ACT IV
104, 21. régiment de Lombardie. Alva’s army was composed chiefly of the veteran regiments of Lombardy, Sardinia, Sicily and Naples, making in all, says Motley, “not quite nine thousand of the best foot-soldiers in Europe.”
104, 23. Hornes, Philip Montmorency, Count of Horn, adrniral of Flanders, executed with Count Egmont, June 5, 1568 (historically after the events of the play).
105, 5. Serbelloni, Gabriel Cerbelloni, commander of the artillery in Alva’s army.
105, 10. les Fuggers d’Augsbourg, famous German banking family, which had helped materially in the election of Charles V as Emperor, and which remained in close financial relations with later Hapsburgs.
105, 23. dussent-ils être passés par les armes, “even if they should be put to the sword.”
105, 28. dût-il expirer, (Cf. 105, 23).
106, 9. au moins, “ Z hope.”
107, 13. il y a de quoi la tuer, “ i’s enough to kill her.”
107, 18. conduis-la-moi. Mot is dative of interest, (Cf. 82, 12).
109, 8. Il ne vous manquerait plus que de me faire arrêter, “why not have me arrested? ”” (Cf. 54, 1.)
109, 24. C’est bien à vous de m’en faire une injure, “ls surely your place to insult me for it”? (ironical).
110, 1. nous nous valons bien, allez! “One’s as bad as the other, you seel ?”?
110, 17. vous met le poignard à la main, ‘ #nciles one to crime.”
110, 26. que nous soyons quittes. Que—pour que.
110, 28. que je viens de condamner trois fois à mort, “ who are thrice worthy of death.”
114, 19. ce qui s’est passé hier au soir. The reference is to Karloo’s refusing to enter the Duke’s service.
115, 4 son amie. The innocent Rafaële does not grasp the real relation of Dolorès and Karloo.
115, 31. Je prends mes armes où je les trouve! a variant of Molière’s celebrated answer to the charge of plagiarism: Je prends mon bien où je le trouve.
121, 10. Si j'y pense! T'u demandes is understood.
123, 31. fût-ce, ‘even if it were.’ (Cf. 105, 23.)
123, 33. cette main que voilà, ‘this hand of mine.”
126, 17. tenez-vous à cette arme? ‘will you let me have this weapon? ?
131, 12. les cloches . . . Albe. Rafaële does not catch the sinister meaning of this reply.
133, 8 mousquetaires espagnols. The use of the musket, an improvement on the arquebus because of its greater calibre and range, was a Spanish contribution to the art of war, dating from the beginning of the 16th century.
The mousquetaires formed the corps d'élite of Alva’s army, and as such were given special consideration. “They were the first who carried muskets, a weapon which very much astonished the Flemings when it first rattled in their ears. The musketeers might have been mistaken for princes, with such agreeable and graceful arrogance did they present themselves. Each was attended by his servant or esquire, who carried his piece for him, except in battle, and all were treated with extreme deference by the rest of the army, as if they had been officers.” (Motley, adapted from Brantôme.)
133, 20. pénitents, lay orders, established in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Their costume consisted of a sack pierced with holes for eyes, with a cord about the waist. The various orders of pénilents were distinguished by the color of their costume. The pénilents were often associated with executions, especially the pénilents noirs.
134, 14. Diesirae (Latin), ‘ day of wrath, ” first words and title of part of the Catholic service for the dead.
