Protestant Exiles from France/Book First - Chapter 7 - Section IX

by David Carnegie Andrew Agnew

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IX. Miége.

“Guy Miége, gentleman,” having been an associate of the later Huguenot refugees, may be chronicled as a French Protestant who settled in England about a quarter of a century before the Revocation. He first appears at Gravesend on 15th July 1663, on board ship in the suite of the Earl of Carlisle, Ambassador Extraordinary. In 1669 he published, “A Relation of Three Embassies from his Sacred Majestie Charles II., to the Great Duke of Muscovie, the King of Sweden, and the King of Denmark, performed by the Right Ho^ble. the Earle of Carlisle in the years 1663 and 1664. Written by an Attendant on the Embassies, and published with his L^ps. Approbation.” The Approbation was in this form:— “Having seen the Relation of my Embassies into Moscovy, Sweden, and Denmark, written by G. M., I do hereby give him leave to print and publish the same. The 30 of November 1668.

(Signed)Carlisle.”
“Licensed March the 26 1669.(Signed)Roger L’Estrange.”

Guy Miége became celebrated for his French Dictionaries, in which, it may be remarked, he illustrates the use of the noun Earl, thus:— “The Earl of Carlisle, Le Comte de Carlile.” The dictionary which he found in use was Randal Cotgrave’s, originally published in 1632. In 1677 Miége launched “A New Dictionary, French and English, with another, English and French, according to the present use and modern Orthography of the French. Inrich’d with new words, choice phrases, and apposite proverbs, digested with a most accurate method and contrived for the use both of English and Foreiners. By Guy Miége, Gent. London, Printed by Tho. Dawks, for Thomas Basset, at the George near Clifford’s-lnn in Fleetstreet, 1677.” This quarto volume was followed by another, entitled, “A Dictionary of Barbarous French, by way of Alphabet, of Obsolete, Provincial, Mis-spelt, and Made Words in French. Taken out of Cotgrave’s Dictionary, with some additions. A work much desired and now performed for the satisfaction of such as read Old French. By Guy Miége, Author of the New French Dictionary.” London, 1679. In Nicholls’ Literary Anecdotes we find the title of a periodical, “L’Etat present de l’Europe, suivant les Gazettes et autres Avis dAngleterre, France, Hollande, &c. Imprime a Londres pour ^r. Guy Miége, auteur. No. 1, Sept. 25, 1682.”

Not satisfied with his Dictionary, he set to work and wrote with his own hand his Great Dictionary, published in 1688, in the preface to which he says that his first book was hastily done to meet a public demand, and as to the second, that the Barbarous Words were “so much wanted at first, and as much nauseated at last.” His new dictionary was a splendid folio volume, entitled, “The Great French Dictionary, in Two Parts. The First, French and English; the Second, English and French, according to the Ancient and Modern Orthography. Wherein each language is set forth in its greatest latitude — the various senses of words both proper and figurative are orderly digested and illustrated with apposite Phrases and Proverbs, the Hard Words explained, and the proprieties adjusted. To which are prefixed the Grounds of both languages, in Two Grammatical Discourses, the one English, and the other French. By Guy Miége, Gent. London, Printed by J. Redmayne, for Tho. Basset, at the George near St Dunstan’s Church in Fleet-street, 1688.”^[1] He published at the Hague, “The Short French Dictionary,” 2 vols. 8vo., 5th edition, 1701. Chamberlayne’s Angliae Notitia was an annual volume, like an almanac, which began in 1668; Miége brought out a similar volume in 1707, entitled, “The Present State of Great Britain,” dedicated to Henry de Grey, Marquis of Kent (I have not met with any other volume).

“The Great French Dictionary” was superseded by Abel Boyer’s Royal Dictionary, which was more strictly lexicographic. But Miége’s Folio is full of interest from its short paragraphs illustrative of the habits of thought and expression of the men of his time. As to himself, like most refugees of the period, he was much in the society of Church of England men, and plied with unscrupulous gossip concerning Puritans, Conventicles, Whigs, Presbyterians, and Scotchmen, the compendious result of which appears in a few places in his Dictionary. But his good French Protestant education is apparent. Thus he defines theology, as that “whereof God is the proper object”; and says, “Faith, Hope, and Charity are the three theological virtues”; to this he adds a note, “Faith is called a Theological Virtue, because it hath its Object and ends in God, the object of Faith being God’s veracity, or infallibility in speaking truth — Hope, because it’s God’s infinite inclination to do good to all — Charity, for that its object is God’s infinite perfection whereby he is the object of all love.” We have some of his sentiments as a French Protestant.

