The Treatise (original title Le Tretiz) is an Anglo-Norman poem written in the mid-13th century by Walter of Bibbesworth, addressed to Dionisie de Munchensi, with the aim of helping her to teach her children French, the language of the Norman aristocracy. It was a popular text in medieval England, and is a very early example of a book intended for reading to children.
How the author and the addressee knew one another is unknown, though their families both farmed land within reach of Hertford Fair, held annually from 1226.[1] In some manuscripts the text opens with a preface stating that the work is written for Madame Dyonise de Mountechensi. In others the poem is preceded by a letter of dedication, addressed simply Chere suer ("Dear sister"), a phrase that expresses equality in their social relationship and some friendship between them. The letter continues: "You have asked me to put in writing for your children a phrase book to teach them French."[2]
Dionisie's name had been "de Anesty" until her marriage to Warin de Munchensi in 1234. From that date she had two young stepchildren, John and Joan de Munchensi (who were grandchildren of William Marshal) and she soon bore one child of her own, William.[3] The book was perhaps written for Dionisie's marriage or soon after,[4] and "John, William and Joan probably learned their French" from this book.[5] Dionisie "lacked the requisite fluency" to make her children confident French-speakers[6] but a knowledge of the language would be essential in the future careers of William, a turbulent politician, and especially Joan: she unexpectedly gained a "very rich inheritance" in 1247, and King Henry III chose her in the same year to marry his half-brother William of Valence.[7]
The author's original intention was probably that the de Munchensi children would be looking at the text while Dionisie read it aloud.[8] The poem, written in rhyming lines of irregular length (usually 7 or 8 syllables), presents a series of topics beginning with birth and childhood, listing plants, animals and animal cries, continuing through household tasks and farm work, including fishing, baking, brewing, house-building, ploughing and carting,[9] and ending with a "great feast".[10] An emphasis on learning to manage a household and an estate has been noted.[11] The list of collective nouns for animals and the list of animal cries are the earliest sources for this special vocabulary in any European vernacular.[12]
In all manuscripts many significant words in the French text are accompanied by English translations, written between the lines or in the margins. These glosses help to show that the book is intended for children whose first language is English and whose second language is to be French.[13] A particular aim, according to the text, was that they should "be better taught in speech and not made fun of by others".[14]The Treatise marks a turning point in the linguistic history of medieval England, showing that by its date English "had already become the mother tongue of the children of the Anglo-Norman nobility, and that they learnt it before they were taught French."[15] It is among the very earliest books in any language explicitly intended "for children to hear and read".[16] It remained a popular text for two centuries, as shown both by the number of manuscripts in which it survives independently,[17] and by its re-use as part of the 14th-century collection Femina Nova, compiled for older students at a period when few English children learned French in their early years.[18]
Referencesedit
^Samantha Letters, Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516 (2005) "Hertfordshire"
^As argued by Dalby (2012) p. 15; "not later than 1250" according to Baugh and Cable (1993) p. 134; "between 1240 and 1250" according to Tony Hunt, "Bibbesworth, Walter of" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004); "prior to 1270 and most likely before 1254" according to Kennedy (2003) p. 131; "second half of the thirteenth century" in a "scholarly consensus" claimed by Rothwell (1990); "c. 1285" according to Hieatt (1982)
^ Joan became an heiress owing to the deaths of all five Marshal uncles and lastly (in early 1247) her brother John. Dalby (2012) pp. 12–13; Richard Vaughan, transl., The Illustrated Chronicles of Matthew Paris (Stroud: Sutton, 1993) p. 29; Baugh (1959) p. 31
^Michael T. Clanchy, From Memory to Written Record (London: Arnold, 1979) p. 225
^Kristol (1990); Rothwell (1968); W. Rothwell, "The Teaching and Learning of French in Later Medieval England" in Zeitschrift für französische Sprache und Literatur vol. 111 (2001) pp. 1–18
Further readingedit
Editions and translations
Thomas Wright, ed., A Volume of Vocabularies (London, 1857) pp. 142–174 Text at archive.org (edition)
Annie Owen, ed., Le Traité de Walter de Bibbesworth sur la langue française. Paris: PUF, 1929 (edition)
Constance B. Hieatt, "Ore pur parler del array de une graunt mangerye": The Culture of the "Newe Get, c. 1285" in Mary J. Carruthers, Elizabeth D. Kirk, eds, Acts of Interpretation. The text in its contexts 700–1600. Essays on Medieval and Renaissance Literature in honor of E. Talbot Donaldson (Norman, Oklahoma: Pilgrim Books, 1982) pp. 219–233 (partial edition and translation)
