Du dernier beau : Extremely fine. Retiens : Bespeak

13. Die : Archaism for dise, formerly used both in prose and verse.

14. Que je fus visiter: The verb être is no longer used in its simple

tenses instead of the verb aller, except in a conversational style.

22. En tapinois: Slily. O&s.— This expression v^hich is not to be found before the sixteenth century, has some analogy with the Greek TaTreu'bç, and the Latin of the Middle Ages tapinus, humble, misérable. Verb, se tapir, to crouch.

24. Voilà qui, etc. : This is carried to the utmost pitch of gallantry (.see note, page 5). Crowne, in his Sir Courtly Nice, has imitated Mascarille's extempore Unes as follows : —

' As I gaz'd, unaware, Ou a face so fair, Yoiu' cruel eye Lay watching by To snatch my heart ; Whlch you did wi' such art, That away wi 't you ran, Whilst I looked on, To my ruin and grief ; Stop, thief ! stop, thief !'

Page 22.

3. Il en est éloigné, instead of Cela en est éloigné. 'On disait, du temps de Molière, il est certain, il est juste,— d'une manière

5i LES PRECIEUSES RIDICULES

Line

absolue, tandis quau'oardluù ces sortes de phrases exùjcut

un comjJlcmcnt.'—TitëchovcMi.