Chapter 1

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Early English Text Society.

EXTRA SERIES, LXXIX.

Dialogues in French and English.

BY WILLIAM CAXTON.

(Adapted from a Fourteenth-Century Book of Dialogues in French and Flemish.)

EDITED FROM CAXTON’S PRINTED TEXT (ABOUT 1483), WITH INTRODUCTION, NOTES, AND WORD-LISTS,

BY

HENRY BRADLEY, M.A.,

_Joint-Editor of the New English Dictionary._

LONDON: PUBLISHED FOR THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY, BY KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., Ltd.

PATERNOSTER HOUSE, CHARING CROSS ROAD.

MDCCCC.

_Price Ten Shillings._

BERLIN: ASHER & CO., 13, UNTER DEN LINDEN. NEW YORK: C. SCRIBNER & CO.; LEYPOLDT & HOLT. PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.

Dialogues in French and English.

BY WILLIAM CAXTON.

(Adapted from a Fourteenth-Century Book of Dialogues in French and Flemish.)

EDITED FROM CAXTON’S PRINTED TEXT (ABOUT 1483), WITH INTRODUCTION, NOTES, AND WORD-LISTS,

BY

HENRY BRADLEY, M.A., _Joint-Editor of the New English Dictionary._

LONDON: PUBLISHED FOR THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY, BY KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., Ltd.

PATERNOSTER HOUSE, CHARING CROSS ROAD. M DCCCC.

Extra Series, No. LXXIX.

OXFORD: HORACE HART, M.A., PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY.

INTRODUCTION.

The work now for the first time reprinted from Caxton’s original edition has been preserved in three copies. One of these is in the Library of Ripon Cathedral, another in the Spencer Library, now at Manchester, and the third at Bamborough Castle. A small fragment, consisting of pp. 17-18 and 27-28, is in the Bodleian Library. The text of the present edition is taken from the Ripon copy. I have not had an opportunity of seeing this myself; but a type-written transcript was supplied to me by Mr. John Whitham, Chapter Clerk of Ripon Cathedral, and the proofs were collated with the Ripon book by the Rev. Dr. Fowler, Vice-Principal of Bishop Hatfield’s Hall, Durham, who was kind enough to re-examine every passage in which I suspected a possible inaccuracy. It is therefore reasonable to hope that the present reprint will be found to be a strictly faithful representation of the original edition.

The earlier bibliographers gave to the book the entirely inappropriate title of ‘Instructions for Travellers.’ Mr. Blades is nearer the mark in calling it ‘A Vocabulary in French and English,’ but, as it consists chiefly of a collection of colloquial phrases and dialogues, the designation adopted in the present edition appears to be preferable. As in other printed works of the same period, there is no title-page in the original edition, so that a modern editor is at liberty to give to the book whatever name may most accurately describe its character. The name of Caxton does not occur in the colophon, which merely states that the work was printed at Westminster; but the authorship is sufficiently certain from internal evidence. On the ground of the form of type employed, Mr. Blades inferred that the book was printed about 1483. However this may be, there are, as will be shown, decisive reasons for believing that it was written at a much earlier period.

A fact which has hitherto escaped notice is that Caxton’s book is essentially an adaptation of a collection of phrases and dialogues in French and Flemish, of which an edition was published by Michelant in 1875[1], from a MS. in the Bibliothèque Nationale.

[Footnote 1: _Le Livre des Mestiers: Dialogues français-flamands composés au XIV^e siècle par un maître d’école de la ville de Bruges_. Paris: Librairie Tross.]

