[102] RAGOUTANT, 'Tempting,' 'pleasing.' Its earlier and more common meaning is, 'tempting to the palate.' As used here it is familiar, and corresponds with the rest of Harlequin's expressions, though it is by no means an expression confined by Marivaux to servants. Compare: "Ne voila-t-il pas un amant bien ragoutant!" (Marianne, 3e partie). "Cependant comme cette personne etait fraiche et ragoutante..." (Le Paysan parvenu, 1re partie). "Et a quel age est-on meilleure et plus ragoutante, s'il vous plait?" (id., 5e partie).

[103] TRINQUER, 'To drink a toast.' From the German trinken, Italian trincare. This verb shows a much more jovial spirit than would the verb boire, and, in this case, is more familiar and inelegant.

[104] SI VOUS NE METTEZ ORDRE. After the conjunctions a moins que (unless), and si, in the same sense, the second part of the negation (pas) is omitted. The idiom mettre ordre a means 'to look after.'

[105] VOTRE PRETENDU GENDRE, 'Intended son-in-law.' The word pretendu is commonly used alone, and then means 'intended.' The usage is derived from the meaning of the verb pretendre a, 'to aspire to,' 'to desire.' Here, therefore, 'the man who aspires to become your son-in-law.'

[106] VONT LEUR TRAIN, 'Are doing their work,' 'are producing their effect.'

[107] NOUS Y VOILA, 'Just what I feared.'

[108] IL EST DE MAUVAIS GOUT. The il refers not to Arlequin, whom Lisette takes for Dorante, but to the idea that she should be loved by one so much her superior socially.

[109] CELA NE LAISSERA PAS QUE D'ETRE, 'It will be no less true.' The idiom may be expressed more logically by the omission of the que (Littre, "laisser," 20 deg.).

[110] D'HOMME D'HONNEUR. An ellipsis for the more complete expression which later editions print, foi d'homme d'honneur.

[111] J'AI MENAGE SA TETE, 'I have spared his mind,' 'I have handled him carefully.'

[112] LE MOMENT. For l'occasion.

[113] A VUE DE PAYS, 'From the looks of things.'

[114] FAIT. Some later editions print tourne. The idea is the same.

[115] JUSQUE LA, 'To such a degree.'

[116] A LA BONNE HEURE, 'As you please.'

[117] AVANT QUE DE. See note 93.

[118] DE VOTRE FACON, 'Brought forth by you.' The whole figure is both trivial and bombastic, in perfect accord with the role of Harlequin.

[119] ROQUILLE. An ancient wine measure amounting to a quarter of a setier. A setier, in the current use of the word, was equal to half a pinte. A pinte was a little less than a litre (Hatzfeld and Darmesteter). Hence a roquille would be less than an eighth of a litre. A synonym for any small measure.

[120] COMME UN PERDU, 'Desperately.'

[121] VALETAILLE, 'Whole set of valets,' Composed of valet and the pejorative ending aille (Littre).

[122] SERA. The text of 1732 has fera, but this is likely a misprint, as the f's and long s's were easily confounded.

[123] IMPERTINENT. Here the actor taking the part of Dorante, profiting by the inattention of Lisette, administers to Harlequin a vigorous kick, which the latter is obliged to receive with equanimity, much to the amusement of the spectators. This byplay is also a reminiscence of the habits of the early comediens italiens, who indulged to excess in lazzi, which originally meant, not witticisms, but tricks more or less buffoon in their nature, such as circus clowns still indulge in. We know that Marivaux objected to any liberty being taken with the roles by the actors. It may well be questioned whether the above-mentioned gesture would have met his approval. In a letter written to Sarcey (published in Quarante ans de theatre, tome II, pp. 271- 275), Larroumet writes as follows upon this subject: "Pour ma part, une longue etude de Marivaux m'a prouve que lazzis et jeux de scene n'etaient nullement le fait des premiers interpretes qui jouerent sous la direction de l'auteur, mais bien des troupes de petits theatres qui, apres la disparition de la comedie italienne, en 1782, recueillirent plusieurs pieces de Marivaux et les jouerent un peu partout, jusqu'a ce que Mlle. Contat les fit entrer, vers 1794 et 1796, au Theatre de la Republique."

