COTGRAVE, Randle. A Dictionarie of the French & English Tongues. 1632

COTGRAVE, Randle.
A Dictionarie of the French & English Tongues.
London, Adam Islip; 1632.
£2250.00
FIRST EDITION thus. Folio, 648 ll. A4 B-3Z 6, 4A-4N6 (final gathering numbered 1-5, last blank) + (ii) A-2O4, Pp6, Qq2. Two parts in one, separate title within ornate border to each. First architectural, with flowers, grapes, birds and tendrils (McKerrow & Ferguson 223), second within compartment of mouldings, baskets of fruit at corners (McKerrow & Ferguson 147 without mermaid). First part, French text Roman, second English in Black letter, translations in Italics, both within printed line borders, some ornamental headpieces and initials, small waterstain to head of a few ll. (mostly marginal), a few tiny rust holes, paper flaw to tail of a few ll without loss, one lower outer corner torn, not affecting text, light age yellowing. A good copy in contemporary calf, small tears from head and foot of spine, a.e.r., edges and covers with patterned ink flecks, acquisition note with price of George Legatt 1645; contemp. paper proto-label loosely inserted, C16 vellum ms stubs. Best early edition of Cotgrave's combined French-English and English-French dictionaries, the latter printed here for the first time; later editions were much altered by John Howell. Cotgrave was longtime secretary to William Cecil Lord Burghley (Elizabeth I's first minister) to whom he dedicates the work, in thanks for enabling him to complete it by "so often dispersing with the ordinary assistance of an ordinary servant." In fact though compiled and seen through the press by Cotgrave he was not the sole author. The first part is derived from Claud Holyband's edition of 1579, though much enlarged by Cotgrave and the second is the acknowledged work of Robert Sherwood. The result of the combined efforts however is a delightful and fascinating volume in which robust Shakespearean English and Rabelasian French are given full expression. 'Gaultiere', we learn, means any of "whore, punke, drab, queane, gill, flirt, strumpet, cockatrice, made wench, common hackney, good one" whilst no less than 17 equivalent terms are given in French including the splendid 'pelerine de Venus'. Most usefully whole phrases are often given "Queue à queue" translates, memorably as 'nose in arse, one close after, one in the necke of another', as are once common maxims "jeune chair & viel poisson" or "young flesh and old fish are daintiest." There are two sections on correct pronunciation, the one on French, as the dictionary, more extensive. DNB says, a little harshly "Cotgrave's dictionary, although not free from ludicrous mistakes, was at the time at which it was published, an unusually careful and intelligent piece of lexicographical work, and is still constantly referred to by students, both of English and French philology." The editors of the OED cite Cotgrave no less than 6000 times and his 50,000 entries of ordinary popular usage present an intimate picture of French and English society and culture of the early 17th Century. It is of interest also as evidence of the extent to which terms derived from the New World had already entered the respective languages. A 'George Legatt' was British consul at Genoa in the 1670s. STC 5831 Lowndes II 532. "Very useful in explaining the obsolete terms in old French writers." Alden 632/34

L1025.

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