The Teaching and Cultivation of the French Language in England Part 6

De perles et Pieres precieuses.

Of velvet & damaskes.

De velours et damas etc... .

and so on for nearly a page, in which the names of various cloths, spices, and wines are provided.

Then follows another "manner of speeche" in a list of salutations arranged in dialogue form:

Other maner of speche in frensshe.

Autre magniere de langage en francoys.

Syr, G.o.d gyve you good daye.

Sire, Dieu vous doint bon iour.

Syr, G.o.d gyve you goode evyn.

Sire, Dieu vous doint bon vespere.

Syr, G.o.d gyve you goode nyght & goode reste.

Sire, Dieu vous doint bon nuyt et bon repos.

Syr, how fare ye?

Sire, comment vous portez vous?

Well at your commaundement.

Bien a vostre commandement.

How fare my lorde & my lady?

Coment se porte mon seigneur et ma dame?

Ryght well blessyd be G.o.d.

Tres bien benoit soit Dieu.

Syr, whan go ye agayne to my lorde, Sire, quant retournez vous a mon seigneour, I praye you that ye wyll recommaunde me unto hym, Je vous prie que me recomandez a lui, And also to my lady his wyfe.

Et aussi a ma dame sa femme.

Syr, G.o.d be wyth you.

Sire, Dieu soit avecques vous.

Yet another favourite subject is next introduced--a conversation on buying and selling:

Other maner of speche to bye and selle.

Aultre magniere de langage pour vendre et achatter.

Syr, G.o.d spede you.

Sire, Dieu vous garde.

Syr, have ye not good cloth to sell?

Sire, n'avez vous point de bon drapt a vendre?

Ye syr ryght good.

Ouy sire tres bon.

Now lette me see it and it please you.

Or le me laisses voir s'il vous plest.

I shall doo it with a good wyll.

Je le feray voulentiers.

Holde, here it is.

Tenez sire, le veez cy.

Now saye how moche the yerde is worthe Or me dites combyen l'aune vault.

Ten shelynges.

Dix solz.

Forsothe ye set it to dere.

Vrayment vous le faictez trop cher.

I shall gyve you eyght shelynges.

Je vous en donneray huyt soulz.

I wyll not, it is to lytell.

Non feroy, cest trop pou.

The yerde shall coste you nyne shelynges, L'aune vous coustra neuf soulz, Yf that ye have it.

Si vous l'airez.

Ye shall have it for no la.s.se.

Vous ne l'avrez pour riens mains.

The merchant has also to be able to ask for directions on his way, and to gossip with the landlady of the wayside inn; the phrases necessary for these purposes are recorded in the next "manner of speech," where, as in the first treatise of 1396, the scene is laid in France:

For to aske the waye.

Pour demander le chemin.

Frende, G.o.d save you.

Amy, Dieu vous sauve.

Whiche is the ryght waye Quelle est la voye droite For to goo from hens to Parys?

Pour aller d'icy a Paris?

Syr, ye muste holde the waye on the ryght hande.

Sire, il vous fault tenir le chemin a la droite main.

Now saye me, my frende, Or me ditez, mon amy, Yf that any good lodginge Y a il point de bon logis Be betwixt this and the next vyllage?

Entre cy et ce prochayn village?

There is a ryght good one.

Il en y a ung tres bon.

Ye shall be there ryght well lodged, Vous serez tres bien loge, Ye & also your horse.

Vous et aussi vostre chevaul.

My frende, G.o.d yelde it you, Mon ami, Dieu vous le rende, And I shall doo an other tyme Et ie feraye ung aultre foiz As moche for you and I maye.

Autant pour vous se ie puis.

G.o.d be with you.

Dieu soit avecques vous.

The pa.s.sage proceeds to describe, always in the form of a dialogue, the traveller's arrival at the inn, his entertainment there, and his departure:

Dame, shall I be here well lodged?

Dame, seroy ie icy bien loge?

Ye syr, ryght well.

Ouy sire, tres bien.

Nowe doo me have a good chambre Or me faites avoir ungue bonne chambre And a good fyre, Et bon feu, And doo that my horse Et faites que mon chevaul Maye be well governed, Puisse estre bien gouverne, And gyve hym good hay and good otes.

Et lui donnes bon foin et bon avoine.

Dame, is all redy for to dyne?

Dame, est tout prest pour aller digner?

Ye syr, whan it please you.

Oui sire, quant il vous plaise.

Syr, moche good do it you.

Sire, bon preu vous face.

I praye you make good chere Je vous prie faictez bonne chere And be mery, I drynke to you.

Et soyez ioieux, ie boy a vous.

Now, hostes, saye me how moche have we spende at this dyner.

Hostesse, or me dites combien nous avons despendu a ce digner.

I shall tell you with a good wyll.