Part 15 (1/2)

XVIII

Ancient French school-books for English learners--Their historical and philological interest--Succession of writers and teachers--Hollyband, Florio, Delamothe, and others--Sketches of their work--Their ie--Other publications of an educational cast

I Turning to the French language, there is a very singular relic of early tilo-Gallic Vocabulary of the end of the fifteenth century, in which the spelling of both languages is strikingly archaic:--

”Here is a good boke to lerne to speke french

Vecy ung bon lievre a apprendre parler fraunchoys

In the name of the fader of the sonne

En noynne

Et du saint esprit ie veuel comenchier

To lerne to speke frenche

A apprendre a parler franchoys”

After this exordium follow the numbers, the names of precious stones, articles of merchandise, fruits, wines, &c _Wine of rochell_ is rendered _vin de rosele_ What we know as _Beaune_ is called _byane_ in French and _beaune_ in English On the fourth page, a ”Other iue you good day

Sire dieu vous doint bon iour

Sir God giue you good euyn

Sire dieu vous doint bon vespere

Holde sir here it is

Tenez sire le veez ey”

The _z_ in _tenez_ seems to have been specially cut, for it is of a different font or case, and, curiously enough, in the next sentence it is wrongly inserted in _ditez_ (for _dites_) The question is asked how s_, for which the French equivalent is taken to be _dix soulz_ But there were no shi+llings in England at that ti, hich our coin has no more than a noue Francoise_, by John Palsgrave, 1530, and the _Introductory to learn, pronounce, and speak the French tongue_, by Giles Du Wes or Deritten some years later for the use of the Princess Mary in the same way as Linacre's _Latin Grammar_ had been, are sufficiently familiar from their reproduction in modern times under the auspices of the French Government Deas not improbably related to a person of the same name who acted as preceptor to the son of Crorave were professional teachers; but Palsgrave was a Londoner, who had completed his studies in the Parisian Gymnasium; and he at all events was a Latin, no less than a French scholar In the dedication of his English version of the _Comedy of Acolastus_ to Henry VIII in 1540, he speaks at soth, and in laudatory terms, of the official Primer issued in that year, and he also conveys to us the notion of being then advanced in life

Nearly, if not quite, contemporary with him and Deas Pierre du Ploiche, who in the tieneral scope, called _A Treatise in English and French right necessary and profitable for all young children_ Du Ploiche, when this work appeared, was residing in Trinity Lane, at the sign of the Rose He gives us in parallel colulish on the left hand, and the French equivalent on the right, the _Catechises_, and a series of _Prayers_ These occupy three sections; the fourth, fifth, and sixth sections are devoted to secular and familiar topics: _For to speake at the table_, _for to aske the way_, and _for to bie and sell_; and the concluding portion elish is pretty much on a par with that found in educational treatises produced by foreigners, and the French itself is decidedly of an archaic cast, though, doubtless, such as was generally recognised and understood in the sixteenth century I shall pass over the religious divisions, and transcribe a few speciue on social or personal subjects

The third chapter, where the scene at a estions and illustrations, yet little that is very new, except that we seelimpse of the practice, borrowed fro aloud while the rest were at their repast For one says: ”Reade Maynerd, _Lisez Maynart_,” to which the other rejoins: ”Where shall I reade?” and the first answers: ”There where your fellow lefte yesterday,” so that it was apparently the custom to take turns We perceive, too, that the dinner was both ushered in and wound up with very elaborate graces In this dialogue, as well as in the next about asking the way, there is mention of almost every description of utensil, but no reference to the fork, which was not yet in general use

There is a delicate refiney here and there, as where ”You ly” is rendered ”Vous espargnez la verite;” and Du Ploiche does not fail to advertise himself and his address, for when one of the interlocutors deo you to schole?” the other is ne of the Rose”

The annexed extract fro the date of the publication to 1544:--

”And you sir, froneur, d'ou venez cone _Ie viens de Boulongne_

Frone_

What newes? _Quelle nouuelles?_

I know none but good _Ie ne scay rien que bien_

I harde say _i'ay ouy dire_

That the Englishe lois_