Preface

So many Statutes, Acts of State, Records, Law Books, and MSS. are extant in the Norman and old French language, that a dictionary is become necessary to enable the reader to understand such difficult words as occur therein in that language; whether difficulty arises from the words being merely idiomatical, or from the inorthography sha of them. There is indeed a book called the Law French Dictionary; but it is so trifling a performance, and so incorrect, that it greatly misleads the reader, as will evidently appear to any one who will compare several of the words in that dictionary (1) with their origimals in the authors from whence they are taken. Mr. Hughes (whose merit in translating so antient an author, as the Mirror, was not inconsiderable) has yet frequently mistaken the sense of the text, as I presume will be manifest from the passages here cited (2). (1) As Ocptaz

— Nov. Nar. 6. b.—until the Octaves—translated they have wished. Deins—ibid.—11. b.—Tecth—the Eycs. Un longaync—No. Nar. 16. a. b.—a House of Office, a Jakes—a Shecp walk. Perefoys

— Nov. Nar. 17. a. b.—by Turns—the Agrecmeat or Covenant. Desyra

— Nov. Nar. 47. b.—tore—took away, spoiled. Gesta—Ibid.—carried away—put, castin. Ent grand pren—2. In. 506—great protit therefrom—in great Fear. Reints

— Brit. 49. a.—fined—rests, remains. Ramis—ibid. 66. a.—replaced, fixed on again—torn. Reys—ibid. 83. a.—Kings

— Faults. Entessaunt—ibid. 242. a.—Tacitly, by being silent—in witnessing. Suppletions

— Preamble, Stat. Glou. 2 In. 277.—Helps, Amendmente

— Petition. (2) Inviergoigne—p. 4—to the Repronch—translated in condemnation. Fissend les viencs—13—make their views—make their Vianes. ! La Neece, le Ante le Heirc, lc Roy—W—the Niece being the Heir of the King—the Nurse, the Aunt, Heir to the King. Tache de lour arte—23—infected with their Art—taken with their rt. En volics Chautes et gargaus dr Oiseauz—23—in the Flight, singing and chattering of Birds

— Jn the Intrails and Bowels of Birds. Garnishant—33—warning—defending. Moirent de disette—3i—die for Want—die in the Deserts. If the word defends made use of in a defendant’s plea had been considered as derived from the Norman French word defender, and to signify to oppose or deny, and not to justify; Mr. Booth in his accurate ‘Treatise of Real Actions would not have acknow- Icdged himsclf s0 much at a loss to explain the entry of the defendant’s defence in @ writ of right. Booth, xciv. 112.—3 Blackstone, 296. Nor surely, if the idiom of this language had been understood, would this passage. in Britton, “Si lesglise demoerge descounseille outre vi. moys, adonques solonc le Counceil “de Lions par I’descord d’s parties, le fra levesque del lieu counseiller & dorra lesglise “a ascun clerke d’sun office, sauve chescun droit,” been rendered, by so elaborate and judicious an abridger as Mr. Vincr, in the following manner: “Tf the Church remains discouncilled beyond six months, then, according to the council; “of Lyons, by the discord of the parties, the bishop shall be in the place of a counsellor, “ané shall give the church to any clerk, saving every one’s right;” instead of (as with great deference I think it ought to be translated) “If the Church remains unprovided beyond six months, then, according to the Council of Lyons, by reason of the disagreement of the parties, the Bishop of the Diocese shall provide for it, and shall, ex ofheio, oo some clerk to the church, saving every one’s right.” Britton, 225. a. 17. Viner, 77. Nor if the Norman Law French had been properly understood by the professors of our Law, would a Frenchinan, on a late remarkable trial, have been called in to read and explain some Norman French charters produced in a British court of Judicature. Even the statutes themselves, as found in our books, are, I am afraid, in many places too liable to the sume censure; a specimen from the short Statute of Fineg (1), and from the Statute of Acton (2) Burnell, will shew this; lieu delivered read la pees translated the Peace instead of < the Concord sur la pie by the County on the Foot. The mention therefore of these passages, thus erroneously translated, may be of some use, I trust, to incite young students to attain to a more perfect knowledge of the antient Norman Law French; for Justice Fortescue, in his learned preface prefixed to his Reports, and to the Treatise of Absolute and Limited Monarchy, wrote by Sir John Fortescue, Lord Chief Justice of England under Henry VI. says, that without being acquainted with this language, whcrein so much of our laws yet in force is written, a man cannot pretend to the name of a lawyer; and as many of the Public Acts which are in Latin in Rymer’s Feedera are not, in the judgment of Rapin, to be understvod without the assistance of Ducange or Spelman; I may venture to say, that great numbers of the same kind of instruments found there in the old French language are not less difficult Oisel—3O0—Bird

— Cat. En pure sacote—53—in his Coat only—in pure Sackcloth. Ga rdassent— 102—support—dcfend. Nest atteintable—113—is not to be attainted—is not attestable. Son peir—116—his equal

— Ats superior. Al monester—117—to admonish—to shew. Eins ceur gue—p. we.—before that—after that. Quantum rene rife Naam—158—when one forbids the replevying a live Distress—twhen @ Man icads away a lire distress. Garranti:ables—17—are to be warranted, or to be proved—are to appear. Ox containes—178—or far off—or contain. Enemics discries—178--proclaimed, notorious Enemies

— Enemies discovered. St Clerke ordcine—\er—if a Clerk ordained—tf a Clerk be ordered. Al checer—2W1—to perform, to attourn—to come to. D'maine un gule—212—from Hand to Mouth—of his own Hand. Est fief des tailles—212—is seised of the Tallies—by Tallies. De quirc—2l8—with Leather—zrith Iron. Escu du cuyre—a Shield of Leather—a Shield of Iron. Per le refoil de la mer—222—by the Ebbing of the Sea—dy the Waves of the Sea. Sons—223—payment—a Release. Sil fernist sa ley—241—if he performs his Law—f he wage his Law. Per vist enfarer—2A8—by burying alive—by burning alive.. Per urur de eux—%1—by plucking out the Eyes—by burning them over the Eyes. Que ne noi rent—271—who do not send

— Aurted not. Afforcement de la ley—222—a forcing, straining of the Law—erring from the Law. Ou acoient ree—3U—or had denied—or had sent. Eins ceo que—Ws—before that—inasmuch aa.