ACT I

Page 3. — I. pistole, a gold coin worth about ten francs.

Pag'e 4. — I. pis-aller, last shift; cf. au pis aller ^ "at the worst."

2. obligés de courir au secours de Malte, forced to enroll as a knight of St. John. The order of the Knights of St. John of Jérusalem, later called the Knights of Malta, was the most celebrated of the military and religions orders of the Middle Ages. The knights took the three monastic vows. The order was founded in 1048, and remained alive till 1798.

3. lansquenets, a game of cards ; the word originally means a German infantry soldier.

Page 5. — I. billets au porteur, drafts payable to bearer. 2. contrats de rente, guaranteed dividends.

Page 6. — I. c'en est fait, it is ail over.

Page 7. — I. écus, the écu was a coin of varying value; it was worth on an average, perhaps, three francs.

Page 8. — I. a pensé être, threatened to be. 2. cela, i.e. ses Jurements.

Page 9. — I. k COr^s i^QXàXij desperately.

Page 10. — I. Maugrebleu de la soubrette, the deuce take ike girl ; maugrebleu is a euphemism for maugré Dieu, malgré Dieu.

lOO NOTES [P. 11-22

Pa?e 11. — I. va le mettre en gage, go and pawn it.