livre, / pound, franc (often used instead of franc, es
VOCABULARY
pecially in speaking of an income).
livrée, /. livery.
livrer, v. to deliver, give over, engage; se — , give oneself up, devote oneself, surrender, be delivered.
lobe, tn. lobe.
local, -e, adj. local.
Loches, village in the department of Indre -et-Loire, noted for its castle.
Loc Maria Ker (also written Locmariaker), commune in the department of Morbihan, noted for its Celtic monuments.
Lodève, town in the department of Hérault.
loger, V. to lodge, put up, live.
logicien, m. logician.
logique, /. and adj. logic, logical.
logis, m. house, dwelling, lodgings.
loi, /. law.
loin, adv. far, far away, distant; au — , far away, in the distance, afar; bien — que, conj. so far from, far from.
lointain, -e, adj. distant, far away.
Loire, /. Loire, the longest river in France, running from the Cévennes northward and westward to the Atlantic; its lower valley with the numerous châteaux was for a long time a favorite resort of the French kings; there is also a French department of this name.
loisir, m. leisure.
lombard, -e, adj. and s. Lombard (the Lombards were
a Germanic people, living between the Elbe and the Oder; they invaded Italy in the sixth century, and founded a powerful kingdom which was overthrown by Charlemagne in 774; written Lombard when s.).
Lombardie, /. Lombardy (at present the northern part of Italy, capital Milan).
Lomenie (Martial de), Protestant secretary of Charles IX, killed in the massacre of Saint Bartholorriew.
Londres, London.
long, -ue, adj. and m. long, length; le — de, along; tout du — , all alongside, without interruption; en savoir — , to know a good deal (about it).
Longepierre (Hilaire-Bemard de), French dramatic poet (1659-1721).
longitude,/, longitude; en — , longitudinally.
longtemps, adv. long time, long, for a long time.
longuement, adv. long, for a long time, at length.
longue-vue, /. (longues- vues, pL), spy-glass, small telescope.
Lo que ha de ser no puede faltar, what must be cannot fail (Spanish).
lord, m. lord (used only for an English lord).
Lorient, city and military port in the department of Morbihan.
lorrain, -e, adj. and s. of Lorraine, inhabitant of this province (written Lorrain when s.).
VOCABULARY
Lorrain (Claude Gelée, called le), French painter born in Lorraine, hence his name; he excelled in landscapes (1600-1682).
Lorraine, /. Lorraine, former province in northeastern France; it was made into a kingdom in 855 for Lothaire II, and since then has always been a cause for dispute between France and Germany; the House of Lorraine, with its dukes, ruled over the province; to this family the present rulers of Austria belong; Cardinal de — , see Guise.
lors, adv. then, at that time; prep, (with de), at the time of; — même que, conj. even if.
lorsque, conj. when.
Lot, m. a department of southern France; also the river flowing through this department into the Garonne.
Loth, Lot, nephew of Abraham, father of the Ammonites and the Moabites; his wife was changed into a pillar of salt (Bible).
lotos, m. lotus (fabulous fruit of the country of the Lotuseaters, which made foreigners forget their native land; the name is also given to a kind of Egyptian waterlily).
Loudeac, village in the department of Cotes-du-Nord.
Loudun, village in the department of Vienne.
louer, V. to praise.
louer, V. to rent.
Louis, Lewis; — 1er, le Débon-
naire, son of Charlemagne, Emperor of the West and king of the Franks from 814 to 840, born in 778;
— IV, d'Outremer, son of Charles III, le Simple, born in 921, king of France from 936 to 954; ■ — IX (Saint (-)Louis), son of Louis VIII, born in 1215, reigned from 1226 to 1270;
— XI, son of Charles VII, born in 1423, king of France from 1461 to 1483;
— XIÎ, son of Charles, due d'Orléans, born in 1462, king of France from 1498 to 15 15; — XIV, le Grand, son of Louis XIII, born in 1638, king of France from 1643 to 17 15; — XV, le Bien-Aimé, great grandson of Louis XIV, born in 17 ID, king of France from 17 15 to 1774; — XVI, grandson of Louis XV, born in 1754, king of France from 1774 until 1793, when he was beheaded.
Louise, Louisa.
loup, m. wolf.
Loup (Pierre), captain in the Parisian militia at the time of the massacre of Saint Bartholomew.
lourd, -e, adj. heavy.
lourdement, adv. heavily, awkwardly.
loustic, m. joker attached to the Swiss companies to preserve them from homesickness, joker, comical (used adjectively).
Louviers, town in the department of Eure.
Louvre, m. Louvre, the former residence of the French kings in Paris, now used chiefly as a museum; it was begun by Philippe-Auguste in 1204, continued by François 1er, Henri II, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, and finally in 1848 its completion was ordered. The palace now contains the finest art museum in the world.
loyal, -e, adj. loyal.
Loyola (saint Ignace de), founder of the order of the Jesuits, born at the castle of Loyola in Spain in 1491, died in 1556 (Michelet uses the name figuratively for the Jesuits).
Loyseleur, a canon of Rouen, and one of Jeanne Dare's judges.
lubrique, adj. lecherous, lewd.
lucarne, /. sky-light, garretwindow.
Lucques, Lucca, a city near the northwestern coast of Italy, northeast of Pisa; during the Middle Ages it was a prosperous republic.
lucratif, -ive, adj. lucrative, profitable.