I hate a religion that loves to swim in bloud.	Je deteste une religion sanguinaire; j’abhorre une religion qui est tonjours alterée de sang humain.
The horrid massacre that was made of the French Protestants on S. Bartholomew’s Day in the year 1572. Persecution is the door to happiness.	L’horrible massacre qui fut fait des Protestant de France le jour de la S. Bartelemi l’An 1572.
Canaan has still the same Way, a Wilderness.	La Persecution est le chemin du ciel; on n’entre dans la Canaan céleste que par de grands et d’afreux deserts.
It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good.	C’est un proverbe a quoi revient à peu près le nôtre, A quelque chose Malheur est bon.
Huguenot, a nick-name which the Papists of France used to give to the Protestants there.	Un Huguenot, un Protestant, un Religionaire.

☞ This name the French Protestants (as several authors write) got from a gate of Tours, called the Gate of S. Hugo, at which the Protestants of Tours used at first to issue out to their assemblies in the fields. Others think this name was given unto them from a nightwalking spirit called S. Hugo, in regard they had their first meetings for the most part in the nights, as had the primitive Christians in the time of their persecutions. Some, more improbably, and indeed ridiculously, derive their name from the first words of an Apology which they are fabled to have made to the King, the words being (as they say) Hue Nos venimus; and as the Protestants did derive that appellation from the word Protestamur, so from those words Hue Nos they fancy came the name Huguenots.

It appears that in Miége’s time the word refugee had not been coined by the English, nor had its French participial root refugié been brought into use as a noun (in fact the French do not seem to have ever coined such a noun, for François refugiés ought to be translated “sheltered Frenchmen”). (Professor Weiss called the world-wide community of Huguenot refugees le refuge, but added that such is not pure French, “nous le savons bien.”) Neither had the word stranger or straunger been then applied to refugees. But Miége has the word “un fugitif,” one that flies (or is fled) out of his country — also the phrases “to fly to a place for shelter”, — se refugier en quelque lieu; “he is fled to me for shelter,” — il s'est refugié auprès de moi; “to be kind to foreigners,” — être ami des étrangers; avoir de la bonté et des égards pour eux. After the word “Frenchman,” he says, “Note, that heretofore the word Frenchman was wont to be used for every outlandish man.” He seems to have rather understated the privileges of denization:—

Denison, or Denizen. Regnicole affranchi par les Lettres du Roi, qui en vertue de ces Lettres jouit à peu près des memes Privileges que les Naturels des Pais. C’est un Degré de Naturalization en usage en Angleterre.

☞ A Denison signifies in law an alien infranchised in England by the King’s Charter, and inabled almost in all respects to do as native subjects, namely, to purchase, and possess lands, to be capable of any office or dignity. Yet it is short of Naturalization, because a stranger naturalized may inherit lands by descent, which a man made only a Denizen cannot. And in the Charter whereby a man is made Denison, there is commonly contained some one clause or other, that abridges him of that full benefit which natural subjects do injoy. Now, when a man is thus infranchised he is said to be under the king’s protection; before which time he can enjoy nothing in England, nay, he and his goods might be seized to the king’s use.

The observations of M. Miége on the difference between English and French ideas and ways are serviceable, and often amusing. After explaining the English parliament to mean the national legislature, he comes to

The Ten Parliaments of France — les dix Parlements de France.

☞ These are only supreme Courts of Judicature both for civil and criminal causes, and they take their names from the places where they are fixt, viz., the Parliament of Paris, in the Isle of France; of Toulouse, in Languedoc; Bourdeaux, in Guienne; Aix, in Provence; Grenoble, in Dauphiné; Dijon, in Burgundy; Rouen, in Normandy; Rennes, in Brittany; Pau, in Bearn, and Metz, in Lorrain.

In the French-English part we discover:—

Badaut — a silly man, a Parisian (in a burlesk sense).

Turning to the English-French part we find:—

Cockney — un Badaut de Londres.

☞ This word is applied only to one born within the sound of Bow-bell, that is, within the City of London, and came first (according to Minshew), out of this tale. A citizen’s son riding with his father out of London into the country, and being utterly ignorant how corn grew or cattel increased, asked when a horse neighed what he did; his father answered the horse doth neigh. Riding further, the son heard a cock crow, and said, Doth the cock neigh too? Hence, by way of jeer, he was called Cockneigh. But Cambden takes the etymology of Cockney from the Thames called of old time Cockney at London. And others say, the little brook, which runs by Turn-hole or by Turn-mill Street, was anciently so called.

A Bowling Green. Parterre uni de gazons ou l’on joué a la Boule comme sur un tapis verd. Et c’est de ces Bowling-Greens d’Angleterre qu’est le mot de Boulingrin en France, qui signifie un parterre de gazons.

Pudding — un Boudin.

☞ Il faudroit être cuisinier pour decrire ici toutes les sortes de Boudin qui se font en Angleterre. . . . Boyled Puddings — Baked (or, Pan) Puddings. Les uns et les autres se font avec de la fleur de farine, du suif de beuf, du lait, des ceufs, et des raisins sec ou des raisins de Corinthe. II y en a qui se distinguent par quelque autre ingrediens qu’on y met, et d’autres qui se font d’une different maniere au rest, c’est un plat d’Angleterre, à quoi les Etrangers s’ accoutument facilement.

