Dialogues in French and English

by William Caxton

PAYING THE BILL.—ENGLISH GROATS, FLEMISH COINS, ETC.

Que vous maues1 bien fait. 1 manes	That ye haue to me well done.
Ployes le de par dieu.”	Folde it up in goddes name.”
“Non2 feray, sauue le vostre grace; 2 Nou	“I shall not, sauf your grace;
Je veul que vous messures.”	I wyll that ye mete it.”	[4]
“Dame, puis que ie me tieng	“Dame, syth that I me holde
Plainement content,	Playnly content,
Et puis que bien me souffist,	And sith it well me suffyseth,
Il nest besoin de le remesurer.	It is no nede to mete it agayn.	[8]
Tien, valton, si le porte,	Holde thou, boye, and bere it;
Tu auras vng mayll.	Thou shalt haue an halfpeny.
Or, dame, combien monte	Now, dame, how moche cometh it to,
Ce que iay de vous?”	This that I haue of you?”	[12]
“Sire, se vous me baillies	“Syre, yf ye gyue to me
Disenoof souls,	xix shellyngs,
Vous me paieries bien;	Ye shall paye me well;
Tant me debues vous.”	So moche ye owe me.”	[16]
“Damoyselle, tenez, comptez.”	“Damoyselle, holde, telle.”
“Quelle monnoye	“What moneye
Me donnez vous?”	Gyue ye to me?”
“Bonne monnoye;	“Good moneye;	[20]
Ce sont gros dangletere;	Thise ben grotes of englond;
Tels y a3 de flaundres; 3 ya	Suche ther be of flaundres;
Patards et demi patards;	Plackes and half plackes;
Les vieulx gros dangletere	The olde grotes of englond	[24]
Qui valent chincque deniers;	Which be worth v pens;
Les noueaulx valent iiij. deniers;	The newe be worth foure pens;
Vous le debues bien scavoir,	Ye ought well to knowe,
Qui tant dargent recepues.”	That so moche moneye receyue6.” 6 receyne	[28]
“Vous dittes voir, sire.”	“Ye saye trouthe, sire.”
“Mais vous ameries mieulx	“But ye had leuer
Florins4 du rin, 4 Florius	Rynysh guldrens,
Escutz du roy,	Scutes of the kyng,	[32]
Royaulx nobles dangletere,	Ryallis nobles of englond,
Salutz door lyons,	Salews of gold lyons,
Viez estrelins deniers.”	Olde sterlingis pens.”
“Cest tout bonne monneye;	“This is all good moneye;	[36]
Mais que ie le puisse doner?”	Ye, and I may gyue it oute?”
“Oyl, vous lez donerez5 bien 5 alonerez	“Yes, ye shall gyue it oute well
Dedains la ville	Within the toune
Et par tout le pays,	And all aboute the contre,	[40]

THE SELLER PLEASED. CLOTH OF MANY TOWNS.

En touttes denrees,	In all peny worthes,
En touttes marchandyses.”	In all marchandyses.”
“Biau sire, ie me loe de vous;	“Fair sire, I am well plesyd with you;
Si que sil vous falloit	Were it so that ye failled	[4]
Aulcune denree	Ony ware
Dont ie me mesle,	Of whiche I medle with,
Ou que jay entremayns,	Or that I haue under hande,
Vous le pourries emporter	Ye may bere it a-waye	[8]
Sans1 maille sans2 denier;2 saus1 Saus	Withoute halpeny or peny;
Sy bien maues paiet.”	So well haue ye me payd.”
“Tres grand merchis!	“Right grete gramercy!
Sachies que mon argent	Wyte ye that4 my siluer4 that that	[12]
Vous aries deuant3 ung aultre.3 denant	Ye shall haue tofore an othir.
Ce seroit droit	Hit were right
Pour vostre debonairete,	For your goodlynes,
Pour la courtoysie	For the courtosye	[16]
Qui est en vous.”	That is in you.”
“Ce nest mye	“It ne5 is not5 en
Le derrain argent	The last siluer
Que vous ares de moy,	That ye shal haue of me,	[20]
Comment ce que soit le premier.	How be it that this is the first.
CAr[il men fault alefois,] Et as mes compaignons,	FOr me behoueth othir while, And to my felaws,
Draps de maintes manires,	Clothes of many maneris,	[24]
De pluiseurs villes,	Of many tounes,
De loundres, de euerwik,	Of london, of yorke,
De bristow, de bathon,	Of bristow, of bathe,
De paris, de roaen,	Of parys, of roen,	[28]
De bruges, de gaund,	Of brugges, of gaunt,
De ypres, de tournay,	Of ypre, of dornyk,
De lylle, de dixmude,	Of ryselle, of dixmuthe,
De menin, de comines,	Of menyn, of comynes,	[32]
De bailloil, de poperinghes,	Of belle, of poperyng,
De denremond, daloste,	Of dendremonde, of aloste,
De saincte omer, de valenciene,	Of saint omers, of valensynes,
Des brouxellis, de malins,	Of brussels, of mechelyne,	[36]
De louuain, danuers.	Of louayn, of andwerp.
AInsi ie pense a aller, Sil plaist a dieu,	ALso I thinke to goo, Yf it plaise to god,
A le feste de bruges,	To the feste of bruges,	[40]