Lucrezia, Lucretia, see Borgia (Italian).
lueur,/, gleam, light, glimmer.
lugubre, adj. lugubrious, mournful, dismal.
lui, conj. pr., see le; disj. pr.
him, it, he, himself, itself, etc.
lui-même, elle-même (euxmêmes, elles-mêmes, pi.), pr. himself, herself, itself, he himself, etc.; de — , by itself, etc.
luire, V. to shine.
lumière, /. light, insight, knowledge; en — , in the light, in view.
lumineux, -euse, adj. luminous, shining, radiant.
lundi, m. Monday.
lune, /. moon.
Lunel, town in the department of Hérault.
Luther (Martin), at first an Augustine monk, he became the chief of the Reformation in Germany; the principal events and deeds of his life are: his protest against indulgences, burning the pope's bull of excommunication, being outlawed by the diet of Worms in 152 1, his captivity in the castle of Wartburg, and his translation of the Bible into German (1483- 1 546).
lutte, /. struggle.
lutter, /. to struggle, wrestle.
luxe, m. luxury; de — , luxurious, on a large scale; objets de — , fancy articles.
Luxembourg, m. Luxemburg, formerly a state of the German Confederation, now a portion lies in Belgium and the remainder constitutes the small independent Grand- Duchy of Luxemburg.
Luxeuil, village in the department of Haute-Saône, noted for its monastery founded by Saint Colombanus in the sixth century.
lycée, m. lyceum, secondary school directed by the state (roughly correspond-
VOCABULARY
ing to the American highschool).
Lyon, Lyons, third city of France, in the department of Rhône on the river Rhone.
Lyonnais (le), m. former province of France, capital Lyons, united to France in 1312.
lyonnais, -e, adj. and s. of Lyons, inhabitant of Lyons (vi^ritten Lyonnais when s.).
Lyonnaise (la), /. the Provincia Lugdunensis, name given by the Romans to one of the divisions of Gaul under the Empire; it embraced the territory bounded by the Loire, the Saône, the Bresle, and the Atlantic (the Bresle flows into the English Channel between the departments of Seine- Liférieure and Somme); les quatre Lyonnaises, the four subdivisions of the original province, made in the second half of the fourth century, the four cities of Lyons, Tours, Sens and Rouen were each in one of these provinces.
M., abbreviation for Monsieur; m', see me.
ma, see mon.
Mably (l'abbé Gabriel de),
French publicist, author of Droit public de V Europe, and of Observations sur l'histoire de France (1709- 1785)-
mâcher, v. to chew.
Machiavel (Nicolas), Machiavelli (Niccolo), celebrated Florentine publicist and historian, his greatest work is the Prince, the conscience and good faith played little part in his political doctrines (1469-1527).
machine, /. machine.
Macon, city on the Saône in the department of Saôneet-Loire.
maçon, m. mason.
Maçon (Robert), Chancellor of France, an ardent supporter of Jeanne Dare; it was through his efforts that her family was ennobled (about 1365-1443).
madame, /. (mesdames, pL), madam, Mrs.; abbreviated Mme.
mademoiselle, /. miss, young lady; abbreviated MUe (may be used in French without a name).
Maestricht, capital of the Dutch province of Limburg on the Meuse (usually written Maestricht).
magasin, w. storehouse, warehouse, magazine, shop.
magicien, -ne, m., f. magician (also used adjectively).
magique, adj. magic, magical.
magister, m. country schoolmaster.
magistrat, m. magistrate.
magnanime, adj. magnanimous.
magnétiser, v. to magnetize.
magnétisme, m. magnetism.
magnificence,/, magnificence.
magnifique, adj. magnificent.
Maguelonne, an old city and
VOCABULARY
bishopric on the coast of the modern department of Hérault; it was razed by Louis XIII.
mai, m. May.
maigre, adj. meagre, thin, sorry, barren.
maigrir, v. to grow thin.
maillot, m. swaddling clothes or band.
main, /. hand, quire (25 sheets); sous — , in an underhand manner, secretly.
Maine, /. a tributary of the Loire, flowing into it from the north near Angers; m.
former province united to France in 1481.
maint, -e, adj. many a; maintes fois, many a time.
maintenant, adv. now.
maintenir, v. to maintain, keep; se — , hold out.
maintien, m. maintenance, deportment, bearing.
maire, m. mayor.
mais, con'j. and interj. but, why!; — oui, why yes, yes indeed; — non, but no, no indeed, no I tell you, why no, quite the contrary.
maison, /. house, household; Maison-Carrée, a Roman edifice at Nîmes, noted for its beautiful architecture.
maître, m. master (often used as a title for lawyers); — d'hôtel, butler, steward; — d'armes, fencing-master.
maîtresse, /. mistress.
maîtriser, v. to master, govern.
majesté, /. majesty.
majestueux, -euse, adj. majestic.
major, m. major.
majorité, /. majority.
mal, adv. and m. wrongly, badly, ill, evil, wrong, harm, trouble, injury, malady; c'est — fait, it is not right.
malade, adj. ill, sick, patient, diseased, weak, in a bad state, dilapidated.