[124] DEBARRASSE-MOI DE TOUT CECI. A contemptuous expression by which Dorante designates Lisette. It is entirely in keeping with the manners of the day.

[125] NE TE LIVRE POINT. Livrer is here taken in the sense of 'betray.'

[126] LA QUESTION EST VIVE, 'That is a leading question.'

[127] UN PETIT BRIN. Equivalent to un petit peu. Brin means 'spear' (of grass, etc.), and, as in the case of goutte (drop) and of mie (crumb), has come to indicate any small particle. Often idiomatically translated by 'bit.'

[128] J'AI PEUR D'EN COURIR LES CHAMPS, 'I am afraid of losing my reason.' Compare the expression, etre fou a courir les rues, a courir les champs, 'to be stark mad ' (Littre, "courir," 23 deg.).

[129] DECOMPTER, 'Deduct.' Still used, though not commonly, for rabattre.

[130] LES MAITRES. On may be followed by the plural, if taken in a plural sense, although some later editions give the singular, le maitre. In fact, after this indefinite pronoun, a noun, adjective, or participle may agree in gender and number with the person or persons to whom the indefinite refers.

[131] FONT ... A LEUR TETE, 'Have their own way.' The idiom faire a sa tete means 'to do as one pleases.'

[132] BEAU JEU. The idiom avoir beau jeu is a card term, and means first, 'to hold the best cards,' and hence, 'to have a good opportunity.'

[133] PERRETTE OU MARGOT. Names of the lower classes among servants. The idea is carried out by the reference to the visit to the cellar and the flat candlestick. Compare: "Ne semble-t-il pas qu'il faille tant de ceremonies pour parler a madame? On parle bien a Perrette" (Marianne, 2e partie). Perrette, from the well-known fable of La Fontaine, Perrette et le pot at lait, has come down to us as the personification of the dreamer, the builder of air-castles. Margot, a diminutive of Marguerite, is a common term for the chatterbox.

[134] FAUTES D'ORTHOGRAPHE, 'Misapprehensions as to real rank.' The ordinary meaning of the expression, used figuratively, is fautes de conduite.

[135] NE VOILA-T-IL PAS! An exclamation of surprise. It might here be translated, 'Just listen to that.' It is more correctly expressed by ne voila pas, the barbarism resulting from the consideration of voila as a verb and the introduction of the euphonic t and the il of impersonal verbs (Littre, "voila," 10 deg.),

[136] MA MIE. A curious example of deformation. Originally feminine nouns beginning with a vowel took the feminine ma before them, the vowel of ma being elided. Thus, m'amie; but later the word was modified to its present form.

[137] QU'ON NE LES APPELLE. Que in the sense of sans que requires the negative particle ne. It is less frequently used to-day than in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Sans qu'on les appelle might replace this expression.

[138] PUISQUE LE DIABLE LE VEUT. An uncomplimentary variant of the proverb. "Ce que femme veut, Dieu le veut."

[139] JE VOUS TROUVE ADMIRABLE, 'I think it is very surprising on your part.'

[140] GATE L'ESPRIT SUR SON COMPTE, 'Prejudiced you against him.'

[141] ON N'EN A QUE FAIRE, 'We have no need of them.'

[142] EN QUOI DONC. The en here must refer to comme elle tourne les choses, in Silvia's last remark.

[143] TOUJOURS, 'Still.'

[144] ME NOIRCIR L'IMAGINATION, 'Soil my thoughts.' Marivaux has very consistently preserved the character of the high-born lady that Silvia is, in the remarks he puts into her mouth. It is impossible for her to forget her real rank, or to forget her usual way of considering menials as of an inferior race.

[145] OBJET. Usually, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, denotes a woman loved. Occasionally Corneille, like Marivaux here, employs it to denote a man loved. This, however, is infrequent.

[146] A MOI. There is an ellipsis at the end of Silvia's remark, which, completed, would read: Il n'y aurait pas grande perte a cela. Dorante's reply, which is not strictly grammatical, even in the use of the time, would certainly nowadays be constructed differently, e.g., Non plus que si je m'en allais aussi, moi.