William Rothwell, ed., Walter de Bibbesworth: Le Tretiz. London: Anglo-Norman Text Society, 1990 (complete edition)
Kathleen Kennedy, transl., "Le Tretiz of Walter of Bibbesworth" in Daniel T. Kline, ed., Medieval Literature for Children (London: Routledge, 2003) pp. 131–142 (partial translation)
William Rothwell, Walter de Bibbesworth: Le Tretiz together with two Anglo-French poems in praise of women (2009: complete online edition)
Andrew Dalby, ed. and transl., The Treatise of Walter of Bibbesworth. Totnes: Prospect Books, 2012. ISBN978-1-903018-86-6 (edition, based on Rothwell, and complete English translation) Preview
Studies
Albert C. Baugh, "The Date of Walter of Bibbesworth's Traité" in Horst Oppel, ed., Festschrift für Walther Fischer (Heidelberg: Winter, 1959) pp. 21–33
Albert C. Baugh, T. Cable, A History of the English Language. 4th ed. London, 1993
Alexander Bell, "Notes on Walter de Bibbesworth's Treatise" in Philological Quarterly vol. 41 (1962) pp. 361–372
Renate Haas, "Femina: female roots of "foreign" language teaching and the rise of mother-tongue ideologies" in Exemplaria vol. 19 no. 1 (2007) pp. 139–162
Karen K. Jambeck, "The Tretiz of Walter of Bibbesworth: cultivating the vernacular" in Albrecht Classen, ed., Childhood in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (Berlin: Walter De Gruyter, 2005) pp. 159–184
Kathleen Kennedy, "Changes in Society and Language Acquisition: the French language in England 1215–1480" in English Language Notes vol. 35 (1998) pp. 1–15
Andres Kristol, "L'enseignement du français en Angleterre (XIIIe-XVe siècles): les sources manuscrites" in Romania vol. 111 (1990) pp. 289–330
William Rothwell, "A Mis-Judged Author and a Mis-Used Text: Walter de Bibbesworth and His "Tretiz"" in Modern Language Review vol. 77 (1982) pp. 282–293
William Rothwell, "Anglo-French and Middle English Vocabulary in Femina Nova" in Medium Aevum vol. 69 (2000) pp. 34–58
William Rothwell, "Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice: From Oriental Bazar to English Cloister in Anglo-French" in Modern Language Review vol. 94 (1999) pp. 647–659
William Rothwell, "The Teaching of French in Medieval England" in Modern Language Review vol. 63 (1968) pp. 37–46
William Sayers, "Animal vocalization and human polyglossia in Walter of Bibbesworth's 13th-century domestic treatise in Anglo-Norman French" in Sign System Studies (Tartu, 2009) pp. 173–187
treatise, walter, bibbesworth, treatise, original, title, tretiz, anglo, norman, poem, written, 13th, century, walter, bibbesworth, addressed, dionisie, munchensi, with, helping, teach, children, french, language, norman, aristocracy, popular, text, medieval, . The Treatise original title Le Tretiz is an Anglo Norman poem written in the mid 13th century by Walter of Bibbesworth addressed to Dionisie de Munchensi with the aim of helping her to teach her children French the language of the Norman aristocracy It was a popular text in medieval England and is a very early example of a book intended for reading to children Farmland near Bibbsworth Hall Kimpton HertfordshireHow the author and the addressee knew one another is unknown though their families both farmed land within reach of Hertford Fair held annually from 1226 1 In some manuscripts the text opens with a preface stating that the work is written for Madame Dyonise de Mountechensi In others the poem is preceded by a letter of dedication addressed simply Chere suer Dear sister a phrase that expresses equality in their social relationship and some friendship between them The letter continues You have asked me to put in writing for your children a phrase book to teach them French 2 Dionisie s name had been de Anesty until her marriage to Warin de Munchensi in 1234 From that date she had two young stepchildren John and Joan de Munchensi who were grandchildren of William Marshal and she soon bore one child of her own William 3 The book was perhaps written for Dionisie s marriage or soon after 4 and John William and Joan probably learned their French from this book 5 Dionisie lacked the requisite fluency to make her children confident French speakers 6 but a knowledge of the language would be essential in the future careers of William a turbulent politician and especially Joan she unexpectedly gained a very rich inheritance in 1247 and King Henry III chose her in the same year to marry his half brother William of Valence 7 The author s original intention was probably that the de Munchensi children would be looking at the text while Dionisie read it aloud 8 The poem written in rhyming lines of irregular length usually 7 or 8 syllables presents a series of topics beginning with birth and childhood listing plants animals and animal cries continuing through household tasks and farm work including fishing baking brewing house building ploughing and carting 9 and ending with a great feast 10 An emphasis on learning to manage a household and an estate has been noted 11 The list of collective nouns for animals and the list of animal cries are the earliest sources for this special vocabulary in any European vernacular 12 In all manuscripts many significant words in the French text are accompanied by English translations written between the lines or in the margins These glosses help to show that the book is