CHAPTER IV
DUNKIBK BESIEGBD BY THE ALLIES — DILAPEDATED STATE OF THE PLACE — HOCHE PUTS IT IN A BETTEB CONDITION — FBENCH VICTOKY AT HONDSCHOTTE — SOETEE — BETBEAT OF TUE ENGLISH — HOCHE PP.i'- MOTED — APPOINTE!) TO THE COMMAND OF THE AEMY oF THÈ MOSELLE — ^BECENT DEFEATS — CEITICAL STATE OF THE FBONTIEE — DISCIPLINE BE-ESTABLISHED — ENTHUSIASM OF THE ABMY — PBUSSIANS DEIVEN BACK — HOCHE BEPULSED — PICHEGEU — HOCHE's PLANS — DEFEAT <>P THE AUSTEIANS — HOCHE IN COMIJAND OF BOTH Alt M IF, S — -WEISSEN- BOUEG TAKEN — LANDAU DELIVEEED.
Line 23. — ennemies. — Hostile. In ennemi the n's are pronounced as in English ; but in ennoblir, and ennui and its deriv». tivps they hâve the nasal sound.
Line 24. — le 'l»" d'York. — Second son of George III. He was not a briUiant success as a gênerai.
Line 28. — de manière à empêcher. — So as to preveut. •
Tiiae 29. — hors d'état. — In no condition.
X ,ne 30. — l'enceinte. — There is no terra in English to express this, and the French word is generally used, as is the case with very many other ternis relating to fortification. It means the principal wall or rampart surrounding a place, from encsindre to surround. Compare p. 71, 1. 1.
Page 22.
Line 2. — en comptait &c. — Scarcely amoimted to the half of tliat. Line 5. — fossés. — Ditches or trenches. Distinguish from fosse, a
pit.
Line 6. — revêtements. — Another French term adopted in English,
but sometimes written revetment. It means the liuing ^ of stone or wood on the face of a ditch or otlior slope to
prevent the earth from falling down.
I/iue 7.— s'et^^i* aliénés.— Had alienated (from themselves) : se
heie is the indirect objcct, and the nartirijlc agreea
with the direct object que. D. F. 591,
Korrs. 149
Line 9. — équipages — Crews — applied to soldiers and sailors ou board a sbip.
" s'insurgèrent — Mutinied.
Liue 12. — os* — Tlie use of the présent ior the past to give more vigor to the narrative is very common in French, far more so than in English. D. F. 547. In trauslating it is £,'enerally to use the past tense.
•♦ «spérer. — There are a number of verbs which in French
take no préposition, while the corresponding Eughsh verhs require one ; such as payer, approuver, attendre, demander , .fc.
Line 13. — n'occupe eut-ove &c — Still occnpied in the army, according ta rank, only a subordiuate position.
Line 18. — l'adjoint du ministre. — The Deputy Minister (of warl.
Liue 20. — 'le nous forcer — To compel us — i.e., to surrender the place.
Line 21. — doit s'attendre — Must expect.
Line 23. — il la fait passer — He communicated. This use of both noun and pronoun is quite commou. In translating omit the pronoun. *
Line 25. — mène. — Most verbs in eter aud eler doubl ■ the consonant before the e mute, but other verbs of the first conjugation whose stem ends in a single consonant preceded by e mute, take a grave accent instead of doubling the consonant, as viener, lever.
Line'28. — casser — He cashiered — i. e., deprived of his office. " To break" is used in English in the same sensé. "I see a great gênerai \)rdken."— Swift.
Line 29. — avec mollesse — Leniently — i.e., with criminal leniency.
Line 36. — tarderaient-ils — even should they delay. " à force de travail — By diut of bard work.
Page 23.
Line 1. — on peut les attendi-e. — ^We ean wait for them.
Liue 4. — accourait — Was advanciug x-apidly.
Line o. — Houi-iiard.— A famous French gênerai, who gained the battle of Hondschotte in 1793. Being accused of net having implicitly obeyed the comjnands of the Committee of Safety, he was guillotiued.
« Jonrdan — A celebrated gênerai, who in 1793 defeated the
allies at Fleurus, drove them across the Ehine aud gained possession of Belgium. He was afterwards made a Marshal by Xapoleon, and had an important command in Spain during the Peninsular War,
150 NOTKS.
Liue 7. — Pnmes. — In the province of W. Flauders, Belgium. Line 10. — murs. — Mur is the gênerai Word for wall. Muraille refers to the defences of a city, &c. Distinguish mur—wsUl, froin mûr — ripe. Thèse words come respectively from Latiu murus and niaturus.
