Antoine Cauchie. Grammaire francaise (1586): Texte latin original.

Ed. Colette Demaiziere. (Textes de la Renaissance, 46.) Paris: Honore Champion Editeur, 2001. 544 pp. index. 85.35 [euro]. ISBN: 2-7453-0627-8.

This book is the fourth volume in the collection Traites sur la langue francaise, directed by Colette Demaiziere for the Editions Champion. Demaiziere is well known for her thoroughly-researched book on sixteenth-century "picard" grammarians (La grammaire francaise au XVI 'siecle: Les grammairiens picards, 2 vol. [Paris, 1983]), as well as for editing the key grammatical treatises by Charles de Bovelles (Sur les langues vulgaires [Paris, 1973]), Jacques Dubois (Introduction a la langue francaisesuivie d'unegrammaire, 1531 [Paris, 1998]), and Pierre de La Ramee (Grammaire, 1572 [Paris, 2001]). The present edition and translation (in French) of Antoine Cauchie's Grammatica gallica is based on the last grammar published during the grammarian's lifetime. Written in the late 1560s, it was first published in 1570 when the author was probably already living in exile in Germany, then again in 1576, and finally in 1586 in Strasbourg.

Scholars interested in the history of the French grammar and linguistic theory will find this new edition of Cauchie's grammar timely and useful, first because the book is often referred to as one of the major methods used to teach French as a second language during the second half of the Renaissance, and secondly because it provides a translation in modern French for those who do not have reading proficiency in Latin. The book contains a short introduction (ten pages) that summarizes Cauchie's life and the significance of his work for the promotion of the French language outside of France during the second half of the sixteenth century. This is followed by a facsimile reproduction of the original 1586 edition, into which Demaiziere has inserted footnotes to pinpoint the numerous typos present in this version. The second half of the book contains Demaiziere's translation--the first one to be made in modern French--and her annotations to the text. These annotations include a French translation of the numerous German examples in the grammar (Cauchie's audience was mostly German-speaking). Many annotations highlight Cauchie's contribution to our knowledge of the French language, occasionally quoting other Renaissance authors (e.g., Henri Estienne, Gamier, Dubois, Nicot) who have examined similar grammatical points or commented on Cauchie's explanations. The book ends with four indices: the first collates place names mentioned in the grammar; the second is devoted to characters' names; the third contains the words that appear in the examples; while the fourth deals with the terminology used by Cauchie in his grammatical commentary.

The reproduction of the original, accuracy of the translation, critical apparatus--especially the comparisons with the first edition--and the four indices make this new edition a most valuable contribution to the history of the French grammatical tradition.

One feels, however, that a lengthier study of the grammar itself would give the reader some help in assessing Cauchie's method and doctrine--for example, the role this grammar played in spreading abroad a certain idea of "good" French. It is true that J.-C. Chevalier once provided an in-depth analysis of Cauchie's syntax which concluded on a rather negative note (Histoire de la syntaxe [Geneva, 1968], 330), but this work can still be approached from other angles. While Demaiziere indirectly reinforces Chevalier's judgment when she mentions that the later editions did not bring substantial changes to the 1570 grammar ("... il n'y a pas d'evolution notable dans la doctrine" [20]), she does not follow up the discussion, nor does she attempt to show how the Grammatica gallica may interest historians of linguistic ideas. Perhaps some scholars will want to tackle this demonstration: they will certainly find a wealth of materials to exploit in this new translation and its commentary.

DANIELLE TRUDEAU

San Jose State University