Besides these poems there are a few ballads remaining, one of which on the hanged men I have already quoted. The rest do not offer anything very remarkable.

The "Jargon et Jobelin de Villon" has never been disputed to be his, but it is written in wholly unintelligible 'argot." Even Marot confesses that he cannot understand it. It is printed in the edition of Prompsault, with notes which he confesses to be only conjectural. The curious may find it in that edition, and may essay to read it. For myself, I tried to read the first stanza of the first ballad, and gave it up. But there is very little profit in trying to decipher Thieves' Latin.

Printed with Villon's poems is a curious little collection called "Les Répues Franches," or, as we may translate it, "The Free Feeds," shewing how Villon and his companions. obtained, without gold or silver, fish, tripe, bread, wine, and

roast.

Thus, he

The purchases are made very ingeniously. goes to the baker and orders half-a-dozen of his best loaves to be prepared immediately. As soon as half the quantity is ready, he bids the baker's man follow with the basket. Arrived at the door of a nobleman's house, he tells him that this is the place, and that he may leave the first half and go back for the rest. As soon as the man has turned the corner, he takes off the basket to his companions joyously.

But they want wine. and fills one with water.

He gets two jars exactly alike,
At the merchant's he demands

the jar full of his best red wine, which is given him. But he then pretends that he ordered white wine, and will not

take the red. Giving them back the jar full of water, he shoulders the other and exits hastily.

It took two to get the meat; one had to buy, and the other to come up and quarrel with the purchaser. In the scuffle they carry off the beef.

I cannot avoid quoting the words of St. Beuve on Villon. He says: "Under a favourable climate, among a childish people poetry commences by having herself the candour of childhood; she believes for a long time in the golden age; she continues always to believe in the charms of a clear sky and in the delights of nature. With us, on the contrary, Villon hurries off the muse to the cabaret and the gallows; at the very hour of her birth he disenchants her of those darling illusions, teaches her his own easy morals, and fashions her to those manners, just a little bold, that she will never henceforth lose. Some modesty will come upon her perhaps with age; but familiarity, mischief, and a penchant for raillery, will always recur at moments. Dignity and nobility of tone will have their turn, but the old French gaiety will have its relapses, and sentiment will not extinguish mockery."

The influence of Villon on Marot, and of Marot on La Fontaine, is so great, and the fact that Villon begins a new school is so important, that these remarks are well worthy of attention. Still, one cannot help feeling that the 'penchant pour le badinage' of the French muse is due more to the French spirit than to the influence of Villon.

But, if he was not without imitators, he was without predecessors. His style is his own; he is no copyist, no disciple of a school. He was the poet of the people, but

not the advocate of the people. He had the most profound ignorance of any theories, political or social. The only problem he attempted to solve was that simple difficulty of getting meat and drink for himself, and a little money for Margot; he described what he saw, and had no thought that the old state of things would alter. Even printing was not introduced into Paris till after his death, and perhaps Villon never even saw a printed book. Had he lived in these days, he would have been a clever literary Bohemian ; probably would have written for the magazines, smoked strong Cavendish, drunk beer, and gone to bed late. And I should say that at no possible period would life be successful for a man of Villon's character.

As for the story told by Rabelais, there is this to be said. Early in the fifteenth century was established what was called the "Confrérie de la Passion." The society used periodically to enact the mystery of the Passion of our Lord. An account of this, for which we have no space, is given in any work on the French Literature of the time. The mystery was an extraordinary favourite. Devils, who occupied the lowest stage, expressed their rage and terror at the Suffering of our Lord, while this was actually set forth before the folk. In course of time the enacting of the play causing some scandal, it was forbidden, except at New Year's day. Now such a man as Villon would find a huge pleasure in taking an active part in any such thing as this. The coarse contrast between the Heaven and the Hell of the stage; the humorous antics of the devils; the

1 Judas was once or twice actually finished off and hung in earnest, through the pious zeal of the actors.

semi-religious nature of the ceremony, apt to comfort the soul of a sinner, all would have their charms for him, and I am half-disposed to think that there may have been some grounds for the story of the signal example of Friar Tickletoby.

The great dramatic rage, however, during the life of Villon was for moralities. These pieces, at which our poet must have yawned drearily, were allegorical and elaborate. The virtues and vices contended with each other. Nothing so vulgar as a devil daintily hung round with tenter-hooks, calves' skins and suchlike ornaments was admitted. The performances appear to have been strictly moral, and fearfully, inexpressibly dull.

Then came a livelier time, and an indignant populace, weary of moral allegory, demanded something in a lighter style. But this was after Villon. Would that he had been in the prime of his years, when Patelin inaugurated a new era for popular dramatic literature !

Was François Villon the actual prototype of Pierre Gringoire? Did Victor Hugo, when he wrote Nôtre Dame de Paris, take Villon for his Gringoire, and find his vocabulary of Parisian slang in Villon's Jargon? Certainly, all his words, and an immense number more, are in the Jargon. And there are many points of curious resemblance between Gringoire and Villon-only, Villon would not, could not have earned his livelihood by balancing chairs on his chin. I leave this point for the investigation of the curious. There was, however, a Pierre Gringoire of the sixteenth century, who wrote much poetry, of a sort now forgotten, and curious plays, still remembered.

CHAPTER VI.

ROGER DE COLLERYE-BAUDE-GUILLAUME ALEXIS.

COLLERYE was the great poet of the Fête aux fous; the friend of Basochiens and the Clercs du Chastelet; the joyous spirit of a small country circle; the illustrious Roger Bontemps. Time has somewhat tarnished the lustre of his fame, but he is not yet without an admirer, and he has found in these latter days an editor who does him more than justice. Hear what M. Charles de Héricault writes of him. "He has left," he says, "a mark in history which will never be effaced; his is the most singular personality among the poets of the commencement of the sixteenth century; his life and his genius furnish documents most useful to the philosophy of the literary history of his time. He has created a national type, a type dear to the French esprit; that which represents this esprit in its condition. of calm and joyous leisure, the type of Roger Bontemps. In this personage he has introduced, so to speak, the symbol of joy among the vine-growers of Burgundy. All the followers of the Abbé des Fous of Auxerre; all the Basochiens, clerks of the Chastelet, enfans sans souci; all