se rapporte à 'has any connection with

9. le phénix, 'the wonder' The Phoenix was a fabulons bird, which had no mate, and which at the end of a considérable number of years was burnt on a pyre, and rose again from its own ashes.

10. ne se sent pas de Joie, 'cannot contain himself for joy',

or 'is beside himself with joy'.

16. vaut bien, bien is emphatic, 'is well worth'. 18. qu'on ne l'y prendrait plus, 'that he would not be caugbt

again'.

III. LA GRENOUILLE QUI SE VEUT FAIRE AUSSI GROSSE QUE LE BŒUF. The subject of this fable is found almost literally in Phaedrus Lib. I. fable 24. A portion of this fable is also very much like the end of Horace's third satire Lib. II. lines 314—320.

Absentis ranse pullis vituli pede pressis,

Unus ubi effugit, matri denarrat, ut ingens

Belua cognatos eliserit. Illa rogare,

Quantane? num tantum, sufflans se, magna fuisset?

Major dimidio? Nam tanto? Cum magis atque

Se magis inflaret; non, si te ruperis, inquit,

Par eris.

The young ones of an absent frog were crushed by the foot of a young steer, and only one had escaped. He related to his mother how an immense beast had crushed his brothers. 'How big?' she asked; and swelling herself: 'might it bave been as big as this?' Twice as big. 'So much?' Then she swells herself more and more. No, (said the young one) you would burst before you could equal it.

Notes. 83

Line 4. se travaille, works herself up.

7. ny suis-je point encore, 'Am I not up to the mark yet'. 12. les grands seigneurs, 'the nobles'.

IV. LES DEUX MULETS. The original of this fable is found in ^sop's fable 328: "Ovo; xai 'Itctioç; in Phaedrus Lib. IL Fable 7 Muli duo et r aptères.

Line 2. la gabelle, the name formerly given to the salt-tax. In olden times the word gabelle, derived from the Anglo-Sason ga/ol par le Gothique gilan, meant taxes in gênerai. The salt-tax being the most unpopular of ail, the word gabelle gradually served to dénote this spécial tax. Compare with the German gafel and geben. The modem salt-tax, which still exists in France is known by the name of l'impôt sur le sel.

9. fisc, 'Its treasury', from the latin word fiscus, a sort of basket in which money was kept.

1 8. si tu n'avais servi qu'un meunier, comme moi = si, comme moi, tu n'avais servi (/u'un meunier.

V. LA GENISSE, LA CHEVRE ET LA BREBIS EN SOCIETE AVEC LE LION, .^sop's Fable 260. Phaedrus Lib. I. 5. Line 3. au temps Jadis, in days of yore.

5. lacs the C is not heard in that word. This line is rather peculiar. A goat decoying a stag is not a very likely contingency, neither are the associâtes at ail well chosen. In the old Boman du Benard the appearance of reality bas been more carefulJy attended to. The confederates of the Vion are tlie fox, and the wolf. The three associâtes bave taken a bull, a cow, and a calf. The wolf proposes to give the lion the bull, whilst the cow will be his share, and the calf the fox's. This proposai not pleasing the lion, he stretches his paw, and tears a pièce of skin ofif the wolf's forehead. Then the lion addresses the fox, and asks him to divide the booty. Reynard who bas no wish to be treated like the wolf thinks the lion should take the bull for himself whilst the lioness should hâve the cow, and he further adds that the lion's son should be entitled to the calf. The lion greatly pleased asks the fox what bas rendered him so skilful. Reynard quietly, but wittilly answers : „The fellow I see yonder with his red snout."

7. Eux venus, refers to associés, line 6. 'When they had come'.