Scène VIL

78 22— Tout beau : Gently, sir, gently.

78 23— Gîte : Your lodgings. Substantive form from the ^fl(ld Fr. verb gésir, to lie, of which some parts

are still in use ; epitaphs often begin with

ci-gît, hère lies.

M 3— Je suis appris differs from / ai appris, which would

be usecL now, being a stronger expression.

J'ai appris* I bave leamt (but may bave loi* gotten) ijt suis appris^ I am learned in. It might be translated hère by " I am accnstomed to.* Vagt 80 Um a— Pour devoir en distraire : Thir* a -very obscure passage ; perbaps it means " to try and deter 70a from açting as you do," or, "not to mention everything, ,, " to bc short." Molière most bave, like Virgil, often left the bemistich blank, and then hâve fiiled the blank up in a hurry as well as possible.

80 8— Demeurer : To delay. English demur, Ifealian dimorare, Latin demorarù

80 L'exempt : A police officer whose duty it was to apprehend persons against whom a writ had been issued ; originally a cavalrv officer, exempt from ordinary service, wbo toolc the command * in the absence of the captain and lieutenants ;

they also commanded the mounted police.

80 22 -Chez elle : The antécédent is " âme."

80 38— N'était pas pour : Was not likely to, was not the man to.

80 30— Par ses vives clartés : By his quick perception.

80 — This passage is generafly known as "l'éloge de,

Louis XIV." The style of it is not good ; ils son, sa, sometimes referto the King, sometimes to Tartuffe, the obscure woniing of the sentence leaving the reader an open choice between the two. So many improper expressions» such inaccuracy and carelessness would justrfy the suspicion that this pièce of patchwork is not Molière's own. Molière may bave entrusted the idea and exécution of it to some verse-makers among his brother actors. This would explain the présence of this very toon* gruous passage in a comedy which has the highest daim to good style of ail of Molière'» ptays.