comme, 'so to speak,' 'as it were

1. 11. lui, qui. One of the cases in which celui qui would be impossible, E.B. 74 Obs. 2.

1. 16. hausse-col, 'gorget.' It appears to be a survival of the piece of armour uniting the helmet and the cuirass.

Garde royale. Established in 1815, when Napoleon's garde impériale was broken up, and suppressed by Louis Philippe in 1830. It was de Vigny's own regiment.

1. 19. depuis trois ou quatre ans. The meaning is, 'as it is three or four years since you left the army, perhaps you have not kept it.' The construction in detail is — vous ne l'avez plus, you have ceased to possess it (have it no longer), depuis trois ou quatre ans, for three cr four years, que { — datant de l'époque oh) from the time when, vous avez quitté, you left.