With this speech compare R.'s Mithridate, d-jArl

534 une . . . sensible : too soft a heart.

535 témoins : proof For témoignages.

536 de nos feux dépends on souvenirs.

537 une aimable présence : the présence of a loved one.

538 qui: for modem laquelle. Cf. 803 and 1120. Ail the great writers of the century, following earlier usage, constantly disregarded the rule, formulated by Vaugelas and now regularly observed in Uterary language, which forbids the use of qui, referring to things, after a préposition. But qui is still so used if the thing is personified or partly so,

e.g. " des instincts pour qui," Renan, le Broyeur de lin ; " les racines par qui," Taine, La Fontaine^ p. 335. Even Vaugelas himself says " le sens commun, sur qui la grammaire est fondée," T. I, p. 415. Cf. H.,

548 le remède seul : = le seul remède.

550 gloire, very common in C, seems to imply, when used of women, " pride," " honor," and " réputation." Honor would fit hère, while in 551 and 553 the sensé seems rather care for your réputation.

553 rien : anything. Rien, from Latin rem, meant : (i) thing, a meaning long obsolète ; (2) something or anything, a. meaning common in the seventeenth century ; cf. p. 3, 1. 21 (hère with both ne und />as expressed, as frequently), 553, and Agésilas, 957 ; it still survives where négation is implied, e.g. " sans rien faire " ; (3) nothing (from constant association with ne"): rien also early acquired an independent négative meaning, e.g. " Car de rien fait-il [God] tout saillir." — Roman de la rose. Rien without ne was often thus used negatively in the seventeenth century, e.g. "Comptez-vous pour rien Dieu?" — R., Athalie, 226. It is still so used when standing entirely alone, and in some expressions like "J'ai passé le jour à rien faire." Thus, in the seventeenth century, rien means: (i) something or anything, when alone or with ne . . . pas; (2) nothiftg, when alone or with ne. The double meaning appears clearly in "Je ne suis pas un homme à vouloir rien pour rien" ("something for nothing "), M., École des femmes, il 15. Cf. H., § 51, and A. Schweighaeuser, De la négation, pp. 50-54, 97-99. — sur . . . obtienne: for more usual obtienne de, perhaps implies the idea of winning. Cf. Clitandre, 1387 ; also in M. Cf. also gagné sur, 608, and remporter sur.

657 pompeuse : glorious. Cf notes on 180 and 1118.

658 De: i.e. caused by. — avantageuse: lofty^

660 assez: found occasionally following the expression modified from the earliest French down at least to V.

663 enfermant mes regrets : shutting myselfup with my sorrow.

666-672 For this breaking up of the dialogue, under the stress of strong émotion, into short sentences or phrases, — frequently very effective,— cf. 1 285-1 290, CVV/, 985 et seq., Cinna, 649-651. Cf. Lanson, Corneille, pp. 153-154.

586 retenue: selfrestraint.

689 soit cette croyance : = que cette croyance soit. In seventeenthcentury and earlier French, que was often omitted before the subjunctive where now required. It is still sometimes omitted, e.g. " Vive le roi ! " *' Puisse-tril réussir ! " etc. Cf. H., § T^t'

691 disposer : incline.

595 This Une, by its use of faux and vos, almost anticipâtes Polyeucte's public avowal of Christianity in 841 et seq.

697 plus: for modem le plus. Cf. moins, 1276. In Old French the article was often omitted before the superlative. This usage survived in seventeenth-century authors, though blamed by contemporary grammarians. The modem usage triumphed definitely in the eighteenth century. Cf. H., § 29.

603-604 One proof of the nobility of character of Polyeucte, Sévère, and Pauline is their mutual respect and confidence under circumstances which would rouse envy or hatred in pettier minds. Cf. Sujets de Compositions, No. 32.

608 verra: the indicative for the more usual subjunctive, to emphasize the/z^/. Cf. H., § 76. In Cm«a, 1274, C. uses the conditional after gagner sur.

609 ombrage: jealousy (Cotgrave). So in 742, Cid, 498, Menteur, 185, and Nicomède, 1288. Cf. note on 1503.