Maladetta, /. name given to a group of the Pyrenees lying in Spain south of the French department of Hautes-Pyrénées and containing the highest peak of the chain.
maladie, /. malady, illness, disease.
maladif, -ive, adj. sickly.
maladresse,/, awkwardness.
maladroit, -e, adj. awkward, clumsy.
maléfice, m. witchcraft.
malgré, prep, in spite of.
malhabile, adj. awkward, unskilful.
Malherbe (François de), French lyric poet, noted above all for his extremely correct style (1555-1628).
malheur, m. misfortune.
malheureusement, adv. unfortunately.
malheureux, -euse, adj. and s. unfortunate, unhappy, wretched, unfortunate person, wretch.
malin, -igne, adj. cunning, sly, shrewd, malicious.
malsain, -e, adj. unhealthy.
maltraiter, v. to maltreat, abuse.
malveillance, /. malevolence, ill-will.
manant, m. peasant, clodhopper.
manche, /. sleeve; m. handle;
VOCABULARY
la Manche, the English Channel, also the name of an adjoining French department.
Manchester, English industrial city in Lancaster.
mander, v. to send word to, send for, summon.
manger, v. to eat, eat up, devour.
manière, /. manner, way; de — à, so as to.
manifester, v. to make known, manifest; se — , make oneself manifest, appear.
mannequin, m. manikin, dummy.
manœuvre, /. maneuver, maneuvering.
manoir, m. manor, manorhouse.
manquer, v. to be lacking, be missing, lack, miss, come near, fail (also used impersonally).
Mans (le), city in the department of Sarthe, the old capital of the province of Maine.
Mansart (François; also written Mansard), Parisian architect, designed the building of the Bank of France and several others at Paris (1598-1666); his grandnephew, Jules Hardouin- Mansart, designed the palace of Versailles, the dome of the Invalides, and several squares in Paris (1646- 1708).
manteau, ni. mantle, cloak.
manufacture, /. manufacture, factory, mill.
marais, m. marsh, swamp; this name is given to the
southwestern portion of Poitou.
Marais (le), quarter in Paris north of the Hôtel de Ville, more usually called the Temple.
marbre, m. marble.
Marc-Antoine, Mark Antony, eldest son of the Calas family; committed suicide in 1761.
Marceau (François-Séverin), French general, distinguished himself in the war of the Vendée and at the battle of Fleurus; he was killed at the battle of Altenkirchen (1769-1796).
Marcel (Claude), French goldsmith and prévôt des marchands; he later became secretary to the king and Contrôler General of Finance (died in 1590).
marchand, -e, m.,/. and adj.
merchant, dealer, tradesman, tradeswoman, merchant's wife, trading.
marchandise, /. merchandise.
marche, /. march, walk, step, military frontier, border.
marché, m. market; avoir bon (meilleur) — de, to obtain (more) easily or cheaply, obtain an advantage over, dispose of without trouble.
marchepied, m. step (of a carriage, etc.), steppingstone.
marcher, v. to march, walk, proceed, move forward.
marcheur, -euse, m.,f. walker.
mardi, m. Tuesday.
marécageux, -euse, adj.
marshy, swampy.
VOCABULARY
maréchal, m. marshall (before 187 1 a title given to an officer above the generals).
marée, /. tide.
Margot (familiar abbreviation of Marguerite), Maggie, Mag, Madge, Peggie, etc.;
— de Lay, Michelet refers to Mayot Delage, who lost an arm while repulsing Coligny from Montélimar in
marguerite,/, daisy (formerly also meant a pearl).
Marguerite, Margaret; sainte — , Saint Margaret, a virgin martyred at Antioch about 275; — d'Anjou, daughter of the good king René, wife of Henry VI of England, celebrated for her courage shown during the war of the Two Roses (1429-1482); — d'Angoulême. Queen of Navarre and sister of François 1er; she married Henri d'Albret. King of Navarre, in 1527, besides protecting the Protestants she distinguished herself by her love of art and letters; she is the author of the collection of short stories called the Heptamêron, and of a collection of verse: les Marguerites de la Marguerite des princesses (Michelet refers to her as the Marguerite des Marguerites; 1492- 1549); — de Valois, daughter of Henri II and Catherine de Médicis; she married Henri IV (hence called
— de Navarre), but was
repudiated by him in 1599; she is the author of Mcmoires and of Poésies (1552-1615).
mari, m. husband.
m.ariage, m. marriage, union; lui promettre — , to promise to marry him.
Marie, Mary; — d'Avignon, woman of the early fifteenth century who claimed to be inspired; ^Thérèse d'Autriche, Maria Theresa, Empress of Germany, Queen of Bohemia and of Hungary, mother of Marie- Antoinette and of Joseph II (17 17-1780); — Antoinette, daughter of Francis I, Emperor of Germany (Austria), wife of Louis XVI; she died on the scaffold (1755-1793)-
marier, v. to marry, marry off; se —, get married; mariée, /. bride; nouvelle mariée, bride.
marin, m. mariner, sailor.
marine, /. marine, navy.
maritime, adj. maritime, naval, on the sea.
marmiton, m. scullion.
Marne, /. river rising in the department of Haute- Marne and joining the Seine at Paris; also the department through which this river flows.
marquer, v. to mark, show, indicate, stamp, brand; se — , be made, be indicated, be distinguished, make one's mark.
marquis, -e, m., f. marquis, marchioness.
marraine, /. godmother.
VOCABULARY
mars, m. March.
marseillais, -e, adj. and s. of Marseilles, inhabitant of Marseilles.
