Having carefully read this little Book, I can 
 recommend it to all learning the French lan- 
 guage, as not only generally useful, but as the 
 best assistance to obtam a speedy knowledge 
 of the Genders, always considered one of the 
 most difficult parts of the French language. 
 
 Professor. 
 McGiLL College, 
 Sept. 23, 1859. ■' '\:-;'^M:. ■-'''''''' ':'■'.""/ 
 
FRENCH GENDERS 
 
 TAUGHT IN 
 
 SIX FABLES: 
 
 BEING A 
 
 PLAIN AND EASY 
 
 ART OF MEMORY, 
 
 BY WHICH THE GENDERS OP 
 
 15,548 
 
 FRENCH NOUNS 
 
 MAY BE LEARNED IN A EISW HOURS. 
 
 EE-PEINTED BY MRS. BLACKWOOD. 
 
 MONTREAL : 
 
 PRINTED BY JOHN LOVELL, ST. NICHOLAS STREET. 
 
 1859. 
 
t/'. 
 
 a 
 
 
 ' ■• % :i 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In the publication of this work I am influ- 
 enced by a thorough conviction of its utility^ 
 Its object is to remove the greatest obstacle 
 to the acquirement of the French language j 
 by fixing indelibly in the memory, the genders 
 of the French nouns ; without a perfect know- 
 ledge of which, it is impossible to speak that 
 language with even tolerable propriety. 
 
 French is now learned by almost every class, 
 and its importance duly appreciated. It is a 
 species of universal passport. I am persuaded 
 therefore, that this little book will prove gene- 
 rally acceptable ; as by a plain and easy me- 
 thod, it leads the learner over the most diffi- 
 cult step in this useful and elegant acquirement. 
 The most striking difference between the Eng- 
 lish and French languages consists in the 
 genders of their nouns. In English, we call a 
 male by the masculine term he ; a female, by 
 he feminine term she ; and anything inanimate 
 by the neuter terra it. The French likewise 
 
tftll a ftiale he^ and a female shej as We do ; but 
 by a fault in the genius of their language, they 
 have no neutef, but call every inanimate thing 
 either he or she^ making it masculine or femi* 
 nine ; and hence arises the difficulty. A child 
 learning French Can see no reason why a chair 
 or a table should be called she^ or why a hinge 
 Or a nail should be called he ; these things are 
 neither males nor females, and it therefore ap- 
 pears strange to the learner that they should 
 be classed as masculines and feminines ; but 
 they are so classed, and must be learned cor- 
 rectly. To accomplish this is a very great 
 difficulty to all persons learning French ; it is 
 extremely troublesome to pupils even of the 
 quickest talents and most retentive memory, 
 who learn from the French grammars now in 
 use. Though some of them are extremely well 
 ' arranged for grammatical instruction in other 
 ' respects, in regard to thB genders they are en- 
 ' tirely destitute of any contrivance to assist the 
 memory, while the almost endless lists of rules 
 and exceptions are fit only to harass and dis- 
 courage learners of even the readiest abilities. 
 " So impracticable are these rules, that I have 
 known masters to recommend their pupils to 
 go completely through the French dictionary, 
 and copy out all the nouns, prefixing the gen- 
 
der to each,— a labor of weeks ; and I mncfa 
 question whether a twentieth part of them 
 would by that method be fixed in the mind^ 
 unless the copying were many times repeated j 
 and, after all the trouble and consumption of 
 time, the pupil, being without any certain rules^ 
 would seldom feel an absolute confidence in 
 the correctness of his memory. 
 
 To obviate the necessity of this disheartening 
 labour on the one hand, or recurrence to a 
 confused labyrinth of insufficient rules on the 
 other, the learner is here furnished with a 
 plain ^' Art of iltfemori/," from which I am 
 convinced that the genders of all the French 
 nouns may be learned in a few hours, and learn- 
 ed so as never to be forgotten. I feel the more 
 confident on this point, as a French teacher of 
 great experience who has taught French in 
 England during the last 42 years, assured me 
 that many natives of France would derive great 
 benefit from this book, in fixing the genders in 
 the memory. I offer it, therefore, to the public in 
 general, and to teachers in particular, with a 
 certainty that it will fully answer the purpose 
 desired ; and by putting within the reach of 
 all, what has hitherto been scarcely attainable 
 by any, it will be found equally beneficial to 
 the teacher, the pupil, and the adult* . ^1 
 
Knowledge and learning Cannot be acquired 
 without exertion ; those who aspire to possess 
 these distinctions, must prove by industry and 
 perseverance that they deserve them ; but much 
 may be done to assist the memory by art and 
 method, and it is the duty of every teacher to 
 render the path of improvement as smooth as 
 possible. •■.'..'.-'' 'i' ■■;!■: 
 
 ' /r M. Blackwood, 
 
 / '; ^ Beaver Hallj No, 16, :' 
 
 Montreal, 1 Sept., 1859. , ; 
 
 :.;..■> ■ ■ ■.' . .( '■ 
 
 
 ^V :;,..■ ;,:i'v"Yi' 
 
 ■'&'•' ■■/■ • ■ ; ' . ' . . :■ ;. : ; ■■ '■'■■:, H\ii. 
 
 
 . ) 
 
 • 
 
 
 I 
 
«,- INTRODUCTION. . ■;.:.»>« 
 
 ;-,">'• 
 
 '- 'M. 
 
 The system by which the genders of the 
 French nouns may be most readily and 
 firmly fixed in the memory, begins by 
 classing them by their final syllables. Thus ■ 
 there are 643 nouns ending in er, which 
 are all masculine except two : there are 
 144 ending in oir, all masculine without a • 
 single exception : 70 in a/, 24 in ais, and 
 83 in arc?, all masculine without exception : 
 and 305 in et^ all masculine except one 
 word. Therefore, if these six endings can 
 be fixed in the memory, as masculines, the 
 learner will know the genders of 1269 
 nouns. 
 
 But the difiiculty is to remember long 
 lists of terminations, and to fix in the mind 
 the gender of each. There are many 
 grammars where whole pages are filled 
 with terminations and exceptions ; but they 
 contain nothing to assist the memory, — no 
 
clue by which the ending is connected to 
 its own particular gender. Those who 
 learn from these books may perhaps re- 
 member that all nouns ending in ais are of 
 the same gender; but there being no guide- 
 or catchword to assign ais to the mascu-- 
 lines, they must be continually in doubt. 
 
 My plan to help the memory is this: I 
 have introduced the masculine endings in 
 three Fables^ the actors in which fables are^ 
 masculine. Every noun in these three fables 
 is masculine ; and no nouns are admitted 
 into them but such as give the rules. 
 Thu& the endings mentioned above are 
 given in the first four lines of the first fable^ 
 which a pupil can easily learn in half an 
 hour, and thus acquire the genders of five 
 thousand seven hundred and ten French 
 nouns* ' 
 
 Le Cheval et le Sanglieb. 
 
 Un sanglier fier de son pouvoir^ 
 Prenant ]efrais dans un bosquet^ 
 Eencontra un beau soir 
 Par hazard un bidet* 
 
 Here the word cheval will fix the nouns^ 
 in al ; sanglier, those in er ; and so of the? 
 
rest. Having learned these fables by heart*- 
 perfectly, which, as they are only three in 
 number, may be accomplished in a very few 
 hours, the pupil, when he meets with a 
 noun ending like any one of those nouns 
 given in the fables, will easily ascertain 
 the gender by recurring to the guiding 
 word : for instance, if he wants to use a 
 word ending in ais or in ard,^ he will im- 
 mediately call to mind ihe^ordsfrais or ha- 
 zard^ and, remembering that those nouns oc- 
 cur in the fable with wusculine actors^ viz. a 
 wild boar^ a horse^ and a man, he will 
 decide at once and with confidence thatai« 
 and ard are masculine terminations, and 
 that the word he wants is masculine. The 
 feminine endings, being introduced in three 
 fables having a female speaker in each of 
 them, and every noun in them feminine, 
 will be fixed in the memory in the same 
 manner. The exceptions, which are not 
 very numerous, must be learned by heart. 
 The pupil must remember that the nouns 
 ONLY give the rule; they are printed in 
 italics to be more readily observed : but of 
 course a person learning French cannot 
 be so ignorant of grammar as to find any 
 diflSculty in distinguishing the substantive 
 from the other parts of speech. 
 
10 
 
 ; In the perusal of these fables I trus^tthat * 
 the reader will remember, that, as the plan : 
 required a certain number of endings to be • 
 introduced with connection in a fable, all 
 the masculines being in one place and all '• 
 the feminines in another, there could be 
 little choice as to words and phrases. This 
 ought to disarm all criticism against the 
 construction of the lines and sentences. 
 
 For the peculiarity and oddity of some 
 of the lines, I shall make no apology, as 
 the practice of Von Feinagle ir his admi- 
 rable " Art of Memory," and the experience 
 of all who have formed systems to aid the 
 memory, agree in proving that eccentric, 
 quaint, or, as they may be called, outrof- 
 the-way expressions^ are much more easily 
 fixed in the recollections than sentences 
 unmarked by any peculiarity. 
 
 FIRST MASCULINE FABLE. 
 Which gives the gender o/* 5710 Nouns. 
 
 Lk Cheval et le Sanglier. 
 
 Un sanglier (1) fier de son pouvoir, (2) 
 Prenant lefrais (3) dans un bosquet, (4) 
 Ren contra un beau soir, ^ 
 
 Par hazard (5) un bidet. ^ ' ■ 
 
 ' . y. 
 