[147] NE SONT BONNES QU'EN PASSANT, 'Can only be indulged in once in a while.'

[148] JE NE SUIS PAS FAITE POUR ME RASSURER TOUJOURS, 'I do not feel that I could always be sure of...'

[149] CELA NE RESSEMBLEROIT PLUS A RIEN. The sense is: "My attitude towards you would be so extraordinary that it might become compromising" (Larroumet).

[150] IL N'EN SEROIT NI PLUS NI MOINS = Cela ne changerait rien.' It would make no difference.'

[151] J'AMUSERAI, 'Shall I flatter with vain hopes?' Compare: "Il veut que je l'amuse, et ne veut rien de plus" (Corneille, Sertorius, II, 3). "Car vous lui promettez tous les huit jours de l'epouser dans la semaine, et il y a pres d'un an que vous l'amusez" (Dancourt, Le Chevalier a la Mode, I, 7).

[152] JE T'EN ASSURE. The en here is unconnected with any other part of the sentence. In modern construction it would not be used.

[153] TE RENDRE SENSIBLE. An expression very frequently, indeed generally, used in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries for me faire aimer de toi. A reminiscence of the days and modes of thought of the precieuses and the whole tribe of writers of novels after the manner of l'Astree.

[154] SANS DIFFICULTE, 'Undoubtedly.'

[155] IL NE MANQUOIT PLUS QUE CETTE FACON-LA, 'This is the finishing stroke.'

[156] DANS LE RESPECT. The modern form is par le respect.

[157] POUR DANS. An awkward expression. The pour might better have been omitted. Later editions give simply dans.

[158] HUMEUR. 'Temper,'

[159] SI FORT SUR LE QUI-VIVE, 'Take offence so readily.'

[160] DANS QUELLE IDEE. De would be used nowadays instead of dans.

[161] QUI NE ME CHOQUE. In relative clauses depending upon a negative antecedent, the second part of the negative (pas) in the relative clause is generally omitted.

[162] CES MOUVEMENTS-LA. 'Emotion.' Compare: "D'un mouvement jaloux je ne fus pas maitresse" (Racine. Bajazet. I. 4). "L'ame n'est qu'une suite continuelle d'idees et de sentiments qui se succedent et se detruisent: les mouvements qui reviennent le plus souvent forment ce qu'on appelle le caractere" (Voltaire, Supplement au siecle de Louis XIV. 2e partie).

[163] QUERELLEE, 'Taken her to task.'

[164] UN ESPRIT. In ordinary French of the present day the un would be omitted.

[165] SURPRISE. The feminine form of the participle is admissible after on.

[166] UN MAUVAIS ESPRIT. Referring to Silvia, although the idea is clear, grammatical consistency is overthrown in the next line when the pronoun la is used instead of le.

[167] DE LA CONSEQUENCE, 'What may be inferred.'

[168] EST. Some later editions give soit. This difference in the mode used in various editions is but another proof of the elasticity of the subjunctive in French. Either mode is here correct, the indicative expressing greater positiveness, and the subjunctive more doubt, in the supposition.

[169] J'Y METS BON ORDRE, 'I look after that,' or 'I see that he doesn't. See note 104.

[170] APOSTILLE, 'Observation.' Literally 'postscript,' from ad and postillam (low Latin for 'explanation,' 'note.' Littre).

[171] AIMABLE, 'Courteous.'

[172] QUE TU NE ME CHAGRINES. See note 137.

[173] JE T'EN OFFRE AUTANT, 'I can say the same to you.'

[174] MOUVEMENTS. See note 159.

[175] OU. Later editions give que, which is preferable in modern French. The relative pronoun should not follow a construction similar to that of its antecedent placed in the clause immediately preceding. The same is true of the conjunctive adverb ou (P. Larousse). One should not, therefore, say: C'est a vous a qui je parle. C'est dans cette maison ou je suis ne. C'est ici ou je l'ai trouve. C'est de toi dont il ecrit. Que preferred in each case.