Marseille, Marseilles, port on the Mediterranean and second city of France; the citywas founded in 600 b.c.
marteau, m. hammer.
Martel, see Charles (old spelling of marteau).
marteler, v. to hammer, hammer out.
Martin (saint), bishop of Tours, born in Hungary, and a disciple of Saint Hilary (died between 396 and 400); Michelet also mentions a Saint Martin who was born at Amboise in 1743 and established his school at Lyons; — l'Advenu, Jeanne Dare's confessor at her execution.
martyr, -e, m.,f. martyr.
martyre, m. martyrdom.
Mascaron (Jules de), French preacher (1634-1703).
masque, m. mask.
masquer, v. to mask, conceal, hide.
massacre, m. massacre, slaughter, carnage.
massacrer, v. to massacre.
massacreur, m. slaughterer, slayer.
masse, /. mass, pile, body.
masser, v. to mass.
Massieu, an official at Jeanne Dare's execution.
massif, -ive, adj. and m.
massive, solid, solid mass, mass.
Massillon (Jean -Baptiste), one of the most eloquent French preachers (1663-1742).
mat, -e, adj. dull, dim.
matelot, m. sailor, seaman.
matérialiste, adj. and m. materialist.
matériel, -le, adj. and m.
material, materials, apparatus, implements.
mathématiques, /. pi. mathematics.
matière, /. matter, subject, material.
matin, m. and adv. morning, early; de grand — , very early.
matinée, /. morning.
matines, /. pi. matins, morning prayers.
maudire, v. to curse.
Maugis, sorcerer and one of the chief characters in the Old French epic les Quatre fils Ay mon; he is the prototype of the great number of sorcerers and magicians that later abound in the Old French and Italian epics.
maugréer, v. to curse, swear; — contre, swear at.
Mauléon, formerly the name of Châtillon-sur-Sèvre, a village in the department of Deux-Sèvres ; it was the seat of the family of the same name, of which the most celebrated member was Savari de — , a crusader and unprincipled courtier (died in 1236).
Maupertuis (Pierre-Louis-Moreau de), French geometrician and naturalist (1698-
1759)- Maure, adj. and s. Moor, Moorish; tours des Maures, towers of the Moors (so
VOCABULARY
called; written Maure when s.).
Maurepas (Jean-Frédéric de), Minister under Louis XV and Louis XVI (1701- 1781).
mauresque, adj. Moorish, Moresque.
Maurevert, a Catholic who attempted to assassinate Coligny before the massacre of Saint Bartholomew.
Maury (JeanSiffrein), French prelate and orator, he was a member of the Constituent Assembly (1746-1817).
maussade, adj. cross, illhumored, sulky, sour, tedious.
mauvais, -e, adj. bad, wretched, evil, poor.
maxime, /. maxim.
Mayence, Mayence or Mainz, German city on the left bank of the Rhine, noted for its beautiful cathedral.
Mayemie, /. river rising in the department of Orne and joining the Sarthe to form the Maine; also a department through which this river flows.
me (m')-, conj. pr. me, to me, for me.
Meaux, town in the department of Seine -et-Mame.
méchanceté, /. meanness, spite, malice, ill-nature.
méchant, -e, adj. mean, mischievous, bad, miserable, malicious, wicked, naughty.
mèche, /. wick, match.
méconnaître, v. not to know, ignore, slight, disown, fail to know or recognize.
mécontent, -e, adj. dissatisfied.
mécréant, m. unbeliever, infidel.
médecin, m. doctor, physician.
médecine, /. medicine.
médicamenter, v. to give medicine to, dose, drug, fill with drugs.
Médicis, Medici, name of an illustrious family which ruled over Florence in the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries; Catherine de — , was the daughter of Lorenzo II, who died in 15 19; see also Catherine.
médiocre, adj. mediocre, ordinary, common-place.
médiocrement, adv. in a mediocre manner, middlingly, only tolerably, indifferent-
médiocrité, /. mediocrity.
méditer, v. to meditate, contemplate, plan.
Méditerranée (la),/, the Mediterranean Sea.
méfait, m. misdeed.
Meilleraie (Charles, due de la), Marshall of France (1602- 1664).
Meillerie, commune in the department of Haute-Savoie.
meilleur, -e, adj. better; le (la) — , best.
meistersaenger, m. pi. mastersingers (German); they were poets of the middle classes, flourishing especially in southern Germany, in the purity of their lives and songs they were opposed to the minnesingers who had sung before them
VOCABULARY
of love in the Proven al style; the greatest of the mastersingers vv'as Hans Sachs (1494-1576).
mélancolie, /. melancholy.
melange, m. mixture, medley.
mélanger, v. to mingle, blend, mix.
mêler, v. to mix, mingle; se — , be mixed or mingled, mingle, be concerned, take a hand (in).
Mélusine, fairy whom the romances of chivalry and the legends of Poitou represented as the ancestor and protector of the House of Lusignan (this family was long powerful in the former provinces of Marche and Angoumois, a branch ruled over the island of Cyprus from 1192 to 1489).
membre, m. member, limb.
même, adj. and adv. self, same, very, even, the same, himself, etc. (usually preceded by the article when meaning same); de — , in the same way, likewise; en — temps, at the same time; mettre à — de, to put in a position to, enable to.
mémoire, /. memory; m.
memoir, memorandum, memorial.
menace, /. threat.
menacer, v. to menace, threaten.
ménage, m. housekeeping, household, family affairs; faire le — , to do the housekeeping.
ménager, v. to husband, reserve, spare, treat considerately, conduct carefully.
mendiant, m. beggar.
mener, v. to lead, bring, take.
meneur, m. leader.
