Scène L

Page 41 Une 11— Pourquoi détournois-tu mon funeste dessein? The usual way of expressing this idea would be, "Me détournois-tu de . . ." Racine's turn is much quickerand more forcible. Phsedra refers to her nurse's preventing her from striking herself with Hippolytus's sword (act ii., end of scène 5) : " Why did you a vert the self-sought death?" Remark funeste, used hère with ail the force of its Latin etymology : " funestus," causing death.

41 22 — Embrasser : Used hère in the sensé of, to take

in hand, to undertake. Proverb: Qui trop embrasse mal étreint — one must not hâve too many irons in the fire.

42 20 — Peu s'en faut : Very nearly. This expression has

been criticised as too colloquial for a tragedy ; remark, however, that it is put hère in a nurse's mouth. It is to be found in Corneille's tragédies, &c.

42 29 — Barbare : A foreigner. Œnone uses the word in

the sensé of the Greek 4, <3*p3*po* "; in the next Une Phsedra uses it for " hard-hearted," " unfeeling."

43 4 — Ne sont plus de saison: Corne too late. This

expression in 1677 was probably not considered so colloquial as it is now, and therefore did not seem out of place in a tragedy.

43 24 — Je t'avoûrai de tout : I shall approve and sanction ail you do. The usual spelling is avouerai ; the e is no longer pronounced, and avouerai counts now as a word of three syllables in poetry; though formerly the e being pronounced, the word was one of four syllables.

43 29— Tous tes traits ont porté : Ail thy shafts hâve hit

the mark.