Line 12. — de venir en aide &c. — fr m coming to the assistance of Marshal Freytag in an effective manner. More freelj" — from giving any effective assistance to Marshal Freytag. Liue 16. — hâte. — Tlie circumflex accent over a vowel generallj' marks the elision of the letter s after it — e.g., fête, être, côte, maître, were originally written /este, estre, cosfe, maistre. Sometimes, however, it indicates a contraction of another kind, for example — Aje, originally written aaf/e, Line 17. — e» *»<"« de — Opposite.
Line 22. — a fait passer — Imparted.
Line 25. — délabrée — ^Dilapidâtes
'■ résister- à. — See Note, p. 1.5, l* 39,
Line 27. — bgle — Splendid.
Line 33. — brnmalre. — The second month of autumn in the Republican calendar. The convention which met in 1792 in their désire for change, adopted new names for the months, as follows : — In autumn ,Vexdemiaiee [Vindemia grape-gathering) ; Beumaibe (Bruma, log); Fediaibe (Frimas, hoar-frost). In winter, Nptose (Nivosus, snowy); Pluviôse (Phiviosus, rainy) ; Vbxtose (Venfosus, windy). In spring, Germinal (Germen, germ) ; Flobeal (FZores. flowers) ; Prairial (Prairie, meadow). In summer, Messidor (Messls, harvest, and dôron, gift); Tker- MiDOR (Therma, heat) : Fritctidor (Fructus, fruit.)
The month was divided into three décades of ten days each, called primidi, duodi, tridi, quartidi, &c. Five complementary days were added at the end of each year, which were set apart for Republican festivals. The year I. of this calendar commenced the midnight before the autumnal equinox of 1792, and was in use tmtil January Ist, 1806. For a rule to couvert dates of this calendar into the old style, see Carlyle's Fr. Rev., Vol. ni., Book IV., Chap. IV. Note.
Jjine 34. — Moselle. — Aiàver rising in the Vosges Mountains, flowing north-east through France and Prussia into the Rhine at Coblenz.
Line 38. — Mayenoe — (Genr.an. Maim). A fortified town on the left bank of the Rliine, taken by the Frencli in 1792.
Page 24.
Line 1 — Francfort — Frankfort. An anrient çity of Germany, on the Main, about twenty miles fiomits junction with the Ehine. It -was the place of meeting of the Diet of the Germanie Confédération.
Custine — See Note, p. 12, 1. 20.
Line 2. — Valeneieiines. — A fortified town in the north of France, on the Scheldt, uoted for its lace manufacture.
Line 3. — Vosges. — A mountain range in the north-east of France,
extending across the boundary nearly to Mayence on
the Ehine.
" Lanter. — A river of Prussia, flowing from the easteru
slope of the Vosges iuto the Khine at Neuberg. Line ('. — étaient tombée:-. Tlie verbs which take être as an aux-
iliary, are chiefly intrausitive verbs denoting motion or
rest.
Line 8. — Q,iiesnoy. — A fortified town near Valencieunes.
Line 10. — Scarpe- — A tributaiy of the Scheldt from the West.
" Arras. — A foi-tified town on the Scaipe, famous for its
tapestry. In this Word the s is sounded.
Line 11. — sans consistance — Without organization.
Line 12. — ^lisière — ^Line.
Line 16. — lignes de "IVissemboni-g — Lines of Wissembourg. Thèse
consisted of a séries of fortifications eitending along the
Lauter. Weissenbourg was on the right bank of that
river. Pronounce w as v.
" liandan. — A strongly fortified town of Rhenish Prussia,
on the Queich.
Line 17. — Kayserslantern. — A town near the Lauter. Line 18. — Sai-re — (German, Saar). A tiibutary of the Moselle,
rising in the Vosges.
Line 22. — pieds nns. — ^When Jiu précèdes its noun, it is invariable,
and is joined to the noun by a hypheu ; when it foUowa
the noun it agrées ^vith it. D. F. 423.
Line 24. — moral — Tone. Distiuguish moral, mind, from morale, ethics. In English we use morale to express wbat is hère inean+ by moral.
Line 27. — AVatUgnie .—A village in the north of Fiance, nep.r Lillr. Uuder lUbtructions from Carnot, Jourdau Ird his amiy hj rapid marches from the froutiers of the Ehine and defeat- d the Au'strians at Wattignies in 1793. This vietory opened the way for the Prench into the Low Countries.
Line 32. — il Tant la faire aimer. — "We must make it loved.