11 
 
 Ho 1 maraud^ (6) dit-il en furieux^ (7) T/i. 
 Qui te rend si audacieux? ^^ i > ^^s* - .^-n rl M 
 Que faia-tu ici malotru? (8) *^ > •' ^ ;- M 
 Oh /7m / (9) Rien dis-tu ! 
 Je suis le roi (10) etlemattre (11) ici, 
 
 Pardi! ^ • 
 
 De e/m/z (12) a Mai, (13) de Mercredi a 
 
 Mardi : (14) 
 Et \A des V instant, (15) sans dire mo^, (16) 
 Tu ne tournes pas le dos, (lY) 
 Fat! (18) je te mangerai commeuii gigot. 
 Le cheval (19) en ce cas, (20) 
 Retourna sur ses pas; 
 Vite, comme de lait (21) ou de vin (22) un 
 
 ocean (23) 
 Coule dans Yestomac (24) d^xrn ffourmand; 
 
 (25) 
 
 Aussi vite qu'un oiseau (26) ou le vent, (27) 
 
 Notre cheval en furibond, (28) 
 
 Pour se venger de cet affront (29) 
 
 A Yhomme (30) s'adressa; 
 
 Et son antagoniste (31) lui nomma. 
 
 Oui, dit I'homme, mais un mord, (32) un . 
 
 licoii, (33) 
 II faut te mettre sur le cou. 
 II n'aime point le licou, 
 Et il croit que le/mn, (34) 
 N'a pas le bon goiit (35) 
 De Vherbage (36) ou du grain, (3*7) 
 
 
12 
 
 _,^'i."7^ ^j^ 
 
 Neanmoins il part, et dans le viandis (38) 
 
 II trouve son ennemi. 
 
 Plein de courage et de Jlel^ (39) 
 
 Comme Veclair^ (40) feu du ciel, 
 
 lis s'elancent sur le tyran ; 
 
 Et le chasseur (41) mort I'etend. 
 
 Le cheval le rernercie 
 
 Avec beaucoup d':spn7; (42) 
 
 Et maintenant que j'ai mon hut^ (43) 
 
 Adieu ! dit-il ; mais Phomme I'arrfete d*un 
 
 refus ! (44) 
 Non ! non ! mon pauvre fou, 
 J'ai besoin (45) de vous, 
 Dit le chasseur, et puis 
 II Ten train e au logis. 
 Ainsi Yorgueil (46) et 1' outrage, 
 Furent punis dans le sanglier : 
 Et le cheval par un dur esclavage, 
 Paya cher \q plaisir (47) de s'etre veng6. 
 
 NOTES TO THE FIRST MASCULINE 
 
 FABLE. 
 
 1, Sanglier, — There are 643 nouns 
 ending in er^ all masculine except la mer, 
 the sea, and une cuiller^ a spoon. I re- 
 commend those learners who are advanced 
 beyond childhood to fix all exceptions in 
 the memory, by forming them into short 
 sentences, after the manner of Feinagle, iu 
 
13 
 
 his "Art of Memory." For instance, they 
 might say the man who attempts to learn 
 without method^ is like one who tries to 
 empty th'C sea with a spoon ; vider la mer 
 avec une cuiller. After which it is scarce- 
 ly possible that the words mer and cuiller 
 could enter the mind, without being re* 
 membered as exceptions. 
 
 2. Pouvoir, — There are 144 words in 
 oir^ all masculine, 
 
 3. Frais. — 24 in ais^ all masculine. 
 
 4. Bosquet. — 305 French liouns end in 
 et : the only one feminine is une for6t, a 
 forest. 
 
 6. Hazard, — 83 in ard; are all masculine. 
 
 6. Maraud. — 22 ending in aud, all mas- 
 culine. 
 
 7. Furieux. — The learner will observe 
 that this adjective is here used as a substan- 
 tive. French adjectives are very frequently 
 made substantives^ There are 50 nouns in 
 eux^ all masculine. 
 
 8. Malotru. — There are 49 nouns in w, 
 of which glu, birdlime, tribu, a tribe, and 
 vertu, virtue, are feminine. Bru, a daughter- 
 in*law, is feminine of course. Words which 
 are masculines or feminines absolute, as 
 designating males and females, it is not 
 necessary to except particularly, as their 
 gender must be immediately obvious. 
 
14 
 
 0. Hien, — 78 in erij all masculine. 
 
 10. Boi. — Of 24 in o^, Joi and foi, law 
 and faith, are the only fcrninines, except 
 parol, a wall, which is chiefly used in tne 
 plural. 
 
 11. Maitre, — 4 in aitre^ masculine. 
 
 12. Juin, — 1 in uin^ masculine. 
 15. Mai. — 17 in m, all masculine. 
 
 14. MardL — There are 98 nouns in ^, 
 of which the feminines are merci, mercy, 
 fourmi, an ant, and I'apres^midi, the after- 
 noon. 
 
 15. Ins taut, ^--123 in ant, many of which 
 are pv iciples converted into substantives J 
 are all masculines. 
 
 16. l/o^— Of 102 in ot, the only femi- 
 nine is la dot, the marriage portion. 
 
 17. Dos,' — 12 in os, all masculine. 
 
 18. Fat, — 138 in at^ all masculine. 
 
 19. Cheval. — 69 in al^ all masculine. 
 
 20. Cas, — 68 in as, all masculine. 
 
 21. Lait, — 15 in ait, all masculine. 
 
 22. Vin, — Of 239 in in, fin, the end, is 
 the only feminine. 
 
 23. Ocean, — 95 in a?i, all masculine. 
 
 24. jEJstomac. — 21 in ac, all masculine. 
 
 25. Gourmand, — 13 in and, all mascu^ 
 line. ' - 
 
26. Oiseav. — Of 226 nouns in aw, peati, 
 the skin, and eau, water, are the only 
 feminines. 
 
 27* Vent.' — Of 719 nouns in entj gent, 
 a nation, and dent, a tooth, are the only 
 feminines. 
 
 28. Furibond, — 10 in ond^ all masculine. 
 
 29. Affront.~(j in ont^ all masculine. 
 
 30. Homme. — There are 13 in omme^oi 
 which somme, a sum, gomme, gum, and 
 pomme, an apple, are feminine. Somme, 
 a sleep or .ap, is masculine. 
 
 31. Autagoniste, — Of 151 in iste^ piste, 
 a footstep, batiste, cambric, and liste, a list, 
 are feminine. 
 
 32. Mord. — 13 in ord^ all masculine. 
 
 33. Licou. — 41 in ow, all masculine. 
 
 34. Frein. — 9 in em, all masculine. 
 
 35. GoM. — 23 in out^ all masculine. 
 
 36. Herbage, — There are 374 nouns in 
 agCy of which the following are feminine : 
 rage, rage, image, an image, page, a page of 
 a book, cage, a cage, nage, the act of sailing, 
 ambages, doubtful expressions, and passe- 
 rage and saxifrage, the names of plants. 
 The two last are seldom used. 
 
 37. Grain. — Of QQ in am, la main, the 
 hand, is feminine : it takes its gender from 
 the Latin manus. 
 
 ';■ • *•; ■ 
 
16 
 
 8B. Viandis, — Of 127 in /s, soutis, a 
 tnouse, vis, a screw, brebis, a sheep, and 
 fleur-de-Ii?, are feminine ; as are Iris and 
 Themis of course, as females. 
 
 •89 Mel. — 45 in tl^ all masculine. 
 
 40. Eclair, — 1*7 in aeV, all masculine, 
 tjxcept la chair, the flesh, which is derived 
 from, and follows the Latin caro, carnis. 
 
 41, Chasseur. — As words of this ending 
 occur very frequently, the learner must be 
 quite perfect in this note. There are 1234 
 words in eur^ all masculine but 67 : but 
 though the exceptions are so numerous, 
 they may be learned in two minutes. Re- 
 member that, except six, all the masculine 
 nouns in eur designate men in their ac- 
 tions or trade, and are derived fi^m verbs, 
 or Latin nouns in or, as parleur, jaseur, 
 acteur, lecteur, &c. The six masculines in 
 euVj which do not designate men, are heur, 
 luck, and its compounds bonheur, malheur, 
 with bonheur^, deshonneur, and pleurs, tears. 
 Therefore, except the above six, whenever 
 the learner meets with a word in eur, which 
 expresses a living creature, he must remem- 
 ber it is masculine ; and if it does not, it is 
 feminine. The 67 feminines in eur, ex- 
 press properties and qualities, as laideur, 
 ugliness, hauteur, height, rongeur, red- 
 ness, &c. 
 
42. Esprit — 44 in ity all masculine. 
 48. ^lA^. — 22 in w^, all masculine. 
 44. Mefus, — 34 in us^ all masculine. 
 
 46. Besoin. — 15 in oin^ all masculine. 
 The reader will observe that I could not 
 well include oin in the rule otin^ait in the 
 rule of ity &c., as, though the gender i the 
 same, the pronunciation is so different that 
 the memory would not easily refer besoin 
 to vin, or lait to esprit. 
 
 A^. Orgueil. — 78 in «7, all masculine. 
 
 47. Plaisir, — 17 in ir, all masculine. 
 The learner will observe, that though in 
 
 these fables a termination is sometimes re- 
 peated, yet none are to be found but such 
 as give the rule, therefore the repetition 
 will help rather than confuse the memory: 
 thus, for a word in of, or age^ if mot and 
 herbage do not instantly occur to the mind 
 as the guiding word, gigot and courage 
 very probably may : and so of the rest. 
 