The text of Caxton’s original cannot, indeed, have been precisely identical with that of the MS. used by Michelant. It contained many passages which are wanting in the Paris MS., and in some instances had obviously preferable readings. Caxton’s English sentences are very often servile translations from the Flemish, and he sometimes falls into the use of Flemish words and idioms in such a way as to show that his long residence abroad had impaired his familiarity with his native language. The French _respaulme cet hanap_, for instance, is rendered by ‘spoylle the cup.’ Of course the English verb _spoylle_ never meant ‘to rinse’; Caxton was misled by the sound of the Flemish _spoel_. Caxton’s ‘after the house,’ as a translation of _aual la maison_ (throughout the house), is explicable only by a reference to the Flemish version, which has _achter huse_. The verb _formaketh_, which has not elsewhere been found in English, is an adoption of the Flemish _vermaect_ (repairs). Another Flemicism is Caxton’s _whiler_ (= while ere) for ‘some time ago,’ in Flemish _wilen eer_. It is still more curious to find Caxton writing ‘it _en_ is not,’ instead of ‘it is not’; this _en_ is the particle prefixed in Flemish to the verb of a negative sentence. As is well known, Caxton’s translation of ‘Reynard the Fox’ exhibits many phenomena of a similar kind. From all the circumstances, we may perhaps conclude that Caxton, while still resident in Bruges, added an English column to his copy of the French-Flemish phrase-book, rather as a sort of exercise than with any view to publication, and that he handed it over to his compositors at Westminster without taking the trouble to subject it to any material revision.

The original work contains so many references to the city of Bruges that it is impossible to doubt that it was compiled there. According to Michelant, the Paris MS. was written in the first half of the fourteenth century. The MS. used by Caxton must itself have been written not later than the second decade of the fifteenth century; unless, indeed, it was an unaltered transcript from an older MS. The evidence on which this conclusion is based is somewhat curious. Caxton’s text contains two passages in which the pope is spoken of as still resident at Avignon. Now the ‘Babylonish captivity’ of the popes ended in 1378; and, even if we suppose that at Bruges the Avignon anti-popes were recognized by some persons to the very last, the latest date at which these passages could have been written is the year 1417. It is not easy to understand how it was possible for Caxton to leave uncorrected these references to a state of things which he must have known had long ceased to exist. The only explanation of the fact seems to be that, as has been suggested above, he sent his many years old MS. to the press without going over it again. It may be remarked that one of the Avignon passages does not occur in the text as printed by Michelant. As it would be absurd to suppose that it was introduced by Caxton himself, the inference is clear that his copy of the original work was fuller than that contained in the Paris MS. Probably Caxton may have added a few lines here and there--the mention of certain English towns and fairs on pp. 18-19, and that of English bishoprics on p. 23, for instance, were most likely inserted by him. But by far the greatest portion of the matter which is peculiar to Caxton’s form of the dialogues may be confidently ascribed to his original, on account of the frequent occurrence of passages in which, while the French is quite correct, the English translation shows imperfect understanding of the sense.

One of the most remarkable differences between Caxton’s form of the dialogues and that which is preserved in the Paris MS. consists in the transposition of several of the sections in that portion of the work to which the title ‘Le Livre des Mestiers’ is most properly applicable (pp. 24-44 of Caxton’s edition). In both versions the sections in this portion are arranged in the alphabetical order of the Christian names of the persons referred to; but the names connected with particular employments are not always the same in the two versions. Thus in Michelant the bowyer is called Filbert, in Caxton he is Guillebert; in Michelant the carpenter is Henri, in Caxton Lambert; in Michelant the tiler is Martin, in Caxton Lamfroy; and so on. The resulting transpositions render it somewhat difficult at first sight to perceive the substantial identity of the matter in the two books. If an editor wished to print Caxton’s text and that of the Paris MS. in parallel columns, he would need to have recourse to the ingenious device adopted by Professor Skeat in the Clarendon Press edition of the three recensions of _Piers Plowman_; that is to say, all the sections in which the names have been altered would have to be given twice over in each column--with large print where they occur in their alphabetical place, and with small print opposite to the corresponding sections in the other text. It is hard to see why the person who made the later version followed by Caxton should have taken the trouble to alter the names and re-arrange the material in the new alphabetical order. One might almost suspect that the names were those of actual tradesmen in Bruges, and that the alterations represent changes that had taken place between the earlier and the later edition of the book.

