CHAPTER III
THE "LITTLE BLOIS" IN LONDON
In the second half of the seventeenth century we come across a band of French teachers in London, which corresponds, in importance, to that which grouped itself round Claude Holyband in the vicinity of St. Paul's Churchyard at the same period in the sixteenth century. At its head was Claude Mauger, a native of Blois. Mauger had as long a teaching experience in London as Holyband; he arrived in about 1650, and we do not hear the last of him till the first decade of the next century. He was forced to quit his native town by "intestine distempers," probably an allusion to the persecutions which broke out there in the middle of the century. He appears to have been a Huguenot. Before coming to England he had been a student at Orleans, and for seven years had taught French to travellers, "the flowre of all Europe," at Blois,[813] where some years previously Maupas had laboured at the same task; among his pupils was Gustavus Adolphus, Prince of Mecklenburg. On arriving in England, Mauger exercised the same profession. And several others, driven from Blois like himself, gathered around him as friends, admirers, and fellow-workers. Among these, he tells us, he reckons Master Penson and Master Festeau as specially good masters of language. Of Penson nothing is known, save that he wrote some lines addressed to Mauger's critics. Festeau, however, is mentioned elsewhere by Mauger with high commendation, and the two seem to have been close friends. He came to England about the same time as Mauger, and may have accompanied him. These members of the "Little Blois" in London prided themselves on teaching the accent of Blois, "where the true tone of the French tongue is found, by the unanimous consent of all Frenchmen." The accent of Blois had already been recommended by some of the earlier French teachers. Charles Maupas was its foremost champion.
Fate had been very unkind to him before his arrival in England, Mauger tells us. But he soon forgot his sorrows in his busy and successful life in London. Pupils flocked to him, and, as we saw, he was called upon by Mrs. Margaret Kilvert to teach French in her Academy for young gentlewomen—a place, according to him, "which needs nothing, only a name worthy to expresse its excellency." At the same time he was busy writing a French grammar, which appeared in 1653, and was dedicated to Mrs. Kilvert—The True Advancement of the French Tongue, or a New Method and more easie directions for the attaining of it than ever yet have been published, preceded by verses addressed to no less than fifty of his lady pupils. It does not differ materially as regards its contents from previous works of the kind and had apparently been first written in French, for Mauger says his work "hath now put on a language to which it was before a stranger." Rules of grammar and pronunciation occupy the first hundred and twenty pages, and the remaining half of the book comprises reading exercises in French and English, and a vocabulary. The sound of each letter is explained, then the declinable parts are treated in turn, and followed by a few scattered rules of syntax. The whole is a little incoherent, and lacks order. Mauger was evidently acquainted with the work of his fellow-townsman Charles Maupas.
The second section of Mauger's grammar begins with lists of anglicisms to be avoided,[814] and then of "certaine francisms," or French idioms, and of familiar French phrases for common use. The dialogues turn chiefly on the study of French, and include discussions between students of French, talk of travel in France, and polite and gallant conversations between French and English ladies and gentlemen. Considering Mauger's many women pupils, it is not surprising to find a considerable part of his book devoted to them: two ladies discuss French and their French teacher, criticise the French accent of their friends, or receive visits or lessons from their French, music, or dancing masters. CLAUDE MAUGERAnd as the two latter, especially the dancing-master, were usually French, they did much to assist the language tutor. French maids are also often introduced, and represented as instructing their mistresses in the French language as well as in French fashions. It is no doubt Mrs. Kilvert's Academy that is referred to in the following dialogue:
| Mon père, je vous prie, donnés moy vostre bénédiction. | I pray, Father, give me your blessing. |
| Ma fille, soyés la bien revenue. | Daughter, you are welcome home. |
| Comment se porte Mme. votre Maîtresse? | How does your mistress? |
| Mons. elle se porte bien. | She is very well, Sir. |
| N'avés vous point oublié votre Anglois? | Have you not forgot your English quite? |
| Non, mon père. | No, sir. |
| Je croy que vous parlés extrêmement bien. | I suppose you speak French excellently well by this time? |
| J'entends beaucoup mieux que je ne parle. | I understand it better than I can speak it. |
| Laquelle est la plus sçavante de vous deux? | Which of you two is the best proficient? |
| C'est ma sœur.—Je ne pense pas. | My sister, Sir.—I don't believe that. |
| Expliqués moy ce livre là en François. | Render me some of that book back into French. |
| Que signifie cela en François? | What's that in French? |
| Entendés vous cette sentence là? | Do you understand that sentence? |
| Ouy, Mons. | Yes, Sir. |
| Vous avez bien profité. . . . | You have made good proficiency.... |
| Sçavez vous travailler en ouvrages? | Have you learnt any needlework there? |
| Vostre luth n'est pas d'accord. . . . | Your lute is out of tune.... |
| Et vous, ma fille, vous ne dites rien? | But you, daughter, have you nothing to say? |
| J'attendois vos ordres. | I expect your commands. |
| Qu'avez vous appris? | What have you learnt? |
| Approchez vous de moy. | Come nearer to me. |
| Dancés une courante. | Dance me a Courante. |
In another dialogue a French gentleman compliments an English lady on her French:
Où avés vous appris à parler François, Mademoiselle?
Monsieur, je ne parle pas, je ne fais que bégayer.