ACT II

38, 7. place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, generally known as la Grand’ Place, one of the most interesting squares in Europe. It has witnessed some of the most stirring events in Belgian history, including the execution of Egmont and Horn in 1568, the year of the play. It contains two of the most striking examples of Flemish civic architecture, the Hôtel de Ville, dating from the 15th century, with its famous belfry, and the Maison du Roi, so-called because the royal address to the States-General was delivered there.

40, 2. Cela se voit? ‘ Does it show? ”

41, 10. Où prenez-vous . . . ? ‘where do you get the idea ER)

Al, 22. la bonne cause, for Dolorès the government, or Catholic side, as opposed to the patrie, or national side, supported by her husband.

41, 26. cela se tient, ‘‘ all that hangs together.”

42, 1. Tun’enes pas, ‘“ You surely aren't in it.”

43, 3. Oh! ces hommes! “Oh! you men! ”?

44, 24. Ce serait bientôt fait de mes remords, “ my remorse would be soon over.”

46, 26. Et vous pitié (1.e. Vous me faites pitié), ‘you make me üred.”?

48, 10. Galèna, a Frisian nobleman, executed after Alva’s return to Brussels after his victory at Jemmingen (1568).

48, 12. Bakkerzeel, secretary of Count Egmont, executed at the same time as Galèna.

48, 12. Cornélis. There are two Cornélis whose names appear in Netherlands history in the 16th century: Lambert Cornélis, a well-known graveur, who engraved portraits of many prominent people, and a certain Cornélis, ‘“ maître célèbre,” under whom Hopperus studied (probably law) at Haarlem. The editors, however, have been able to discover no evidence that either man was involved in the conspiracy against Alva.

48, 17. forêt de Soignes. ‘“ The great forest of Soignes, dotted with monasteries and convents, swarming with every variety of game, extended to within a quarter of a mile from the city walls.” (Motley.) What is left of the forest forms now one of the most popular parks of Brussels.

48, 19. bois de la Cambre, a smaller forest in close proximity to Brussels, now the ‘ Bois de Boulogne ”” of the Belgian capital.

49, 6. Tu penses bien ... je n’ai garde, “You can well imagine that l'U do nothing of the sort.”

49, 15. vous n'avez que faire de moi, ‘“ you have no need of me.’

52, 16. où j'en suis, ‘‘the point I have reached.”’

53, 32. et puis après? ‘what about it? ”

53, 32. votre Patrie. Here we have formulated the essential theme of the play, the struggle between love and patriotism. Dolorès is quite incapable of appreciating her husband’s intense devotion to his country. For her, Flanders is merely a rival for Rysoor’s affection. As she expresses it in her next speech, ‘“ ma Patrie à moi, c’est l'Amour.”

54, 1. Ilne vous manque plus que . . . , ‘why don't you... ? ” (C£. 109, 8.)

54, 19. où nous en sommes, ‘in our present situation.”

55, 16. la faisant lever et lui tordant la main. This situation recalls the famous scene in Henri III et sa cour of Dumas père, where the duc de Guise seeks to wrest the name of her lover from the duchesse. (Note again the dropping of the reflexive pronoun after faire.)

55, 23. J'ai de quoi le reconnaître, “7 have a means of learning who he is.”

55, 24. cette marque de Cain. “The Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.” (Genesis, IV, 15.)

55, 29. se je le tuerail “ Shall I kill him?” (Vous demandez is understood.)

55, 31. je t'empêcherai bien. This is the turning point of the

| action. Up to this moment Dolorès has merely been unfaithful to

ber husband; now she is ready to betray him to his enemies in order to save her lover from danger.

56, 23. chevaux-de-frise. A cheval-de-frise is a block of wood

- bristling with iron spikes, used as an obstacle to the advance of cavalry. It is so called, it is said, because it was first used at the siege of Groningen, in Friesland.

57, 6. bien prise, “ frozen hard.”

58, 8. Brabant, ancient province of the Netherlands, of which Brussels was the capital.

59, 22. chacun leur fantassin. Ordinarily chacun is accompanied by the possessive form son, but in apposition to a third person plural, as here, chacun may take the possessive leur before à direct object.

60, 22. il faut tout prévoir. One of the outstanding qualities of William of Orange was his prudence.

61, 7. Sainte-Gudule, the chief church of Brussels, often erroneously called the cathedral, a splendid example of 15th century

Gothic.

61, 10. juste à point, “* all ready.”

62, 21. mes Islandais, not /celanders, or French fishermen off Iceland, as the French word usually means, but islanders, 1.e., inhabitants of the islands lying off the Dutch coast, especially those comprising the province of Zealand, off the mouth of the Scheldt.

The Zealanders were the most loyal of all the supporters of William of Orange.

62, 22. laissez faire mes Gueux de mer, ‘ leave it to my Sea- Beggars.” Historically the Gueux de mer or Sea-Beggars did not achieve anything of note until their capture of Brill and Flushing in 1572, four years after the events of the play. However, for Sardou it would be almost a crime to omit such picturesque figures as the Sea-Beggars in a play concerned with the revolt of the Netherlands.

64, 6. Il y manque mon clairon! “Oh if only my bugler were there! ” The tragic scene ends on a comic note.