An Introductorie for to Lerne to Read, To Pronounce, and to Speke French Trewly — Background and Themes

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In Category - Historical Textbooks

Authors: Du Wés, Giles, -1535 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2009 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: French language -- Grammar -- Early works to 1800; French language -- Textbooks for foreign speakers -- English Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 67,708

Reading time 295 min

Text sections 12

For An Introductorie for to Lerne to Read, To Pronounce, and to Speke French Trewly — Background and Themes, the stored edition analysis reports 67,708 words, 4 hr 55 min estimated reading time, and 12 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 13.4 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “French language -- Grammar -- Early works to 1800,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #29068

Giles Du Wés's 16th-century French textbook, written for Princess Mary, blends grammar instruction with religious verse and dialogue. The text's typographic layout, accent system, and code-switching between English and French reveal early modern language pedagogy.

Editorial Edition Score 4.7/5

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Description quality20 pts
Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
Chapters / structure15 pts
EPUB file integrity20 pts

Total of 100 points, scaled to a 2.5-5.0 range. Editions with an empty description or a missing EPUB file are not scored.

Edition quality

File: pg29068

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him. come ne lauoy je pas cogneu.

Thou hadest knowen me, thou hadest the, thou hadest him. Tu mauoys cogneu, tu tauoys cogneu, tu lauoys congneu.

How hadest thou knowen me, how hadest thou the, Come mauoys tu cogneu, come tauoys tu cogneu, how hadest thou him. come lauoys tu cogneu.

Thou hadest nat knowen me, thou hadest nat the, Tu ne mauoys pas cogneu, tu ne tauoys pas cogneu, thou hadest nat him. tu ne lauoys pas cogneu.

How hadest thou nat knowen me, how hadest thou nat the, Come ne mauois tu pas cogneu, come ne tauoys tu pas cogneu, how hadest thou nat him. come ne lauoys tu pas cogneu.

He had knowen me, he had the, he had him. Il mauoit cogneu, il tauoit cogneu, il lavoit cogneu.

How had he knowen me, how had he the, how had he him. Come mauoit il cogneu, come tauoyt il cogneu, come lauoyt il cogneu.

He had nat knowen me, he had nat the, Il ne mauoit pas cogneu, il ne tauoyt pas cogneu, he had nat him. il ne lauoyt pas cogneu.

How had nat he knowen me, how had nat he the, Come ne mauoyt il pas cogneu, come ne tauoit il pas cogneu, how had nat he him. come ne lavoit il pas cogneu.

We had knowen us, we had you, Nous nous auions cogneu, nous uous auions cogneu, we had him. nous les auious cogneu.

How had we knowen us, how had we you, Come nous auions nous cogneu, come uous auions nous cogneu, how had we them. come les auions nous cogneu.

We had nat knowen us, we had nat you, Nous ne nous auions pas cogneu, nous ne uous auions pas cogneu, we had nat them. nous ne les auions pas cogneu.

Howe had nat we knowen us, Come ne nous auions nous pas cogneu, how had nat we you, come ne uous auions nous pas cogneu, how had nat we them. come ne les auions nous pas cogneu.

Ye had knowen us, ye had you, ye had them. Uous nous auies cogneu, uous uous auies cogneu, uous les auies cogneu.

How had ye knowen us, how had ye you, Come nous auies uous cogneu, come uous auiez nous cogneu, how had ye them. come les auies uous cogneu.

Ye had nat knowen us, ye had nat you, Uous ne nous auies pas cogneu, uous ne uous auies pas cogneu, ye had nat them. uous ne les auies pas cogneu.

How had nat ye knowen me, how had nat ye you, Come ne nous auies uous pas cogneu, come ne les auies uous pas cogneu, how had nat ye them. come ne les auies uous pas cogneu.

They had knowen us, they had you, Ilz nous auoient cogneu, ilz uous auoient cogneu, they had them. ilz les auoient cogneu.

How had they knowen us, how had they you, Come nous auoient ilz cogneu, come uous auoient ilz cogneu, how had they them. come les auoient ilz cogneu.

They had nat knowen us, they had nat you, Ilz ne nous auoient pas cogneu, ilz ne uous auoient pas cogneu, they had nat them. ilz ne les auoient pas cogneu.

How had they nat knowen us, Come ne nous auoient ilz pas congneu, how had they nat you, come ne uous auoient ilz pas congneu, how had they nat them. come ne les auoient ilz pas cogneu.

