SCENE IV

34 12 — Avecque, an old form (thirteenth century) for avec,

and still used in verse when the métré requires it.

35 9 — Soufflet : A blow, buffet, cuff, slap, box on the

ear. From souffler, to blow ; Lat. suffiare .

35 13 — Ce n’est pas qu’en effet : Not that indeed . . .

35 *6 — J’ai pu délibérer : I could think twice.

35 20— Emportoit la balance : Prevailed over ali. Balance,

from Lat. bilancem ( bis and lancent, basin, scale). Notice.— s.m., a balance* sheet, introduced in the sixteenth century, with many other commercial terms, from Italian bilancio . Faire son bilan, to draw up the balance-sheet ; Déposer son bilan, to stop payment.

35 21 — A moins que d’opposer : Had I not opposed, but

for opposing . . .

35 2\ — Q\i\,for celle qui : She who loved me noble would

hâte me shamed.

35 26 — Diffamer ton choix : Condemn your choice.

Diffamer, from Lat. dijfamare, to spread abroad an ill report, should hâve a name of a person or a personal pronoun as a complément.

35 29 — Et j’ai dû m’y porter : And I was led to it, driven

to do it. Notice. — Se porter à des extrémités, to proceed to extremities ; Il se porte au bien, he is well-inclined.

35 32 — Satisfaire à : To discharge a duty ; I now corne to

satisfy my debt to thee.

Page 36 line 5— Je pleure mes malheurs : I weep over my mis* fortune, I only mourn my fate.

36 8 — Un homme de bien : An honourable man. Vif »

bonus, probus.

36 12 — Même soin me regarde : I hâve the same concem.

See p. 4, 1. 23.

36 14 — Ton intérêt : Here, your fate (the share of miser?

y ou hâve in this sad occurrence). See p. 321

36 16 — Le bien : The happiness, the blessing. Notice. —

Faire du bien à quelqu’un, to do one good ; Acquérir du bien, to get wealth ; Il a un petit bien dans les environs, he has a small pro^erty in the neighbourhood ; Travailler au bien public, to labour for the public weal.

36 18 — Des charmes: Magic soothings, spells.

36 22— Dont l’ordre m’assassine : Whose tyranny kills me.

36 26 — De quoi qu’en ta faveur notre amour m’entretienne :

However strongly our love may plead in your favour. (Whatever our love may object, speak to me in your favour.)

36 32 — Intérêt : Duty. The use Corneille has made of

this word (see p. 32, 1. 28 ; p. 36, 1. 14) renders it interesting to compare the French noun intérêt with the Latin verb inter est, from which it cornes. Interest nostra, il nous importe ; Interest reipublicœ , il est de l’intérêt de la république ; Interest regio , un pays les sépare ; Intéresse spectaculo , assister à un spectacle ; hier eos hoc interest, il y a entre eux cette différence.

36 35— C ’est reculer ta gloire : Would be deferring the

satisfaction which your honour daims. Notice.

— To recoil from danger, reculer devant le danger ; He is too far engaged to fall back, il est trop avancé pour reculer ; Draw back that table, reculez cette table ; Move away, reculezvous.

57 1 — Va, je suis ta partie et non pas ton bourreau : No,

I daim justice, I do not execute it. For vay allons , see p. 37, 1. 24.

37 2 — Est-ce à moi de? Is it for me to, does it become

me to ? Notice. — He should command, c’est à lui de commander ; It behoves you not to dispute his rights, ce n’est pas à vous de contester ses droits ; It is your turn to speak, c’est à vous de parler.

NOTES

Page 37 line il— Du tien doit prendre la vengeance : Must revenge yours ; p. 35, 1. 16. Corneille does not use the article, si j'en prendrois vengeance. This latter expression is still correct, but we should now say venger quelqu'un , and not prendre la vengeance de quelqu’un.

37 12 — À quel propos ? Why, for what reasor ?

37 17 — Aux traits de ton amour : To the dictâtes of your

love, to the ardour of your love, or simply to your ardent love. Cf Ce n’est point là un trait d’ami, that is not a friendly turn or office.

37 24 — Va, in this and other lines, such as “ va, je suis ta

partie” . . ., p. 37, 1. I ; “allons, mon âme” . . ., p. 14, 1. 15 ; “allons, mon bras ” . . p. 14, 1. 25, the verb aller loses its original meaning, and must be translated by some équivalent expression in harmony with the situation. In 1. 1, p. 37, va may be translated by no , as Chimène refuses to grant Rodrigue his request ; in 1. 24, p. 37, “ va, je ne te hais point,” is a burning déclaration of love, the lorce of which cannot but be weakened by translation, “Nay, but I hâte thee not.” In lines 15 and 25, p. 14, allons is a lash of the whip given to failing courage : now, to action, do your duty, &c.

37 27 — Faux bruits : False report, slander. Bruits

médisants or calomnieux vvould be more correct.

3S 7 — Encore que ï Although. Like bien que , quoique , ail goveming the subjunctive.

38 16 — Malgré des feux si beaux qui troublent ma colère :

Despite such ardent love which hinders my wrath.

38 19— De ne rien pouvoir : To be powerless, to fail in

my endeavours. Notice. — When the verb is in the présent infinitive the adverb modifying the négative cornes before the verb. Example. — Ne pas savoir, ne jamais dire, ne plus voir, &c.

38 25— Heur : Old French for bonheur, happiness. Still

used in the expression heur et malheur , good and bad luck. Littré says that it may be still used judiciously in verse and in an elevated style of prose. Etym., aür in the fourteentb century, with the same meaning as the Lat» augurium , augury.

Page 39 line 4 — Encore un coup : I tellyou once more. Notice. — Pour le coup je vous apporte de bonnes nouvelles, this time I bring you good news ; Après coup, too late; Coup sur coup, one after another ; A tous coups, at every turn ; Du premier coup, at the very first ; Tout à coup, ail of a sudden ; Tout d’un coup, ail at once ; A coup sûr, unquestionably.

39 5 — Une mourante vie : A lingering life.

39 6 — Tant que : We should now say jusqu’à ce que,

tilL

39 9— Garde bien qu’on te voie : Take great care not to

be seen (guard from being seen). Notice. — After garder que> as well as after prendre garde que , the subordinate sentence must be made négative with ne. Prends garde qu’on ne te voie, take care not to be seen ; Prends garde qu’on te voie, take care to be seen (hâve care that you are seen).