Dialogues in French and English

by William Caxton

NAMES: MABEL—OBEROL. Tailoress, Mustard-maker, &c.

Pieds, vngles,	Feet, nayles,
Fieures quartaines et tiercaines,	Fever quartayn and tercian,
De le gaunisse	Of the Jaundyse55 Janudyse
(Dont dieu nous garde),	(Wherof god kepe vs),	[4]
Et de tout ce	And of all that
Que greuer nous pourroit.	That may greue us.
Il dont conseil a artetique	He gyueth conseill for the goute
Et daultres languers;	And for othir seknesses;	[8]
Il a moult de bonnes herbes.	He hath many good herbes.
[Mabile lecousturiere]11 consturiere	Mabyll the shepster
Se chauist tres bien;	Cheuissheth her right well;
Elle fait sourplis,	She maketh surplys,	[12]
Chemyses, brayes,	Shertes, breches,
Courechiefs, et tout ce	Keuerchifs, and all that
Que on peult ouurer	That may be wrought
De ligne drap.	Of lynnen cloth.	[16]
Mahault le huuetier	Maulde the huue or calle maker
Se maintient sagement;	Maynteneth her wisely;
Elle vend chier ses huues;	She selleth dere her calles or huues;
Elles les keut2 de deux coustures3.3 constures2 kent	She soweth them with two semes.	[20]
NYchole le mostardier A bon vinaigre,	NYcholas the mustardmaker Hath good vynegre,
Bon verius, bon moustarde,	Good veriuse, good mustarde,
Galentine sausse,	Galentyne sawce,	[24]
Noir poiure,	Black pepre,
Bonne gansailliede4.4 gausailliede	Good ganselyn6.6 gauselyn
Natalie la dame des estuues	Natalye the wyf of the stewes
Tient bonne estuue,	Kepeth a good styewe,	[28]
La plus souffisante de la cite;	The moste suffysaunte of the cite;
Ilz y vont estuuer	They goon thedyr to be stewed
Toutes les estrangiers.	Alle the strangers.
Elle demeure	She duelleth	[32]
Deriere le mur des carmes.	After the walle of the white freris.
OLiuier[le couretier] Gaigne a couretage,	OLyuer the brocour Wynneth by brocorage,
A vng denier a dieu,	With one goddes peny,	[36]
Vingt liures ou trente.	Twenty pound or thyrty.
Oberol le hostelier	Oberol the hosteler
A touts les bons hostes;	Hath all the good ghestes;
Il a les allemains	He hath the alemayns	[40]

NAMES: ONNOUR—OGIER. Inn-Guests, Prison-keeper, &c.

Quon appelle oesterlins,	That men calle esterlyngis,
Poyteuins, fransoys,	Poyteuyns, frenshemen,
Engloys, brabansois,	Englishmen, brabanders,
Flamengs, lombars,	Flemyngis, lombardis,	[4]
Espaignoys, Portingalois,	Spaynardys, portingalers,
Geneuoys, escochoys,	Ienewys, scottes,
Haynewiers, hollandois,	Heynewiers, hollanders,
Danoys, frisons.	Danes men, of friseland.	[8]
Onnore[le tourier] Garde le prison	Onnour the kepar of the tour Kepeth the prison
La les prisonniers sont;	There the prisonners bee;
Il y sont laronnes, mourdriers,	There ben theues, murderers,	[12]
Faulx monnoyers, robbeurs,	False money makers, robbers,
Afourceurs de femmes,	Rauisshers of wymmen,
Coppeurs de boursses.	Cuttars of purses.
Les vng pend on;	That one men hange;	[16]
Les aultres traynnon;	The othir be drawen;
Les aultres mettons sur roels;	The othir ben sette on wheles;
Ceux qui coppent boursses	Them that cutte purses
Coppe on les oreylles.	Cutte men the eres of.	[20]
Bussyn a a nom	Bussin is named
Ly bouriaulx de bruges.	The hangman of bruges.
Puis que malefaicteurs	After that the euyll doers
ount gehy leurs meffais,	Haue knowlechid her euyll dedes,	[24]
Les a il a mestrijer;	He hath them to mastrye;
Dieu nous garde	God kepe vs
De sa meistrise!	Fro his maystrye!
Baillius, escoutetes1,1 estoutetes	Bayllyes, scoutes,	[28]
Aulcuns des escheuins,	Somme of the skepyns,
Cheuaucent auecq,	Ryde with,
La on les met a mort,	There as they be put to deth,
Et les sergeans ysont ainsy;	And the sergeants ben there also;	[32]
Ceulx qui eschappent	They that escape
Seront banny hors du pays	Shall be banysshed out of the londe
Sur pain dy estre penduz.	Vpon payne to be hanged.
Ogier le fauconner	Ogier the fauconer	[36]
Aporta des faucons,	Brought faucons,
Oystoires dardane,	Gerfaucons of ardane,
Espreuiers,	Spere haukes,
Quil vendra a montpellier.	That he shall sell at monpeller.	[40]