[176] A QUI. See preceding note. A construction much blamed by all modern authorities, although common to Marivaux, and used also by Boileau, Moliere, and others. "C'est a vous, mon Esprit, a qui je veux parler" (Boileau, Satire IX, 1. i). "Mais, madame, puis-je au moins croire que ce soit a vous a qui je doive la pensee de cet heureux stratageme..." (Moliere, L'Amour medecin, III, vi). In this case que would be better than a qui, and is so printed in most of the later editions.

[177] PENETRER = Decouvrir.

[178] AVANT QUE DE. See note 93.

[179] NEUVE, 'Novel.' Compare: "C'etait bien le plan le plus original, le plus beau, le plus neuf!" (Merimee, la Guzla, avertissement).

[180] IRREGULIER, 'Unseemly,' 'impolite.'

[181] JUSQUE LA. See note 115.

[182] LUI FEROIT TORT. Here modern usage requires the partitive du.

[183] SUR L'ARTICLE DE, 'Concerning,' 'in the matter of.'

[184] LUI. Marivaux felt the charm of this artless reply, and repeated it in l'Epreuve (see Introduction, p. lxiii), with the added epigram of Lisette: "Et quel est donc cet homme qui s'appelle lui par excellence?"

[185] GUIGNON, 'Bad luck.' From guigner ('to ogle,' 'to peep'), and has some connection with the idea of the evil eye (Littre).

[186] CELA N'EST POINT CONTRAIRE A FAIRE FORTUNE. Cela n'empeche pas de faire fortune is more modern and better French.

[187] IMAGINATION. See note 44.

[188] IL LUI PREND. Il is redundant, and in some of the later editions is omitted.

[189] ACCOMMODONS-NOUS, 'Let us compromise.' Compare: "Le Ciel defend, de vrai, certains contentements; mais on trouve avec lui des accommodements." (Moliere, le Tartuffe).

[190] FRIAND, 'Eager.' Primarily friand signified the gift of a delicate taste, and a rare appreciation of dainties. As used by Harlequin it recalls his ragoutant. Cf. note 132.

[191] HABIT DE CARACTERE. Garb which designates, which characterizes any particular profession. As used here, it signifies Harlequin's livery as valet.

[192] GALON DE COULEUR, 'The fact that I wear livery.' The reference is to the braiding on the livery-coats worn by the retainers and domestics of the nobility in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, as well as at the present day. "Apres son deuil (the author speaks of Lauzun, who had gone into mourning for the Grande Mademoiselle), il ne voulut pas reprendre sa livree, et s'en fit une de brun presque noir, avec des galons bleus et blancs" (Saint-Simon, Memoires, I).

[193] BUFFET, Side-table, on which are placed the dishes destined for table service, and on which they may be left after clearing the table. The servants probably often ate the 'leavings' at this table, which may have given rise to the term buffet for the servants' eating-room, which is the sense in which the word is used here. Compare: "Je suis las d'etre bien battu et mal nourri... Je suis las enfin d'avoir de la condescendance pour vos debauches, et de m'enivrer au buffet, pendant que vous vous enivrez a table" (Regnard, Attendez-moi sous l'orme, Sc. l).

[194] SUCCES = Resultat.

[195] EN CONTEZ A. See note 38.

[196] LE LANGAGE BIEN PRECIEUX. The use of the expression du gout, in the sense of 'a liking,' 'a fancy,' was much more recherche in the eighteenth century than now. Hence Mario's feigned surprise at hearing such words from the lips of a supposed valet. Compare: "Gout, en galanterie, simple inclination, amusement passager, mot des gens de cour" (De Caillieres, 1690).

[197] A LE BIEN PRENDRE, 'If you look at things rightly.'

[198] PASSEZ, 'Overlook.'

[199] LES, in later editions mes, which is evidently the better form.

[200] EST BIEN AUSSI, for tout aussi.

[201] QUE JE NE L'AIME. See note 137.

[202] TON COEUR A DE CAQUET, 'How effusive your heart is.'

[203] CELA VAUT FAIT = C'est comme si c'etait fait: Regardez la chose comme faite (Dict. of the Academy, 1878).

[204] IMPERTINENCE = Mesalliance.