intended for children whose first language is English and whose second language is to be French 13 A particular aim according to the text was that they should be better taught in speech and not made fun of by others 14 The Treatise marks a turning point in the linguistic history of medieval England showing that by its date English had already become the mother tongue of the children of the Anglo Norman nobility and that they learnt it before they were taught French 15 It is among the very earliest books in any language explicitly intended for children to hear and read 16 It remained a popular text for two centuries as shown both by the number of manuscripts in which it survives independently 17 and by its re use as part of the 14th century collection Femina Nova compiled for older students at a period when few English children learned French in their early years 18 References edit Samantha Letters Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516 2005 Hertfordshire Dalby 2012 pp 9 11 Ridgeway 2004 As argued by Dalby 2012 p 15 not later than 1250 according to Baugh and Cable 1993 p 134 between 1240 and 1250 according to Tony Hunt Bibbesworth Walter of in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004 prior to 1270 and most likely before 1254 according to Kennedy 2003 p 131 second half of the thirteenth century in a scholarly consensus claimed by Rothwell 1990 c 1285 according to Hieatt 1982 Kennedy 2003 p 131 Glyn Burgess in The Times Literary Supplement 5 October 2012 pp 26 27 Rothwell 1968 p 38 Joan became an heiress owing to the deaths of all five Marshal uncles and lastly in early 1247 her brother John Dalby 2012 pp 12 13 Richard Vaughan transl The Illustrated Chronicles of Matthew Paris Stroud Sutton 1993 p 29 Baugh 1959 p 31 Michael T Clanchy From Memory to Written Record London Arnold 1979 p 225 Jambeck 2005 pp 161 163 and passim The feast is the subject of Hieatt 1982 Rothwell 1982 p 282 Kennedy 2003 p 133 Sayers 2009 Owen 1929 p 6 Lines 27 28 Jambeck 2005 pp 168 169 Wright 1857 Dalby 2012 p 7 Baugh and Cable 1993 p 134 Kristol 1990 Rothwell 1968 W Rothwell The Teaching and Learning of French in Later Medieval England in Zeitschrift fur franzosische Sprache und Literatur vol 111 2001 pp 1 18Further reading editEditions and translationsThomas Wright ed A Volume of Vocabularies London 1857 pp 142 174 Text at archive org edition Annie Owen ed Le Traite de Walter de Bibbesworth sur la langue francaise Paris PUF 1929 edition Constance B Hieatt Ore pur parler del array de une graunt mangerye The Culture of the Newe Get c 1285 in Mary J Carruthers Elizabeth D Kirk eds Acts of Interpretation The text in its contexts 700 1600 Essays on Medieval and Renaissance Literature in honor of E Talbot Donaldson Norman Oklahoma Pilgrim Books 1982 pp 219 233 partial edition and translation William Rothwell ed Walter de Bibbesworth Le Tretiz London Anglo Norman Text Society 1990 complete edition Kathleen Kennedy transl Le Tretiz of Walter of Bibbesworth in Daniel T Kline ed Medieval Literature for Children London Routledge 2003 pp 131 142 partial translation William Rothwell Walter de Bibbesworth Le Tretiz together with two Anglo French poems in praise of women 2009 complete online edition Andrew Dalby ed and transl The Treatise of Walter of Bibbesworth Totnes Prospect Books 2012 ISBN 978 1 903018 86 6 edition based on Rothwell and complete English translation PreviewStudiesAlbert C Baugh The Date of Walter of Bibbesworth s Traite in Horst Oppel ed Festschrift fur Walther Fischer Heidelberg Winter 1959 pp 21 33 Albert C Baugh T Cable A History of the English Language 4th ed London 1993 Alexander Bell Notes on Walter de Bibbesworth s Treatise in Philological Quarterly vol 41 1962 pp 361 372 Renate Haas Femina female roots of foreign language teaching and the rise of mother tongue ideologies in Exemplaria vol 19 no 1 2007 pp 139 162 Karen K Jambeck The Tretiz of Walter of Bibbesworth cultivating the vernacular in Albrecht Classen ed Childhood in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Berlin Walter De Gruyter 2005 pp 159 184 Kathleen Kennedy Changes in Society and Language Acquisition the French language in England 1215 1480 in English Language Notes vol 35 1998 pp 1 15 Andres Kristol L enseignement du francais en Angleterre XIIIe XVe siecles les sources manuscrites in Romania vol 111 1990 pp 289 330 William Rothwell A Mis Judged Author and a Mis Used Text Walter de Bibbesworth and His Tretiz in Modern Language Review vol 77 1982 pp 282 293 William Rothwell Anglo French and Middle English Vocabulary in Femina Nova in Medium Aevum vol 69 2000 pp 34 58 William Rothwell Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice From Oriental Bazar to English Cloister in Anglo French in Modern Language Review vol 94 1999 pp 647 659 William Rothwell The Teaching of French in Medieval England in Modern Language Review vol 63 1968 pp 37 46 William Sayers Animal vocalization and human polyglossia in Walter of Bibbesworth s 13th century domestic treatise in Anglo Norman French in Sign System Studies Tartu 2009 pp 173 187 nbsp Children s literature portal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Treatise Walter of Bibbesworth amp oldid 984696616, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