The French of the Paris MS. is the Picard dialect of the former half of the fourteenth century. The French of Caxton’s book retains many of the original north-eastern forms, but is to a considerable extent modernized and assimilated to the literary language of a later period. Such ‘etymological’ spellings as _recepueur_, _debuoit_, are common in Caxton’s text, but rarely occur in Michelant. The following comparative specimen of the two versions will afford some notion of the orthographical and grammatical differences between them, and also of the degree in which Caxton’s English was influenced by his Flemish original.

MICHELANT. CAXTON.

Pierres le bateur a l’arket Pietre de coutenslaerre Pyere le bateure de laine Peter the betar of wulle

Va tout useus, Gaet al ledich, Va tout oyseux, Gooth alle ydle,

Car ses doiiens Want siin deken Car son doyen For his dene

Li ha desfendu son mestier Heeft hem verboden sin ambocht Lui a deffendu son mestier Hath forboden hym hys craft

Sur l’amende de xx. sauls, Up de boete van xx. scelle, Sour l’amende de vingt solz, Vpon thamendes of xx. shelyngs,

Dusqu’ a dont qu’il aura Tote dien dat hi sal hebben Jusques a dont quil aura Till that he shall haue

Achaté le franchise. Ghecocht sine vrihede. Achatte sa franchise. Bought his franchyse.

Il s’en plaindra Hi sals hem beclaghen Il sen plaindra He shall complaine hym

Au bourghmaistre, Den buerghmeestre, Au burchmaistre, Unto bourghmaistre,

Et li doiiens, ne si jurei Ende de dekene no sine gheswoerne Et les gardiens des mestiers And the wardeyns of the crafte

N’en font conte. Ne micken niet. Nen font compte. sette not therby.

Pol li cuveliers Pauwels de cupre Poul le cuuelier Poule the couper

Fait et refait cuves, Maect ende vermaect cupen, Faict et refaict les cuues, Maketh and formaketh the keupis,

Cuviers et tonniaux, Cupekine ende vaten, tonniaulx, vaissiaux Barellis, vassellis

Chercles et tonnelets Houpen ende tonnekine. Courans et gouttans. Lekyng and droppyng.

Il ont doilloires, wembelkins, Si hebben paerden, spikelboren,

Forets, tareales, et planes. Foretten, navegheeren ende scaven.

Paulins le mesureur de blé Pauwelin de corenmetere Paulin le mesureur de bled Paulyn the metar of corne

A si longement mesuret, Heeft so langhe ghemeten. A tant mesure Hath so moche moten

De bled et de mestelon Of corne and of mestelyn,

Qu’il ne puet plus Dat hi mach nemmeer Quil ne peult plus That he may no more

Par che grande villeche; Mit sire groter outheide; de viellesse; for age;

Car il est tout kenus. Want hi es al calv. Il est tout gryse. He is alle graye.

Il donna [_sic_] a chescun sa mesure. He gyueth to euerich his mesure.

Pirote, si filleulle, Pierote, siin dochterkine, Pieronne sa filleule Pieryne his doughter

Est la pire garche Es die quaetste dierne Est la pieure grace Is the shrewest ghyrle

Que je sache Die ic weet Que ie sache That I knowe

Dechà mer, ne delà. An disside der zee, no an ghene zide. de cha la mere. on this side the see.

Quintins li tonliers Quintin de tolnare Quintin le tollenier Quyntyne the tollar

A pris de mi Heeft ghenomen van mi A pris de moy Hath taken of me

Une lb. de gros 1 lb. grot Vng liure de gros A pound of grotes

Plus qu’il ne devoit; Meer dan hi sculdich was; Plus quil ne debuoit prendre More than he ought to take

Du droit tonlieu; Of right tolle.

Si m’en trairai Zo dat ic sal trucken Sy me trayeray So shall I drawe me

Au recheveur Vor den ontfanghere Au recepueur Vnto the receyuour

Pour faire me plainte, Omme te doene mine claghe

Et pour men droit requerre. Ende omne min recht te versoukene. Pour men droit requerre. For my right to requyre.