[205] ET IL EST TOUT AU PLUS UNI. The edition of Duviquet renders this passage as follows: "Et il est tout des plus unis." Larroumet explains it: "Et il est des plus ordinaires, c'est a dire que toute femme a un amour- propre semblable a celui-la." Translate: 'And it is the commonest (most ordinary) kind.' For uni in this sense see Littre, 10 deg.. Compare: "Elle aurait cru se degrader par le soin de son menage, et elle ne donnait pas dans une piete si vulgaire et si unie" (le Paysan parvenu, 4e partie).

[206] BIEN CONDITIONNEE, 'In pretty good condition,' 'pretty well turned (upset).' A peculiar use of this past participle. Duviquet translates it, "Une tete qui reunit toutes les conditions necessaires pour etre reputee sage, forte, bien puissante." I prefer to construe it: 'brought into the condition which Lisette desires,' that is to say, 'subject to her charms.' If the context were not clear enough, its use in line 13, below, would suffice to explain it.

[207] LE, referring, of course, to Dorante, and not to tete, as the gender of the pronoun shows.

[208] PRENDRAI DE PART, 'Care for.'

[209] QU'IL S'ACCOMMODE, for the more modern qu'il s'arrange.

[210] SI JE LUI DIS, for si je le lui dis. Marivaux often omits the direct object pronoun in similar constructions. See le Legs, note 25, and les Fausses Confidences, note 127.

[211] LE, see note 207.

[212] J'AI TROP PATI D'AVOIR MANQUE DE VOTRE PRESENCE, ET J'AI CRU QUE VOUS ESQUIVIEZ LA MIENNE. An absurd metonymy, perfectly consistent, however, with Harlequin's jargon, and very similar to the fifth example of Marivaudage, Introduction, p. lxxiv.

[213] IL EN ETOIT QUELQUE CHOSE, 'That is about the truth.'

[214] ENTREPRIS LA FIN DE MA VIE, 'Do you intend to make me die?'

[215] AVANT QUE JE LA DEMANDE A LUI, etc. The modern construction of this sentence would be: Avant que je ne la lui demande, souffrez que je vous la demande a vous.

[216] RENDRE MES GRACES. In modern usage the mes is omitted in this locution.

[217] NENNI, 'No.' An antiquated negative particle, coming from non illud, as hoc illud gave oil > oui (Littre).

[218] IL This second il refers to present.

[219] NE FAITES POINT DEPENSE D'EMBARRAS, 'Don't waste your confusion,' 'keep such feelings for a more fitting occasion.'

[220] D'OU VIENT ME DITES-VOUS CELA? 'Why do you tell me that?' A strange wording for D'ou vient que vous me dites cela? D'ou vient, as used by Marivaux, is generally synonymous with pourquoi.

[221] VOILA OU GIT LE LIEVRE, 'That's where the secret lies.' A well-known proverbial expression, worded also, "C'est la que git le lievre."

[222] A TIRER, 'To be allowed for.'

[223] GLOIRE, 'Rank,' 'show.'

[224] J'ENTRE EN CONFUSION DE MA MISERE, 'To whom I have been ashamed to reveal my lowly station.'

[225] PARDI. See note 15.

[226] FAUTES D'ORTHOGRAPHE. See note 134.

[227] N'APPRETONS POINT A RIRE, 'Let us give them no occasion to laugh at us.' Appreter a rire, Littre, 8 deg., also Dict. de l'Acad., 1878.

[228] HABIT D'ORDONNANCE, 'Livery.' Until 1666 the regiments in the French army wore the livery of the colonel commanding. After that date they wore the king's livery or uniform, though some regiments, more highly favored, wore the actual colors of the royal livery; the uniform was in fact nothing but a mark that the wearers belonged to the sovereign. Harlequin has played upon this fact in a preceding scene, when he has called himself "un soldat d'antichambre."

[229] CELA NE LAISSE PAS D'ETRE. See note 109.

[230] TANT Y A QUE, 'However that may be,' or 'Nevertheless, the truth is that.'

[231] LA VOILA BIEN MALADE, 'She is pining with love for me.'

