Ses terres étaient grevées, his lands were encumbered

13. Risquait les galères, ran the risk of being sent to the galleys. Criminals who are now condemned to hard labor were formerly obliged to row in the galleys.

14. Bichets. Littré defines the word bichet : an old measure for wheat and other grain, varying in the différent provinces, and dérives it from the Germ. bêcher, Eng. beaker and pitcher.

15. Croustillon. Littré gives only croustille, a little crust.

16. Corvée, the gratuitous labor due the lord from the vassal. The lord's private domain was cultivated, and ail menial services performed by the serfs, who were obliged to give the lord a certain number of days' work every week.

17. Ba7tal, from ban [old high-German bannan, to summon], a proclamation, summons. The word is applied to certain things, like ovens, mills, etc., belonging to the lord, and which the vassals were obliged to use upon a certain payment.

18. Apres la mort de Stanislas. Stanislas I., Leczinski, (167 7-1 766), was made king of Poland after the déposition of Augustus II. (1704) by the help of Charles XII. of Sweden, but after the defeat of his protector was obliged to take refuge in France. He attempted unsuccessfully to regain his crown at the death of his rival, and received in exchange the duchies of Lorraine and Bar (1738). His daughter, Maria Leczinska, married Louis XV. in 1725.

19. Taille du roi [in old Eng. law tallage or talliage, from Fr. tailler to eut, hence a share, compare Eng. tally, and

NOTES, 2'jg

tailor], a tax levied upon those who did not belong to the nobility or clergy, or who did not enjoy spécial exemption.

20. La ferme sur le sel, the gabelle, or salt-tax, was farmed out to private individuals to collect.

21. Car77ies déchaussés — cordeliers — capucins, monks of the Carmélite order who wore sandals and no stockings, — Franciscan monks, so called from their rope girdle, — Capuchins, also of the Franciscan order, so called from the hood or cowl to their robe.

22. St. Sylvestre, Pope and Conf essor (314-335), whose feast is celebrated by the Church on the 3ist of December.

23. Vilains [Lat. villanus, a farm-servant, serf, Lat. villa, a fann], the peasants or serfs.

24. Racoler, to enlist or press into the service ; before the conscription soldiers were recruited.

25. Arrêter sur les grandes routes, to practise highway robbery.

26. Cest à leur faire des redites que passe une partie du revenu, a part of the revenue of his little estate goes to create incomes for them, and thèse charges are indefeasible and unredeemable.