NOTICE BIOGRAPHIQUE SUR MOLIERE

sait une raison saine et lumineuse, un bon sens exquis, une grande gaieté d'imagination et de la verve comique. Les Espagnols n'avaient eu que des pièces d'intrigue, il créa les pièces de caractère ; en peignant l'homme individuel, il eut le grand art de peindre la nature humaine en général; en nous conservant le portrait fidèle des mœurs, du langage, des habitudes de son siècle, il fait celui de l'avare et de l'hypocrite de tous les temps et de tous les lieux."— Extrait de /'Etat des sciences et des lettres sous Louis XIV, par Ancillon.

" Quel est le premier des grands hommes qui ont illustré mon règne?" demanda un jour Louis XIV à Racine. "Sire, c'est Molière," répondit l'Euripide français. " L'éloge d'un écrivain," dit La Harpe, " est dans ses ouvrages ; on pourrait dire que l'éloge de Molière est dans ceux des écrivains qui l'ont précédé et qui l'ont suivi, tant les uns et les autres sont loin de lui. Des hommes de beaucoup d'esprit et de talent ont travaillé après lui, sans pouvoir ni lui ressembler ni l'atteindre. Quelques-uns ont eu de la gaieté ; d'autres ont su faire des vers : plusieurs même ont peint des mœurs* Mais la peinture de l'esprit humain a été l'art de Molière ; c'est la carrière qu'il a ouverte et qu'il a fermée : il n'y a rien en ce genre, ni avant lui ni après.

" Molière est, de tous ceux qui ont jamais écrit, celui qui a le mieux observé l'homme, sans annoncer qu'il observait ; et même il a plus l'air de le savoir par cœur que de l'avoir étudié. Quand on lit ses pièces avec réflexion, ce n'est pas de l'auteur qu'on est étonné, c'est de soi-même.

" Molière n'est jamais fin ; il est profond; c'est-à-dire, que lorsqu'il a donné son coup de pinceau, il est impossible d'aller audelà. Ses comédies bien lues, pourraient suppléer à l'expérience, non pas parce qu'il a peint des ridicules qui passent, mais parce qu'il a peint l'homme qui ne change point. C'est une suite de traits dont aucun n'est perdu : celui-ci est pour moi, celui-là est pour mon voisin ; et ce qui prouve le plaisir que procure une imitation parfaite, c'est que mon voisin et moi, nous rions de très bon cœur de nous voir ou sots, ou faibles, ou impertinents ; et que nous serions furieux si l'on nous disait d'une autre façon la moitié de ce que nous dit Molière.

" Il plaît autant à la lecture qu'à la représentation, ce qui n'est arrivé qu'à Racine et à lui ; et même, de toutes les comédies, celles de Molière sont à peu près les seules que l'on aime à relire. Plus on connaît Molière, plus on l'aime ; plus on étudie Molière, plus on l'admire."

Page 1 et seq. — 1. Apprendre, to learn. 2. être, to be. 3. vient de, cornes from, i has just '* ; venir, to corne. 4. hâve compeîled ; réduire, to reduce. 5. in order to. 6. admettre, to admit. 7. remporter, to gain. 8. résoudre, to résolve. 9. frapper, to strike. 10. accueillir, to receive. 11. rapporter, to relate. 12. a//er, to go. 13. 'lie set sail'; faire, to make, to do. 14. croire, to believe ; 'thought.' 15. his eyes. 16. voir, to see. 17. ouvrir, to open. 18. espérer, to hope. 19. after funeral rites hâve been paid to the body. 20. lever, to raise. 21. invoquer, to invoke. 22. s'écrier, to exclaim. 23. femr, to hold. 24. daigner, to deign. 25. if thou enablest me. 26. ' I will sacrifice to thee;' immoler, to sacrifice. 27. se hâter, to hasten. 28. savoir, to know. 29. destruction. 30. échapper, to escape. 31. remercier, to thank. 32. écouter, to listen. 33. sentir, to feel. 34. caused him bitterly to regret. 35. craindre, to fear. 36. his people. 37. veiller, to vatch. 38. pousser, to push ; 'impelled.' 39. oser, to dare. 40. reculer, to draw, 'start' back. 4L chercher, to seek. 42. pouvoir, to be able ; ' may.' 43. throws himself in his arms (literally : on his neck), and is quite astonished that his father should' meet his tenderness so ill. 44. fondre, to melt. 45. dire, to say. 46. whence cornes. 47. faire, to do. 48. détourner, to turn away. 49. accabler, to overwhelm. 50. répondre, to answer. 51. promettre, to promise. 52. garantir, to préserve. 53. leave me again. 54. which, by dashing me to pièces, would hâve put an endto my unhappy life. 55. épargner, to spare. 56. parler, to speak. 57. tirer, to draw. 58. arrêter, to arrest. 59. vouloir, to be willing. 60. do not. 61. offrir, to offer. 62. baisser, to stoop; 'bent down.' 63. allumer, to kindle. 64. attire?; to attract ; ' bring down.' 65. mourir, to die. 66. frantic, and as it were torn by the infernal furies, surprises (the vigilance of). 67. observer, to observe ; ' watched.' 68. enfoncer, to thrust. 69. retenir, to keep back ; 'prevented.' 70. environner, to surround.