In the present edition Caxton’s text has been literally reproduced, except that obvious misprints are corrected (the original readings being given in the marginal notes[1]), and that modern punctuation has been added for the sake of intelligibility. Where Caxton leaves a space for an illuminated initial (a small letter being printed in the middle to serve as a guide) I have used a large capital. The List of English Words at the end is intended to contain all the words that require any explanation, or are on any account noteworthy. The List of French Words, which I was unable to prepare on account of ill-health, has been compiled by Mr. Henry Littlehales.

HENRY BRADLEY.

[Footnote 1: Misprints affecting only the word-division, however, have been corrected without remark.]

NOTES.

3^17. This corresponds with the beginning of the French-Flemish dialogues printed by Michelant. The preceding table of contents may have been added by Caxton himself.

3^32-4^7. Not in Michelant.

4^8. The French should no doubt read _quil y ait_, as in Michelant, but Caxton translates the erroneous reading.

8^36. There is some mistake here. Michelant’s text has _cavecheul_, bed’s head.

8^39-10^6. Michelant’s text is here quite different, enumerating the parts of the body and the articles necessary for the toilet.

13^19. _Confite_ is a misreading on Caxton’s part for _confire_, comfrey; Michelant has the right word.

15^31. _Sera_ should be _fera_, as in Michelant; the sense is ‘the abatement which you will make will cause it to be sold.’ Caxton attempts to translate the erroneous reading _sera_, but his translation makes no sense.

16^1-17^19. This interesting portion of the dialogue is not in Michelant.

18^18. _It en is not_ = Flemish _het en es niet_. Evidently when this was written Caxton had become more familiar with Flemish than with his native language.

18^26-19^10. The names of English towns in this list are added by Caxton.

22^14-25^9. The enumeration of ecclesiastical and civil dignitaries is much more full here than in Michelant’s text, but it is probable that Caxton had before him an amplified copy of the original work, as the mention of the pope’s residence at Avignon obviously cannot have been inserted by him. The names of English bishoprics, however, are most likely added by Caxton.

24^6. _Bogars_ in the French column (rendered by _lewd freris_, i.e. lay brothers) appears to be a mistake for _Begars_, Beghards.

26^37. _Spoylle the cuppe._ Another proof that Caxton had forgotten his English. The Flemish is _spoel den nap_, ‘rinse the cup’; the English _spoil_ of course never had the sense ‘to rinse.’

29^12. _Byledyng_ is an attempt at literal interpretation of the French _deduit_, delight.

29^13. _Serouge (serourge)_ is properly ‘brother-in-law’; it is not clear whether Caxton’s rendering _cosen alyed_ is a mistranslation, or whether the French word was used at Bruges in the extended sense.

30^4-6. This reference to the truce between the English and the Scots is not, as might perhaps be thought, an insertion by Caxton. Michelant considers the truce in question to be that of the year 1340.

30^30-33. Michelant’s text omits these lines, to the manifest injury of the sense.

35^23-25. Caxton seems here to have found his MS. illegible: Michelant’s text has ‘Fremius [? read _Fremins_] ses voisins Dist qu’el vault bien son argent.’

37^8-30. This emphatic praise of the writer’s craft is not in Michelant; probably it expresses Caxton’s own sentiments.

38^36. _Enprintees_, which Caxton amazingly renders ‘enprinted,’ is doubtless a mistake for _enpruntes_, borrowed. The occurrence of this mistake shows that the passage must have been in Caxton’s original, though it is not in Michelant’s text. Caxton’s account of the bookseller’s stock is much fuller than that in Michelant, but apparently this is not due, as might naturally be supposed, to his own interest in the subject.

44^17. _Formaketh_, literally adopted from the Flemish _vermaect_, repairs.

44^26. _Filleule_ is god-daughter, not ‘daughter.’ The Flemish has _dochterkine_, which, though literally = ‘little daughter,’ was used for ‘god-daughter.’

46^1. It is curious that the names beginning with S and T, which appear in Michelant, are omitted by Caxton. Possibly a leaf was missing in his original.

50^22. From this line to the end seems to be an addition by Caxton.

