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 imperfect
acquaintance with our language--Other publications of an educational
cast.
I. Turning to the French language, there is a very singular relic of early
times in the shape of an Anglo-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 nom du pere et du fils.
And of the holy goost I will begynne.
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, among "Other maner of speche in
frenche," occur:--
"Sir god giue 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 much
one man owes another, and the reply is _ten shillings_, for which the
French equivalent is taken to be _dix soulz_. But there were no shillings
in England at that time; perhaps the writer was thinking of the skilling,
with which our coin has no more than a nominal affinity.
The _Eclaircissement de la langue Françoise_, by John Palsgrave, 1530, and
the _Introductory to learn, pronounce, and speak the French tongue_, by
Giles Du Wes or Dewes, written 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. Dewes was not improbably related to a
person of the same name who acted as preceptor to the son of Cromwell,
Earl of Essex. Both he and Palsgrave 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 some length, 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 Dewes was Pierre du
Ploiche, who in the time of Henry published a very curious little volume
of more general 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 columns, the English on the left hand, and the French
equivalent on the right, the _Catechism_, the _Litany and Suffrages_, 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 embraces the A. B. C. and Grammar.
The English 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 specimens from the three groups of
dialogue on social or personal subjects.
The third chapter, where the scene at a meal is depicted, affords, of
course, some interesting suggestions and illustrations, yet little that is
very new, except that we seem to get a glimpse of the practice, borrowed
from monastic life, of some one reading 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 refinement of phraseology here and there, as where
"You ly" is rendered "Vous espargnez la verité;" and Du Ploiche does not
fail to advertise himself and his address, for when one of the
interlocutors demands: "Where go you to schole?" the other is made to
reply: "In trinytie lane at the signe of the Rose."
The annexed extract from the same chapter may assist in fixing the date of
the publication to 1544:--
"And you sir, from whence "_Et vous seigneur, d'ou venez
com you? vous?_