Dialogues in French and English

by William Caxton

NAMES: COLARD—CLEMENCE. Kempster, Spinster, &c.

Mon drap	My cloth
Demain ou apres demain.	To morow or after morow.
“Quand y fu le file porte?”	“Whan was the thred theder born?”
“Hier, deuant hier.	“Yesterday, tofore yesterday.	[4]
Anthan, deuant anthan,	Foryere, tofor foryere,
Ne leust on mye tissu	Hit had not be wouen
Pour autant come a iourdhuy,	For as moche as on this day,
Ne si hastiuement1.” 1 hastinement	Ne so hastyly.”	[8]
Colard ly foulon	Colard the fuller
Scet bien fouler drap.	Can well fulle cloth.
Si veul ie quil le foule;	So wylle I that he fulle;
Encore est il moult dangereux.	Yet is he moche dangerous.	[12]
[Conrad li tondeurs]	Conrade the sherman.
Le doibt tondre;	He oweth to shere;
Il prende del aulne quatre mites	He taketh of the elle foure mytes
Puis que les tondeurs	Syth that the sheremen	[16]
Eurent leur franchise.	Hadde theyr franchise.
Katherine la pigneresse	Katherin the kempster
Fu cy aurain pour argent.	Was hiere right now for moneye.
Elle iura par sa foye	She swore by her faith	[20]
Quelle ne pigna oncques	That she kembyth neuer
Laine si bien;	Wulle so well;
Pour ce lui payera on bien.	Therfor men shall paye her well.
Cecile la fyleresse	Cecyle the spinster	[24]
Vint auecques elle.	Cam with her.
Elle prise moult vostre fylet	She preyseth moche your yarn
Qui fu filee a le keneule;	That was sponne on the dystaf;
Mais le fil	But the yarne	[28]
Quon fila au rouwet	That was sponne on the whele
A tant de neuds	Hath so many cnoppes
Que cest merueille a veoir.	That it is meruaylle to see.
Colombe le boysteuse	Colombe the halting	[32]
Sen ala tenchant de cy,	Wente her chydyng from hens,
Pour ce que ie	For this that I
Le vouloye baysier;	Wolde haue kyssed her;
Neantmoins nauoye ie talent,	Neuertheless I had no luste,	[36]
Et elle me mauldist,	And she me cursyd,
Et ie le remauldis.	And I cursyd her agayn.
Clement & Clemence son fillaistre	Clement & Clemence his step­doughter

NAMES: CLARE—DONAAS. Cloth-hurler, Bridlemaker.

Tencierent ensamble;	Chydden to gyder;
Elle dist que oncques parastre	She said that neuer stepfadre
Ne marastre furent bons;	Ne stepmodre were good;
Elle luy reprouua quil1 auoit trouue1 ? Il . . . qu’il l’	He repreuud her that he2 had founden2 she	[4]
Luytant a vng valleton.	Her wrastlying with a boye.
Clare la aueugle	Clare the blynde
Va pour son pain.	Goth for her breed.
Aulmosne y est bien employe,	Almesse is there well bestowed,	[8]
Car au temps quelle veoit	For the tyme that she sawe
Elle eust enuys demande;	She had not gladly axed;
Si que cest pite de elle.	So that is pite of her.
Clarisse la esbourysse	Clarisse the nopster	[12]
Scet bien son mestier.	Can well her craft.
“Tresquand le a elle aprys	“Syth whan hath she lerned it
Draps esbourier?”	Cloth for to noppe?”
“Que demandes vous?	“What axe ye?	[16]
Elle eu fu berchie.	She was ther with rocked.
Elle a bien a faire	She hath good to doo
Quelle gaigne moult,	That she wynne moche,
Car elle est moult gloutee.”	For she is moche lichorous.”	[20]
DAvid[le lormier] Est ung bon ouurier	DAvid the bridelmaker Is a good werkman
De faire selles,	For to make sadles,
Frains, & esperons,	Bridles, and spores,	[24]
Et ce quil y affiert.	And that thereto belongeth.
Denis le fourbisseur	Denis the fourbysshour
A de moy vng espee	Hath of me a swerd
De tresbon taillant,	Of right good cuttyng,	[28]
Vng couttel a pointe,	A knyfe with a poynte,
Vng espee,	A swerde,
Quil me doibt fourbier.	Whiche me ought to furbysshe.
Damyan le armoyer	Damyan the armorer	[32]
Me vendra vnes plates,	Shall selle me a plate,
Vng bachinnet,	A bacenet,
Vng haubergon,	An habergeon,
Vng gorgiere,	A gorgette,	[36]
Gauns de fer.	Gloues of yron.
Donace le pourpointier	Donaas the doblet maker
A parfaicte mon pourpainte	Hath performed my doublet
Et mon paltocque.	And my Jaquet.	[40]