Line 24. — v^tre partage — Tour portion.
Line 35. — pour ne la plas quitter — ^Never to leave it again. Page 25.
Line 1. — recHatiffeiit — Eekindled.
Line G. — l'împêriençe mort.-^This clause is ^he snbjeot of the
\erh po7tvait — qtie is the ohject of re?ïdre.
Line 8. — sans tenir compte de — ^Withont taking into accouut ; without regard either to noble birth or to rights of seniority.
Line 11 — tiennent lien de— Took the place of.
Line 17. — l'exaltation — Excitement.
Line 18. — s'en ressent — ^Bore the marks of it— breathed it.
Line 20. — accentnées — Emphasized.
" enflnre — ^Bombastic style.
Line 21. — oachet — Stamp — literally, seal.
Line 25. — Picliegru. — A celfbrated French gênerai, vrhri conquered Hollaud in 1704-.5. He afterwards entered into negotia tions with the Prince of Condé for the restoration of the Bourbons, but becoming snspected, he was arrested and transported to Cayenne. Making his escape, he went to England, and aftei-wards with George Cadoudal, formed a plot against Napoléon, which was discovered. They were arrested, and Pichegru was found strangled in prison.
Liuf 27. — si j'en crois — If I can trust.
Line 31.- — qu'il batte son ai-rîère-ban — Let them cnll to arni-; their last reserres. The ba7i was a proclamation calling on aU who held lands of the crown to serve the king in his wars. The arrière-ban was the portion of the reserves coraposed of the oldest men, who were called out only in cases of extrême necessity. Tbe proclamation was generally made by beat of drxim-, hence batte is used. Line 32. — coup de grâce — Death-blow — literally merdj-stroke — alluding to the final blow which put an end to the sufferings of crimiuals brolcen on the wheel, whose limbs were broken one by oue bj' the executioner.
Line 34. — éprise — Ee-capture.
Line 3i3. — 'joulevard — Buhvaik— defence. The boulevards of Paris werr- pplJic promenades on the top of the walls whicli surrounded tlie city, hence ouruse of the word, which is simplj- the French form of " buhvark." For dérivations ses Webster's or Worcester's Dictionary.
Line 3J. — il- oile — ^Féminine to agrée with main, understooil.
" vers. — ^Distinguish from veis — verse, also from pkiral of
ver worm. Thc.se thrce words corne from Latin versus (prep.), vei'sus (uouu), and vermis.
Page 26.
Line 4. — Saverne &^c. — The student who can procure one of the nnmerous maps of this part of the continent, pulolished duriug the Franco-Prussian war of 1S7Û-1, will be able to obtain a very definite knowledge of the great majority of the localities hère mentioneJ.
Line 7. — faisant faie — Facing.
Line lo.^-de franeliir — To cross.
Line 14. — retranclicc — Which was intrenehed. In many such participial clauses it makes better EugUsh to insert the relative and verb. It might be tianslated : " then intrenehed."
Line 15. — tle longer— To skirt.
Line 17. — à revers — In the rear.
Line 18. — devait — Was to.
Line 21. — de débloque; — To raise the siège of.
Line 22. — brumaire. — See Notsî n. 23, 1. 33.
Line 23. — s'ébranle — Advanced.
Line 24. — se replient — Fell back.
Line 25. — les y force — Assailed them there.
Line 26. — acharné — Desperate, bloody.
Line 31. — bouches à feu — Cannons— literaUy, fire-mouths " sont en présence — Were engaged.
Line 33. — l'élan — The enthusiasm.
Line 35. — en l'air. — As a gênerai rule, the préposition en is used before à noun without the article.
Liae 36.— s'engage— Begau.
Line 39. — adossés aux Vovges — Kesting on the Vosges— or, with the Vosges at their back ; adossé from dos, back. Page 27.
Line 1. — décinié^ — Decimated— literaUy, everj' tenth man killed. " mitraille — Grape-shot. In words ending in aille, eille,
vcil, and ille, the l is generally liquid.
Line 2. — li-%^rent— Made.
Line 4. — s'épuisent — Gave ont'.
Line 5. — lui écUappei* — lui because échapper is followed by à. Line 10. — f^iît preuve — Given évidence— shown. Line 12 — qu'il avait &c. — Whieh he had less accepted than sul» 4 mittcd to. It would make better English to invert thc clause, and say, " which. he had rather submitted to than accepted." Line 15 — ecliec — Repulse — the final c is sounded. Line 17. — éclatante — ^Brilliant— signal.