 SECOND MASCULINE FABLE. 
 Which gives the Gender q/* 1470 Nouns. 
 
 LeS deux MiLITAIRES ET L^OuRS. 
 
 Deux fils (1) de Mars (2) frais et gaillards, 
 Pour voyager prirent leur depart : (3) 
 
 B 
 
T r 
 
 J^sr 
 
 Et firent entr^eux le marchi (4) 
 
 De mutuellement s'assisten ' f ! 
 
 Au declin du/owr (6)'' 
 
 lis entendent un grand bruit ; (6) 
 
 Et hurlant un ours (7) . 
 
 D'un bois (8) sortit. '; ' * 
 
 II vient droit k nos militaires ; (9) 
 
 lis ne peuvent fuir, et que faire? 
 
 Un d'eux leger et dispos, 
 
 Laisse son compagnon (10) seul; 
 
 Et 8'elan5ant d'un satitj (11) 
 
 Grimpe sur un tilleul. (12) 
 
 L'autre, qui toujours le rosbif (IS) aima, 
 
 Et qui buvait comme un Czar, (14) ou un 
 
 jBacAa, (16) 
 Et qui etait aussi gras et gros 
 
 [Qu'un moine, (16) ou q}!^ un populo : (17^ ^ 
 
 ' Dans un sillon (18) s'6tendit, 
 Tout de son loriff ; (19) et le mort (20) 
 
 contrefit. 
 fours s'approche en courroux: (21) 
 Mais il manque son coup ; (22) 
 Car en lui flairant le corps^ (23) 
 II prend notre homme pour un mort. 
 
 . Et comme aux cad&vres (24) il ne touche 
 
 pas, 
 Comme ymdogue (25) grognant il s'en va. 
 Le matamore (26) de Varbre (21) descend^^ 
 Et djemanda ce que Fours avait dit : 
 
 
 V'i*.' 
 
 W: 
 
Car du haut dit-il j'ai observfe 
 Que de pr^s il sembiait te parlen r 
 " Ouil il m'a averti lui dit-il, ' 
 
 Que celui qui d^serte son ami, 
 Dans le temjJS (28) du piril (29) 
 N'est digne que de m6pris. 
 
 NOTES TO THE SECOND MASCULINE 
 
 FABLK 
 
 1. Fits. — ^There are 6 nouns in t7«, all 
 masculine. 
 
 2. Mars, — 7 in ars, all masculine. 
 
 3. Depart, — Of 24 in arf,hart, a halter, 
 part, a part, and its compounds quotepart 
 and plupart are the only feminines. 
 
 4. Marche. — Th>e learner must take par- 
 ticular notice that nouns ending in i with 
 Uhe acute accent are to be divided into two 
 tlasses: viz. l«t, those which end in t6, as 
 bont6, beaute, «fec., and 2^d, those where 
 the final 6 is preceded by some other letter 
 than t, as marche, cur6, abbe, cafe, &c. 
 It is only with the latter class we have to 
 do in this place, as te is a feminine ending, 
 and is noticed in note 20 of the first femi- 
 
 ■ nine fable, at the word beaute* 
 
 Remember therefore that everyone of 
 
 the 347 words ending in 6 with the acute 
 
 <''^jaccent, not immediately preceded by t, is 
 
20 
 
 d *v", '/v'""' 
 
 masculine, except these 4 ferninines, piti^, 
 pity, moiti6, moiety, amide, friendship, and 
 iniraiti6, hatred ; which may be fixed in 
 this sentence, — C'estgrande piti6 quand un 
 homme change Vamitii qu^l avait pour sa 
 moitie en inimitie. 
 
 5. Jour, — Of 28 in our and 6 in ur, all 
 are masculine except coury a court, and its 
 compounds, and tour, a tower, a castle at 
 chess. Tour, a turn, a trick, a turner^s too!^ 
 is masculine. 
 
 6. Bruit. — Of 15 in uit, nuit, night, is 
 the only feminine. Minmt, midnight, is 
 masculine* 
 
 7. Ours. — There are 11 in ours, all maa- 
 culine. S sounds in un ours. 
 
 8. JBois, — Of 23 in m, the only femi- 
 nine is fois, time* 
 
 9. Militaire. — There are 198 words in 
 aire. They are all masculine except 11 
 names of plants, as zedoaire, Ac, and af- 
 faire, business, aire, a floor, glaire, the 
 white of an egg, paire, a pair, grammaire, 
 grammar, chaire, a pulpit, and jugulaire, 
 the jugular vein. 
 
 10. Compagnon, — As about one ninth 
 part of the French substantives end in an^ 
 the learner must be very exact in their 
 genders. They are subdivided into 4 classes, 
 
21 
 
 — nouns in ion and aisorij which belong 
 to tb^ feminities, and iilon and ott, which 
 belong to the masculines. For illoa see 
 note 18 of this fable. Of those which end 
 in on {without being in ion^ aison, and 
 illon) there are 405. These are all mas- 
 culine except 4 designations of women, as 
 laideron, &c., and the following, which I 
 have formed into a sentence to help the 
 memory : Get homme en pamoison, qu^on 
 ^ntraine en prison avec des maudissonSy a 
 coramis une trahisorij car on I'envoya pour 
 acheter du ble, dans la moisson^ pour en 
 fournir k foison^ toute la garnison ; mais 
 suivantsa/afon, il d^pensa tout en boisson 
 et chansons, II a vendu sa toison pour sa 
 rangon. Cette legon doit ^tre sa guerison. 
 The exceptions in on are in italics. 
 
 11. SauL — 14 in autj all masculine. 
 
 12. Tilleul, — 10 in eul^ all masculine. 
 
 13. Roshif, — Roast-beef. The French 
 also say un rosbif d'agneau, a roasted quar 
 ter of lamb. There are 47 nouns in i/j all 
 masculine. 
 
 14. Czar, — ^ in ar^ all masculine. 
 
 15< Bacha. — The 65 nouns in a are all 
 words adopted from other languages : they 
 are all masculine, except sepia, bandora, 
 talpa, falaca, and vinula. 
 
22 
 
 16. Maine. — Of 12 in oine^ all are mas- 
 culine except the names of plants and 
 stones. 
 
 lY. Populo. — Of 43 in o, mostly bor- 
 rowed from the Italian, the only exception 
 is virago, which is feminine of course, as 
 denoting a female, 
 
 18. Sillon. — 44 in ilhriy all masculine 
 without exception. 
 
 19. Long, — 2 in ong^^ both masculine. 
 
 20. Mortj here means a dead man. La 
 mort, death, is the only feminine of 21 in 
 ort. 
 
 21. Courroux, — Of 9 in oi^cc, toux, a 
 cough, is the only feminine. 
 
 22. Coup, — 5 in oup^ all masculines. 
 2S. Corps, — 2 in orps^ both masculine. 
 
 24. Caddvres. — 2 in avre, both mas- 
 culine. 
 
 25. Dogue. — Of 26 in ogue^ the only 
 feminines are drogue, eglogue, vogue, sy- 
 nagogue, and pirogue, a canoe. 
 
 26* Matamore, — Of 19 in ore, mandra- 
 gore, metaphore, and pecore, are feminine. 
 
 27. Arbre. — 3 in arbre, all masculine, 
 
 28. Temps. — 3 in emps, all masculine. 
 
 29. Piril, — 62 in il, all masculine with* 
 out exception. 
 
'■'V'V;; a17'. ^T vi^l f'^?:''^'^^ ' ~ V''. I " :^V;>''T ■ ■ '^ "" "/"'^^' > V-'i'f*^' ■^: ™ 
 
 ^ V^t 
 
 2r 
 
 THIKO MASCTJLlilf MLK 
 TFiiicil ffiveii the Gmdefr of 567 Nounsi, 
 
 L'AviDE (1) trompe et puni. 
 
 A un Arahe^ (2) esbldve (3) a Rome, (4) 
 
 on avait dit. 
 Que dans un dnotaphe (5) il y avait nn 
 
 trisor, (6). 
 Yers le minuit il s'y introduisit, 
 Croyant y gagner un kilofframnie {^)d^or^ 
 Un sac de cutr (c Vpesant il y trouva, 
 Que tout j oy eux il emporta : 
 Mais il trouva du micompte (9) qiiand il 
 
 I'examinait : 
 Car au lieu de For quMl attendait, 
 II n*y trouve que nombre (10) de Lares 
 
 (11) AQphmh (12) 
 Et de cuivrey (13) auxquels les pr6tres de 
 
 Rome. 
 Des dieux des aires (14) donnaient le Twm 
 
 (15) 
 Les jparens (16) du difunt (17) inform6s 
 
 du sacrilege 
 Entrainerent le coupahle (IJS) devant le 
 
 siege (19) 
 Du coTisi^Z (20) de Rome, des juges (21) 
 
 unjprodige (22) 
 
2i 
 
 ^^J^W7'"r^-7f'r^"'"Z^'-^^^^ 
 
 Qui dit, le hienrStre (23) du public (24) 
 
 exige 
 Que ce vol (25) d^iconoclaste (26) soit 
 
 puni ; 
 Et que vififft (27) coups de baton soient le 
 
 prix (28) 
 D'avoir meprise Vasile (29) des morts, 
 Et les emhlemes (30) des dieux que Rome 
 
 adore. 
 Par le travail (31) du ministre (32) et du 
 
 disciple (33) du droit 
 Le hilitre (34) souffre avec stoicisme (S5j 
 
 le chatiment de son exploit (36) 
 Et a ses compagnons dit de sangfroid (3Y) 
 Messires I (38) avant de courir aucun ris- 
 que (39) sachez pourquoi ! 
 
