Dialogues in French and English

by William Caxton

NAMES: ARNOLD—ADRIEN. Day-work. Months of the Year.

Et le pestiel,	And the pestel,
Fay nous des aulx;	Make vs somme garlyk;
Nous en aurons toute jour	We shall haue all the day
Plus chault en nous membres.”	More hete in our membres.”	[4]
“Arnoul, verses du vin,	“Arnold, gyue us wyne
Et nous donnes a boire.”	And gyue vs to drynke.”
“Non feray; ie poyle des aulx.	“I shall not, I pylle the gharlyk.
Alles ainchois1 lauer; 1 amchois	Goo erst wasshe;	[8]
Vous beuuries bien a temps.”	Ye shall drynke well in tyme.”
“Aubin est a le2 porte, 2 ? la	“Aubin is at the gate,
Mais al huys.	But at the dore.
Vase le laisse ens.	Goo late hym in.	[12]
Je croy quil maporte	I trowe that he bryngeth me
Ce quil me doibt.”	That he me oweth.”
Anthoine est ung preudhomme3; 3 prendhomme	Antonye is a wyse man;
Il se lieue touts les nuyts	He ariseth alle the nyghtes	[16]
Pour oyer mattines.	For to here matynes.
Il ne me chault	Me ne reccheth
De son matin leuer	Of his erly risyng
Ou de son dormier,	Or of the5 slepyng, 5 ? his	[20]
Ne de son veiller.	Ne of his wakyng.
“Augustin, ou estu?”	“Austyn, where art thou?”
“Il est a lescole.	“He is at the scole,
Il sen ala a prime.	He is goon to prime.	[24]
Il reuendra a tierce,	He shall come agayn at tyerse,
Non fera mie4 a mydy.” 4 nuie	He shall not at mydday.”
“Or viegne a none.”	“Now come a none.”
“Ie vouldroye quil demourast	“I wolde that he abode	[28]
Iusques as vespres,	Vntil euensonge,
Voire, iusques a complye;	Ye truly, vntil complyne;
Et sil demourast	And yf he taried
Iusques a matines	Vntil matyns	[32]
Ou iusques a mynuyt,	Or vntil mydnyght,
Et sil ne reuenist iamais,	And yf he come neuer,
Ie ny acompteroye gaires.”	I shold not recche moche.”
“Adrien, parles a moy:	“Adryan, speke to me:	[36]
Combien de moys sont en lan?	How many monethes ben in the yere?
Quels sont ils?”	Which ben they?”
“Ianuier, Feurier,	“Janiuer, Feuerer,
Mars, Apuril,	Marche, Aprille,	[40]

NAMES: AGNES—APPOLINE. Feasts and Terms.

May, Iung,	Maye, Iuyn,
Iullet, Aougst,	Iuyll, August,
Septembre, Octobre,	Septembre, Octobre,
Nouembre, Decembre.”	Nouembre, Decembre.”	[4]
AGnes no meschyne Scet bien nommer	AGnes our maid Can well name
[Toutes les grandes festes]	All the grete festes
Et les termes de lan.	And the termes of the yere.	[8]
“Damoyselle, nommes les.”	“Damyselle, name them.”
“Non feray, se dieu mait;	“I shall not, so god helpe me!
Agathe les nommera.”	Agace shall name them.”
“De par dieu, puis quainsi1 soit!1 quaiusi	“In gods name, sith it soo is!	[12]
A noel, a pasques,	At cristemasse, at estre,
Alascension, a la pentechoste,	At assencion, at Whitsontid,
La trinite, a la saint iehan,	The trinite, at seint Johan,
Le iour de saint piere,	The day of saint petre,	[16]
A le seint remy,	At seynt remyge,
Le iour de tous sains,	The day of all5 halowes,5 oll
A le saint martin,	At seint martins messe,
A le saint xpōfre,	At seint xpriforis,[A]	[20]
A nostre dame en marche,	At our lady in marche,
A le chandeloer2,2 chandeber	At candlemasse,
A la nostre dame my aoust,	At our lady in heruest,
A quaremien3,3 quaremiou	At shroftyde,	[24]
Le iour de pasques florie,	The day of palme sonday,
Le iour de lan,	The new yers day,
Le4 iour des trois roix,4 Les	The day of thre kynges,
Le4 peneuse sepmaine,	The paynful weke,	[28]
An, demy an,	Yere, half yere,
Le iour du sacrament,	The day of sacrament,
Le procession deuerwik,	The procession of yorke,
Le procession de couentre;	The procession of couentre;	[32]
Les pardons de syon	The pardon of syon
Serount au commencement daust.”	Shall be at the begynnyng of august.”
“Appoline, venes boire.”	“Appolyn, come ete.”
“Non feray, saulue vostre grace!	“I ne shall not, sauf your grace!	[36]
Encore buuray ie,	Yet shall I drynke,
Car ie ne refuse point	For I reffuse not
Le hanap	The cuppe;

