17 APRIL 1936, Page 21

ENGLISHMEN'S FRENCH

[To the Editor of TILE SPECTATOR.] Sni,—As recent events have shown us, the translation of a single word may be of world importance, and I hope I may be forgiven for enquiring from your contributor Mr. R. C. K. Ensor whether Frederick the Great did refer to mankind as " celte race sacra'," which means this noble, sacred race, or did he say " eette sacree race" which would be best translated as " this bloody race " ?- As a Frenchwoman I am so often hurt by the misquotations my language has to suffer that I might be allowed to add that an elementary knowledge of French shows us a great difference in meaning in, say, "an bonhomme" and "an homme bon"; " un grand homme" and ." un hontme grand"—to take some easy examples.—I am, Sir, yours truly, Mildenhall, Marlborough,