 NOTES TO THE THIRD MASCULINE 
 
 FABLE. 
 
 1. Avide. — ^There are 38 nouns in ide: 
 the feminines are ride, a wrinkle, bride, a 
 bridle, guide, a rein, with ^gide, pyramide, 
 and cantharide. 
 
 2. Arabe. — Of 12 in abe^ all are mascu- 
 line but Souabe, Suabia, and syllabe, a 
 syllable. By a singularity, the compounds 
 of syllable, as monosyllable, &c., are mas- 
 culine. 
 
25 
 
 8. JEsclave. — Of 19 in ai;^, the feminines 
 are cave, a cellar, rave, a raddish, with oc- 
 tave, have, entraves, and 6paves, strayed 
 animals. 
 
 4. Home. — 2*7 in ome, all masculine. 
 
 5. Cinotaphe. — Of 31 in aphe, all are 
 masculine except <5pigraphe, ^pitaphe, or- 
 thographe. 
 
 6. Tresor, — 12 in or, all masculine. 
 
 ^. Kilogramme, — There are 19 nouns in 
 amme ; of which all that do not end in 
 gramme are feminine, as are anagramme 
 and epigramme. 
 
 8. Cuir, — 1 in uir, masculine. 
 
 9. Mecompte,—1 in ompte, 2 in omte, 
 all masculine. 
 
 10. Nomhre, — 9 in ombre, all masculine 
 except ombre, shade. 
 
 11. Lares. — The Lares were, among the 
 Romans, household gods, or gods of the 
 fireside, where small metal images of them 
 a few inches long were placed. They were 
 so called from lar, home. Of 19 nouns 
 in are, the feminines are cithare, tare, fan- 
 fare, and tiare. 
 
 12. Plomb. — 4 in omh, all masculine. 
 
 13. Cuivre. — Of 8 in ivre, livre, a pound- 
 weight, is the only feminine. Livre, a book, 
 is masculine. 
 
26 
 
 . 14, Aire.'^20 in air^, all masculine but 
 fin&tre, bad silk» 4 in arire^ all masculine 
 but tartre, a salt. 
 
 16* iVoT^i. — 7 in om, all masculine. 
 
 16. Parens. — 11 in ens, all masculine. 
 
 17. Ddfunt. — 3 in W/W^, all masculine. 
 
 18. Coupabit ?0 in able, all mascu- 
 line except fable, table, and etable. 
 
 19. SUge. — 11 in ige^ all masculine. 
 
 20. Consul. — 8 in ul, all masculine. 
 
 21. Juge, — 10 in uge, all masculine. - 
 
 22. Prodige. — 14 in ige, all musculine 
 except tige, the body of a tree. 
 
 23. JSien-Sire. — Of 36 in Stre, gu6tre, a 
 gaiter, and fenetre, a window, are the only 
 feminines. : = 
 
 24. Public. — lb in ic, all masculine. 
 
 25. Vol.— ^19 in ol, all masculine. 
 
 26. Iconoclastey from two Greek words, 
 signifies a breaker and despiser of sacred 
 images. Of 10 in aste, all are masculine 
 except caste, a tribe, and haste, a dart, 
 which follows the Latin hasta. 
 
 2Y. Vingt — 1 in ingi, as le vingt de ce 
 mois, masculine, 
 
 28. Prix. — Of 11 in ia?, perdrix, a par- 
 tridge is the only feminine. 
 
 29. Asile. — I have taken a licence to 
 call a cenotaph, " asile des morts : " but it 
 
27 
 
 means an empty tomb. Of 24 in ilCf the 
 feminines are pile, virgile, lie, bile, file, and 
 their compounds. The learner must dis- 
 tinguish ihj from ille, which belongs to the 
 feminines. , . / : V 
 
 30. UmhlSme, — Of 36 in ime^ br^me, 
 cr&me, and trireme arc feminine, and a se- 
 quence at piquet, as la septieme. When 
 part or share is spoken of, the numerals 
 become nouns masculine, as, un douzieme, 
 a twelfth part. 
 
 31. Travail, — 24 in ai7, all masculine, 
 as are 6 in astre^ 4 in usire and 7 in estrcy 
 except orchestre. 
 
 32. Ministre, — 5 in istre, all masculine, 
 as are 6 in astre^ 4 in ustre, and 7 in esire, 
 except orchestre. 
 
 33. Disciple. — 4 in iple, all masculine. 
 
 34. Belitre, — Of 18 in itre^ vltre, a win- 
 dow, epitre, mitre, and litre, are feminine. 
 
 35. Stoicisme. — 110 in isme^ all mascu- 
 line. 
 
 36. Exploit. — 10 in oit, all masculine. 
 
 37. Sangfroid. — 2 in oid^ and 2 in oids^ 
 all masculine. 
 
 38. Messires. — 20 in ire, all masculine 
 except cire, satire, mire, ire, and Hegire. 
 
 39. Misque.^-Q in isque^ all masculine 
 except bisque, an advantage, and brisqu^ 
 a game at cards. 
 
28 
 
 : ■.').^>j»"rr 
 
 The pupil, having learned the three pre- 
 ceding fables by heart and read the notes 
 with attention, will know the genders of 
 7747 masculine nouns. I will add two 
 easy rules, which give 377 more, and there 
 will then remain only a few masculines in 
 I mutej which, by those who wish to be 
 fery exact, may be learnt separately. 
 
 , RULE L 
 
 There are 310 nouns which end with 
 A CONSONANT, and are of terminations dif- 
 ferent from all those given in the six fables. 
 These 310 nouns are all masculme^ except 
 faim, hunger, paix^ peace, chaux, lime, clef, 
 a key, moeurs, manners, soif, thirst, croix, 
 a cross, noix, a nut, poix, pitch, voix, the 
 voice, and La Toussaint, AH Saints' day. 
 Remember, therefore, that the guide to this 
 rule is the final letter being a consonant. 
 
 RULE IL 
 
 There are 66 nouns of which the last 
 vowel that sounds is a Y : these are all 
 masculine, except a few words seldom used, 
 viz. hydre, clepsydre, idylle, sibylle, hymne, 
 lymphe, nymphe, crypte, lyre, martyre, 
 analyse, and amethyste. 
 
29 
 
 Masculine Words in e mute not compre- 
 hended in the preceding rules. 
 
 Tin sabre, a sabre 
 TJn cand61abre, a chande- 
 lier 
 Le sacre, the consecration 
 TJn acte, an act 
 TJn pacte, a compact 
 Le diaphragm e, the dia- 
 phragm 
 TJn aigle, an eagle 
 Le vinaigre, vinegar 
 TJn glaive, a sword 
 L'anibre, amber 
 Le bUme, reproof 
 TJn drame, a play 
 Le camphre, camphor 
 15 n cancre, a crab 
 Le change, change 
 TJn melange, a medly 
 TJn angle, an angle 
 Le manque, want 
 Le chanvre, hemp 
 TJn vacarme, an uproar 
 TJn charme, a charm 
 TJn cigarre, a cigar 
 TJn masque, a mask 
 TJn casque, a helmet 
 TJn asthme, an asthma 
 TJn saule, a willow 
 TJn aune, an elder-tree 
 TJn royaume, a kingdom 
 Le baume, balme 
 TJn psaume, a psalm 
 L'axe, the axis 
 Le luxe, luxury 
 TJn buste, a bust 
 TJn muscle, a muscle 
 TJn volume, a volume 
 "Un rhilime, a cold 
 Le costume, dress 
 Le cultCj worship 
 
 TJn tumulte, a tumult 
 TJn vestibule, hall 
 TJn scrupule, a doubt 
 TJn pendule, a pendulum 
 Le crdpuscule, twilight 
 TJn globule, a small globe 
 Le Sucre, sugar 
 TJn microscope, a micros- 
 
 <!ope 
 TJn telescope, a telescope 
 TJn soliloque, a soliloquy 
 TJn divorce, a divorce 
 TJn orme, an elm 
 TJn poste, a post 
 TJn pouce, a thumb 
 TJn tube, a tube 
 Le coude, the elbow 
 Le rouge, rouge 
 Le comble, the height 
 TJn ongle, a nail, or claw 
 TJn in sect e, an insect 
 TJn dialecte, a dialect 
 TJn spectre, a spectre 
 TJn remade, a remedy 
 TJn c6dre, a cedar 
 TJn si^cle, an age 
 Le r6gne, rei^n 
 TJn signe, a sign 
 TJn labyrinthe, a labyrinth 
 TJn philtre, a potion 
 TJn chiffre, a cypher 
 TJn trdne, a throne 
 TJn code, a code 
 TJn carosse, a carriage 
 TJn poeme, a poem 
 TJn coffre, a trunk 
 Le linge, linen 
 Le bronze, bronze 
 TJn vignoble, a vineyard 
 TJn cloltre, a monastery. 
 
These 78 nouns, with aK those (31) end- 
 ing in acle, asme, uple^ oxe and ordee, com- 
 plete the enumeration of the masculines, 
 which amount to 8415, including 182 de- 
 signations of men, ending in e mute, as 
 ap6tre, an apostle, oncle, an uncle, and the 
 like, which I have omitted, as respecting 
 their gender there can be no doubt. 
 
