Scène II
8 S — D'wi courage naissant . . . essais : Are those
the first attempts of a young courage ? N. naissant, newly-born, dawning, rising; un Etat naissant, an infant state.
8 b—Thessalie : Thessaly. Peleus, Achilles' father, was
King of the Myrmidones in Phthiotis, in Thessaly ; being troubled by one of his neighbours, he had sent for his son, who conquered the foe. See p. 6, 1. 12 and 13.
8 6 — En attendant V armée : Until the army of the
Gretks came up from Aulis to besiege Troy. Cf. thèse lines with Seneca's (230-233) :—
HsBC tanta clades gentium ac tantus pavor, Sparsse tôt urbes, turbinis vasti nioiîo, Alterius esset gloria ac summum decus ; Iter est Achillis . . .
8 10 — Et que puisse bientôt le ciel : An unusual construc-
tion for ** Et que le ciel puisse bientôt.'"
8 12 — Le prix glorieux— i.e., the hand of Iphigenia.
8 16 — JOe succès : In the sensé of l'accomplissement, the
accomplishment. N. succès is also used in the sensé of résultat : —
Daignez, je vous conjure, Attendre le succès qu'aura cette aventure.
—Mol., le Dép., iii., 7.
8 It — Et bientôt des mortels suis- je. Remark hère the
présent used for the future naturally expected after bientôt, soon ; the présent, however, gives a qnicker turn to the phrase.
8 26 — Tandis qu'à tws vaisseaux la mer toujours fermée :
Whilst the sea still closed against our vessels.
WOTM. 69
Fage 8 Une 37 — Vinel&mence des dieux : Divùm inclementia (Virgil,
Mn , book ii., line 602).
9 1 — A son amour s'applique — i.e., s'occupe de « -n
amour : Thinks of his love.
9 7 — Dans les champs phrygiens les effets feront foi :
In the fields of Phrygia deeds will show ;
Troy was in Troas, a subdivision of Phrygia,
a province in Asia Minor.
9 14 — Qui de ce soin sur Calchas me repoH : Who leave
such carea to Oalchas.
9 16— iVe sauroient : Oannot. Remark savoir used in
the conditional with ne in the sensé oî pouvoir.
10 2 — Que sert de : What is the use of. Servir requires
à, therefore que stands for à quoi. N. à quoi cela sert-il : What is the good of that ?
10 2 — Ofi sait qu^d votre tête, etc. : It is known that, by
the will of the jfods, the conquest of Ilium dépends on your présence.
10 9 — Comblés : Loaded with ; Comblé is generally uied
in connection with enviable things, such as honours, présents ; but rarely as hère in connection with shame or opprobrium. N. il est couvert d'opprobres^ he is loaded with obloquy.
10 10 — Paris : The second son of Priam, King of Troy
and Hecuba, having to décide who was the fairest of Hera (Juno), Aphrodite (Venus), or Athena (Minerva), decided in faveur of Aphrodite, who had promised him the fairest of women for his wife ; that woman was Helen, the wife of Menelaus, whom Paris carried off.
10 18 — Une autre Hélène — i.e., Eriphyle, supposed to be
an illustrious princess, whose loss grieved the Trojans as that of Helen grieved the Greeks.
10 22 — Accusant sa noblesse : Proving her noble extrac-
tion. •' Un silence qui accuse, pour dire, qui prouve qu'elle est d'une illustre naissance " (Louis Racine, the son of Jean Racine).
10 28 — Les Parques: Parcae, the Fates, the thre«
daughters of Zeus and Themis— Clotho, or
the spinning fate ; Lachesis, or the one who
assigns to man his fate ; and Atropos, or the
fate that cannot be avoided.
\1 6 — De nos Jours : Of our lives. N. Ses jours sont en
dnnger, bis lifo is in danger ; ceux qui m'ont
donné le Jour, my parents.
Jl 12— Quoi que : Whatever. Not to be mistaken with
quoique in one word, although.
11 lA— Quand (the short for qumnd même, quand ktei»
même) • Eveo if.
70 tf^IO^NIE.
^uand le malheur ne serait bon Qu'à mettre un sot à la raison, Toujoxirs serait-ce ajuste cause Qu'on le dit bon à quelque chose.
—La Fontaine (1621-1698).
Poffe 11 Une IB—Fatroele: Patroclus, the celebrated friend of Achilles. He is said to hâve taken part in the expédition against Troy on account of hia attachment to Achilles.
