The Teaching and Cultivation of the French Language in England Part 50

Grammont had been banished from the French Court on account of a presumptuous love affair.

[965] _Inst.i.tution of a Gentleman_, London, 1660, p. 88. The book first appeared as _Inst.i.tutions, or Advice to his Grandson_, in 1658.

[966] J. Smith, _Grammatica Quadralinguis_, 1674.

[967] Sayous, _op. cit._ ii. ch. iv.

[968] Evelyn once accompanied His Majesty "to M. Favre to see his preparation for the composition of Sir Walter Raleigh's rare cordial,"

when the chemist made a learned discourse in French on the nature of each ingredient.

[969] _Revue Historique_, xxix., Sept.-Oct. 1885, p. 25.

[970] J. J. Jusserand, _Shakespeare in France_, London, 1899, pp. 132, 135, 136. Mme. d'Aulnoy, the fairy-tale writer and auth.o.r.ess of the _Memoires de la cour d'Angleterre_, was also among the French ladies in London at this time.

[971] St. Evremond was buried at Westminster at the age of ninety-one.

The d.u.c.h.ess died at Chelsea in 1699.

[972] In a letter to Justel he spoke of the Thames as "nostre Thamise."

[973] Evelyn's Diary, likewise, is full of mentions of meetings with Frenchmen.

[974] Sorbiere, _Relation d'un voyage en Angleterre ..._, Paris, 1664, p. 32.

[975] Cp. Ch. Bastide, _Anglais et Francais du 17e siecle_, Paris, 1912.

[976] Jusserand, _Shakespeare in France_, p. 136, note 2.

[977] _Les Voyages de M. Payen_, Paris, 1667.

[978] Mauger calls London "une des merveilles du monde. On y vient de tous cotez, pour admirer sa magnificence."

[979] _The Ladies' Catechism_, 1703.

[980] J. B. Le Blanc, _Lettres d'un Francais_, a La Haye, 1745, iii. p.

67.

[981] _Ibid._ i. p. 145. Mrs. Pepys a.s.sisted Lady Sandwich to find a French maid (_Diary_, Nov. 15, 1660), and was herself very desirous of one.

The prejudiced Rutledge writes nearly a century later: "As the lower cla.s.ses of the French are so completely qualified for Domestics, it is not surprising that such numerous colonies of French _valets de chambre_, cooks and footmen are planted all over Europe: and that the n.o.bility and fashionable people of so many countries shew an avowed Propensity to Prefer them even to their fellow natives" (_Account of the Character and Manners of the French_, 1770, pt. ii. p. 172).

[982] Flecknoe, _Characters ..._ (1665), London, 1673, p. 8. "They (the French) have gained so much influence over the English Fops that they furnish them with their French Puppydogs for _Valets de Chambre_"

(_French Conjuror_, 1678). Addison (_Spectator_, No. 45) says he remembers the time when some well-bred Englishwomen kept a _valet de chambre_ "because, forsooth, they were more handy than one of their own s.e.x."

[983] _Satire on the French_, 1691. Reprinted as the _Baboon a la Mode_, 1701.

[984] _Satirical Reflections_, 1707, 3rd pt.

[985] Cp. Wycherley, _Country Wife_, Act I. Sc. 1.

[986] _Diary_, Oct 19, 1663; May 30, 1665; May 12, 1667; Feb. 18, March 13 and 26, 1668.

[987] Flecknoe, _Characters_, p. 12. Pepys describes a French dance at Court (_Diary_, Nov. 15, 1666), which was "not extraordinarily pleasing." He much admired the dancing of the young Princess Mary, taught by a Frenchman (_Diary_, March 2, 1669). The _maitres d'armes_ were often Italians and Spaniards. There were protests against the French and Italian singing and dancing "taught by the dregs of Italy and France" (_Satirical Reflections_, 1707).

[988] Pepys's _Diary_, ed. H. B. Wheatley, v. p. 332, note, and vi. p.

187.

[989] A Frenchman was appointed in his place; cp. _Cal. of State Papers, 1660-61_, p. 7; _1663-64_, pp. 214, 607. Children were sent to France to learn music. Pepys did not like the "French airs" (_Diary_, July 27, 1661; June 18, 1666).

[990] Flecknoe, _Characters_, p. 48. French gardeners (_Cal. State Papers, 1661-62_, pp. 175, 294) and French barbers were also in favour.

Pepys went to the French pewterer's (March 13, 1667-8).

[991] S. Butler, _Hudibras_.

[992] Evelyn, _Diary_, March 1671.

[993] Vincent, _Young Gallants' Academy_, 1674.

[994] Cp. Sedley, _Mulberry Garden_ (Sir J. Everyoung: "Which is the most a la mode right revered spark? points or laces? girdle or shoulder belts? What say your letters out of France?"). There is hardly a comedy of the time without some such references to French fashions; cp.

Etherege, _Sir Fopling Flutter_; Shadwell, _Humours of the Army_, etc.

[995] Evelyn, _Diary_, Oct. 18, 1666. Evelyn had himself written a pamphlet called _Tyrannus or the Mode_, an invective against "our overmuch affecting of French fashion," in which he praised the comeliness and usefulness of the Persian style of clothing. This he had presented to the king: "I do not impute to this discourse the change whiche soone happen'd, but it was an ident.i.ty that I could not but take notice of" (_Diary_, Oct. 18 and 30, 1666).

[996] Butler, _Satire on our ridiculous imitation of the French_; "A l'etranger on prend plaisir a encherir sur toutes les Nouveautez qui leur viennent de France... ." Muralt (_Lettres_, 1725).

[997] _French Conjuror_, 1678.

[998] _Duc de Guise_, Prologue; cp. Prologue to _Albion and Albanius_:

"Then 'tis the mode of France without whose Rules None must presume to set up here as fools."

[999] French money was said to be most successful in bribes. Farquhar, _Constant Couple_, iv. 2.

[1000] Flecknoe, _Characters_, p. 12.

[1001] _Satire against the French_, 1691.

[1002] Acted 1671; Act II. Sc. 2.

[1003] _Memoires_, _ed. cit._ pp. 51-52.

[1004] _Ibid._ p. 143.

[1005] Lord Rutherford, for instance, begs pardon for his English, being more accustomed to the French tongue (_Cal. of State Papers, 1661-62_, p. 4).

[1006] Hamilton, _op. cit._ p. 82.

[1007] The story goes that Grammont was leaving England without marrying Miss Hamilton, when her brother overtook him and told him he had forgotten something, whereat he realized his oversight and returned to repair it. It is said that this incident supplied Moliere with the subject of his _Mariage force_.

[1008] Hamilton, _op. cit._ p. 82.