 END OF THE MASCULINES. 
 
FIRST FEMININE FABLE. 
 Which gives the Gender of 4048 Nouns. 
 
 L'Attknte DI&5UE. 
 
 Une jeune^We (1) avait une douzainc (2) 
 
 De belles tasses (3) de porcelaine, 
 
 Avec des coupes (4) et des petites crucheSy 
 
 (6) 
 
 Des ventouses (6) et d'autres fanfreluches, 
 
 Que aur sa tSte (7) a la vente^ (8) 
 
 Portait la jolie dehitante. (9) 
 
 Je les vendrai, dit-elle enriverie, (10) 
 
 Et une chance (11) a la loterie 
 
 Puis j'acheterais, 
 
 Avec la monnoie. (12) 
 
 Et de certitude (13) certaine, grande/or^t*- 
 
 ne (14) je gagnerai 
 Parceque la derniere lune je I'ai r6ve : 
 Et riche alors et bien mise, 
 J'aurai une montre (15) comme une mar* 
 
 guise, (16) 
 Done j'irai a la danse (17) 
 Et toua me feront la reverence (18) 
 
32 
 
 Quelle taille! (19) dira-ton, qu'elle beauti ! 
 (20) 
 
 Et puis on me pnera k danser. 
 
 Pleine de la vanity 
 
 De cette fausse idee, (21) 
 
 EUe secoua la t^te, et ioxxi-k-Vheure (22) 
 
 Arriva une terrible mesaventure : (23) 
 
 Cette secousse (24) dotruisit la belle crea- 
 tion (25) 
 
 De son imagination : 
 
 Sa marchandise est cassee a sa vue (26) 
 
 Et dans une minute (27) voila sa rickesse 
 (28) perdue. 
 
 NOTES TO THE FIRST FEMININE 
 
 FABLE. 
 
 1. Fille. — There are 99 nouns in illOj 
 all feminine except vaudeville, a ballad, 
 mille, a mile, codicille, quadrille, spadille, 
 and trille. 
 
 2. Douzaine. — 47 in aine, all feminine 
 except Le Maine, a province of France, and 
 capitaine, a masculine absolute. 
 
 3. Tasse, — 48 in asse^ all feminine but 
 Parnasse. 
 
 4. Coupes. — 13 in oupe, all feminine 
 except groupe. 
 
 5. Cruche. — 16 m uchcy sltiA 19 in ouchey 
 all feminine except baudruche, a technical 
 
^^ 
 
 •word, pi6douche, a pedestal, and 2 nouns 
 denotinifr ineri, 
 
 6. Ventouse, — 15 in ouse, all feminine. 
 
 7. TSte. — Of 80 nouns in ete^ all are fe- 
 minine except 6 compounds, as coupc-l6te, 
 &c., and the names of men, as prophete. 
 
 8. Vente, — 35 in ente, all feminine ex- 
 cept le trente, the 30th day of the month. 
 
 9. Debitante, — 49 in ante, all feminine, 
 except three names of men, and rossinante, 
 a mean horse. 
 
 10. .Reverie, — There are 715 nonns in 
 iCy all feminine except genie, genius, in- 
 cendie, a conflagration, 2 names of men, 
 one word from the Greek, perihelie, and 
 Le Messie, the Messiah. 
 
 11. Chance. — 1G4 in ance, all feminine. 
 
 12. Monnoie, — 14 in oie, all feminine 
 except le foie, the liver. 
 
 13. Certitude, — 47 in ude, all feminine 
 except prelude. Most of these follow the 
 gender of the Latin, being derived from 
 nouns in udo, 
 
 14. Fortune, — 23 in une, all feminine. 
 
 15. Montre, — 8 in onire^ all feminine 
 except le pour et le contre, pro and con. 
 
 16. Marquise, — 49 in ise, all feminine. 
 
 17. Danse* — 7 in anse, all feminine. 
 
 o 
 
34 
 
 1 8. Rivirence, — 1 34 in ence, all feminine 
 but le silence, silence. 
 
 19. Taille. — Id in ailky all feminine. 
 
 20. BeautL — There are 612 nouns end- 
 ing in te ; they occur very frequently and 
 are all feminine except a few, viz. pi\tt, .. ' 
 pie, c6te, a side, le bonudicite, a prayer, 
 and a small number of names of men deriv- 
 ed from participles, as depute, revolte, &c. 
 
 21. Idee. — There are 271 nouns in ^e, 
 all feminine except musee, a museum, tro- 
 ph6e, and a few words derived from the 
 Greek, as Hym6n6e, coryphee, scarab6e, 
 &c., which are very rarely used. 
 
 22. Heure. — 11 in eure^ all feminine. 
 
 23. Mesaventure, — Of 305 nouns in «^r 
 all are feminine except augure, parjure, ana 
 raurmure. | 
 
 24. Secousse. — 12 in ow5se, all feminine. I 
 
 25. Creation. — Particular attention must 
 be paid to nouns in ion, which amount to 
 11 73. They are all feminine except 8 de- / 
 signations of males, and pion, a pawn at 
 chess, septentrion, the north, croupion, the 
 rump, scorpion, a scorpion, -with fanioi; 
 gabion, gallon, talion, and trillion. \ 
 
 26. Vue» — 44 in ue^ all feminine. ( 
 
 27. Minute. — 13 in ute, and 14 in out^ 
 
 •> 
 
 r 
 
36 
 
 all feminine but parachute, and ^doute, 
 doubt* 
 
 28. Richesse, — 90 in esse^ all feminine 
 without exception* 
 
 SECOND FEMININE FACLE. 
 Which gives the Gender of 1451 Norms, 
 
 La Jolie Julienne, la Tulipe, et la 
 
 KOSE. 
 
 Julienne^ (1) 1^ "^osiire^ (2) reine^ (3) de la 
 
 f6te, 
 Avec sa couronne (4) siirla t&te, 
 De sa conduite (6) sans tache (6) digne re- 
 compense, (Y) 
 /' Courait dans les allees s'echappant de la 
 danse. 
 D'une onde (8) pure elle ariose. 
 Ssi favorite, (9) sa chere rose. (10) 
 La tulipe, (11) de la rose voisine. 
 A \a jaunisse (12) de jalousie faisant la 
 mine, (13) 
 ^ 'PeLT pique (14) dit a notre Heroine, 
 Pourquoi, Mademoiselle (15) de grace, 
 Faut41 que je cede \a place (16) 
 A cette rougeaude, (17) cette idole, (18) 
 Dont tu sembles etre/o?/e .^ (19) 
 Pourquoi sans rime (20) ni raison, (21) 
 
36 
 
 Perdrais-je a la comparaison ? 
 
 Dans ta robe (22) en guirlande (23) tu la 
 
 places ; 
 Ou dans tes boucles (24) tu I'enlaces. 
 N'ai-je pas une excuse (25) d'etre en coUre^ 
 
 (2§) 
 De te voir avec xneLrlvale^ (27) cette nahote^ 
 
 (28) 
 Et qu'^ moi toujours on prefere 
 GQite 2^ii^biche, (29) cette sotte'i (40) 
 Ne soit point en peine, 
 Reprit la vie^^ge (31) reine : 
 Ne le prends pas en grippe, (32) 
 Jalouse tulip e : 
 
 Dans la gelee je te couvris de naite, (33) 
 Mais tu I'oublies ingrate ! (34) 
 Neanmoins sans adulation. 
 Tu merites notre admiration : 
 Mais souviens-toi que la beaute exterieure 
 Cedera toujours aux beautes interieures. 
 
 NOTES TO THE SECOND FEMININE 
 
 FABLE. 
 
 1. Julienne. — There are 22 nouns in enne^ 
 all feminine. 
 
 2. Rosier e, — Of 297 nouns ending in 
 iirey all are feminine except cimetiere. 
 Words in ere are classed separately. At 
 Salenci, in France, a young woman is an- 
 
37 
 
 nually chosen " queen of the rosej^ La Ro- 
 siiiRE. This honour is conferred for super- 
 eminent virtue and correctness of demean- 
 our. The queen is crowned with a garland 
 of roses on the 8th of June. Madame de 
 Genlis has written a little play in which 
 this pleasing and honourable ceremony is 
 admirably described ; it is called La Rosiere 
 de Salenci. 
 
 3. Heine, — 12 in eine, all feminine. 
 
 4. Couronne, — 30 in onne^ all feminine 
 except personne, nobody. Personne, a per- 
 son, is feminine. 
 
 5. Conduite. — 12 in uite, all feminine. 
 
 6. Tache. — Of 30 nouns in ache, the only 
 masculines are gamaches, gaiters, panache, 
 a plume, rel^cbe, relaxation, and 3 or 4 
 names of men, as bravache, a bully, <fec. 
 
 '7. Recompense, — 8 in ense, all feminine. 
 
 8. Onde, — Of 14 in onde, the only mas- 
 culine is monde, the world. 
 
 9. Favorite, — Of 40 in ite^ all are femi- 
 nine except the names of men, as satellite, 
 Areopagite, &c., and merite, demerite, gite, 
 site, and rite. 
 
 10. Rose, — 15 in ose, all feminine. 
 
 11. Tulipe. — Of 12 in ipe, the only mas- 
 culines are participe and principe. 
 
 12. Jaunisse, — 14 in isse, all feminine. 
 
38 
 
 13 Mine. — 157 in ine, all feminine ex 
 cept la platine, platina. 
 
 14. Pique. — There are 116 nouns in 
 ique. The masculine exceptions are 26 
 designations of men, as eccl^siastique, lai'que 
 &c. and portique, a portico, pique, at cards, 
 topique, and tropique. 
 
