Dialogues in French and English

by William Caxton

NAMES: Kettlemaker, Proctor, &c. GOD IS MERCIFUL.

Gaignera il asses.	He shall wyn[n]e ynowh.
Ysaac le chauderlier	Ysaac the ketelmaker
Donne quatre chaudrons,	Gyueth four ketellis,
Contenant douze galons chescun,	Conteynyng twelue galons euerich,	[4]
Pour quarant gros le piece.	For fourty grotes the pece.
Et le bon chandelliere	And the good candelmaker
Donne quatre chandeylles de sieu11 sleu	Gyueth foure talow candellis
Pour vng denier le piece.	For one peny the pece.	[8]
ZAchare le procureur Mapporte vne sommonce;	ZAchare the proctour Hath brought me a sommonce;
Car iay faicte sommondre	For I haue to do somone
Ierome le barbier;	Iherome the barbour;	[12]
Ie playderay encontre luy.	I shall plete ayenst hym.
[Iosse leparceminier]	Iosse the parchemyn maker
Me vendi vne piel parcemyn	Solde me a skyn of parchemyn
Qui tout flua,	That alle flued,	[16]
Et vne couuerture de franchin	And a coueryng of franchyn
Rees a vng les,	Shauen on the one syde,
Qui riens ne valoit,	Whiche nought was worth,
Que ie ny puis sus escripre.	That I myght not write vpon.	[20]
Va querre vne ponce22 pouce	Goo fecche a pomyce
Et du meillour papier,	And of the best papier,
Mon caniuet, mes forcettes.	My penknyf, my sheris.
Iescripray vne lettre damours;	I shall write a lettre of loue,	[24]
Se lenuoyeray a mamye.	And shall sende it to my loue.
[[CH. IX.]]
Je suy tout lasses De tant de noms nommer	I am alle wery Of so many names to name
De tant de mestiers,	Of so many craftes,	[28]
Tant doffices, tant deseruices;	So many offices, so many seruises;
Je me veul reposer.	I wyll reste me.
Encore dont, pour ralongier Ce que iay comenciet,	Neuertheless, for to lengthe That whiche I haue begonne,
		[32]
Diray ie du meilleur:	I shall saye the beste:
Cest que dieu nous crea	That is, that god hath made vs
A la samblance	Vnto the lykenes
De luy mesmes.	Of hym selfe.	[36]
Je dy au commencement,	I saye atte begynnyng,
Qui bien fera bien aura.	Who doth well shall well haue.
Dieu est misericors,	God is mercyfull,
Et si est iuste;	And so he is rightfull;	[40]

SERVE OUR LORD AND THE SAINTS.

Il a mercy des pecheurs	He hath mercy of the synnars
Qui cognoistre se veullent;	Which hem selfe wyll knowe;
De ceulx qui ont repentance,	Of them that haue repentaunce,
Qui fasse vraye confession,	Which make verry confession,	[4]
Et leur penance parfacent	And theyr penaunce fuldoo
Que le confesseur leurs charge.	That the confessour them charge.
Et le faulx mauuais,	And the false euyll,
Que damender nont cure,	That to amende them recche not,	[8]
Selon la saincte escripture,	After the holy scripture,
Sont en auenture de perir.	Ben in aduenture to perysshe.
Pour ce est il mal aduises	Therfore he is euyll aduised
Qui nauret le1 sent 1 ? se	That wounded hym selfe feleth	[12]
En peril de mort,	In peryll of deth,
Sil ne prend remede	Yf he take not remedye
Quand il le scet ou trouuer.	Whan he knoweth wher to fynde.
On dist qui sert nostre seigneur,	Men saye who serueth our lord,	[16]
Et la vierge marie,	And the mayde marye,
Les sains apostles,	The holy apostles,
Les2 quatre euangelistes, 2 Le	The foure euangelistes,
Angeles et archangeles,	Angelis and archangelis,	[20]
Prophetes et martirs,	Prophetes and martris,
Patriarces, confesseurs,	Patriarkis, confessours,
Sainttes viergenes,	Holy virgynes,
Sainctes vesues,	Holy wedowes,	[24]
Saints innocens—	Holy innocentes—
Ces saints et sainctes—	These saynctes—
Il attend bon loijer	He attendeth good reward
Enuers dieu par leurs priers.	Anenst god by theyr prayers.	[28]
On doibt oyr messe	Men ought to here masse
Et touttes les heures du iour;	And all the houres of the day;
Qui en est aysies au moins.	Whiche is at his ease atte leste.
Aller veoir le sacrament	Goo see the sacrament	[32]
Est vng bon desiunement.	Is a good brekefast.
Se vous debues	Yf ye owe
Aucunes pelerinages,	Ony pylgremages,
Si les payes hastiuement.	So paye them hastely.	[36]
Quand vous estes meus	Whan ye be meuyd
Pour aller vostre voyage,	For to goo your viage,
Et vous ne scaues le chemin,	And ye knowe not the waye,
Si le demandes ainssi3, 3 amssi	So axe it thus,	[40]