[CAXTON’S DIALOGUES]

[Or ‘A Book for Travellers,’ _Typ. Ant._ i. 315: or ‘A Vocabulary,’ Blades, ii. 133.]

[TABLE OF CONTENTS.]

FRENSSHE. ENGLISSH.

[Sidenote: P. 1.]

CY commence la table HIER begynneth the table De cest prouffytable doctrine, Of this prouffytable lernynge, Pour trouuer tout par ordene For to fynde all by ordre Ce que on vouldra aprendre. That whiche men wylle lerne. 4

[PAGE]

Premierment, linuocacion de la trinite; 3 Fyrst, the callyng of the trinite; Comment on doibt chescun saluer; 4 How every man ought grete othir; Les meubles aual la mayson; 6 The catayllys langyng to the house; 8 Les noms des chars & de beestes[1]; 10 The names of flessh and of bestis;

[Footnote 1: beestis]

Et doysiaulz priues & sauuages; 10 And of byrdes tame and wylde; Les noms des poyssons de mer; 11 The names of fysshes of the see; Et des poyssons des Ryuiers; 12 And of fysshes of the Riuers; 12 Les noms de compenaiges; 12 The names of whyte mete; Les noms des fruis darbres; 13 The names of the fruytes of trees; Les noms des pluiseurs arbres; 13 The names of diuerse trees; Les noms des potages; 13 The names of potages; 16 Les noms des co{m}muns beuurages; 14 The names of comyn drynkes; La marchandyse des draps 14 The marchandise of clothe Des diuerses villes et festes; 18 Of diuerse tounes and fayres; Les marchandises des laines; 19 The marchandyse of wulle; 20 Les noms des cuyrs & des peaulx; 19 The names of hydes and of skynnes; Les noms des apotecaires; 19 The names of the apotecaries; Les noms des Oyles, 20 The names of Oyles, Des coleurs des paintres; 20 Of the colours of paynters; 24 Les noms des crasseries, 20 The names of coriars, Des aluns et daultres tainctures; 20 Of alume and of othir colours; Les noms des tous metauls; 21 The names of all metals; Les noms des merceries; 21 The names of merceryes; 28 [[2]] Les noms des pluiseurs graines; 22 The names of diuerse graynes; Des prelats de saincte eglyse, 22 Of the prelates of holy chirche, Du pape, cardinaulz, euesques, 22 Of the pope, cardinals, bisshops, Archeuesques, abbes, et officiaulx, 23 Archebisshops, abbotes, and officials, 4 Des moynes et gens de lordene; 23 Of monkes and folke of ordre; De lempereur, roys, et roynes, 22 Of themperour, kynges, and quenes, Des ducs, countes, et princes, 24 Of dukes, erles, and princes, Barons, cheualiers, escuyers; 24 Barons, knyghtes, and squyers; 8 Les noms dhommes et des femmes, 25 The names of men and of wymmen, Et des mestiers, selon lordre de a b c; 26 And of craftes, after thordre of a b c; Les grandes festes et termes de lan; 28 The grete festes and termes of the yere; 12 Des orfeures, tisserans, & foulons[1], 31 Of goldsmythes, weuers, and fullers,

[Footnote 1: foulous]

Tondeurs, pigneresses, fileresses; 32 Sheremen, kempsters, spynsters; Des lormiers et armurers, 33 Of bridelmakers and armorers, 16

[Sidenote: P. 2.]

Des tailliers & Vieswariers, 34 Of tayllours and vpholdsters, Des taincturiers[2] & drappiers, 35 Of dyers and drapers,

[Footnote 2: taiuc-]

Des boulengiers & cordewaniers, 35 Of bakers and shoomakers, Des escripuains & arceniers, 36 Of skriueners and boumakers, 20 Des moulniers & bouchiers, 37 Of mylnars and bochiers, Des poissonners & teliers, 38 Of fysshmongers and of lynweuers, Des chaudeliers[3] & libraries, 38 Of ketelmakers and librariers,

[Footnote 3: chan-]