 15. Mademoiselle. — Of 123 in elle the 
 only masculines are libelle, a libel, vermi- 
 celle, vermicelli, isabelle, a colour, and 
 violoncelle, a violoncello. 
 
 16. Place. — 27 in ace^ all feminine ex- 
 cept espace, a space. 
 
 17. Rougeaiid. — 19 in aude^ all femi- 
 nine. 
 
 18. Idole. — Of 70 in ofe, all are femi- 
 nine except symbol e, mole, a dyke, mono- 
 pole, a monopoly, pole, and role. 
 
 19. Folle. — 12 in olle^ all feminine. 
 
 20. Rime. — 28 in ime^ all femine except 
 regime, crime, centime, and dime. 
 
 21. Raison. — 41 in aison^ all feminine 
 without exception. 
 
 22. Rohe. — 7 in ohe and ohbe^ all feminine 
 but lobe and g'obe. 
 
 23. Ouirlande. — Of 37 in aric?^, the only 
 masculine is le multiplicande. 
 
 24. Boucle. — 3 in oucle^ all feminine. 
 
 25. Excuse. — 11 in use^ all feminine. 
 
39 
 
 20. CoUre, — Of the 73 nouns in ire, 
 the masculine exceptions are 7 designations 
 of men, with visceres, myst^re, ministere, 
 cautere, adultere, ulcere, cratere, and a few 
 words of very rare occurrence. 
 
 27. Bivale.'-'Of 50 in ale, and 12 in 
 alle, all are feminine but scandale, inter- 
 valle, ovale^ petale, and the compounds of 
 balle. 
 
 28. Xabote, — 47 in ote^ all feminine 
 except the names of men, antidote, and 
 vote. 
 
 29. Pimhiche, — 17 in eche^ all feminine 
 but preche, a sermon. 
 
 80. Sotte, — 37 in otte^ all feminine but 
 tirebotte, a boot-jack. 
 
 31. Vierge. — 11 in erge^dXl feminine but 
 cierge, a taper. 
 
 32. Grippe, — 4 in ippe, all feminine. 
 
 33. Natte. — 11 matU\ all feminine. 
 
 34. Ingrate. — 35 in ate^ all feminine 
 except the names of men, and stigmate, 
 which is used only when speaking of the 
 marks of our Saviour's v. ounds. 
 
40 
 
 THIRD FEMININE FABLE. 
 Which gives the Gender o/* 1408 Nouns. 
 
 La Villageoise et la Belette. 
 
 Une villageoise (1) k force (2) (Tattrapes^^^) 
 Troiiva, enfin dans sa trappe (4) 
 Une imprudente belette, (6) 
 Qui mangeait en goinfrade (6) ses poulettes. 
 En phrase (7) adroite la captive (8) dit, 
 O belle pay Sonne ! (9) epargne ma vie : 
 Me tuer serait grande injustice, (10) 
 Car des vermines je suis la destructrice, 
 Et de i^^ ponies (11) la sauvegarde (12) et 
 
 la protectrice. 
 Quelle vergogne ! (13) dit la fille, quelle 
 
 histoire ! (14) 
 Je mourrais de honte (15) d'etre si niaise, 
 Que de me laisser croire 
 De ioih^ fadaises ! (16) 
 Aux poules confiees k ma charge (1'7) tu 
 
 fais la guerre, (18) 
 Aussi sur que plein de sdve, (19) 
 Nonrries de la houe (20) de la terre, 
 Les branches (21) d'une citrouille, (22) o^ 
 
 d'une gadele (23) s'elevent. 
 Si tu n'eusses pas use ^QfeinteSy (24) 
 Je ne t'aurais point punie, 
 Mais je n'ecoute plus iesplainteSy (25) 
 
41 
 
 A cause (26) de ton hypocrisie. 
 
 Tu n'apportes dans ma cabane (27) que 
 
 jplaies (28) et bosses ; (29) 
 Et aussi sur que j'espere aller a mes noces^ 
 
 Trompeusey (31) tu mourras ! et puis sur la 
 
 tete 
 Notre hegueule (32) avec une mailloche 
 
 (33) assorama la bete. 
 
 NOTES to THE THIRD FEMININE 
 
 FABLE. 
 
 1. Villageoise, — There are 17 nouns in 
 oise^ and 2 in oisse^ all feminine. 
 
 2. Force, — 7 in orce^ all feminine but 
 divorce. 
 
 3. Attrappe. — 14 in ape, all feminine but 
 Pape, the Pope, a masculine absolute. 
 
 4. Trappe, — 8 in appe^ all feminine. 
 
 5. Belette. — Of 276 in ette^ the only 
 masculines are amulette, squelette, and 3 
 compound words, as porte-mouchettes, a 
 snuffer-tray. The learner will observe that 
 words compounded of a verb and a substan- 
 tive are masculine, even though the noun 
 be feminine, as porte-lettre, tire-balle, casse- 
 noisette, &c. 
 
 6. Goinfradc—Oi 139 nouns in ade^ 
 stade, a stadium, is the only naasculine. 
 
42 
 
 7. Phrase. — Of 23 in ase, vase, gymnase, 
 P6gase, and Caucase, are the only mascu- 
 lines. 
 
 8. Captive. — Of 4S in ive^ all are femi- 
 nine but convive : but we say, II faut etre 
 sur le qui-vive, we must be on the alert. 
 
 9. Paysanne, — 1 3 in anne^ all feminme. 
 
 10. Injustice, — There are 142 in ice. 
 The masculine exceptions are rather nume- 
 rous, but may be easily fixed. Eqmeraber 
 that except 6 all the femi nines in ice 
 designate women. These 6 feminines are 
 malice, milice, delices, notice, police., and 
 premices. Therefore, except these 6, when 
 the learner meets with a noun in ice that 
 does not name a female, he will know it to 
 be masculine. 
 
 11. Poule, — 13 in oule^ all feminine but 
 moule, a model. 
 
 12. Sauvegarde. — 37 in arde^ all feminine 
 but pericarde. 
 
 13. VergOLjne, — 14 in ogne^ all feminine 
 but Bourgogne, Burgundy, where vin^ is 
 understood. 
 
 14. Histoire. — There are 80 words in 
 oire. This is the most difficult ending in 
 the language, as there are nearly as many 
 masculines as feminines. The learner 
 must remember that all places in which 
 
43 
 
 any persons assemble are masculine, as 
 ret'ectoire, a refectory ; all law and church 
 terms are masculine, as offertoire, the offer- 
 tory, petitoire, an action at law; and the 
 remaining masculines in oire must be com- 
 mitted to memory ; boire, i voire, vomitoire, 
 d6boire, genitoires, purgatoire, territoire, 
 and macbicatoire. 
 
 15. Honte. — 12 in (?n^ all feminine but 
 conte, a story. 
 
 16. Fadaise, — 15 in aise^ all feminine 
 except malaise, mesaise. 
 
 17. Charge, — 8 in arge^ all feminine ; 
 but we say le large, the ofHng. 
 
 18. Oaerra, — Of 12 in erre^ the mascu- 
 lines are cimeterre, verre, parterre, and 
 tonnerre. 
 
 19. Sive, — 12 in he^ all feminine but 
 reve and eleve. Eleve is both masculine 
 and feminine, 
 
 20. Boue, — 23 in ouCy all feminine. 
 
 21. Branches, — 14 in onche, all feminine 
 but Dimanche, and manche, a handle. 
 Manche is feminine when it means a sleeve. 
 
 22. Citrouille. — 18 in ouille^ all femi- 
 nine. 
 
 23. Gadele, — Of 19 in ile^ the mascu- 
 lines are zele, modele, parallele, and infi* 
 dele. 
 
44 
 
 24. Feintes, — 12 in einte^ all feminine, 
 
 25. Plaintes, — 6 in ainte^ all feminine. 
 
 26. Cause, — 3 in ause^ S in awsie, all 
 feminine. 
 
 27. Cabane, — Of 50 nouns in ane^ all 
 are feminine but ane, an ass, crane, the 
 skull, manes, ghosts ; and organe, an organ. 
 