Line 19 —que lui opposaient fec.— See Note p. 2, 1. 20. Line 20 — étranjèi-es. — ^Not only tlie four adjectilres mentioned, 1 , F. 48, take ère in the féminine, but ail adjectives in e . Line 21. — naissante — Rising.
Line 22. — avec répajnance — UnwilUugly.
Line 23. — concours — Cooperatioii, Line 24. — se répandit — Launched out.
Line 25. — amères. — See Note p. 27, 1. 20; r is sounded in amer. " se plaignit. — Distinguish plaindre, to pity, from se
plaindre, to complain. AU verbs in aindre, eindre, and oindre are conjugated in the same way. See D. F, 233, 204.
Line 27. — à l'avenir — In future— avenir is derived from à venir,
(time) to corne.
Line 2S. — mettre dans le secret — To let into the secret, Line 30. — Saint Jn^t. — Qne of the leading Terrorists, and a member of the Committee of Public Safety. He was guillotined with Eobespierre in 1794.
•« liC Bas. — Another ardent supporter of Eobespierre. He
committed suicide, and thus escaped the guillotine. Line 33. — conti-eeux — Against them— î.e , to défend him ^elf against their enmity.
" il s'appuya de l'assentiment — ^he relied on the suppor*'.
Line 38. — prenant pavii poui- — Taking &ides with— taking the part of.
Page 28.
Line 2. — malveillantes — Hostile.
Line 3. — à lui faire — Dependingon cherchent. Line 4. — préventions — Préjudices.
Line 7. — cliargé des opérations&c. — CaruotwasMiuisterof War.
" et qui &c. — See Note p. 5, 1. 33.
Line 8. — --l'ensemble — As a wliole. .
Line 10. — «ut souvent le tort — Often made the mistake.
Xiine 11. — initiative — Metliod — that is, of caiTying out his plans. The autbor means that -sThile insisting on having his plans caiTied out as a whole, he should hâve left te tbe generaJs in commaud the steps by •nhich the desired results vrere to to obtainetl,
Line 14. — dérober — Conceal. See Note p. 1?. 1. 23.
" ii'oga point — Oser generally takes ne only. The use of
point hère marks a strong négative.
Line 18.^l'opeier To effect,
Line 1 . — '^oit agir — Was to act.
Line 27. — on est en hiver — ^It was winteiw
Line 30. — alimentent — Supplied,
Line 35. — conjurent — Implored.
Line 38. — swr ses projets — As to his plans.
Line 40. — à la, dérobée — Secretly.
Page 29
Line 1. — ^les siens — His own officers,
Line 3. — conniit. — The subjuactive is used because doubt is im-
plied in the expression si je pensais. A universal rule
for forming the imperfect subjunctive is to add se to
the second pers. sing. prêt, def.
Line 8. — »»« prises — Engaged.
Line 10. — Reischoffen, FreiscliwiUer. — Tvro towns in Alsace, not
far from Wissembourg.
Line 13. — l'encan — Auction. Old French enquant, from Latin ïm
and quantus.
Line 14. — livres. — ïhis term is now superseded by franc. The
Word is still used, however, in such expressions as —
10,000 livres de rente — 10,000 francs income. Line 15. — Adjugez! — Knock it down — équivalent to "Agreed ;" or
" I will take it at that price." A French auctioneer
says " Adjugé ! " when an English one would say
" Gone ! " Line 16. — -redontes — Eedoubts. A redoubt is a small fort hastily
constructed for purposes of temporary defence. " an pas de charge — ^At the double— literally, at a charg-
ing pace.
Line 21. — :léberdé — Outflanked.
Line 23.— de près— Closely.
Line 26.— f«l^«**— Eouted— cwZ&w^er means to throw down from a
high place.
Line 31. — qa» » «lis &c. — Who had been very slow in suxjporting
liim.
Line 33. — soif ut-.— Subjunctive of wish after vœu. Line 38. — décei-nèi-eut— Assigned.
Line 40. — aiitieu — Senior— i. e., he had occupied the Bame rank
longer than Hoche.
Page 30.
Line 3. — disposa tout — Made every arrangement.
Line 6. — le prince île Condé. — A menaber of the illustrious house
of Condé, a branch of the Bourbon family, He wasthe
leader of the émigrés in their invasion of France in con-
junction with the Austrians and Prussians. Line 10. — clialeau-lbrt — Strong redoubt.
" hérissées — Bristling— agreeing with hauteiirs.
" et que protègent— And protected by. See Notes, p. 2,