To Thank. Il faut remarquer sur ce mot une manière Angloise. C’est que quand on demande en Anglois a un ami comment il se porte, la reponse est ordinairement Very well, I thank ye (Fort bien, je vous remercie) C’est ce qu’ on exprime ordinairement en François en ces mots, Fort bien, graces a Dieu — Fort bien, pour vous servir, ou, a votre service. Cependant on trouvera l’expression Angloise assez juste et raisonnable, si l’on considère que le Remerciment que s’y fait est par rapport à la bonté qu’on a de s’enquerir de notre santé.

Beef-Eater. Mangeur de beuf. C’est ainsi qu'on appelle par derision les Yeomen of the Gard dans la Cour d’Angleterre qui sont des Gardes à peu près comme les ceut Suisses de France. Et on leur donne ce nom là, parcequ’ à la Cour ils ne vivent que de beuf, par opposition à ces Colleges d’Angleterre ou les écoliers ne mangent que du mouton.

Although the following specific is inserted in the French department, it was probably suggested by the English climate:—

Pomme cuite, ou rotie au feu, a baked apple.
L’experience nous apprend tous les jours que la chair d’une pomme cuite, mise chaudement sur les yeux rouges et enflammés, est presque l’unique remede à ce mal.	Experience shews us daily that the pulp of a rosted apple, put hot on bloud-shed and inflamed eyes, is almost the only remedy for this evil.

Under the verb écorcher, he has these phrases:—

Il ecorche un peu de Latin.	He speaks broken Latin; he speaks it little — has a little smattering of it.
Ecorcher les Auteurs.	To understand Authors very little; or, to translate them ill.

In another place he has the phrase, to speak broken English (ecorcher l’Anglois, le parler mal).

I fear that the following phraseological sentence must have been suggested by what he saw in England:— “If an ass do but speak once, as Balaam’s did, we wonder; but let a man have every part of a beast, wallow in drunkenness, go upon all-four, or lose his speech together with his legs, ’tis a thing scarce taken notice of.”

M. Miége’s knowledge and experience as a French Protestant appear in the following entries in his Great Dictisnary:—

Edict, un Edit, as, The Edict of Nantes, which was made in favour of the Protestants of France, called (and intended to be) unrepealable, and yet lately repealed.

La Chambre Mipartie, in a town in France, was the same as A Chamber of the Edict.

Chambres de l’Edit (ou, de l’Edit de Nantes). Courts of Judicature, formerly established in divers good towns of France, in the Huguenots’ behalf, one-half of the judges being Protestants, and the other half Papists; [for which reason they were sometimes called chambres miparties.]

Les Payens n’entendoient rien à fait de Persecution. Nous avous veu dans nos jours quêque chose de bien plus raffiné, et qui les passe infiniment.	The Heathens were but dunces in their ways of persecution; we have seen in our days a far subtler method, and which goes far beyond them.
Ceux de la Religion.	Those of the Reformed Religion, the Protestants, the Huguenots.[2]
Une Conversion à la Dragonne.	A conversion made by dragoons.

☞ La nouvelle Methode des Dragons est si efficace qu’il n y a point de Religion que ces Missionaires armez ne puissent imposer là ou ils sont les plus forts. Siècle admirable, ou ceux qui se piquent d’être Chretiens par excellence ont trouvé le secret de faire les Chretiens Juifs, de Juifs Mahometans, et de Mahometans Payens; après cela si on veut qu’ils en reviennent il n’y aura que les faire derechef Chrêtiens Orthodoxes ou Heretiques.

A converting dragoon, a booted missionary.	Un Dragon Convertisseur, Missionaire boté.
Les Dragons sont allez en Mission dans notre Province et ces bien-heureux Apôtres font partout des Miracles dignes de leur profession.	The Dragoons are gone to perform their mission in our Province, and those blessed Apostles do such miracles everywhere as suit their profession.

He gives us, among some Additions (1688), a piece of late news about the Refugees after the Revocation of “L’Edit de Nantes, édit irrevocable, qui cependant a ête dernièrement revoqué”:—

Louis d’or. — I said it was worth but eleven livres; but, gold having grown scarce by the flight of French Protestants (who carried with them a good part of the gold used in France), both the Lewises and Spanish Pistoles were lately raised to the value of eleven livres, ten sous.

1. M. Miége published “An English Grammar” soon after this date, and seems to have agreed with Boyer as to a division of labour — Miége instructing French people in English, and Boyer instructing the English in French.
2. So abominable to a Huguenot was the designation (the only legal one in France) la religion pretendue reformee, that Miége never mentions it; but he gives another phrase, Les pretendus Catholiques Romains; and another, Cela est aussi irrevocable que l’Edit de Nantes.