NAMES: ANASTASE—ALBERT. A Three Years’ Peace coming.

Ce serroit villonnie.”	That were vylonye.”
“Anastase, aues mengist?”	“Anastase, haue ye eten?”
“Encore dyne ie;	“Yet I dyne;
A nuyt soupperay ie.”	At nyght I shall souppe.”	[4]
“Vous aues bien vo temps	“Ye haue well your tyme
Qui si longement	That so longe
Estes in solas.”	Be in solace.”
“Dennuy de meschance	“Fro noyeng of meschief	[8]
Me veul garder,	I wyll kepe me,
De duel de maise auenture,	Fro sorow of euil auenture,
Mais toudis viure en joye	But alleway lyue in ioye
Sers mon deduit.”	Shall be my byledyng.”	[12]
“Amand, vostre serouge,	“Amand, your cosen alyed
A plus belle amye	Hath a fairer lyef
Que vous nayes,	Than ye haue,
Et mieulx aprise	And better taught	[16]
Que ie nen scay nulle;	Than I knowe ony;
Elle est belle et sage,	She is faire and wyse,
Si quils pourroient auoir	So that they myght have
Asses des biens ensamble.”	Ynough of goodes to gedyr.”	[20]
“Amelberge est bien plaisante;	“Amelbergh is well plaisaunt;
Dieu luy doinst bon eur!	God gyue her good happe!
Ves le cy ou1 elle vient.” 1 on	See her hiere where she cometh.”
“Ves moy cy, voirement!	“See me hiere, veryly!	[24]
Que dittes vous de moy?”	What saye ye of me?”
“Nous ne disons de vous	“We ne saye of you
Synon que bien.”	Nothing but good.”
“Albert de haesbrouk!	“Albright of haesburgh!	[28]
Venes vous de la ville?”	Come ye fro the toune?”
“Oyl, sire, sil vous plaist.”	“Ye, sire, yf it plese you.”
“Quelles nouuelles	“What tydynges
Nous apportes vous?”	To vs brynge ye?”	[32]
“Bonnes et belles;	“Good and fair;
Car on dist	For men saye
Que paix serra	That peas shall be
Entre les deux roys	Bitwene the two kynges	[36]
Et leurs royames,	And theyr royames,
Ou trieues2 pour trois ans.” 2 trienes	Or triews for thre yere.”
“Sire, de celle bouche	“Sir, with that mouth
Puyssies vin boire.”	Mote ye wyn drynke.”	[40]

NAMES: BAUDEWIN—BERTRAN. English and Scotch Peace.

