The town of Vire, as the reader may have already had intimation, is the chief town of that department of Normandy called the BOCAGE; and in this department few places have been, of old, more celebrated than the Vaux de Vire; on account of the number of manufactories which have existed there from time immemorial. It derives its name from two principal valleys, in the form of a T, of which the base (if it may be so called--"jambage") rests upon the Place du Chateau de Vire. It is sufficiently contiguous to the town to be considered among the fauxbourgs. The rivers Vire and Viréne, which unite at the bridge of Vaux, run somewhat rapidly through the valleys. These rivers are flanked by manufactories of paper and cloth, which, from the XVth century, have been distinguished for their prosperous condition. Indeed, BASSELIN himself was a sort of cloth manufacturer. In this valley he passed his life in fulling his cloths, and "in composing those gay and delightful songs which are contained in the volume under consideration." Discours Préliminaire, p. 17, &c. Olivier Basselin is the parent of the title Vaudevire-- which has since been corrupted into Vaudeville. From the observation of his critics, Basselin appears to have been the FATHER of BACCHANALIAN POETRY in France. He frequented public festivals, and was a welcome guest at the tables of the rich; where the Vaudevire was in such request, that it is supposed to have superseded the "Conte, or Fabliau, or the Chanson d'Amour."[B] p. xviij:
Sur ce point-là, soyez tranquille:
Nos neveux, j'én suis bien certain,
Se souviendront de BASSELIN,
Pere joyeux du Vaudeville: p. xxiij.
I proceed to submit a few specimens of the muse of this ancient ANACREON of France; and must necessarily begin with a few of those that are chiefly of a bacchanalian quality.
VAUDEVIRE II.
AYANT le doz au feu et le ventre à la table,
Estant parmi les pots pleins de vin délectable,
Ainsi comme ung poulet
Je ne me laisseray morir de la pepie,
Quant en debvroye avoir la face cramoisie
Et le nez violet;
QUANT mon nez devendra de couleur rouge ou perse,
Porteray les couleurs que chérit ma maitresse.
Le vin rent le teint beau.
Vault-il pas mieulx avoir la couleur rouge et vive,
Riche de beaulx rubis, que si pasle et chétive
Ainsi qu'ung beuveur d'eau.
VAUDEVIRE XI.
CERTES hoc vinum est bonus:
Du maulvais latin ne nous chaille,
Se bien congru n'estoit ce jus,
Le tout ne vauldroit rien que vaille.
Escolier j'appris que bon vin
Aide bien au maulvais latin.
CESTE sentence praticquant,
De latin je n'en appris guère;
Y pensant estre assez sçavant,
Puisque bon vin aimoye à boire.
Lorsque maulvais vin on a beu,
Latin n'est bon, fust-il congru.
Fy du latin, parlons françois,
Je m'y recongnois davantaige.
Je vueil boire une bonne fois,
Car voicy ung maistre breuvaige;
Certes se j'en beuvoye soubvent,
Je deviendroye fort éloquent.
VAUDEVIRE XXII.