[232] PAR LA VENTREBLEU, Ventrebleu, written also ventrebieu, is a euphemism for ventre (de) Dieu. A familiar interjection; admitted by the Academy, 1878. For the la, compare a similar corruption of palsambleu (par le sang [de] Dieu) into par LA sambleu, and corbleu (corps [de] Dieu) into par LA corbleu.

[233] CASAQUE. Harlequin's loose upper garment or jacket.

[234] SOUQUENILLE. A long outer garment of coarse cloth, worn especially by grooms in the care of their horses.

[235] UN AMOUR DE MA FACON, 'A passion inspired by me.'

[236] SUJET A LA CASSE, 'Apt to be thwarted.' Casse—literally 'breakage.'

[237] FRIPERIE, 'Old clothes.' Used colloquially; as in English, 'duds.'

[238] POUSSER MA POINTE, 'Carry out my purpose.'

[239] LA MIENNE. Refers to friperie.

[240] NOUS L'AVONS DANS NOTRE MANCHE. "Avoir une personne dans sa manche, En disposer a son gre" (Dictionnaire de l'Academie francaise). The expression, no doubt, is derived from the custom of using the full sleeves as a receptacle for all manner of objects to be carried about by the wearer at a time when pockets were not worn. It is still in vogue in certain cases— military officers, for instance, carry their handkerchiefs in their left sleeve. Theophile Gautier, in his Voyage en Italie, speaks of giving to a couple of monks "quelques zwantzigs pour dire des messes a notre intention. Les bons peres prirent l'argent, le glisserent dans le pli de leur manche."

[241] PATE D'HOMME. A familiar expression for 'sort of a man.'

[242] VOUS M'EN DIREZ DES NOUVELLES, 'You will see that I am right.' See Nouvelle, Littre, 1 deg.. Compare: "(Madame Patin) Tu ne sais ce que tu dis. (Lisette) Vous m'en direz des nouvelles" (Dancourt, le Chevalier a la Mode, I, IX).

[243] VOS PETITES MANIERES, 'Your rude manners.' By apposition to les belles manieres, the manners of a class above one's own.

[244] NOUS VIVRONS BUT A BUT, 'We shall live on the same footing.' To understand Harlequin's impertinent remark, it must be remembered that while he is well aware of the real rank of both Lisette and Silvia, Dorante is still ignorant of it. Harlequin knows his master to be in love with the latter, and to be about to marry her, in spite of the apparently tremendous difference in rank, and allows himself a little sarcasm at the expense of his master. This attitude of the domestic towards his superior is not infrequent in the comedies of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

[245] PREVENU, 'Forestalled.'

[246] CE N'EST PAS A MOI A ... DEMANDER. See note 7.

[247] ENTENDEZ. Entendre is here used for comprendre.

[248] EST-CE A VOUS A VOUS PLAINDRE. See note 7. Some later editions print de vous plaindre.

[249] VOUS RENDRE SENSIBLE. See note 153.

[250] VOUS ETES SENSIBLE A, 'You share.'

[251] JE N'Y TACHERAI POINT. This construction would not now be admissible. The modern form would be, Je ne tacherai point de le faire.

[252] LE MERITE VAUT BIEN LA NAISSANCE. A theme often repeated by Marivaux. Compare: "Son exemple encourageait quiconque avait du merite sans naissance" (Voltaire, Russie, I, 12). Voltaire founded his comedy, Nanine, upon this line of Marivaux. The Comte d'Olban has fallen in love with Nanine, a girl brought up by his mother, the Marquise d'Olban, and who occupies the position of half maid, half companion. She is a peasant's daughter, but the Count marries her, nevertheless, after he has declaimed a number of speeches full of very noble and liberal ideas on equality and the worth of real virtue, of which the following extract is a fair sample:—

Je ne prends point, quoiqu'on en puisse croire, La vanite pour l'honneur et la gloire, L'eclat vous plait; vous mettez la grandeur Dans des blasons: je la veux dans le coeur. L'homme de bien, modeste avec courage, Et la beaute spirituelle, sage Sans bien, sans nom, sans tous ces titres vains, Sont a mes yeux les premiers des humains.

[253] MADAME. Note that this is the first time Dorante has so addressed Silvia. That is because it is only now that he has learned her real rank.

