II. pensionnaires, boarders

1. 15. misérables versions, Father Lefebvre is very severe. The translation of the Bible by Lemaistre de Sacy (i6i9 — 1684) '^ defident in sîmpUcity, no doubt, but does not deserve the epithet misérable»

1. 48. Aristarques, The celebrated grammarian Aristarchus, bom about 180 B.C., has left his name as the désignation of ail critics.

P. 14, L 6. Le petit almanach de nos grands hommes, This satirical review of the innnmerable and often worthless candidates for literary famé was published in 1788 by Rivarol, Antoine, comte de (1753 — i8ox), with the motto : Dis ignotis, The witty editor thus expresses the object he had in view : *' il faudrait mettre dans la louange la sobriété que la nature observe dans la production des grands talents."

1. 10. Néron, Domitius Claudius Nero (a. d. 37 — 68) is the hero of three French tragédies, besides that of M. Daru : Britannicus, by Racine ; Epicharis et Néron, by Legouvé ; Une fête de Néron, by Soumet.

1. 12. le récit de la mort d'Agrippine, Agrippina was kilted A.D. 59. Suetonius TranquUlus, a celebrated Roman historian, bom about A. D. 70. See his life of Claudius, 43, 44. — Çomdius Tacitus (? 54— '34 ?)> one of the greatest of Latin prose writers. See his Annale, XIV. 8.

1. 17. un compromis avec le goût,,, a tribute paid to the taste...

1. 31. notre célèbre chansonnier — Pierre yean de Béranger (1780 — 1857). ** 'SHtn loin de se livrer aux hasards de rimagination... Béranger fait de ses chansons de véritables compositions." (Vinet.)