I shall know me, I shall the, I shall him. Je me cognoistray, je te cognoistray, je le cognoistray.

How shall I know me, how shall I the, how shall I him. Come me cognoistray je, come te cognoistray je, come le cognoistray je.

I shall nat know me, I shall nat the, Je ne me congnoistray pas, je ne te congnoistray pas, I shall nat him. je ne le congnoistray pas.

How shall nat I know me, how shall nat I the, Come ne me cognoistray je pas, come ne te cognoistray je pas, how shall nat I him. come ne le cognoistray je pas.

Thou shalt know me, thou shall the, thou shalt him. Tu me cognoistras, tu te cognoistras, tu le cognoistras.

How shalt thou knowe me, how shalt thou the, Come me cognoistras tu, come te cognoistras tu, how shalt thou him. come le cognoistras tu.

Thou shalt nat knowe me, thou shalt nat the, Tu ne me cognoistras pas, tu ne te cognoistras pas, thou shalt nat him. tu ne le cognoistras pas.

How shalt thou nat knowe me, how shalt thou nat the, Come ne me cognoistras tu pas, come ne te cognoistras tu pas, how shall thou nat him. come ne le cognoistras tu pas.

Continue Reading →

Giles Du Wés's An Introductorie for to Lerne to Read, To Pronounce, and to Speke French Trewly opens with a dedicatory poem to the Lady Mary, using an acrostic on her name that interlaces English and French lines. The text immediately establishes a dual-language structure: each English phrase is followed by its French equivalent, often with slight variations in word order. This parallel layout, combined with the editor's note explaining that Du Wés placed accents under vowels (here moved above), signals a meticulous concern for pronunciation. The work is not a simple phrasebook but a pedagogical artifact that treats language as both a practical skill and a spiritual exercise, as seen in the opening imploration for grace.

Acrostic and Devotional Framing

The book begins with a poem that spells out MARIA vertically, each letter introducing a line of praise. The English and French versions are not identical: the French adds descriptive adjectives like redolente and jolie that are absent from the English. This asymmetry suggests Du Wés tailored the French to showcase vocabulary and sound patterns. The acrostic is followed by a prayer imploring grace, where the French treshumblement intensifies the English 'ryght humbly.' Such devotional framing recurs throughout, embedding language learning within a moral and religious context. The student is not merely acquiring phrases but participating in a pious exercise.

Dialogue as Pedagogical Tool

A later excerpt presents a dialogue between 'Ma.' and 'Gil.' on the nature of war and peace. The exchange moves from external conflicts (between realms, towns, neighbours) to internal ones (between body and soul), culminating in a definition of peace drawn from Saint Augustine. The French translation often expands on the English: where the English says 'peas of corage,' the French offers tranquilité de courage. The dialogue form allows Du Wés to model conversational turn-taking while embedding doctrinal content. The student learns not just vocabulary but how to structure an argument in French, with the master's voice guiding the pupil through increasingly abstract concepts.

Voice and Personal Address

The section titled 'Here foloweth certayne verses, sende to the noble Lady Mary' shifts to a first-person complaint from the schoolmaster, who is sick and unable to teach. The verses mix courtly deference ('most soverayn maistresse') with self-deprecation, and the French version occasionally adds emotional weight—ma grand doulleur for 'my great dolour.' The master asks Mary to read the verses and thereby excuse his absence, turning the lesson into a personal transaction. This passage reveals the human relationship behind the textbook: the author is not a distant compiler but a tutor addressing his pupil directly, using verse as both apology and instruction.

Readers approaching this text should attend to its typographical layout: the parallel columns of English and French, the original under-vowel accents, and the occasional marginal notes. The work is best read aloud, as Du Wés's system prioritizes pronunciation. The incomplete nature of this digital edition—drawn from a larger volume—means that some references to page numbers and earlier sections are missing. Nonetheless, the surviving excerpts offer a vivid glimpse into early Tudor language teaching, where grammar, devotion, and personal address intertwine.

Flipping through Du Wés’s handbook, I noticed how he tucked prayers between verb tables, as if language and devotion were threads of the same cloth. It reminded me, unexpectedly, of that small Spanish reader I once kept on a windowsill—its gentle dialogues breathing the same quiet patience. There is a particular tenderness in primers meant for young royals or sleepy beginners, a warmth that lingers. A First Spanish Reader — Inside the Classic holds that same unhurried charm, like turning a page and hearing a familiar accent.