Mengette, young girl of Domremy, friend of Jeanne Dare.
Ménippée (la Satyre), a celebrated political pamphlet directed against the Catholic League, it was by several authors and favored the accession of Henri IV
mensonge, m. lie, lying, error.
mentionner, v. to mention.
mentir, v. to lie.
menuisier, m. joiner, cabinetmaker.
mépris, m. contempt, scorn.
méprisable, adj. despicable, contemptible.
méprise, /. mistake, misapprehension.
mépriser, v. to despise; méprisant, -e, contemptuous, scornful.
mer, /. sea; gens de — , seafaring folk.
mercenaire, adj. mercenary.
merci,/, mercy, thanks, thank you.
mercredi, m. Wednesday.
mère, /. mother.
méridional, -e, adj. and s.
southern, southerner (written Méridional when s.).
merinos, vi. merino sheep, merino, wool (from these Spanish sheep).
mérite, m. merit, attainment.
mériter, v. to merit, deserve.
merlin, m. cleaver.
Merlin, an enchanter and prophet who plays a considerable rôle in the Arthurian romances; Pierre
VOCABULARY
•— , a Protestant theologian and friend of Coligny (about 1533-1603).
mérovingien, -ne, adj. and s.
Merovingian; this name was given to the first dynasty of France; the name comes from a supposed king Mérovée, who is said to have reigned over the Sahan Franks from 448 to 458; the dynasty ended with Childéric III in 752 (written Mérovingien when
merveille, /. marvel, wonder; à — , wonderfully well.
merveilleusement, adv. marvelously, wonderfully.
merveilleux, -euse, adj. marvelous, wonderful.
mes, see mon.
mesquin, -e, adj. niggardly, shabby, paltry, Thean.
message, m. message.
messager, m. messenger.
messe,/, mass (of the church).
messire, m. sir, my lord, squire (an old word, at first used as monseigneur, later given to nobles, priests, lawyers and doctors); Messire, the Lord.
Mesta (la), /. a powerful Spanish company or ' trust,' composed of sheep-owners; it was organized in the fifteenth century.
mesure, /. measure, bounds; être en — , to be at the proper distance (for delivering a blow, etc.), be prepared, proceed properly; en — , in time or step; à — que, conj. in proportion as.
mesiurer, v. to measure.
méthode, /. method.
méthodiste, m. Methodist.
métier, m. trade, business, loom.
metre, w. meter (39 inches).
métropole, /. metropolis.
mettre, v. to put, place, include, put on, set, take (time, pride, etc.); • — à fin, bring to an end; — en pièces, tear to pieces; — le plus d'obstacle, offer the greatest hinderance; se — à, begin; se — à l'œuvre, set to work; se — dans, place oneself in, join in; se — en colère, get angry; se — en route, set out, start; se — en prières, begin to pray.
Metz, now a German city in Lorraine; république de — , Metz became independent in the thirteenth century, and remained so until 1552, when it came under French control (pronounced Mess).
meurtre, m. murder.
meurtrier, -ère, adj. and s.
murderous, murderer; /.
loop-hole.
Meuse, /. river rising in the department of Haute-Marne, and flowing through Belgium and Holland to the North Sea; also a French department through which this river flows.
Mézerai (François de; also written Mézeray), French historian, author of an Histoire de France (1610-1683).
Mézièrés, town on the Meuse in the department of Ardennes.
VOCABULARY
Me zo deuzar armoriq, I too
am a Breton (Breton dialect).
mi, adj. and adv. (invariable),
equally; à côte, half-way
up the hill; Carême, /.
Mid-Lent.
Michel, Michael; saint — , Saint Michael, the archangel and chief of the celestial armies; his day is September 29.
Michel-Ange (Euonaroti), Michael Angelo, Italian painter, sculptor, architect and poet, one of the greatest artists the world has produced; chief works: the Cupola of Saint Peter's at Rome, the Tomb of Julius II, the paintings in the Sistine Chapel (particularly the Last Judgment) and the statue of Moses
midi, m. midday, noon, twelve
o'clock, south; le Midi, the
South.
Midy (Nicolas), Parisian
preacher and schoolman,
one of Jeanne Dare's examiners at her trial.
mie, /. crumb; ma — , my
darling, sweetheart.
mielleux, -euse, adj. honeyed,'
honey-tongued.
mien, -ne, pass. adj. pr.
(usually with article), mine.
mieux, adv. better; le — ,
best; tant — , so much the
better.
mil, card, one thousand (used
for the first thousand years
after Christ).
Milan, Italian city, capital of
Lombardy; it is noted for
its magnificent cathedral; due de — , Ludovico Sforza, became duke in 1494.
milice, /. militia, soldiery.
milieu, m. middle, midst, medium, middle ground; au beau — , right in the midst, in the very middle.
militaire, adj. and m. military, soldier.
militant, -e, adj. militant.
mille, card, one thousand.
milliard, m. billion.
millier, w. about one thousand, one thousand.
million, m. million.