* Wherever trro or more translations of a word or expression are given, the nxost suitable is denoted by the marks of quotation.

71. tomber, to fall. 72. couvrir, to cover. 73. entrouvrir, to half open. 74. but scarcely has he opened his eyes, than he can no longer bear the light. 75. whose root being eut away by the ploughshare, it languishes, and can no longer sustain itself. 76. perdre, to lose. 77. no longer nourishes it, and its life is gone. 78. cruelly eut down in the first bloom of his youth. 79. devenir, to beeome. 80. ought. 81. marcher, to walk ; chanceler, to totter. 82. demander, to ask; 'calls.' 83. wrath furnislies them wîth arms; they take up clubs and stones. 84. oublier, to forget. 85. 'renounce their allegiance to;* r econnaître, to acknowledge. 86. trouver, to find. 87. ramener, to bring back. 88. fuir, to fiée. 89. revenir, to return ; revenant h soi, 'recovering himself.' 90, which he has stained with the blood of his son. 91. conduire, to conduct. 92. conserver, to préserve, keep. 93. établir, to establish. 94. prendre, to take. 95. paraître, to appear. 96. combattre, to fight. 97. appeler, to call, 'invite.* 98. suivre, to folio w. 99. s'asseoir, to sitdown. 100. souhaiter, to wish. 101. I threw ofF my apparel. 102. I mingled, or placed myself among. 103. wrestling. 104. his arms were nervous and brawny. 105. every nerve was strained. 106. while he thus tried my strength. 107. for which lots were drawn. 108. hung over their flowing mânes. 109. havingbeen less exhausted. 110. remote. 111. which was generally kept locked up, with perfumes, in a golden box. 112. government. 113. immediately after émancipation. 114. what was suggested by his fancy. 115. shouted. 116. to govern wisely. 117. what avails it ? 118. in a state of disgraceful effeminacy. 119. beeome corrupt. 120. are compelled. 121. how many daring profligates are there? 122. knows not how to make his people enjoy. 123. accommodating towards. 124. abroad. 125. erecting, ' managing.' 126. by their number. 127. theproper government. 128. thy posterity. 129. Nous avions craint que quelque étranger viendrait. This phrase is considered incorrect by many grammarians, who refer to the rule of the French syntax which requires that the verb craindre should govern the subjunctive mood with ne, thus : nous avions craint que quelque étranger ne vînt. This délicatesse of the language will be found fully developed in the French Class-Book. 130. déclares indeed. 131. he must be compelled. 132. he declined it. 133. owing to the déception. 134. had made him his counsellor. 135. you set too little value upon.

Page 26. — 1. situation. 2. a passage or alley without a thoroughfare, a court. 3. he recollected me. 4. you would be just the thing for me. .5. in this respect I am the man you want. 6, wages. 7. who was his only servant. 8. retenir des places, to engage places (in a coach, &c). 9. in high repute. 10. plausible jargon. 11. pounded. 12. although lie believed them. 13. satiated. 14. as much as we wisbed. 15. tbe flow. 1(3. consumption. 17. veronica, speedwell. 18. carnation. 19. rosemary. 20. wild poppy. 21. it was in vain for him. 22. diluent, abstergent. 23. of sufRcient authority on this point. 24. will attest it. 25. conquered. 26. to such a degree. 27. the essence. 28. to conceal from. 29. thoroughly. 30. that class of people that belong neither to the nobility nor to the clergy (see note a, page 325). 31. received. 32. even should they be. 33. croc, hook; pendre Vépêe mi croc, to leave ofF wearing a sword. 34. qui, i. e. la personne qui. 35. pleurisy. 36. (that they were not to) stint him in. 37* réal {monnaie d'Espagne), sixpence halfpenny. 38. literally : I asked for nothing but wound and bump, i. e. ' I was ready for ail corners.* 39. he began to laugh most heartily, holding his sides. 40. take his fill of mirth. 41. he was pretty well satisfied. 42. gently. 43. thoroughly. 44. attend to. 45. itis better. 46. great folks. 47. long live (the poor people's doctor) ! 48. ' suburbs,* which formerly used to be inhabited by the poor. 49. with hearty draughts. 50. with ail déférence to. 51. as. 52. was by no means ill pleased with.

Page 31, — 1. he therefore took them. 2. a capital. 3. I had good reason to be. 4. again took the field. 5. although. 6. had just called in. 7. which was the object of my visit. 8. stared at, * eyed.' 9. I am well satisfied. 10. & 11. let us not corne to abuse. 12. may well présume, indeed. 13. if you owe a grudge to. 14. passion. 15. literally : beak and nails; ' tooth and nail.' 16. absurd, ' eccentric character.' 17. came to blows. 18. had succeeded. 19. another was very near happening to me. 20. refractory, 21. began to. 22. in a good condition. 23. ail but tipsy. 24. quarrel. 25. he came in for his share. 26. abortion. 27. of my own invention. 28. wholly occupied as he was. 29. he did not fail to observe. 30. would hâve been led to suspect something. 31. innocently. 32. I would now give a hogshead of wine for. 33. to extol. 34. inconveniences. 35. I was not long, 'which very soon' (happened to me).

