which had the greatest number of fables, and that which
had the least. Under this idea, the Harleian MS. No. 978, is the
completest of all that have been yet cited.

In examining the manner in which she speaks of herself, we shall
perceive she does not call herself _Marie de France_, as he has stated,
but says _she is from France_.

Al finement de cest escrit,
Me nomerei par remembrance,
Marie ai non si suis de France, &c.[20]

If we consider well the latter verse, there will be no difficulty in
perceiving that Mary wrote in England. Indeed, it was formerly a very
common thing for authors to say that they were of such a city, and even
to assume the name of it. Or even, when writing in Latin, state
themselves either natives of England, or of France. But when an author
writes in France, and in the language of the country, he does not say
that _he is of France_. Now this precaution, on the part of Mary,
implies that she wrote in a foreign country, the greater part of whose
inhabitants spoke her native language; which was the case in England.
She stated herself to be a native of France, that her works might be
regarded as written in a purer and correcter style.

Monsieur le Grand does not believe that Mary really translated from a
collection that existed in her time in the English language, under the
title of the _Fables of Aesop_; but, if we examine the fables
themselves, we shall discover in them internal evidence of their being
translated from the English.

Mention is made of counties and their judges, of the great assemblies
held there for the administration of justice, the king's writs, &c. &c.
Now what other kingdom, besides England, was at that time divided into
counties? What other country possessed similar establishments? But Mary
has done more; in her French translation she has preserved many
expressions in the English original; such as _welke_, in the fable of
the Eagle, the Crow, and the Tortoise; _witecocs_, in that of the Three
Wishes; _grave_, in that of the Sick Lion; _werbes and wibets_, in that
of the Battle of the Flies with other Animals; _worsel_, in that of the
Mouse and the Frog, &c.

The completest MS. of Mary's translation, has but 104 fables; out of
which, 31 only are Aesop's. So the English version that she had before
her, was not a true and complete translation of that fabulist, but a
compilation from different authors, in which some of his fables had been
inserted. Neverthele