NAMES OF FAIRS, WOOL, HIDES, SKINS, SPICES.

A le feste danuers,	To the marte of andwarp,
A le feste1 de berghes,1 festes	To the marte of berow,
A le feste de sterebrige,	To the faire of sterbrigge,
A le feste de salesburye,	To the faire of salesbury,	[4]
A le feste de seynct bertilmeu	To seint bartilmews faire
Que serra a loundres,	Whiche shall be at london,
A le dedicacion de challons,	To the chirchehalyday of chalons,
A le foire de cambrige,	To the faire of cambrigge,	[8]
A le procession de Westmonaistre,	To the procession of Westmestre,
A le procession general.	To the procession general.
SI[achatteray deslaines.”] “Coment donnes vous le poise?	ANd I shall bye wulle.” “How gyue ye the waye?
		[12]
Que voules vous auoir du clau?	What wyll ye haue of the nayll?
Que donrai ie de la pierre?	What shall I gyue for the stone?
Que vault la liure	What is worth the pound
De cest laine daygneaulx?”	Of this wulle of lambes?”	[16]
Vous responderes	Ye shall ansuere
Ainsi que est escript ailleurs.	Also as it is wreton els where.
ENcore[ne lairoi ie mie] Que ie ne achatte	YEt shall I not leue it That I ne bye
		[20]
Peaulx de vaches,	Hydes of kyen,
De quoy on fait cuyr.	Wherof men make lether.
De peaulx de chieures ou de bouk	Of fellis of gheet or of the bukke
Faitton bon cordewan;	Make men good cordewan;	[24]
De peaulx de brebis	Of shepes fellis
Peult estre fait le basenne;	May be made the basenne;
Si en faitton parcemin	So make men also perchemyn
En quoy on escript.	In whiche men write.	[28]
Or aues oyet	Now haue ye herd
Des draps, des laines,	Of clothes, of wulle,
Des peaulx, et des cuyrs	Of fellis, and of lether,
Tout en ung chapitle.	Alle in one chapitre.	[32]
[[CH. VI.]]
POur ce que ie ne suy Especier ne apoticaire,	FOr that I am not Spycier ne apotecarie
Ne scay mie nommer	I can not name
Touttes manieres despeces;	All maneres of spyces;	[36]
Mais ien nomerai vne partie:	But I shall name a partie:
Gingembre, galigan,	Gynger, galingale,
Cubelles, saffran,	Cubibes, saffran,
Poiure, commin,	Pepre, comyne,	[40]

NAMES OF POWDERS, OILS, WAX, WRITING-TABLES, ETC.

