Through the ages, many great treasures have been lost… and sometimes found. Unfortunately, some, like the libraries of Alexandria (yes, plural–for at least two reasons) were lost multiple times in different ways and stand no chance of rediscovery. Others were even lost within the lifetimes of their creators.
One such is François Villon’s Le romaunt du Pet au deable (The Romance of the Devil’s Fart). When I discovered Villon as a high school student, I read his statement dedicating the work to his mentor, Guillaume de Villon, and attempted to find this great masterpiece. Alas! It was not to be, as the work disappeared almost as soon as it was penned. Still, even today, in my dotage, I yearn in vain for the biting wit, the keen insight of Villon’s Le romaunt du Pet au deable.
Oh, well, at least I have the farts of the Devil’s favorite bastard children in Washington to keep me gassed.