Scène 3. — Page 62. 2 Du conseil, of the décision. Conseil u
taken in its Latin meaning of consilium. }^
12 courage. Hère again in the sensé of sentiment, of feeling of k,,
the soûl. Félix thinks that the fear of punishment will change ;,
Polyeucte's sentiments, but Pauline knows her husband too well to :^
share her father's opinion. .,
18 à consentir, in consenting ; for en consentant. A fréquent use , of à in the seventeenth century.
Page 63. 2 Et mettant différence. And making a différence. ■\^
Voltaire blâmes the use of the noun without the article. Such a con- "ol
struction, however, gives rai)idity and force to the expression, and is %t
often to be found in Corneille. ^:H
ma
3 J'ai trahi la justice à, / hâve sacrificed justice to. Trahir^ in meaning of Latin tradere,
16 Qu'il fasse autant pour soi comme je fais pour lui. Lei him do as much for himself as I do for him. The language of this verse, which was perfectly correct in Corneille*s time, and which is very clear to us, would now be incorrect. \Ve say faire autant que^ and not autant comme, and \ve use soi only when the subject is indefinite. M. Genin says that the great writers of the seventeenth century always used soi when the Latin required se.
Page 64. 2 Qui chérit son erreur ne la veut pas connaître. An admirable verse in its conciseness and strength, and which reminds us of Rodrigue's reply to the Count (Act IL, Scène 2). Qui m'ose ôter Thonneur craint de m*ôter la vie.
5 qu'il leur en fasse, let him pray to them.
Page 65. 5 mon songe affreux. Pauline refers again to her dream, and sees how well founded had been her alarms. 16 plus de dureté, more frmness (than you think).
Page 66. 5 Et vous portait au temple, and carried to the tem» pu. Vous is an example of the " ethical dative," of the person interested or referred to, — often, in English, left untranslated.
14 martyre, martyrdom. Corneille expresses most vividly the feelings of the first martyrs; his language is really worthy of the grandeur of the subject. The dialogue in this scène is highly praised by Voltaire, and excites the admiration of ail.
Page 67. 6 Si vous l'avez prisé, if you hâve esteemed him.
8 Je l'ai de votre maîn. This answer of Pauline is beautiful, and deserves to be noticed. It is a gentle reproof to her father, for it was he who gave her in marriage to Polyeucte, although he knew her love for Sévère. Now, however, that she is Polyeucte's wife, she will remain faithful to him, in spite of what she still considers his errors.
9 II est de votre choix la glorieuse estime. This verse is very obscure ; // may refer to amour or to Polyeucte, and Voltaire cons\dtrs la glorieuse estime de votre choix a barbarism. The idea is this : He was your choice for my husband on account of your glorious esteem for him.
21 qu'au prix que j*en veux prendre, only as far as Iwisk to be touched ; i.e., only on my own terms.
Page 68. 2 m*en toucher ; en refers io pitié, as in the following line : j'en veux être le maître.
4 je la désavoue ; /a lefers also to pttté.
10 je veux l'entretenir, I wish to speak to him (Albin).
Scène 5. — 15 comme, for comment ; fréquent in Corneille, Racine, and Molière.
Page 69. 6 On l'a violenté pour quitter l'échafaud, they used violence to take him away from the scaffold.
11 De pensers sur pensers mon âme est agitée (see line 16, p. 35). M. Génin quotes an interesting line from Pascal, as an example of infinitives used as nouns : —
"Tous les marchers, toussers, mouchers, éternuers sont différents." 16 pitoyables, mercifuL At présent, pitoyable means wretched, misérable. The original meaning of the word is to be found in impitoyable, merciless.
Page 70. I ensemble, at the same time,
8 à punir. As already explained, vve should say noyf pour punir. 1 5 qu'il en ordonne, that he may décide.
Page 71. I remis, calm, peacefuL
9 avortés, thwarted.
18 par force, in spite of itself.
Page 72. 8 Je tiens, / consider, assez mal assurée, quite unsafe.
1 1 pour nous en assurer. En refers to Polyeucte.
15 Nous en disposerons sans qu'elle en sache rien. The character of Félix appears to us hère more despicable than ever. In spite of his pretended love for Polyeucte, we see too well that his ambition, his avarice, would prefer to see Pauline the vvife of Sévère, the Emperor's favorite. The very baseness of Félix, however, shows to advantage the nobility of soûl, both of Polyeucte and of Sévère. We are now prepared for the contest between Polyeucte and Pauline, who tries to persuade her husband to abandon Christianity through love for her.