Chucre blanc & brun,	Sugre white and broun,
Fleur de cammelle,	Flour of cammelle,
Anijs, graine de paradis;	Anyse, graynes of paradys;
De ces choses faitton confections	Of thise thinges be made confections	[4]
Et bonnes pou[d]res,	And good poudres,
De quoy on fait	Wherof is made
Bonnes sausses	Good sausses
Et electuaires de medicine.	And electuaries for medicines.	[8]
OR[dirons nous desoyles.] Oyle doliue & de semaile,	NOw shall we saye of the oyles. Oyle of olyue and of feldeseed,
Oyle doliette & de nauette,	Oyle of mecop and of rapeseed,
Oyle de lingnuyse,	Oyle of lynseed,	[12]
Oyle de chenneue;	Oyle of hempseed;
Sy faitton moustarde.	And men make mustard.
IE[achatteray choses] Dont on fait pointures:	I Shall bye thinges Wherof ben made paintures:
		[16]
Asur et vert de spaigne	Asure and grene of spayne,
Vermeyllon, brezil,	Vermeyllon, brasyll,
Vernis, orpiement.	Vernysshe, orpement.
ENcore[ie veul emploier] Ung somme dargent en sel,	YEt I wyll bystowe A somme of siluer in salte,	[20]
En poit, en harpoit,	In pycche, in rosyn,
En verde chire,	In grene waxe,
En rouge et gaune chire,	In rede & yelow waxe,	[24]
En noir chire,	In black waxe,
De quoy on emplist	Wherof be fyllyd
Les tables	The tables
En quoy on aprend	In which men teche	[28]
Les enfans escripre;	The children to write;
Et du sieu,	And of siewet,
Saing du porc	The fatte of a swyne
Pour faire pottages;	For to make potages;	[32]
Saing de herencs;	Sayme of hereng;
On en oint les sorles.	Men enoynte therwyth shoes.
SE[je treuue del alun,] Jen achatteray par balles,	IF I fynde alume, I shall bye by bales,
		[36]
Car il appertient en la taincture;	For it belongeth in the dyerye;
Guades et guarance.	Wood and mader.
Mais comment que ie	But how that I
Moy entremelle	Me entremete	[40]

MEASURES, WEIGHTS, METALS AND OTHER WARES.

A faire ce liure,	To make this book,
Et ie sache une partie	And I know a partie
Coment on nomme les choses;	How men name the thinges;
Pour ce ie ne scay mie	Therfor I ne wote not	[4]
Comment ne pour combien	How ne for how moche
Que on vent les biens,	That men selle the goodes,
Par mesure ou par poix,	By mesure or by weyght,
Par quarters ou par sestiers,	By quarters or by sextiers,	[8]
Par liures ou par demy liures,	By poundes or by half poundes,
Ou par onches,	Or by vnces,
Par ballances ou par tonniaulx,	By balances or by barellis,
Par vassiaulx ou par balles,	By vessellis or by bales,	[12]
Par sacs ou par quierques.	By sackes or by lastes.
Si que chil	So that he
Que scauoir le veult	That wyll knowe it
Il le pourra demander	He may axe it	[16]
Aux marchans	At the marchans
Qui bien le sceuent.	Whiche well knowe it.
ENcore[ie nay mye] Nomme les metaulx	YEt I haue not named the metals
		[20]
Qui sensieuent1:1 seusiuent	Whiche folowe:
Fer, achier, plomb, estain,	Yron, steell, leed, tynne,
Keuure & arain,	Coppre and bras,
Or, argent, choses dorees,	Gold, siluer, thinges gylt,	[24]
Choses dargentees,	Thinges siluerid,
Coroyes a claux dargent,	Gyrdellis with nayles of siluer,
Sainture de soye	Corse of silke
A boucle dargent,	With bocle of siluer,	[28]
Boursses ouuries a leguille.	Purses wrought with the nedle.
CHe[sontmarchandises:] Eguilles, espengles,	THise ben marchandises: Nedles, pynnes,
Aloyeres, tasses,	Pawteners, tasses,	[32]
Coffyns & escriptoires,	Coffyns and penners,
Alesnes, graffes,	Alles, poyntels,
Cornets2 a encre,2 Coruets	Enke hornes,
Coutiaulx3, forches,3 Contiaulx	Knyues, sheres,	[36]
Huuettes de soye,	Huues of silke,
Coyfes dhommes,	Coyfes for men,
Pendoyrs de soye,	Pendants of silke,
Lachets, lannieres,	Laces, poyntes,	[40]