si ce n'est, lit. ' if it is not ' = save

6. fût-ce stands for même si ce fût, 'even if it were.' The gênerai mood in concessive clauses is the subjunctive. Cf. Nous nous échapperons, fut-ce par dessiis le mur, ' We shall escape, even though it be over the wall.'

14. francs-archers. Up to the time of Charles V^II. France had no national army, no regular troops. The francs-archers were the first organized body of foot soldiers, and from them sprang what, after many changes, became the French infantry. They were created by an edict of 1448, according to which each of the 16,000 parishes in the kingdom was compelled to provide and maintain oue archer, who was to receive a pay of four francs a month, and to be exempt from taxation.

20. il lui fallut, lit. ' it was necessary to him,' or, piitting it personally instead of impersonally, ' he had to.' In most cases the Personal construction must be preferred.

21. avant qu'on lui permit. Avant que, en attendant que always, and jusqu'à ce que in most cases, govern the subjunctive.

24. qui eussent été. Like most syntactioal difficulties this use of the subjunctive iiiood can be best explained by a référence to Latin syntax. In Latin, conditional clauses take :

(a) The indicative, -nhen the principal verb refers to an action

as actually takinr/ or haring taken place. E.g. :

Si liaec fêcit. peccâvlt, 1 < if i,„ ^;j j.i,;„ i „ „• „„j > r.i-7 j- -j 7-7 \ j } i-i ne nid tnis ne sinnecl.

S il a, fait cela, il a eti tort,}

(b) The subjunctive, when the principal verb refers to what would be or ivouhl hâve heen. E.g. :

Si haec fëcisset, peocâvisset, V If he had clone this he would

S'il eût, fait cela, il eût ew tort,) hâve sinned.'

Although not now observed in common practice, this rule is frequently adhered to by the best writers, as it was also in old French :

" Las I si /eusse estudié.

Au temps de ma jeunesse folle ! " — Fr. Villon. The meaning of the above sentence is really Qtii eussent été proclaméei* incompatibles (si elles eussent été exercées) partout ailleurs.

26. au dire des= 'according to ' (lit. 'by the saying of '). The infinitive is frequently used as a noun. Cf. le devoir, le savoir, le vivre et le couvert, le boire et le manfier. Cf. the Greek, tô iriveiv, 'the drink.'

quelque peu sorcier, ' somewhat of a sorcerer. '

Page 15.

1. phUosophes hermétiques. The hermetic philosophers were those who occupied themselves with the search after the philosopher's stone, i.e. that of Hermès Trismegistus (Gk. 'Ep/uv;?, ' Mercury '), who was supposed to hâve discovered the great secrets of alchemy, or hermetic science. They had also a way of absolutely closing flasks with a seal, whence cornes the phrase, " hermetically closed."

9. mon révérend, ' your révérence.' The French often use the possessive adjective before titles. Cf. monseigneur (Engl. ' My lord '), mon général, won oncle, mon ami, etc.

29. aller chercher. The English and between a verb of motion and an infinitive must never be translated into French. Translate : ' Come and see me.' ' Go and take it.'

Page 16,

1. PMebotomia est.... The sentence is incomplète. Lit. 'Bleeding is (what ought to liave been clone),' i.e. He ought to hâve been bled.

on n'a rien fait. See note to p. 4, 1. 18. An English passive may be rendered (1) by a Fx-ench passive, (2) by a reflexive verb,

(3) by on + active verb. Cf. : Bien ne s'est fait. Bien n'a été fait. 10. la science a beau faire. Avoir beau + infinitive is fouud for

the first time in Froissart (fourteenth century). It iudicates that whatever action is expressed by the infinitive is donc in vain. Of. Engl. ' It is ail very fine, but you won't do it.'

12. servtini pecus, ' slavish herd.' A quotation from Horace.

14. auriculaire, 'the little finger.' So called because it can easily be introduced into the ear.

fièvre quarte, 'intermittent fever'; its attacks recurred every fourth day.

24. de venir me trouver, 'to come to me.' See note to p. 15, 1. 29.

Page 17.

2. tout haut. Certain adjectives are frequently used as adverbs, cf. j'>arJer havt, parler bas, voir clair, chnnfer faux, sentir bon, etc.

.'). je crois devoir, ' I think it my duty to ... .' peut dépendre. Notice the inversion after dont. 1(). bien is emphatic ; 'exactly.'