Délaisser l’écorce et goûter du ‘fruict interieur’

The prose fable collection known as the Anonymous of 1547 was a real bestseller, with at least twenty editions published before the end of the 16th century. This translation differs from the other three that appeared between 1480 and the middle of the 16th century in its intention to combine tradition and innovation with regard to the order of the tales, the choice of sources and the use of prose; the intention to follow the pattern of an emerging ‘bon usage’ characterises this translation, intended to provide an example of elegant prose. After having highlighted the specificities of this collection, two annotated copies will be described, in order to anchor the hypotheses concerning the target audience on concrete data.