NAMES: OGIER—QUERYNE. Woolbeater, Cooper, &c.

Ogier le poulaillier	Ogier the pulter
A des poules asses,	Hath polettes ynowhe,
Quils ne sont trop cras	Which ben not ouer fatte
Ne trop magre.	ne ouer lene.	[4]
Pyere le bateure de laine Va tout oyseux,	PEter the betar of wulle Gooth alle ydle,
Car son doyen	For his dene
Lui a deffendu son mestier	Hath forboden hym his craft	[8]
Sour lamende de vingt solz,	Vpon thamendes of xx. shelyngs,
Jusques a dont1 quil aura21 dout	Till that he shall haue
Achatte sa franchise.2 anra	Bought his franchyse.
Il sen plaindra	He shall complaine hym	[12]
Au burchmaistre,	Unto bourghmaistre,
Et les gardiens des mestiers	And the wardeyns of the crafte
Nen font compte.	sette not therby.
Poul le cuuelier	Poule the couper	[16]
Faict et refaict les cuues,	Maketh and formaketh the keupis,
tonniaulx, vaissiaux	Barellis, vessellis
Courans et gouttans.	Lekyng and droppyng.
[Paulin lemesureur de bled]	Paulyn the metar of corne	[20]
A tant mesure	Hath so moche moten
De bled et de mestelon	Of corne and of mestelyn
Quil ne peult plus de viellesse;	That he may no more for age;
Il est tout gryse.	He is alle graye.	[24]
Il donna a chescun sa mesure.	He gyueth to euerich his mesure.
Pieronne sa filleule	Pieryne his doughter
Est la pieure garce	Is the shrewest ghyrle
Que ie sache de cha la mere.	That I knowe on this side the see.	[28]
QUintin le tollenier A pris de moy	QVyntyne the tollar Hath taken of me
Vng liure de gros	A pound of grotes
Plus quil ne debuoit prendre	More than he ought to take	[32]
Du droit3 tonlieu;3 troit	Of right tolle.
Sy me trayeray	So shall I drawe me
Au recepueur	Vnto the receyuour
Pour men droit requerre.	For my right to requyre.	[36]
Quirin le detier	Queryne the dysemaker
Vendt ses dees	Selleth his dyse
Ainsi qui veult a prest argent;	As he wyll for redy money;
Cest bonne marchandise.	Hit is good marchandyse.	[40]

NAMES: ROBERT—RANDOLF. Carrier, Handworker, &c.