 28. Plaie, — 49 in aie^ all feminine with- 
 out exception. 
 
 29. Bosse, — Of 12 in osse, the only mas- 
 culines are carrosse and colosse. 
 
 30. Noces, — Y in oce, all feminine but 
 negoce and sacerdoce. 
 
 31. Trompeuse, — There are 263 nouns 
 in eu&e^ all feminine without exception : 
 they almost all designate females. 
 
 32. Begueule. — 10 in eule^ all feminine. 
 
 33. Mailloche, — There are 30 nouns in 
 oche^ all feminine but proche, reproche, 
 coche, and medianoche. 
 
 The pupil having learned thus far, will 
 have fixed in the memory the genders of 
 6907 feminine nouns. There remain about 
 220 more, which I could not introduce : 
 many of these are designations of females., 
 as, une dagorne, a shrew, veuve, a widow, 
 femme, a woman, sage-femme, a midwife, 
 
45 
 
 and the iike, the gender of which is in- 
 Btantly obvious. The rest are added in 
 the following list : — 
 
 Feminine words in e mute not comprehend' 
 ed in the preceding rules, 
 
 TJne lieue, a league Une orange, an orange 
 
 TJne queue, a tail Les louanges, praises 
 
 Vne meute, a pack of Une huppe, a tuft 
 
 hounds Une perruque, a pcruque 
 
 TJne preuvo, a proof La lutte, wrestling 
 
 Une oeuvre, a deed Une hutte, a hut 
 Unemanoeuvre,amanoeuvreUne fugue, a fugue 
 
 Une fl^vre, a fever 
 Une I6vre, a lip 
 Une bible, a bible 
 Une fibre, a fibre 
 Une afflche, a placard 
 Une corniche, a cornice 
 Une miche, a roll 
 Une niche, a niche 
 Des bribes, scraps 
 Des besides, spectacies 
 Une ferme, a farm 
 Une citerne, a cistern 
 Une lanterne, a lantern 
 Une caserne, barracks 
 La gouverne, direction 
 
 L'huile, oil 
 Une tuile, a tile 
 Une huitre, an oyster 
 Une couple, a couple 
 Une source, a source 
 Une bourse, a purse 
 La douane, the custom- 
 house. 
 La bourbe, mud 
 La fourbe, deceit 
 Les annonces, the banns 
 La provendc, provender 
 Une 16gende, a legend 
 Une amende, a fine 
 La tempe, the temple 
 
 Une giberne, a cartridge- Une larme, a tear 
 
 box Une alarme, an alarm 
 
 Une serpe, a bill-hook Les armes, weapons 
 
 Une controverse, a con- Une harpe, a harp 
 
 troversy 
 La perte, loss 
 L*alerte, alarm 
 Une d(3couverte, a dis* 
 
 covery 
 Bes conserves, preserves 
 ilJes verves, whims 
 Une drachme, a dram 
 
 Une carpe, a carp 
 
 Une remarque, a remark ' 
 
 Une barque, a bark 
 
 L'ame, the soul 
 
 Une cellule, a cell 
 
 La cuticule, the cuticle 
 
 La mule, the Pope's slipper 
 
 Une pilule, a pill 
 
46 
 
 Vtid cataraxjte, a cataract TJn virgule, a comma 
 
 L'epacto, the epacto Unc pcniiisule, a pcnitisUhi 
 
 Une raontagne,amountam tJne pendulc, a clock 
 
 La carapagne, the country La sauge, sage 
 
 tlue chdtaigne, a chcsnut L'db^ne, ebony 
 
 Une baguc, a ring Une scCne, a scene 
 
 Uno vague, a wave Une bibliotiiOque, a library 
 
 Une aile, a wing Une valve, a valve 
 
 tJne d^faite, a defeat La lOpre, leprosy 
 
 Une retraite, a retreat Lea vOpres, vespers 
 
 Les Alpes, the Alpes Une gu6pe, a wasp 
 
 Une jupe. a petticoat Une goutte, a drop 
 
 La fresque, fresco Une boite, a box 
 
 Uno horloge, a clock La pointe, the point 
 
 Une logo, a lodge Uno bom be, a bomb 
 
 La pompp, pump Une colombe, a dove 
 
 La moelle, marrow Une tombcj a monument 
 
 Une tourte, a fruit pie La peste a plague 
 
 La fange, dirt Une veste, a waistcoat 
 
 La frenge, fringe Les cendres^ ashes 
 
 Une grange, a barn Une r<5ponse, an answer* 
 
 These nouns, with all those in Sse^ arte^ 
 ourde^ and ampey 28 in number,, added to 
 some female designations, and a few words 
 seldom used, complete the feminine listi 
 which amounts to 7,133. This number, 
 added to the masculines, 8415, will give, 
 the total amount of the French nouns, 15,- 
 548, a calculation which I believe agrees 
 as nearly as possible with those made by 
 the French grammarians. 
 
 As soon as the learner h^s committed the 
 six fables to memory, he ought to exercise 
 himself in the application of them. This 
 may be done by his teacher taking a dic- 
 tionary and calling the nouns, while the 
 
47 
 
 pupil, as each word is called, refers it in his 
 memory to the guiding-word in the fable, 
 and answers as to the gender, A very 
 little practice will enable him to refer in a 
 moment to a word in the fables that ends 
 like the word he wants to know the gender 
 of. For instance, suppose the word asked 
 him be haleine, the breath, his memory 
 will refer it to reine^ or peine, and as these 
 words occur in the fable about the queen of 
 the rose J a female, he will know at once 
 that haleine is feminine. 
 
 Gibier, game, he would refer to sanglier ; 
 metal, to cheval ; enfance and esperance 
 to chance ; gravite, to beaute ; fente to 
 attente ; carquois to hois, and so of the rest. 
 
 The following list comprehends all 
 those nouns which the French make mas- 
 culine in one signification and feminine in 
 another. I should recommend students 
 who have made some progress in the 
 language, to copy them all, three or four 
 times, as the surest means of impressing 
 them on the memory. 
 
 Une aide, help 
 
 Tin aide, an assistant, as aide-de-camp 
 
 Un aigle, an eagle 
 
4« 
 
 L'aigle Impferiale, a standard 
 
 L'aise, comfort, ease,/ew. 
 
 Le malaise, discomfort 
 
 Un aune, an alder-tree 
 
 Une aune, an ell-measure 
 
 Un barbe, a Barbary horse 
 
 Uno barbe, a beard 
 
 Un barde, a bard 
 
 La barde, a slice of bacon roasted with a 
 
 fowl 
 Un basqu(5, a Biscayan 
 Une basque, a skirt 
 Un berce, a bird 
 Une berce, a plant 
 Un braque, a setting-dog 
 Lesbraques,/e/7i, the claws of sbell-fish 
 La caraque, cocoa 
 
 Une caraqiie, a carrack, a kind of ship 
 Le carpe, the wrist 
 Une carpe, a carp 
 
 Un cartouche, an ornament in designing 
 Une cartouche, a cartridge 
 Un coche, a waggon, a passage-boat 
 Une coche, an old sow 
 Le connetable, the Lord High Constable 
 
 of France 
 La connetable, his lady 
 Un couple, a man and his wife 
 Une couple, a pair, a brace 
 
49 
 
 Le chrome, or cr6me, consecrated oil 
 
 Le cr6me de tartre, a drug 
 
 La cr6me, cream 
 
 Un critique, a critic 
 
 TJne critique, a criticism 
 
 TJne dame, a lady 
 
 Le dame dame, a sort of cheese 
 
 Le double, a duplicate, twice the value 
 
 La double, the second stomach of a rumi- 
 nating animal 
 
 Un enseigne, an ensign, an oflScer 
 
 TJne enseigne, a flag, a token 
 
 Un exemple, a precedent 
 
 Une exemple, a writing-copy, a pattern 
 
 Le faux, falsehood 
 
 La faux, a scythe 
 
 Le follicule, the gall- bladder 
 
 La follicule, the seed-vessel in plants 
 
 Un foudre, a tun-vessel, a wine-butt 
 
 Un foudre de guerre, a thunderbolt of war, 
 a great warrior 
 
 Une foudre, a thunderbolt 
 
 La foudre de Dieu, the wrath of God 
 
 Un fourbe, a swindler 
 
 La fourbe, knavery, deceit 
 
 Un garde, a guardsman 
 
 Une garde, a defence 
 
 Le grefie, a register 
 
 La greflfe, a graft 
 
50 
 
 Les gueules, gules, in heraldry, mas. 
 
 La gueule, the jaws of a beast 
 
 Uii guide, a guide 
 
 line guide, a rein 
 
 Le haut-paye, a soldier in extra pay 
 
 La haute-paye, extra pay 
 
 Uu heliotrope, a sunflower 
 
 Uiie heliotrope, a spotted precious stone 
 
 \J\\ hymne, a chaunt of the ancients 
 
 line hymne, a Christian hymn 
 
 IT II iris, a rainbow 
 
 Uae iris, the circle round the pupil of the 
 
 eye 
 Les Larves, mas, evil spirits 
 La larve, a worm or grub 
 TJtie ligne, a line 
 
 Ua interligne, a space between lines 
 TJd litre, a measure for liquids 
 Une litre, mourning hangings used in 
 
 churches 
 Un livre, a book 
 
 Une livre, a pound-weight, a piece of money 
 Un manche, a handle 
 Une manche, a sleeve, the channel 
 Un martyre, a martyrdom 
 Une martyre, a female martyr 
 Un matamore, a boaster 
 Une matamore, a slave prison 
 Un memoire, a bill, a memoir 
 
51 
 
 La m 6 moire, the memory 
 
 Un mire, a bar 5 years old 
 
 XJne inire, an aim, the button at the muzzle 
 
 of a gun to take aim by 
 Un mode, a mood, accident 
 La mode, fashion, custom 
 Un mole, a pier, a mole, a dyke 
 Une mole, a tympany, a false idea 
 La mort, death 
 
 Un 111 Oft, a corpse, a dead man 
 Un moiifle, a pulley, a set of pullies 
 Une moufle, a mitten 
 Un moule, a model, a pattern, an example 
 Une moule, a muscle, a shell-fish 
 Un mousse, a ship-boy 
 La mousse, moss, froth 
 Un novice, a novice, a cabin-boy 
 Une novice, a female preparing to take 
 
 the veil, a nun expectant 
 Une nuit, a night 
 Une malenuit, a restless night 
 Le mi nuit, midnight 
 Le grnnd oeuvre, the philosopher's stone 
 Un oeuvre, a literary work 
 Les hors d'oeuvre, mas. small ragouts, side 
 
 dishes 
 Un oeuvre, an action, a work, a deed 
 Un ombre, a sort of fish like the salmon 
 L'ombre, mas, a game at cards 
 