TRAVEL TALK. LODGING FOR HORSE AND MAN.

En commandant les gens a dieu:	In comandyng the peple to god:
‘A dieu, bonnes gens;	‘To god, goode peple;
Ie men voie a sainct Jaques,	I goo to saynt James,
A nostre dame de boulogne.	To our lady of boloyne.	[4]
A la quelle porte ysseray ie,	At whiche gate shall I goo out,
Et a quelle main	And at whiche hande
Prenderay ie mon chemyn?’”	Shall I take my way?’”
A le main dextre,	On the right hande,	[8]
Quand vous venres a vng pont,	Whan ye come to a brigge,
Si les passes;	So goo ther over;
Vous trouueres vne voyette	Ye shall fynde a lytill waye
A le main senestre,	On the lyfte honde,	[12]
Qui vous menra en vne contre	Whiche shall brynge you in a contre
La vous verres sur vne eglise	There shall ye see vpon a chirche
Deux haultes clocquiers;	Two hye steples;
De la aurez vous	Fro thens shall ye haue	[16]
Que quatre lieuwes	But four myle
Iusques a vostre gyste.	Vnto your loggyng.
La seres vous bien aisies	There shall ye be well easyd
Pour vostre argent,	For your money,	[20]
Et se y aures bon hostel.	And ye shall haue a good Jnne.
“Dame, dieu y soit!”	“Dame, god be here!”
“Compain, vous soies bien venus.”	“Felaw, ye be welcome.”
“Poroye ie auoir	“May I haue	[24]
Ung licte chyens?	A bedde here withinne?
Pourray ie cy herbegier?”	May I here be logged?”
“Oyl, bien et nettement,	“Ye, well and clenly,
Si fussies vous dousisme1, 1 donsisme	Alle were ye twelue,	[28]
tout a cheual.”	Alle on horseback.”
“Nennil,2 fors que nous trois. 2 Nenuil	“Nay, but we thre.
A il a mengier chy ens?”	Is there to ete here within?”
“Oyl, asses, dieu mercy.”	“Ye, ynough, god be thanked.”	[32]
“Apportes nous ent.	“Brynge it to vs.
Donnes du fain as cheuaulx,	Gyue heye to the hors,
Et les estraines bien;	And strawe them well;
Mais quils soient abuures.”	But that they be watred.”	[36]
“Dame que debuons nous?	“Dame what owe we?
Nous avons este bien aise.	We have ben well easyd.
Nous compterons demain,	We shall rekene to morow,
Et payerons aussi,	And shall paye also,	[40]

AT THE INN. A NUMBER-BOOK TO BE WRITTEN.