NAMES: EUSTACE—ERMENTIN. Upholster, Painter, &c.

EVstaes le tailleur A tant de taillier,	EVstace the taillour Hath so moche to cutte,
Pour la bonne diligence	For the good diligence
Quil faict a peuple	That he doth to the peple	[4]
De liurer leurs vestures	To deliuere their clothes
Au iour quil a promys.	Atte day that he hath promysed.
Pour ce il ne cesse	Therfor he resteth not
Nuyt ne iour;	Nyght ne day;	[8]
Et sy a plente de coustriers;	And hath plente of sowers;
Encore dont ne peult il	Yet thenne he may not
A grand paine liurer aux gens	With grete payne deliuere the peple
Ce quil leurs promet.	That whiche he hath promysed hem.	[12]
Euraerd le vieswarier	Euerard the vpholster
Scet bien estoupper	Can well stoppe
Vng mantel trauwet,	A mantel hooled,
Refouller, regratter,	Full agayn, carde agayn,	[16]
Rescourer vne robe,	Skowre agayn a goune,
Et tous vieulx draps.	And alle old cloth.
Elyas le pointurer	Elyas the paynter
Et remaysonnes et remues	Is howsed agayn and remeuyd	[20]
De la ou il soloit demourer.	Fro thens where was woned to duelle.
Il y met si longement	He tarieth so longe
Mon drap a taindre	My cloth to dye	[24]
Que iaray dommage de luy.	That I shall haue harme of hym.
De quel couleur le taindra il?	Of what colour shall he dye it?
De bresille, de galles,	Of brasylle, of galles,
Il destaindera tantost.	He shall stayne it anon.	[28]
Je le feroye descorche,	I shalle doo it with barke.
Estieuene le voirier	Steuen the glasyer
Luy pria qui le fesist bien;	Praid hym he wold do it wel;
Se luy en merchies	So thanke hym	[32]
Quand vous le verres,	Whan ye hym see,
Car il affiert bien.	For it behoueth well.
Ermentin gist malade;	Ermentin lieth seke;
Parles tout bas.	Speke all softe.	[36]
On portera son vrine	Men shall bere his vrine
Au maistre alfrant.	To maistre alfranke.
Regarde que lorynal	See that the vrinall
soit net et clere;	Be clene and clere;	[40]

NAMES: FRANCIS—FERRAUNT. Draper, Wine-crier, Baker, &c.

