Rabelais dedicates the book to Queen Marguerite de Navarre, a supporter of the reformists.

After Pantagruel conquered the land of Dispodia at the end of Book 1, the Dispodians thrive under his rule, since he rules through love instead of fear in the manner of Numa Pompillus, the second king of the Romans.

Pantagruel gifts Panurge the wealthy castellany of Salmagundi. However, Panurge squanders three years’ worth of Salmagundi’s earnings in two weeks and winds up in debt. When Pantagruel gently points out to Panurge the importance of being thrifty, Panurge defends himself through a clever, long thesis.