RObert le messagier Est enuoyes au roy,	RObert the messager Is sent to the kynge
A tout deux paires de lettres	With two paire of lettres
Sellees du seal royal.	Sealed with the kynges seal.	[4]
Roberte la cerenceresse	Roberte the heklester
Na plus de channeue,	Hath no more hempe,
Et a perdu sa cerench;	And hath lost her hekell;
Elle vendra son lin.	She shall selle her flaxe.	[8]
[Richaert leveytier]	Rychard the carier
(Richier le chareton)	(Richer the cartar)
Menra du fien sur ma terre	Shall lede dong on my land
Quand elle sera ahanne,	Whan it shall be ered,	[12]
Et sur mon courtil	And on my herber
Quand il sera fouys,	Whan it shall be doluen,
Et au gardin	And in to the orchard
Entour les arbres.	Aboute the trees.	[16]
Rolland le mainouurier	Rolande the handwerker
Fera mon prayel,	Shall make my pryelle,
Vne soif entour.	An hegge aboute.
Rogier le coustre	Roger the sextayn	[20]
Est a auignon,	Is at auinion,
Pour empetrer	For to gete
Vne cure, vne chapelrie;	A cure, a fre chapell;
Voire se dieu plaist.	Ye truly, yf god wyll.	[24]
Rainier le esquier	Reyner the squyer
Est aus Joustes,	Is atte Justes,
Aux tournoys, acompaignie	At the tornoye, acompanyed
Tres honnourablement;	Right worshipfully;	[28]
Il a mon rouchin,	He hath my coursour,
Mon palefroy, mon destrier,	My palfreye, my stede,
Mes lances.	My speres.
Il aura le pris.	He shall haue the prys.	[32]
Raulle le changier	Randolf the changer
A sys a change trente ans.	Hath seten in the change xxx. yere.
Les monnoyes sont bien desirees,	The moneyes ben well desired,
Si que les gens se mettent en peril	So that folke put hem in peryll	[36]
Destre dampnes.	To be dampned.
Cest grand folye	It is grete folye
De donner le eternalite	For to gyue the eternalite
Pour le temporalite.	For the temporalte.	[40]

NAMES: WALTER—YSAAC. Brushmaker, Currier, &c.

WAultier le paternostrier Vend a le dedicasse	Walter the paternoster maker Solde at the dedicacion
Paternosters de cristal,	Bedes of cristall,
Par dousaines en gros,	By doseyns in grete,	[4]
Dambre, de voire, et de cornes.	Of ambre, of glas, and of hornes.
Willame le rammonier	William the brusshemaker
Vendt les rammons par loysir.	Selleth the brusshes by leyzer.
Ce poise moy; ie vouldroye	Wo is me; I wolde	[8]
Quil le vendisist bien.	That he solde well.
[Valerien letenneur]	Valeryen the tawyer
A moult dauantage	Hath moche auantage
En ce quil vend cuyr,	In that that he selleth lether,	[12]
Car il le tanne meisme.	For he taweth hymselfe.
Walram le coureur	Walram the coryer
Faict vng ort mestier.	Dooth a foul crafte.
Il pute aual la maison;	He stynketh after the hous;	[16]
Il coure ses piaulx	He coryeth his hydes
De saing de herencs.	With sayme of heryngs.
[Vaast levairrier]	Vedast the graywerker
Vendi orains a madame	Solde whiler to my lady	[20]
Vne pelice de vaire	A pylche of graye
Et de bonnes fourrures.	And of good furres.
Wauburge le pelletiere	Wauburge the pilchemaker11 piclh-
Refaicte vng plice bien;	Formaketh a pylche well;	[24]
Aussi faict son baron.	So doth her husbonde.
Xpristien[A][le gorlier] Me faict ung goriel;	Xpristrian the colermaker Maketh to me a coler;
Dont aray deux goriaulx	Than shal I haue two coliers	[28]
Pour mes cheuaulx de querue.	For my horses of the plowh.
Xpristiene la fylle	Xpristine the doughter
Se plaint du serrurier,	Complayned her of the lokyer,
Pour ce quil nye	By cause that he denyeth	[32]
Dun enfant quil gaigna.	Of a child that he wan.
YZores le hugiers Fist le forcier de mamye,	Ysores the Joynar Made a forcer for my loue,
Sa luysel, son escrijn.	Her cheste, hir scryne2.2 scyrne	[36]
Ysaac le vigneron	Ysaac the wyneman
Yra as vignes.	Shall to the vyneyerd.
Il me souhaidera des crappes;	He shall weeshe me of the grapes;
Car en les vignes	For in the vyneyerd	[40]