit of
Rabelais to atone for this; but he makes up for it, in a measure, by the
utter absurdity of some of his incidents. Not the least curious part of
the book is the Preface, in which he gives a description of himself, in
order to contradict, as he affirms, the extravagant reports circulated
about him, to the effect that he was set upon a table, in a cage, or
that his hat was fastened to the ceiling by a pulley, that he might
'pluck it up or let it down, to do compliment to a friend, who honoured
him with a visit.' This description is a tolerable specimen of his
style, and we give it in the quaint language of an old translation,
published in 1741:--
'I am past thirty, as thou may'st see by the back of my Chair.
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