52 
 
 Une ombre, a shadow, a ghost 
 
 Les ombres, ma$, is applied to nDinrited 
 visitors introduced to a feast in ancient 
 Eome, by thoi invited guests 
 
 Un orgue, an organ 
 
 Les orgues,/gm. a pair of organs 
 
 Uorge^fem. barley 
 
 L'orge monde, peeled barley 
 
 Un page, a page, an attendant 
 
 Une page, a page in a book 
 
 Un paillasse, a theatrical clown 
 
 Une paillasse, a mattrass 
 
 Un palme, a measnre of length 
 
 Une palme, an advantage 
 
 Un panache, a plume 
 
 Une penache, a pea-hen 
 
 Un pantomime, a pantomine player 
 
 Une pantomime, a pantomine 
 
 Un parallele, a comparison 
 
 Une parallele, a parallel-line 
 
 Le passe passe, juggling 
 
 Une passe, a pass in fencing, a hen-sparrow 
 
 Un pendule, a pendulum 
 
 Une pendule, a clock 
 
 Le periode, the heighth 
 
 La periode, an epoch, a period 
 
 Personne, mas, nobody 
 
 Une personne, a person 
 
 Un pique, a spade at cards 
 
53 
 
 Un pique nique, a pic-nic, a party where 
 each contributes provisions 
 
 Une pique, a spear, a quarrel, 
 
 Un pivoine, a kind of snipe, a gnat-snapper 
 
 La pivoine, peony, a plant 
 
 Un plane, a plane-tree 
 
 Une plane, a plane, a carpenter's tool 
 
 Le platine, platina, a metal 
 
 La platine, the plate to which a watch- 
 moyement is fastened, a copper plate 
 
 Un plinthe, a squared body of soldiers 
 
 Une plinthe, a plinth, in architecture 
 
 Un poele, a stove, a coffin-pall 
 
 Une poele, a frying-pan 
 
 Un Polacre, a Polish gentleman 
 
 Une polacre, a polacca, a vessel in common 
 use in the Mediterranean 
 
 Le ponte, punto, one who gambles 
 
 La ponte, the laying of eggs 
 
 Un poste, a station, a situation, office 
 
 La poste, the post-office, the mail, travel- 
 ling post 
 
 Le pouipre, purple, the purples, or spotted 
 fever 
 
 La pourpre, used figuratively for the power 
 and dignity of a king, pope, cardinal, 
 &c., 
 
 Un pr6texte, a pretence, a pretext 
 
 La pretexte, an ancient Roman dress 
 
54 
 
 Un pupille, a male pupil 
 
 Une pupille, Ihe apple of the eye, a female 
 
 pupil 
 Un regale, an organ-pipe 
 La r6gale, the holding a vacant bishopric 
 Le relache, relaxation 
 Une relache, the touching at a sea-port 
 Un remise, a glass coach. 
 Une remise, a coach-house 
 Le serpentaire, a constellation 
 La serpentaire, dragon- wort 
 Le sinople, vert in haraldry, a chalk 
 La sinople, anemony, a flower 
 Le solde, payment, balance of an account 
 La solde, the pay of a soldier. 
 Un somme, a sleep, a nap 
 Une somme, a sum of money, a load 
 Un souris, a smile 
 Une souris, a mouse 
 Une syllable, a syllable 
 Un monosyllable, a monosyllable 
 Un Polysyllable, a poUy syllable 
 La terre, the tjarth 
 
 Le terre a terre, short leaps of a horse 
 Le rezterre, a surface even with the ground 
 La tete, the head 
 
 Un tfete a t6te, a tete-a-tete j 
 
 Un torse, a torso, a mutilated statue ^ 
 
 Une torse, a turner's tool 
 
Tin triomphe, a triumph, victory 
 
 Une triomphe, a trump-card, a game at 
 
 cards 
 Un trompette, a trumpeter 
 Une trompette, a trumpet 
 Le vague, empty space 
 La vague, a wave 
 Un vis-a-vis, a carriage 
 Une vis, a screw 
 Un voile, a veil, a cover 
 Une voile, a sail 
 
tj 
 
LOVELL'8 8EBIES OF SCHOOL BOOKS. 
 
 IN THE PRESS, 
 To be published in the Spring of 1860: 
 
 \ mm\i rjor^RiPDw. 
 
 BY 
 
 J. GEORGE HODGINS, M.A. 
 
 Embellished with about 40 superior Maps and 100 
 beautiful Engravings* 
 
 This GEOGRAPHY, while it is designed to furnish 
 a satisfactory resumie of the Geographical knowledge 
 of all parts of the world, will give equal prominence to 
 the BRITISH COLONIES, concerning which such 
 meagre information is generally found in works of this 
 kind. It is designed and will be a suitable Text-Book 
 for children in CANADA, NOVA SCOTIA, NEW 
 BRUNSWICK, NEWFOUNDLAND, PRINCE ED- 
 WARD'S ISLAND, the EAST and WEST INDIES, 
 AUSTRALIA, &c. 
 
 The Maps and Wood-Cuts are now in course of pre- 
 paration, and every effort will be made to expedite 
 publication. The work will, at the latest, be in the 
 Bookstores in the Spring of 1860. 
 
 PRICE $1. 
 
 A liberal discount will be allowed to the Trade g,nd to 
 
 Country Merchants, 
 
 JOHN LOVELL, PublUher. 
 
IN PREPARATION : 
 
 EASY LESSONS 
 
 IN 
 
 fiElVEBAL (iEOCiRAPHY, 
 
 FOR THE USE 
 ov 
 
 YOUNGEH PUPILS ; 
 
 BBINa INTRODUCTORY TO 
 TO BB 
 
 Embellished with Maps and Illustrations, 
 
 BY 
 
 J. GEORGE HODGINS, M.A. 
 
 JOHN LOVELL, Publisher. 
 
LdVELL'S SEBIES OF SCHOOL BOOKS. 
 
 IN PREPARATIOI^^ : 
 
 A SCHOOL 
 
 OF CANADA, 
 
 AND OP THE OTHER 
 
 PROVINGEa 
 
 WITH 
 
 BY 
 
 J. GEORGE HODGINS, M.A. 
 
 JOHN LOVBLL, Publisher. 
 
LOTELL'8 SERIES OF SCHOOL BOOKS. 
 
 JUST PUBLISHED : 
 
 OUTLINES 
 
 OP 
 
 CHRONOLOGY, 
 
 FOR THE USB 
 
 OF 
 
 t 
 
 SCHOOLS. 
 
 EDITBD BY 
 
 MRS. aoRDoisr 
 
 JOHN LOYELL, 
 
 Publiskerj 
 
 CAHADi. Directory Oppiob, 
 Montreal, August, 1859. 
 
IN THE PRESS, , 
 
 « » 
 
 7o 6e ptibHshed in October^ 1659 : 
 
 A 
 
 TREAm ON ARITHMETIC, 
 
 IN 
 
 THEORY AND PRACTICE; 
 
 RX:VIS£D, IMPROVED, Sc ABAPTBB 
 
 TO THE 
 
 DECIMAL CURRENCY, 
 
 BY 
 
 J. H. SANGSTER. 
 
 This work will be on Sale in the Bookstores 
 throughout Canada, 
 
 JOHN LOVELL, Publisher. 
 
liOViSLL'B BEKUS OF BCUOOL BOOKS. 
 
 IN PREPARATION : 
 
 FIRST BOOK 
 
 OP 
 
 IN 
 
 BKGHM&IL 
 
 CURRENGT, 
 
 &c., &c. 
 
 BY 
 
 J. EC. 8A.]SrGSTER. 
 
 JOHN LOVELL, Publisher. 
 
LOVELL'S 8BBIES 07 SCHOOL BOOKS. 
 
 A IVEW SPELiIillVG-BOOK. 
 
 IN THE PRESS, 
 To he published in October^ 1859 : 
 
 THB 
 
 CLASSICAL ENGLISH 
 
 SPELLING-BOOK; 
 
 IN WHICH 
 
 THE HITHERTO DIFFICULT ART OF ORTHO- 
 GRAPHY IS RENDERED EASY AND PLEA- 
 SANT. AND SPEEDILY ACQUIRED. 
 
 Comprising all the important 
 
 ROOT-WORDS FROl TOE ANGLO-SAXON, 
 TUE LATIN, AND TDE GREEK; 
 
 AND 
 
 Several hundred Exercises in Derivations and in 
 Verbal Distinctions, 
 
 BY G. G. VASEY. 
 
 JOHN LOYELL, Publisher. 
 
JUV V JUllll M 9*d 
 
 IN THE PRESS, 
 To be published in October ^ 1859 : 
 
 GRAMMAR 
 
 MADE EASY 
 
 TO THE 
 
 CAPACITY OP CHILDREN ; 
 
 IN WHICH, BY PLEASANT EXERCISES, A EINOWLEDGE 
 OP THE PAETS OP SPEECH IS EASILY ACQUIRED. 
 
 BY a. a. VASEY. 
 
 The above works will be prepared with great 
 care, printed on good paper, and bound in the 
 most substantial manner. 
 
 j1 liberal discount will be allowed to the Trade 
 and to Country Merchants, 
 
 JOHN LOVELL, 
 
 Publisher, 
 Canada Directory Office, 
 Montreal, August, 1859.