An Introductorie for to Lerne to Read, To Pronounce, and to Speke French Trewly

by Giles Du Wés

prenons garde que nous ne mouuons, que vous ne mouues; prenez garde quilz ne se meuuent; and lykewise of the affyrmative, leavyng this worde ne.

THE OPTATYVE.

After the olde grammer was wonte to be all one with his preterit imperf. but we shall make hym different from hym, puttyng before the verbe this worde oh, or je vous prie, sayeng, oh que je boiue, je te prie que tu boiue, etc.

The sayd optatyve hath thre preterites, that is to say, imperf., parfyte, and plusperf., puttynge alwayes a ma uoullente, or plust a Dieu before the verbe. The preterit imperf. is moost termyned in usse, inse, and in asse, whiche may serve lykewyse for the present, as in these verbes: Pleust à Dieu que jaimasse; a ma uoullente que tu me congneusse; pleust a Dieu que tu prinsses courage. The parfyte is moche lyke the preterit indiffynityve of the indicatyve, as a ma uoullente que jaie aimé. The plus perfyt hath ever this verbe jeusse (I had) before hym, as jeusse aimé, jeusse dit, etc. His presente doth serve for his future, addyng either tantost or demain, sayeng pleust a Dieu que je uoise demain auec uous; a ma uoullente que deuiegne bon, a ma uoullente quil soit tantost corrige.

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THE SUBJUNCTIVE OR CONJUNCTIVE.

The conjunctive is lyke the optative in his present and preterittes, save that we say in stede of pleust a Dieu, a ma uoullente; sy, come, quant, or ueu, sayeng for the present, sy je fuisse maintenant, comme jay congneu, quant jeusse sentu.

The sayd conjunctyve hath two futures, the tone hath alwayes this worde mais, goyng before the verbe, as mais que je soie joieulz, etc.

The tother is borowed of the potenciall mode, and hath for his termynation, roy, rois, roit: rions, ries, roient, as jaimeroie, tu aimerois, il aimeroit, nous aimerions, uous aimeries, ilz aimeroient; and likewyse of all others. The termination of the infinityve shall appere in the verbes here after folowyng, wherfore in eschewyng prolixite, I will no further speke of it. The preterit must ever have this verbe infynityve moode: auoir, before hym, as auoir parlé, auoir dit, auoir mordz, etc.

The gerundyve is formed of the infinityve, and of the participle present tensis, as de parler, pour conferer, en communicant, etc. The overthrowen or supins which ben called reuerses, ye shall ever put the preterit parfit or the second futur of the conjunctive before him, sayeng: je te uoulsisse, or je te uouldroye bien aimé de Dieu, etc.