a de front, simultaneously
1. 22. le Premier Consul; Napoléon was named first consul for ten years on the i8th of Brumaire (see above), and consul for life io
' 1. 30. la campagne de Marengo, The battle of Marengo was fought on the i4th of June, 1800, Bonaparte defeating the Austrian troops commanded by gênerai Mêlas.
1. 32. la Convention, It was sîgned at Alessandria (a city in Northern Italy built on the river Tanaro) the day after the battle of Marengo, between the Austrian and the French govemments; its im-
médiate results were the retreat of the Austrian army behind tlie line of the Mincio, and the surrender of Upper Italy to the French.
P. «3, 1. I. Alexandre Berthier (1753 — 1815), prince of Neuchâtel ' (1806) and ofWagram (1809), ''plus propre a exécuter les ordres d'un autre qu*à commander en chef" (Bouillet), Minister of War in 1801.
L 4. membre du Tribunat. The Tribunate, established by the constitution of the year VIII. (1799), was an assembly whose business consisted in discussing the bills presented by the govemment. Originally composed of 100 members, it was aflerwards reduced to 50 (1802) and suppressed in 1807 on account of its libéral proclivities.
L 6, à révoque du camp de Boulogne, In 1803. Boulogne (L. Btmonia, Gesoriacum, IHus porius) chief town of an arrondissement in the department of Pas de Calais. The object which Bonaparte had in view when he formed the camp at Boulogne was the invasion of England.
1. 15. Michel de Montaigne (1533^1592), one of the most original and accomplished of French writers. It bas been remarked of his celebrated essays (ist édition, 1580) that '' it is the language of conversation transferred to a book." Montaigne*s iloge has often been writtcn« onc of the best is that of M. Villemain (181 a).
1. 16. Marie-Anne-Henriette de Bourdic-Viat (1746 — i8oa), also distinguished as a poetess.
L 17. tout littéraires^ altogether literary; tout^ hère, is an adverb.
1. 30. Notre Lycée républicain, The Lycée was founded in Paris (1787) by Pilâtre de Rozier for the delivery of lectures on the various branches of science and belles-lettres.
L 22. George Cuvier (1769 — 1832); the great French naturalist; admirable as a writer ; still more so, perhaps, as a lecturer. His merit consists in the adopting of a clear, logical, accountable method, based upon the accurate observation of £Eu:ts, and constructed with almost mathematical exactness.
L 23. George Louis Leclerc^ count de Buffon (1707 — 1788). In his work on natural history, he ennobles the smallest détails by the lofty views which he connects with them.
L 25. son Cours de littércUure, See above, note to p. 7, 1. 27.
L 26. F, LouiSt count Rœderer (1735 — 1833), occupied several important posts during the Révolution and the Empire. Lectured on political economy.
yoseph Garât (1749 — 1833), succeeded Danton as minister of justice (1792), and Roland as minister of the interior (1793)1 but showed in bis
poHdcal dutîcs a déplorable want of firmness. Is more favourably known a.s a lecturer on metaphysics.
I. 27. Angs Fariaiit commonly called Saint-Ange (1747 — i8io)« His translation of Ovid was published in 1800.
1. 34. Giambatista Casti (1721 — 1804). His best work is a mock heroic poem in 26 cantos entiûtà gli animait parlantû
P. ^4, L 3. lafaadtiy the médical board.
L 3. (?;» agitey they discuss.
1. 4. en désespoir de cause^ not knowîng what to do ; literally, despairing to know the cause.
L 7. on se met en campagne^ they begin their inquîries ; liter., they take the field.
1. 13. de bon appétit^ ayant bon appétit; elliptical for {pourvu^ or jouissant) de, bon appétit,
L ipk quand on en vient au fait et au prendre <t when they came to pounce upon him, at the moment of action.
1. 22. Les gueux, les gueux.,, this is the first Une of one of Bëranger's songs.
1. 26. Fr, Guillaume Andrieux (1759 — 1833) ; his taies in verse are models of élégance and wit; the one entitled Le Meunier sans souci is well known.
P. 25, I. 4. un séminariste^ a divinity student. The substantive séminaire is exclusively applied, in French, to theological schools.
1. 9. Jacques Delille (1738 — 181 3), a didactic poet of some réputation ; enjoyed a church living and was accordingly styled ahbé, although he never took orders.
1. 17. Louise Germaine Necker, baroness de Staiî-Holstein (1766 — 181 7). An intense love of fteedom, the deepest sympathy with the victims of arbitrary power, wheresoever they might be ; and, lastly, a thorough conviction tiiat French literature needed to be revived by the study of the forms of intellectual greatness in other lands — such are the principal ideas which pervade the works of Madame de Staël.
L 18. Coppet, a village in Switzerland (canton de Vaud) on the banks of the Lake of Geneva. Madame de Staël had an estate there.
1. 22. Sophie Amould (1740 — 1803), an opéra singer, celebrated for her wit.
1. 3«. P» Joseph Bernard (1710 — 1775), sumamed gentil Bernard by Voltaire. A very indiffèrent poet. His best work is the opéra of Castor and Pollux.
P. «6, L 5. Ponce-Denis'Écouchard Lebrun (1729— 1807), a kind of secalar Vtcar of Bray ; despîcable as a politidan, second-rate as a writer. His poetry is generally brillîant and harmonious.
au Louvre. The building of the Louvre was begun under Fiands I. by Pierre Lescot on the spot previously occupied by a fortress.
1. 8. se casait ensuite à sa guise, settled down (as in a small cornpartinent, casê^ according to his fancy.
pratiquait, made.
