Acte I, Scène I

In the earlier éditions, the first scène takes place between the Count and Elvire; the second between Elvire and Chimène. The présent scène, embracing the substance of the two, was substituted in the édition of 1664. See Prefatory Note.

Line 3. à moi-même, repeats with emphasis the force of mes : ' ail my own sensés.' Encor for encore, since e final, unless elided, adds a syllable in poetry.

L,. 5. si je ne ni1 abuse à lire: 'unless I am mistaken in reading,' etc. Note à lire in sensé of en lisant, as frequently in Corneille; also the omission of pas after si.

L. g. espoir ...prendre. This expression is antiquated for: to conceive, or cherish, hope.

£. 10. ne se peut trop entendre: ' cannot be too often heard ;' se depending on entendre. Note the position of the object pronoun, as in the preceding line and frequently hereaf ter — peut, dois, etc., being construed as simple auxiliaries — a common usage at this time.

L. 12. de se montrer au jour: figurative, like se faire jour, mettre au jour, etc.

L. 14. font auprès de toi: 'are.urging upon you.' brigtie : * suit ' — that is, for her influence.

L, 15. N"1 'as-tu point trop fait voir: * Did you not show too clearly ? ' — faire, in this causative sensé, is variously rendered ; often, as hère, in one word with the dépendent verb. inégalité, is hère partial ity or préférence.

L. 16. Me penche d'un côté: 'inclines me to one side,' ' influences me' — penche, transitive; now fait pencher.

L. 18. d'aucun d'eux, dépends on V espérance : 'which neither inflates nor discourages the hope of either of them, and (which) ' etc. Such inversions of position are very common in poetry.

L. 20. à choisir: hère in sensé of pour choisir. Many modem distinctions in the use of prépositions, as well as other grammatical forms, were not settled in Corneille's time.

L. 23. Note the position of en before faut, as 1. 10, etc. encor : see 1. 3. Note also the strong inversion in 1. 24.