610 outrage : wrong. So in 1807.

616 Depuis qu': for quand. "Cette locution s'employait très-fréquemment au 17e siècle . . . dans le sens de dès que, ou même de quand:' (M.-L.)

627 à genoux: P. de J. points out that the ancients did not kneel during sacrifices.

641 déteste : execrate ; stronger than présent gênerai use.

643 Je les veux renverser : this détermination of Polyeucte's seems to be quite sudden, the effect of grâce. "C'est une tradition que tout l'Hôtel de Rambouillet et particulièrement l'évêque de Vence, Godeau, condamnèrent cette entreprise de Polyeucte. On disait que c'est un zèle imprudent, que plusieurs évêques et plusieurs synodes avaient expressément défendu ces attentats contre l'ordre et contre les lois ; qu'on refusait même la communion aux chrétiens qui, par des témérités pareilles, avaient exposé l'église aux persécutions." (V.) The Council of Illiberis, in 304, refused the title of martyr to Christians put to death for having broken idols. Cf. E. Leblant, Polyeucte et le zèle téméraire, in Mémoires de V Acad. des Inscriptions, T. XXVIII, 2^ Partie. Canonically incorrect, Polyeucte's vigorous act was much more dramatic than a passive attitude would hâve been.

649 tu : the only place where Polyeucte calls Néarque tu.

667-658 y, elle: refer to la mort. — ^ mérite s is meritorious. This neuter use of mériter rarely occurs except in theological language.

660 s'offrir : i.e. as a sacrifice. So in 684 and 708.

662 palme : the symbol of martyrdom and of victory over death.

664 crimes: sins. So in 694 and 965. — en vivant: = si je vis. In modem syntax, the gerundive or présent participle must refer to the subject of the sentence (with rare exceptions, e.g. " L'appétit vient en mangeant "). In seventeenth-century and earlier French, the gerundive was used much more freely and elastically. Cf. H., § 95.

673 Cf. " Es-tu si las de vivre ? — As-tu peur de mourir ? " — Cid^ 44a

674 déguiser: conceal, with no especial idea of "disguise." So in Veuve^ 605, Rodogune, 720, R.'s Andromaque, 771, M.'s Dépit amoureux^ 897, and Misanthrope, 303. Cf. English "to disguise the fact that."

676 assurément: with assurance. Ci. Suivante, 6^1.

677 fait part de: imparts some of. Cf. Horace, 684. — au besoin: in time of danger. Cf. Cid, 1479, Cinna, 1149, M.'s Don Garde, 1448. On à in expressions of time, cf. H., § 122.

678 de le nier: that he will deny Him.

679 II croit le pouvoir faire : " Il se croit capable de nier Dieu (dans les tourments), et (par là) il doute de sa foi (en Dieu)." (P. de J.)

682 loin de me presser : = loin de ce que vous me pressez. In the seventeenth century, the infinitive was used loosely in many constructions no longer permissible. Cf. note on 664. Cf. M.-L., T. I, p. liv, and H., § 86, D.

695 toute : for modem tout. Cf. 908 and 1335. Originally a pure adjective, tout, as such, always varied for number and gender. When before adjectives and participles, it came gradually to be conceived as an adverb, and so at times invariable. Usage on this point was not fixed in the seventeenth century. Vaugelas writes " tout étonnés "; Ménage, "tous étonnés." By the modem rule, — formulated in the Observations de P Académie française sur les Remarques de M. de Vaugelas (1704), — tout, adverbial, varies only before a féminine beginning with a consonant. Cf. H., § 46, and Tobler, Vermischte Beitrdge, I, p. 83.

698 exténuée: weakened.

699 aux grands effets : = "dans les circonstances graves." (P. de J.) Cf. Rotrou's Saint Genest, A. III, se. v ; " Aux desseins importants, qui craint, impatiente." On à = dans cf. H., § 120, A.

701 défenses : excuses, or attempts at justification. Cf. se défendre de = "refuse, deny, excuse oneself."

713 ce foudre : foudre is now féminine except in the expression " un foudre de la guerre." It was often masculine in C.'s time. Cf. ici 7.