Milton (John), celebrated English poet; he was secretary to Cromwell, but at the death of the latter he retired into private life and, blind and poor, dictated to his wife and children the great epic Paradise Lost (1608-1674).
mine, /. mien, look, appearance; faire — de, to pretend to.
miner, v. to mine, undermine, hollow out.
minéral, m,, mineral.
miniature, /. miniature.
ministère, m. ministry, department of a Cabinet Minister, building for the administration offices of such a Minister.
ministre, m. minister; — de la marine, 'Secretary of the Navy.'
minuit, m. midnight.
minute, /. minute.
Mirabeau (Honoré-Gabriel), greatest orator of the French Revolution, especially influential in the
VOCABULARY
Constituent Assembly
miracle, m. miracle.
miraculeux, -euse, adj. miraculous.
Miranturque novas frondes et non sua poma, and they admire the new foliage and not their own fruit (Latin).
mise, /. setting, manner of dressing, dress.
misérable, adj. and s. miserable, wretched, wretch.
misérablement, adv. miser- •ably.
misère, /. misery, destitution, trouble.
miséricorde, /. mercy.
mission, /. mission.
mitraille, /. grape-shot, canister.
mitre, /. mitre (bishop's head-dress).
mitre, -e, adj. mitred.
mixte, adj. mixed.
mob, m. mob (English).
mobile, adj. movable, mobile, unsteady, changeable, ready for military operations.
mobilier, m. set of furniture, furniture.
mobilité, /. mobility, inconstancy, versatility, readiness for action.
mode, /. manner, style, fashion; à la — , in style.
modèle, m. model.
modération, /. moderation.
modérer, v. to moderate, temper, soften; modéré, -e, adj. and s. moderate, temperate, prudent, moderate person.
moderne, adj. modern.
modeste, adj. modest.
modestie, /. modesty.
modifier, v. to modify; se — , be modified.
mœurs,/, pi. manners, habits, customs.
moi, conj. and disj. pr. me, to me, I, myself, ego.
moi-même, pr. myself, I myself.
moindre, adj. less; le — , least, the most trifling.
moine, m. monk.
moins, adv. less; le — , least; au — , du — , at least; n'en est pas — , is none the less; à — que . . . ne, unless; tout au — , at the very least; à — de, for less than, except on the condition of.
mois, m. month.
moisson, /. harvest.
moissonner, v. to reap, harvest.
moitié, /. half.
Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, called), greatest of the French writers of comedy; he was born in Paris, acted in his own troupe, and wrote all kinds of comedy from the lightest farce to the most serious and elevated comedy; chief works:
Tartufe, le Misanthrope, V Avare, le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, les Précieuses ridicules, etc. (162 2-1 673).
mollesse, /. softness, indolence, sluggishness, laxness, tameness, weakness.
mollusque, m. moUusk.
moment, m. moment.
mon, ma (mes, pi.), poss. adj.
pr. my.
monarchie, /. monarchy.
VOCABULARY
monarchique, adj. monarchical.
monastère, m. monastery.
monastique, adj. monastic, monastical.
monceau, m. heap.
monde, m. world, people, society; tout le — , everybody; il n'y avait pas grand — , there were not many people.
monition, /. ecclesiastical monition (warning or censure).
monitoire, w. monitory (letter of an ecclesiastical judge to force one knowing a fact to reveal it).
monnaie, /. change, coin, money.
monologue, m. monologue.
monosyllabe, m. monosyllable.
monotone, adj. monotonous.
Mons, small Belgian city near the French department of Nord {s is pronounced).
monseigneur, m. lord, my Lord, your Grace.
mon'^ievir (messieurs, pi.), m.
mister, sir, gentleman, this gentleman (often placed before titles; — le baron, etc.); abbreviated: M., Mr.; Messieurs, title formerly given to the members of the parliaments.
monstre, m. monster, monstrous (used adjectively).
monstrueusement, adv. monstrously.
monstrueux, -euse, adj. monstrous.
monstruosité,/, monstrosity.
mont, m. mount, mountain.
montagnard, -e, adj. and s.
inhabiting the mountains, mountaineer; les Montagnards, name give to those members of the French Convention (1793) who occupied the highest seats and who voted for the most violent measures; à la montagnarde, in the style of mountain people.
montagne, /. mountain.
Montaigne (Michel de), celebrated French philosopher and moralist, author of Essais, and a skeptic (1533— 1592)-
Montaigus, see Capulets.
Montauban, city in the department of Tarn-et-Garoime (there is also a village of this name in Tleet-Vilaine).
Montbard, village in the department of Côte-d'Or.
Montbarrey (Alexandre, comte de), Minister of War under Louis XVI (1732-1796).
Montbazon, hamlet in the department of Indre -et-Loire ) .
Mont Dore (or Mont-Eore), name given to the group of highest mountains of central France (in the department of Puy-de-Dôme).
Montélimar, town in the department of Drome.
monter, v. to mount, go up, grow.
Montesquieu (Charles de Secondât, baron de), celebrated French publicist, author of the Esprit des Lois, Lettres persanes, and De la grandeur et de la decadence des Romains (16S9-1755). There is also
VOCABULARY
a village of this name in the department of Haute- Garonne, and a branch of the family of the same name in Languedoc is alluded to by Michelet.
