Dialogues in French and English

by William Caxton

CONTENTS. OBJECT OF THE BOOK. PROLOGUE.

Dun pays au ville a aultre;	[49]	Fro one lande or toune to anothir;
Et plus aultres raysons		And moo othir resons
Que seroyent trop longues		That shold be over longe
De mettre en cest table.		To sette in this table.	[4]
En la fin de cest doctrine	[50]	In the ende of this doctrine
Trouueres1 la maniere1 Trouuerers		Shall ye fynde the manere
Pour aprendre acompter	[51]	For to lerne rekene
Par liures, par soulz, par deniers.		By poundes, by shelynges, by pens.	[8]
Vostre recepte et vostre myse		Your recyte and your gyuing oute
Raportes tout en somme.		Brynge it all in somme.
Faittes diligence daprendre.		Doo diligence for to lerne.
Fuyes oyseusete, petyz et grandes,		Flee ydlenes, smal and grete,	[12]
Car tous vices en sount sourdans.		For all vices springen therof.
Tres bonne doctrine		Ryght good lernyng
Pour aprendre		For to lerne
Briefment fransoys et engloys.		Shortly frenssh and englyssh.	[16]

---

OV[nom du pere,] Et du filz,	In the name of the fadre,
	And of the soone,
Et du sainte esperite,	And of the holy ghoost,
Veul commencier	I wyll begynne	[20]
Et ordonner ung livre,	And ordeyne this book,
Par le quel on pourra	By the whiche men shall mowe
Roysonnablement entendre	Resonably vnderstande
Fransoys et engloys,	Frenssh and englissh,	[24]
Du tant comme cest escript	Of as moche as this writing
Pourra contenir et estendre;	Shall conteyne and stratche;
Car il ne peult tout comprendre;	For he may not alle comprise;
Mais ce quon ny trouuera	But that which can not be founden	[28]
Declaire en cestui	Declared in this
Pourra on trouuer ailleurs,	Shall be founde somwhere els,
En aultres liures.	In othir bookes.
Mais sachies pour voir	But knowe for trouthe	[32]
Que es lignes de cest aucteur	That in the lynes of this auctour
Sount plus de parolles et de raysons	Ben moo wordes and reasons
Comprinses, et de responses,	Comprised, and of ansuers,
Que2 en moult daultres liures.2 Qne	Than in many othir bookes.	[36]
Qui ceste liure vouldra aprendre	Who this booke shall wylle lerne
Bien pourra entreprendre	May well entreprise or take on honde

THIS IS A TRADER’S HANDBOOK. HOW TO SALUTE FOLK.

Marchandises dun pays a lautre,	Marchandises fro one land to anothir,
Et cognoistre maintes denrees	And to knowe many wares
Que1 lui seroient bon achetes1 Qne	Which to hym shalbe good to be bouȝt
		[4]
Ou vendues pour riche deuenir.	Or solde for riche to become.
Aprendes ce liure diligement;	Lerne this book diligently;
Grande prouffyt y gyst vrayement.	Grete prouffyt lieth therin truly.
[[CH. I.]]
OR scaues quil affiert Quil ait du tout vne partie.	NOw knowe what behoueth That he haue of alle a partie.	[8]
Quand vous alles par les rues,	Whan ye goo by the streetes,
Et vous encountres aulcuns	And ye mete ony
Que vous cognossies,	That ye knowe,	[12]
Ou2 quilz soyent de vostre cognoissaunce,2 On	Or that they be of your knowelech,
Soyes ysnel et apparaillies	Be swyft and redy
De luy ou deulx premier saluer,	Hym or hem first to grete,	[16]
Sil est ou sils sount hommes de valeur.	Yf he be or they be men of valure.
Ostes vostre chappron	Doo of your hood
Pour dames & damoysellys;	For ladies and damoyselles;
Se ilz ostent leur chaperon,	Yf they doo of their hood,	[20]
Sy le remettes de vous mayns.	So sette it on agayn with your handis.
En telle maniere	In such manere
Les poes saluer:	May ye salewe them:
“Sire, dieu vous garde!”	“Syre, god you kepe!”	[24]
Cest le plus bryef	That is the shortest
Que on puise dyre	That one may saye
Aux gens en saluant.	To the peple in salewyng.
Ou, en aultres vsages:—	Or, in othir vsages:—	[28]
“Syre, vous soyes bien venus.”	“Sire, ye be welcome.”
“Vous, dame ou damoyselle,	“Ye, lady or damoyselle,
Vous soyes la bien venu.”	Ye ben welcome.”
“Sire, dieu vous doinst bon jour.”	“Syre, god gyue you good daye.”	[32]
“Dame, bon jour vous doinst nostre sire.”	“Dame, good daye giue you our lord.”
“Compaignon ou amye,	“Felawe or frende,
Vous soies le bien venus.”	Ye be welcome.”	[36]
“Que faictes vous? comment vous est?”	“What do ye? how is it with you?”
“Bien; que bien vous aies.”	“Well; that well mote ye haue.”
“Ou aues este si longement?	“Where haue ye ben so longe?	[40]

SALUTATIONS. HOW TO TAKE LEAVE OF FOLK.

