au débotté, ' at the taking off of the king's boots

Page 95. 1. 18. une idylle. Thisisapoemwhichappearedinthe Almanach des Muses in 1790, entitled V Amour de la Campagne.

Page 96. 1. 5. Une vieille châtelaine armoriée, ' an old gentlewoman living as a mistress in her country-house.'

Page 97. 1. 1. homonyme, 'namesake.'

1. 2. Lamartinière (1673-1749) was the author of several works on geography, of which the most important was le Grand dictionnaire géographique et critique. He was a native of Dieppe.

du P. Simon. He was an Oratorian priest who was expelled from his order and condemned by the Holy See for writing an unorthodox criticism of the Old Testament. He was also a native of Dieppe.

1. 3. Bossuet. See note to p. 78, 1. 39. Port -Royal was originally a community of nuns which bad been removed to Paris from Port-Royal des Champs. About the year 1636 it became the retreat of a number of distinguished men of letters, including Arnauld d'Andilly, Nicol, and the immortal Pascal, who gave themselves up to rehgious pursuits and the compilation of works of éducation. Port-Royal was afterwards involved in the Jansenist heresy, and, being condemned by the Pope, was broken up as a community in 1 656. Racine was among its pupils.

1. 4. Pecquet (1622-1674) was a distinguished anatomist who made seveial discoveries of permanent value to the science of medicine. He is several times referred to in the Letters of Mme de Sévigné, whose daughter he attended.

1. 6. Cauchoise, a woman from the pays de Caux, that is, the eountry about Dieppe, Yvetot, and Havre.

1. 12. Anne d'Autriche was the wife of Louis XIII and mother of Louis XIV. She became régent on the death of the former in 1643, and, in spite of the rébellion of the Fronde, maintained the kingdom intact for her son.

1. 39. M . Delisle de Sales was a writer of works on philosophy and religion of little value or originality.

Page 98. 1. 12. qu'il brocantait, * which he did a good trade with.'