je ne sais quel, f reely, a ctirious

4. il avait de Pesprit à en revendre à dix chiens, he had intelligence enough and to spare ; lit., " enough to sell some to ten dogs."

5. Buffon, a celebrated French naturalist, was bom in 1707, and died in 1788.

6. en pleine académie, before the whole academy. The French Academy was founded by RicheUeu in 1635.

Page 7. — I. quand leurs coups avaient porté, wA^n their status had hit.

2. Allusion to La Fontaine's fable, Les deux Pigeons : " Mais un fripon d'enfant (cet âge est sans pitié) prit sa fronde," etc.