Je ne vous vey piecha.”	I haue not seen you in longe tyme.”
“Jay este longement hors du pays.”	“I haue ben longe out of the contre.”
“En quel pays?”	“In what contre?”
“Sire, ce seroit	“Syre, that shold be	[4]
Trop a racompter;	Ouermoche for to telle;
Mais sil vous plaist aulcune chose	But if you plaise ony thyng
Que ie puisse fayre,	That I may doo,
Commandes le moy	Commaunde it me	[8]
Comme a celuy	As to hym
Qui volentiers le feroit.”	That gladly shall doo it.”
“Sire, grand mercy	“Syre, gramercy
De vous courtoyses parolles	Of your courtoys wordes	[12]
Et de vostre bonne volente;	And of your good wyll;
Dieu le vous mire!”	God reward you!”
“Dieu le me laisse deseruyr!	“God late me deserue it!
Sachies certainement1 1 certaineint	Knowe ye certaynely	[16]
Que vous ne y estes	That ye be not
Point engaignies2, 2 eugaignies	Nothyng deceyued5, 5 deceyned
Car ce vous feroye ie,	For that wold I doo
Pour vous et pour les vostres.	For you and for youris.	[20]
A dieu vous comande.	To god I you commaunde.
Je prenge congie3 a vous.” 3 cougie	I take leue of you.”
Respondes ainsi:	Ansuere thus:
“Nostre sire vous conduyse!”	“Our lorde conduyte you!”	[24]
“A dieu soyes vous comandes!”	“To god mote ye be commaunded!”
“Dieu vous ait en sa sainte garde!”	“God you haue in his holy kepyng!”
“Allez a dieu4. 4 dien	“Goo ye to god.
Salues moy la dame	Grete me the lady	[28]
(Ou la damoyselle)	(Or the damyselle)
De vostre mayson	Of your house
(Ou de vostre hostel),	(Or of your heberow),
Vostre femme, vous enfans,	Your wyf, your children,	[32]
Vostre mary,	Your husbonde,
Vostre fyltz et vous filles,	Your sones and your doughtres,
Toute vostre maisnye.	Alle your meyne.
Si me recomandes	Also recommaunde me	[36]
A mon seigneur,	To my lorde,
A mes damoyseauls,	To my yong lordes,
A ma dame,	To my lady,
A ma damoyselle,	To my yong lady,	[40]

TAKING LEAVE. WINDOWS, BEDS AND BEDDING.

A vostre pere et a vostre mere,	To your fadre and to your modre,
A vostre tayon et a vostre taye,	To your belfadre & to your beldame,
A vostre oncle et a vostre aunte,	To your eme & to your aunte,
A vostre cosyns et a vostre cosynes,	To your cosyns and to your nieces,	[4]
A vous cousyns germains,	To your cosyns germayns,
A vostre nepheux & a vostre nieces,	To your neueus & to your nieces,
Qui sont enfans de vostre frere	Whiche ben children of your brother
Ou de vostre soeur.	Or of your suster.	[8]
Vous freres, vous soeurs,	Your brethern, your sustres,
Ne loublies mye.”	Forgete them not.”
“Je le vous feray voulentiers.	“I shal do it for you gladly.
A dieu vous command.”	To god I commaunde you.”	[12]
“Or alles a dieu.”	“Now goo to god.”
Cy finent les salutations	Thus enden the salutations
Et les responses.	And the ansueris.
[[CH. II.]]
OR mestoet auant parler Daultres choses necessaires:	NOw standeth me for to speke Of othir thynges necessarie:	[16]
Cest a sauoyr des besongnes	That is to saye of thinges
Que on vse aual le maison,	That ben vsed after the hous,
De quoy on ne peult synon.	Of whiche me may not be withoute.	[20]
De la maison premiers diray,	Of the hous first I shall saye,
En auenture, se besoing est.	On auenture, if it be to doo.
La maison bien ordonne	The hous well ordeyned
Doybt estre bien fenestree	Ought to be well wyndowed	[24]
De pluiseurs fenestres	Of diverse wyndowes
Par quoy il ait grand clarte.	By which it haue grete light.
Il y affiert aux chambres	Hit behoueth to the chambres
Solliers, greniers.	Loftes and garettis.	[28]
[[CH. III.]]
QVi vin veult maintenier Conuient auoir chielliers	WHo wyne wyll mayntene Behoueth to haue selers
Et vne basse chambre	And a lowe chambre
Pour prendre aisement.	For to take his easement.	[32]
Ores vous conuient avoir lits;	Now must ye haue beddes;
Lyts des plummes;	Beddes of fetheris;
Pour les poures suz gesir,	For the poure to lye on,
Lyts de bourre;	Beddes of flockes;	[36]
Sarges, tapites,	Sarges, tapytes,
Kieultes poyntes	Quiltes paynted
Pour les lits couurir;	For the beddes to couere;
Couuertoyrs ainsi;	Couerlettes also;	[40]