XIX.

Ll. 1-8. Shakespeare, I Henry IV. iii. l. 214-222. That Chénier was sensible to the magic of this passage argues that, in spite of prejudices, he would recognize beauty wherever he found it.

L. 11. Car le... Becq de Fouquières conjectures that the poet would have written 'car le bel Endymion...,' or rather 'car le dieu d'amour...,' but was prevented by the metre.

L. 13. The song at the beginning of the fourth act of Measure for Measure gave Chénier the idea of these lines.