BAudewin le cousin charles Est mareschal de fraunce.	BAudewyn the cosin of charles Is mareshall of fraunce.
Il me disoit	He sayde to me
Quil sera respyt	That it shall be respyte	[4]
Entre les engloys	Bitwene the englisshmen
Et les escochoys.	And the scottes.
Il en a eubt lettres.	He had therof lettres.
Benoit le vylain	Benet the chorle	[8]
Est lieutenant	Is lieutenant
Du bailly damiens	Of the baylly of amyas
Et de la preuostie.	And of the prouostye.
Il est mes parens	He is my kynnesman	[12]
Et ie le sien;	And I am his;
Si men puis vanter.	So I me auaunte.
“Bernard, est le clocque sounee	“Bernard, is the clocke sowned
Pour aller a le euure?”	For to goo to werke?”	[16]
“Vous1 voules dire1 Vons	“Ye wolde saye
Le clocque des ouuriers?”	The belle of werkemen?”
“Non fay, vrayement,	“I ne doo, truly,
Mais le clocque du iour.”	But the day belle.”	[20]
“Oyl, tres grand pieche.”	“Ye, ouer a grete while.”
“Boneface, fais du feu;	“Boneface, make fyer,
Fais bouillir lencre.	Make the ynche to seethe,
Si mets plus de galles	And put therin mo galles	[24]
Et plus de substaunce,	And more substance,
Et mouue le qui narde.”	And styre it that it brenne not.”
“Berthelmieu, demores cy	“Bertilmewe, abyde hiere
Auecques nous huymais.	With vs this day.	[28]
Nous vous donrons22 donrous	We shall gyue you
De ce que nous avons3,3 a vons	Of that we haue,
Et de ce que dieu nous a preste.	And of that which god hath lente vs.
Si vous fera on	So men make to you	[32]
Ung biau lite;	A fayr bedde;
Vous ne aures pys	Ye shall haue no werse
Que nous mesmes.”	Than we our self.”
“Bertran, ce seroit asses;	“Bertram, this shall be ynough;	[36]
Car se il ny auoit	For yf he haue
Fors que du pain	Nothing than brede
Et bon ceruoyse	And good ale
Il me souffiroit,	Hit shold suffyse me,	[40]

NAMES: BARNABE—CYPRIEN. Baking, Washing.

Si comme a chescun	So as to euerich
Doibt souffire.”	It ought suffyse.”
“Barnabe, alles vous ent!	“Barnabe, goo ye hens!
Nous ne auons cure	We haue no charge	[4]
De vostre companie.	Of your felawship.
Ne vous coroucies point!	Ne angre you not!
Car sacies tout a plain	For knowe ye all plainly
Que vostre compaignie	That your felawship	[8]
Nest bonne ne belle.”	Is not good ne fayr.”
“Basilles, que vous couste	“Basylle, what hath coste you
Mon menage,	My houshold,
Que vous vous plaindes de moy?”	That ye playne you of me?”	[12]
“Plaigne ou ne plaigne point,	“Playne or playne nothyng,
Ie naray iamais	I shall haue neuer
Compaignie auecq vous	Companye with you
Tant come ie viue,	As longe as I lyue,	[16]
Ou la vie ou corps auray.”	Or the lyf in my body shall haue.”
“Brixe, va ou four,	“Bryce, go to the ouen
Pour les pastees;	For the pasteyes;
Sacque hors lespaude	Drawe out the sholdre	[20]
De lespoye tout chault,	Of the spete all hoot,
Car il est asses rostis,	For it is ynough rosted,
Et le drechies par escuelles.”	And dresse it by disshes.”
“Sire, les pastees sont venus;	“Sire, the pasteyes be come;	[24]
Le rost est drechye.”	The roste is dressyd.”
Beatrix le lauendier	Beatrice the lauendre
Venra cy apres mengier;	Shall come hether after diner;
Se ly baillies les ligne draps;	So gyue her the lynnen clothis.	[28]
Elle les buera nettement.	She shall wassh them clenly.
“Berte, escures les pots	“Berte, skowre the pottes
Contre ces haulz iours	Ayenst thise hye dayes
En le chambre par tout.”	In the chambre ouer all.”	[32]
COlard[li orfeure] Me doibt faire	COlard the goldsmyth Oweth me to make
Ma chainture,	My gyrdle,
Vne couroye clauwe	A gyrdle nayled	[36]
dargent, pesant quarant deniers,	With siluer, weyeng xl. pens,
Et vng triaclier.	And a triacle boxe.
Cyprien le tisseran	Cyprien the weuar
Ma promys a tystre	Hath promysed to weue	[40]