Montfaucon, formerly a locality outside of Paris where a famous gibbet was built in the thirteenth century; this gibbet remained until 176 1 ; the site is now occupied by the Place du Combat (west of the Buttes Chaumont park).
Montfort, there are five French villages of this name, the castle of Simon de — , the best known of the family of
this name, is at l'Amaury
in the department of Seineet-Oise; it was Simon de Montfort who led the crusade against the Albigeois in 1209 (lived from about 1165 to about 1218). In the struggle for supremacy in Brittany between the Blois and the Montforts, Jean IV seized in 1341 the greater part of the duchy left by Jean III to Charles of Blois; the struggle was continued under Jean V, who was victorious (with the English) over the Blois at the battle of Auray in 1364. The Montfort family orie^inated in Hainault as early as the tenth century.
Montgomery (Gabriel, comte de), captain in the Scotch guard of Henri II, whose death he accidentally caused in a tournament; he escaped the massacre of
Saifit Bartholomew, though he was a Protestant, but was captured later and put to death by Catherine de Médicis (about 1530-
Montholon, name of an ancient family, deriving its name from a village near Autun; François de — , a brilliant lawyer, judge and Keeper of the Privy Seal (about 1490-1549), his son and his grandson were also noted lawyers; Charles- Tristan, comte de —, French general, he accompanied Napoleon I into captivity and wrote Memoirs of Saint Helena (1783-1853).
Montlosier (François-Dominique, comte de), French writer noted for his writings against the Jesuits (1755- 1838).
Montmorency, a village in the department of Seine-et- Oise; also the name of an illustrious French family; Michelet alludes to Henri ler^ connétable de France (1534-1614), and Henri II, maréchal de France, who was beheaded as a result of a plot against Richelieu (1595-1632).
Montpellier, city in the department of Hérault.
Montpensier (Catherine-Marie de Lorraine, duchesse de), sister of the Guises, she took an active part in the wars of the Catholic League (i 552-1596); Louis de Bourbon, due de — ,
VOCABULARY
noted for his persecution of the Protestants (1513- 1582).
mont Perdu, one of the highest mountains of the Pyrenees; it Hes in Spain, south of the French department of Hautes-Pjrrénées.
montrer, v. to show, present; se — , show oneself, prove that one is.
Mont-Saint-Michel, a commune in the department of Manche; it lies on a rockyisland in the bay of the same name, and contains a magnificent Benedictine abbey, founded in 709; from the French Revolution to 1863 it was used as a prison.
montiment, m. monument, literary monument.
moquer, v. to mock, ridicule; se — de, make fun of.
moqueur, -euse, adj. mocking.
moral, -e, adj. moral, mental.
moralement, adv. morally.
moraliser, v. to moralize, preach to, lecture.
moralité, /. morality, morals.
Morbihan, m. a French department formed from a portion of Brittany ; there are numerous islands off the coast.
morceau, m. morsel, bit, piece; — de roi, royal tidbit.
morceler, v. to parcel, parcel out.
mordre, v. to bite.
Moreau (Jean-Victor), French general; he became the rival of Bonaparte, and was exiled; he was killed
at Dresden when fighting with the Russians against France (1763-1813). •■
moresque, adj. Moorish (another writing for mauresque); la — , /. the Moorish dance.
morfondre, v. to chill; se — , to wait in vain, dance attendance.
Morgane, name of a celebrated fairy in the romances of chivalry.
Morice (Pierre), one of the churchmen and examiners at Jeanne Dare's trial.
Morlaix, town in the department of Finistère.
Mornay (le château de), m.
a castle near the town of Saumur.
mome, adj. sad, gloomy.
morose, adj. morose.
mort, /. death; à — , to the death.
mortel, -le, adj. mortal, deadly.
mortellement, adv. mortally, in a deadly manner.
Mortemart, name of a noted French family (deriving its name from a village in Haute-Vienne), to which belonged Mme de Montespan and the admiral de Vivonne; it has furnished many soldiers and courtiers to France; the first who gained great renown was René, baron de — , who fought against the Protestants in the Religious Wars; from that time to the nineteenth century the family was noted.
mortification, /. mortification.
VOCABULARY
Morvan (le), m. name of a group of mountains in central France (departments of Nièvre, Côte-d'Or, Yonne and Saône -et-Loire).
Moselle, /. river rising in the Vosges and flowing through French and German territory to join the Rhine.
Mosula, Latin diminutive of Mosa; Moselle, however, comes from Mosella.
mot, m. word, remark, saying, motto.
motif, m. motive.
motion, /. motion.
mou (mol before vowels), molle, adj. soft, indolent, sluggish, effeminate.
mouiller, v. to wet, soak, bathe.
moulin, m. mill.
mourir, v. to die; se ■ — , be dying; faire — , have killed; mort, -e, adj. and s. dead, dead man, etc.; faire le mort, feign death.
mousse, /. moss; m. cabinboy.
mouton, m. sheep.
moutonner, v. to curl, foam, ripple, undulate.
mouvement, w. movement, motion, impulse.
mouvoir, v. to move; mouvant, -e, moving.
moyen, -ne, adj. and s. average, mean, middle, mediocre, means, expedient, power; le — âge, the Middle Ages.
muet, -te, adj. and s. mute, silent, dumb person.
mugir, V. to roar, bellow.