Et sil est ort,	And yf it be foull,
Se le frotte dedens.	So rubbe it within.
Keuure ta soer; elle suera;	Couer thi suster; she shall suete;
Se luy vauldra moult.	Hit shall auaille her moche.	[4]
Elle lui vient de paour:	Hit cam to here of fere:
Elle vey bateiller deux hommes,	She saw two men fighten,
Dont lun fu tues	Of whom that one was slayn
Et laultre quassies.	And that othir hurte.	[8]
FRancoys[le drappier] Est ung riche homme;	F[R]Aunseys1 the drapier1 Fanuseys Is a riche man;
Cest bien employe;	It is well bestowed;
Il donne voulentiers pour dieu;	He gyueth gladly for goddes sake;	[12]
Il visette les deshaities,	He visiteth them that be not hole,
Les prisonniers,	The prisoners,
Si conseille les vesues	Also counseilleth the wedowes
Et les orphenins.	And the orphans.	[16]
Firmin le tauernier	Fremyn the tauerner
A deux tonniaulx de moust.	Hath two tonnes of muste.
Il ma presente	He hath profred me
A croire se ien a faire.	To borowe yf I haue to doo with hem.	[20]
Enuoyes en querir;	Sende to fecche them;
Il passe legierment le gorge.	Hit passeth lyghtly the throte.
Frederic le vin crieres	Frederik the wyn criar
Dist quil vault bien	Saith that it is well worth	[24]
Ce quon vende.	That men selleth it for.
Il a droyt quil le dist;	He hath right that he it saith;
Il enboyt grandz traits.	He drynketh grete draughtes.
[Fierin leboulengier]	Fierin the baker	[28]
Vend blanc pain et brun.	Selleth whit brede and broun.
Il a sour son grenier gisant	He hath vpon his garner lieng
Cent quartiers de bled.	An hondred quarters of corn.
Il achate a temps et a heure,	He byeth in tyme and at hour,	[32]
Si quil na point	So that he hath not
Du chier marchiet.	Of the dere chepe.
Fourchier le cardewanner	Forcker the cordewanner
Met plus de cuir a oeuure	Put more lether to werke	[36]
Que trois aultres,	Than thre othir,
Sy bonne vente a il	So good sale hath he
Des solers et galoches.	Of shoes and of galoches.
Ferrau[n]s le chausser	Ferraunt the hosyer	[40]

NAMES: PHILIPOTE—GERVAIS. Thief’s ear cut off, &c.

Fait chausses si mal taillies	Maketh hosen so euyll shapen
Et si mal cousues1,1 consues	And so euyll sewed,
Que ie ne conseilleroye nulluy	That I shall counseille noman
Chauses a luy achatter.	Hosyn of hym to bye.	[4]
Phelipote le tigneuse	Philipote the scallyd
Embla a son maistre	Stall fro her maister
Vng forgierel	A forcyer
Ou il auoit dedens	Where ther was therin	[8]
Biaucop dorfrois	Many orfrayes
Et de reubans de soye	And rybans of silke
Et de la fustane;	And of fustain;
Si quil le fist prendre	So that he toke her	[12]
Et mettre en prison;	And sette in prison;
Puis eubt elle	Syth had she
Loreille copee;	Her ere cutte of;
Si quelle menacha	So that she thretened	[16]
Son maistre a faire tuer.	Her maister to be slayn.
Quoy quel en aduiegne,	What so euer come therof,
Chescun garde sa loiaulte!	Eueriche kepe his trowthe!
Felix le ouurier de soye	Felice the silkewoman	[20]
Fait tant de bourses	maketh so many purses
Et aloyeres de soye;	And pauteners of silke;
Car elle en est maistresse.	For she is therof a maistresse.
GVillebert[le arcenier] Fait les arcs et les sagettes;	GVysebert the bowemaker Maketh the bowes & the arowes;	[24]
Les arblastriers trayent.	The arblastrers shote.
Gerard le moulenier,	Gherard the myllar,
Selon ce quon dist,	After that men saye,	[28]
Emble le moytie	Steleth the half
Du bled ou de farine22 farme	Of corn or of mele
De ceulx qui luy	Of them that to hym
Apportent a mieuldre.	Brynge to grynde.	[32]
La moytie ne emble il mye,	The half he steleth not,
Mais vng peu de chescun sac.	But a lytyll of euery sack.
Geruas le escripuain Scet bien escripre chartres,	Geruays the scriuener Can well write chartres,
		[36]
Preuileges, instrumens,	Preuyleges, instrumentis,
Debtes, receptes,	Dettes, receyttes,
Testamens, copies.	Testamentis, copies.
Il scet bien compter	He can well rekene	[40]