Que vous vous en loeres.	That ye shall hold you plesid.
Menes nous couchier;	Brynge vs to slepe;
Nous sommes lasses.”	We ben wery.”
“Bien, ie voye, vous reposeres.	“Well, I goo, ye shall reste.	[4]
Iannette, alumes le chandeille;	Ienette, lyghte the candell;
Si les menes la sus	And lede them ther aboue
Ou soler deuant;	In the solere tofore;
Si leur porte de liauwe chaude	And bere them hoot watre	[8]
pour lauer leurs pieds;	For to wasshe their feet;
Si les couure de coussins.	And couere them with quysshons.
Regarde que lestable	Se that the stable
Soit bien fremme.”[? ferme]	Be well shette.”	[12]
“Dame, peult on nauyer	“Dame, may men goo by ship
Descy a bouloigne?”	Fro hens to boloyne?”
“Oyl, maintenant il ya	“Ye, now ther is
Vne nef preste plaine de gens.	A shippe redy ful of peple.	[16]
Dieu les veulle conduire!	God well them conduyte!
Dieu les amaine a sauuete!	God brynge them in sauete!
Dieu les laisse leur voye	God late them theyr waye
Bien employer!	Well fulcome!	[20]
Escoutes! il tonne et esclire;	Herke! it thondreth and lyghtneth;
Y pluyt et gresille;	It rayneth and haylleth;
Dieu saulue les biens des champs!”	God saue the goodes of the feldes!”
“Dieu en puist souuenir.”	“God may them bythynke.”	[24]
Seigneurs, qui vouldroit,	Lordes, who wolde,
Ce liure ne fineroit iamais,	This boke shold neuer be ended,
Car on ne pourroit tant escripre	For men may not so moche write
Quon ne trouueroit toudis plus:	Me shold fynde alway more:	[28]
Le parchemin est debonnaire;	The parchemen is so meke;
Il seuffre sour luy escripre	Hit suffreth on hit to write
Quancques on veult.	What someuer men wylle.
[[CH. X.]]
CY appres vous deuiseray Vng liuret quon appelle	HEre after I shall deuyse you A litell book that men call	[32]
Le nombre, le quel est	The nombre, the which is
Moult prouffytable,	Moche prouffytable1,1 pronffytable
Par le quel	By the whiche	[36]
On pourra scauoir compter	Men shall mowe conne rekene
De denier as deniers;	Fro peny2 to pens;2 peuy
Si en poes retenir	So may ye reteyne
Les debtes quon vous doibt,	The dettes that men owe you,	[40]

NUMBERS AND COINS. THE EPILOGUE.

Et les receptes	And the receyttes
Que vous aues rechupt	That ye haue receyuyd
Ou que vous aues paiet.	Or that ye haue payd.
Si commencies ainsi	So begynne all thus	[4]
Comme est declare cy apres:	As is declared hereafter:
UNg,[deux, trois,] Quatre, chincq, six,	ONe, tweyne, thre, Foure, fyue, sixe,
Sept, huyt, neuf, dix,	Seuen, eight, nyne, ten,	[8]
Onze, douze, treze,	Enleuen, twelue, thirtene,
Quatourze, quinze, seze,	Fourtene, fiftene, sixtene,
Dixsept, dixhuyt,	Seuentene, eyghtene,
Dixneuf, vingt,	Nynetene, twenty,	[12]
Trente, quarante,	Thretty, fourty,
Chincquante, soixante,	Fyfty, Syxty,
Septante, huytante,	Seuenty, eyghty,
Ou quatre vingt,	Or four score,	[16]
Nonante, Cent,	Nynty, hondred,
Deux cents,	Two hondred,
Mille, Cent mille,	A thousand, a hondred thousand,
Vng million;	A myllyon;	[20]
Ainsi toudis montant.	Thus alleway mountyng.
Vne liure de strelins,	A pound sterlings,
Vne marcq que vault	A marcke that is worth
Deux nobles1 dangleter,1 uobles	Two nobles of englonde,	[24]
Vne liure de gros,	A pound grete,
Monoye de flaundres,	Moneye of flaundres,
Vne soulde que vault	A shellyng that is worth
Trois gros ou douze deniers,	Thre grotis or twelue pens,	[28]
Vne gros vault quatre deniers,	A grote is worth four pens,
Vng denier, vne maille,	A peny, a halfpeny,
Vng quadrant, vne mite.	A ferdyng, a myte.
CY fine ceste doctrine, A westmestre les loundres	HEre endeth this doctrine, At westmestre, by london,	[32]
En formes impressee,	In fourmes enprinted,
En le quelle vng chescun	In the whiche one euerich
Pourra briefment aprendre	May shortly lerne	[36]
Fransois et engloys.	Frenssh and englissh.
La grace de sainct esperit	The grace of the holy ghoost
Veul enluminer les cures	Wylle enlyghte the hertes