462 E.XPLANATORY NOTES.

Page 35. — 1. accordingly. 2. glanced hiseyes over. 3. with impunity, i.e. with ont having acquired the vanity of one. 4. Bœotian, in allusion to the natives of Bœotia în Greece, who were considered rude and illiterate. 5. fate, ' fortune.' 6. to provide you one. 7. crooked (bandy-legs) . 8. in a way. 9. dispose them to serious inwardreflection. 3 0. highly polished. 11. begins to feel. 12. I will rely upon. 13. temper, ( nature/ 'stamp.' 14. deteriorate. 15. your interest is concerned.

Page 37. — 1. violent. 2. there remained no trace of it. 3. a severe attack. 4. what 1 should résolve on doing. 5. deviated, wandered. 6. a musty collège professor. 7. a common-plaCe, long-winded discourse. 8. who remarked it. 9. paid, hired. 10. which savours of the apoplexy. 11. to be beforehand with (you). 12. obliterated, <left out of.' 13. in question. 14. a délicate tliing. 15. enamoured. 16. could be ofFended. 17. make him swalîow the pill. 18. to commence. 19. Aristarchus. 20. speak at once. 21. to take ilï. 22. far from it. 23. I am by no means displeased. 24. terribly imposed upon by. 25. narrow, 'stnpid.' 26. disconcerted. 27. to repair matters. 28. the means of appeasing. 29. distinguish the true from the false.

Page 41. — 1. intonations.

Page 43. — 1. bonhomie, ease, good nature. 2. ' false intonation,' caused by the running of the voice into one sentence without completing the preceding.

Page 52. — 1. furrows become level (smooth). 2. in vain pénétrâtes. 3. dismayed. 4. chilled. 5. pilots. 6. dispenser, to excuse, discharge, absolve ; also, to bestow, ( distribute ; ' se dispenser, to dispense with. 7. vacuity, space. 8. terrified, dismayed.

Page 54. — 1. foggy. 2. peaks. 3. trade-wind.

Page 56. — 1. has no longer any feeling but for himself. 2, lie rushes. 3. a state of déjection. 4. grinding. 5. rattle-snakes. 6. lined, covered over. 7. chilled, * horror-struck.' 8. trembling. 9. shuddering. 10. stoops. 11. leaning, resting. 12. & 13. as pale and lifeless. 14. to bristle up. 15. rooted up. 16. guaiacum, a médicinal wood, called also lignum vitœ. 17. shattered. 18. broken. 19. flowed away.

Page 58. — 1. imeultivated. 2. outward. 3. cuts off. 4. thistle.

5. bramble, brier. 6. thickly set, bristling. 7. falling into decay byage. 8. lichen. 9. agaric. 10. for want of being. ll.miry.

12. unapproachable. 13. marshes, morasses. 14. unclean, foui. 15. heaths. 16. savannabs. 17. grass-plot. 18. which appear less connected witb tbe soil tban with each other. 19. coarse flock. 20. rebrousser chemin, to go or turn back. 21. tbe vvaterlily. 22. his strength. 23. ' discovered,' witb référence to its extent, boundaries, &rc.

Page 62. — 1. transparent. 2. soft. 3. bircb-trees. 4. ( owlet,' brown or grey owl.

Page 64. — 1. top, brow. 2. lively orange red. 3. print. 4. crimson red.

Page 66. — 1. sbrouds. 2. yards. 3. water-spout. 4. goudron, tar, • tarred.' 5. sing. 6. boarse. 7. snares, dangers.

Page 67. — 1. trembling. 2. cast down. 3. struggle.

Page 69. — 1. expand. 2. to gusb, spring. 3. incandescent (of a white beat).

Page 70. — 1. gaping montb. 2. bolîowed, scooped. 3. sbeet. 4. to tbe east. 5. sbaken. 6. spurts up, gusbes. 7. hewn. 8. drawn in. 9. elks.

Page 71. — 1. roof. 2. brim, curb-stone. 3. trough.

Page 72.- — 1. want of caution. 2. entwined devices. 3. was created. 4. were indulging in. 5. crusbed. 6. was swallowed up. 7. of a number of. 8. contending (to rescue) tbeir daughters. 9. wben tbey searcbed tbe ruins. 10. clasped in her arms.

Page 73. — l.ground, distance. 2. gramineœ, grasses. 3. are united. 4. disbevelled, disordered. 5. fallow (pale red or yellow).

6. exbibit. 7. rice-fields. 8. jackal. 9. witb a rara's bead, 'borned.' 10. ibis. 11. jerboa. 12. fporpbyry,' from tbe Greek vtoqQvç* (porphura), purple, marble of a particular kind.