Perhaps of all his multifarious performances his _French_ and _Italian Schoolmasters_ were the two which met with the greatest favour; and the longer career of the former may perhaps be ascribed to the more general cultivation of the French language in England. The _Italian Schoolmaster_ originally appeared in 1575 as an annex to a version of the story of _Arnalte and Lucenda_; but in the subsequent impressions of 1597 and 1608 the philological portion occupies the place of honour, and the story is made to follow. In the former the rules for pronunciation and such matter as fell within his knowledge as an Italian may be passed as representing what was the correct practice and view at the period; it is with the English illustrations and equivalents that one is apt to be surprised and amused; and one, moreover, figures the occasional bewilderment even of an English pupil at the strange unidiomatic forms which Desainliens has adopted. In other words, instead of translating English into Italian, he has translated Italian into broken English; as, for instance, where in a dialogue a man is inquiring the way to London, we find at the conclusion such pure _Italicisms_ as _Have me recommended_: _I am yours_: _Remaine with God_. Then, again, terms are misapplied, of course, as thus: "Tell me deere fellowe, is it yet farre to the citie?" And when he has entered his inn, he calls to the host: "Bring me for to wash my hands and face." At the same time the pages of this and similar volumes abound with fruitful illustrations of all kinds, which we should have been very sorry indeed to lose; and it is to be recollected that the English gloss was secondary, and that the bizarre style and texture of this class of book arose from the aim at enabling the learner to be prepared for all sorts of occasions and every variety of conversational topic. The author consequently leads him through the different occupations and incidents of life, and imagines successive interviews and dialogues with such persons as he would be likely to encounter. In the parley with a farrier, it comes out that the charge for shoeing a horse was fivepence a foot; and in the section _Per maritarsi = To be married_, Hollyband starts by rendering _O bella giovane_ "Ho fair maiden." He urges her to be prompt in her decision by citing the proverb, "Ladie, whilest the iron is hote, it must be wrought." Much of the matter introduced by Desainliens is highly curious and even important. I shall transcribe a section or two, as they are brief, for the sake of the English suggestions:-- "_To sing and daunce._ "O fellowes, I wish that wee shoulde sing a song, and I will take the lute. Let vs sing and daunce, when you will. Mystres, will it please you to daunce a galliard with me? pray you therefore. I cannot daunce after the Italian fashion. We shall daunce after the high Dutch. Go to, play a galliard vpon the violl. I would rather vpon the virginals....