muid, m. hogshead (as a measure it differed con-
siderably according to the province; at Paris a muid of wheat contained about i8 hectoliters, for liquids it contained at Paris 268 liters).
mulet, m. mule.
multiplicité, /. multiplicity, multifariousness.
multiplier, v. to multiply; se — , increase.
multitude, /. multitude, great number.
municipalité, /. municipality.
municipe, m. municipium, ancient town subject to Rome, but governed by its own laws.
munition, /. ammunition; pi.
ammunition, stores.
mur, m. wall.
mûr, -e, adj. ripe, mature.
muraille,/, thick or high wall, rampart.
mûrier, m. mulberry-tree.
mûrir, v. to ripen, mature.
murmure, m. murmur.
musculaire, adj. muscular.
musée, m. museum.
museler, v. to muzzle, gag.
musical, -e, adj. musical.
musicien, -ne, w., /. musician.
musique, /. music.
Muss (Nicolas), a German friend of Coligny.
musulman, -e, adj. and s.
Mussulman, Mohammedan.
mutilation, /. mutilation.
mutiler, v. to mutilate.
mutuel, -le, adj. mutual, reciprocal.
Myrddyn, a celebrated Celtic sorcerer and poet; Merlin (the name of the prophet
VOCABULARY
of the Breton or Arthurian poems) is merely an alteration of this word.
myrte, m. myrtle.
mystère, m. mystery.
mystérieux, -euse, adj. mysterious.
mysticisme, m. mysticism.
mystifier, v. to mystify.
mystique, adj. and s. mystical, mystic.
mythe, m. myth.
n', see ne.
naguère, adv. lately, not long ago, but recently.
naïf, -ïve, adj. ingenuous, artless, simple.
naissance, /. birth.
naître ,ï v. to be born, arise, originate; naissant, -e, rising, budding, infant.
naïvement, adv. ingenuously.
naïveté,/, ingenuousness, artlessness, simplicity, simple or artless remark.
nankin, m. nankeen (yellow cotton cloth).
nantais, -e, adj. and s. of the city of Nantes, inhabitant of this city (written Nantais when s.).
Nantes, city on the lower Loire in the department of Loire-Inférieure .
Nantua, village in the department of Ain.
Naples, Naples.
Napoléon, born in Corsica in 1769, he first distinguished himself by driving the English from Toulon (1793).
He became General-inchief of the army of Italy,
and won the celebrated battles of Rivoli, Areola, etc.; became First Consul in 1799 and Emperor in 1804; victor in the battles of Austerlitz (1805), léna (1806), Eylau (1807), Fricdland (1807), Wagram (1809), he became the ruler of western Europe. He led the Grande-Armée into Russia in 1812— 1813, and never recovered from this disastrous campaign.
Europe rising against him, he was deposed in 1814 and sent to the Island of Elba, whence he escaped to France in 181 5 and ruled, during the Hundred Days, until he was finally defeated at Waterloo, June 18, 1815.
Banished to St. Helena, he died there in 1821. He was known as Napoleon Bonaparte until he assumed the title of Napoleon I in 1804.
Narbonne, city in the department of Aude.
narguer, v. to defy, snap one's fingers at.
narratif, -ive, adj. narrative.
natal, -e, adj. natal.
nation, /. nation.
national, -e, adj. national.
nationalité, /. nationality.
nativité, /. nativity.
nature, /. nature.
nattirel, -le, adj. natural, disposition, nature.
naturellement, adv. naturally.
naufrage, m. shipwreck.
naufragé, -e, adj. and s. shipwrecked, shipwrecked person.
nausée, /. nausea, disgust.
VOCABULARY
Navarre, /. former kingdom on both slopes of the western Pyrenees, the southern portion was united to Spain in 15 1 1, the northern to France in 1589, when Henri IV, King of Navarre, came to the French throne; roi de — , Henri IV.
navarrais, -e, adj. and s. Navarrese (written Navarrais when s.).
navigable, adj. navigable.
navigateur, m. navigator.
navire, m. ship, vessel.
ne, adv. (usually with pas, point, etc.), not; je ne suis roi ne duc, I am neither king nor duke (a relic of the Old French usage where ne=ni).
néanmoins, adv. nevertheless, notwithstanding.
néant, m. nothingness, nothing.
nécessaire, adj. necessary.
nécessité, /. necessity, exigency.
Necker (Jacques), French banker and minister; in his two terms of office he endeavored to bring in useful, but insufficient financial reforms (1732- 1804).
nécropole, /. necropolis.
négatif, -ive, adj. negative.
négation, /. negation.
négliger, v. to neglect.
négoce, m. trade, trading, business.
négociation, /. negotiation.
négrier, m. slaver, slavedealer.
neige, /. snow.
neiger, v. to snow.
Nerac, small town in the department of Lot-et-Garonne.
nerf, m. nerve, sinew.
nerveux, -euse, adj. nervous.
net, -te, adj. neat, clear, clean, pure, frank, cleanly cut.
nettement, adv. neatly, clearly, sharply.
netteté, /. neatness, clearness.
neuf, card. nine.
neuf, neuve, adj. new.
Neufchâteau, village in the department of Vosges.
neutraliser, v. to neutralize.
neutre, adj. and s. neuter, neutral, neutral person.
neuvième, ord. ninth.
Nevers, small city in the department of Nièvre; Louis de Gonzague, due de — , captain in the Catholic League, later joined Henri