[254] ALLONS, SAUTE, MARQUIS! from Regnard's le Joueur (1696), IV, vi.

LE LEGS.

[1] LISETTE. An interesting type. See Introduction, p. lxvii.

[2] LEPINE. One of the three valets of Marivaux which may be considered as new types. See Introduction, p. lviii.

[3] DE CETTE GRANDE JEUNESSE, 'So very young.'

[4] L'EVENEMENT, 'The result,' 'outcome.'

[5] MOYENNANT, 'Considering.' The modern meaning is 'in consideration of.'

[6] NOUS SOMMES A CETTE CAMPAGNE. A for dans, the modern form.

[7] GASCON FROID. A type striking by reason of its exception to the general class. Gascon is often synonymous with boaster, liar, and blusterer. Composure or sobriety is the least of his virtues, and when found may perhaps give reason for distrust. Compare the character of de Guiche in Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac: "Le Gascon souple et froid" (Act I, Sc. iii). "Rien de plus dangereux qu'un Gascon raisonnable" (Act IV, Sc. iii).

[8] MONSIEUR DE LEPINE. This title, though often ironically or latteringly given to Lepine throughout the play, goes far to show the type of independent valet one has to deal with here.

[9] INCONTINENT, 'Immediately.' From the Latin in continenti.

[10] SUR LE MEME TON. Equivalent to pied, the modern form.

[11] DE SOUPCONS. There is an ellipsis here: Pour ce qui est de soupcons. More usually: Quant a avoir des soupcons, j'en ai, etc.

[12] JE DIFFERE AVEC VOUS DE PENSEE. This form would scarcely be used nowadays. Je ne suis pas de votre avis would be preferred.

[13] D'OU VIENT. See Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.

[14] LE TOUT EST EGAL, 'Every condition is alike (in that respect).' This expression would be replaced in modern French by tout etat est bon.

[15] MONS, an abbreviation for Monsieur. Used to express contempt.

[16] D'HOMME D'HONNEUR. The complete expression would be Foi d'homme d'honneur. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 110.

[17] JE VOUS EN OFFRE AUTANT. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 173.

[18] C'EST TOUT AU PLUS SI JE CONNOIS ACTUELLEMENT LA VOTRE, 'It is saying a good deal if I even know yours now.'

[19] DESSUS. Later editions print sur, which would be the modern expression.

[20] SANDIS. A Gascon oath. For sang (de) Dieu. Cf. morbleu, parbleu, ventrebleu. None of these expletives, any more than mon Dieu should ever be translated literally—They have wholly lost their original force and meaning.

[21] OUI-DA. See Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 21.

[22] N'Y VOYEZ-VOUS RIEN. Note the use of y applied to a person. Cf. with the use of the third person.

[23] REVENANT, 'Pleasing.'

[24] DISTINGUE. Distinguer sometimes means 'to examine with a view to marriage.' Compare: "Est-ce que je l'aimais? Dans le fond je le distinguais, voila tout; et distinguer un homme, ce n'est pas encore l'aimer" (Marivaux, l'Heureux Stratageme, I, 4).

[25] D'ABONDANCE. This idiom generally means 'offhand,' but it is undoubtedly used here in the sense of d'abondant, 'moreover,' an expression already antiquated, and usually replaced by the idiom de plus.

[26] GENS. Generally used, if preceded by a possessive adjective in the sense of 'servants.' Compare Harlequin's exclamation: "Ah! les sottes gens que nos gens!" (le Jeu, etc., II, VI, p. 42), which has become almost proverbial.

[27] DES DECLARATIONS, LA COMTESSE LES EPOUVANTE. The meaning is perfectly clear, though the construction is not satisfactory according to modern rules.

[28] NE LUI DISE. For ne le lui dise. As has been said, Marivaux not infrequently omits the direct object pronoun in similar constructions. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 210, and les fausses confidences, note 127.

[29] CETTE ENFANCE, 'That sort of childishness.' Compare: "Vous venez de pleurer; c'est une enfance" ... (Marianne, 3e partie). Also: "Ce sont des betises ou des enfances dont il n'y a que de bonnes gens qui soient capables" (id. 2e partie). See les fausses confidences, note 151.

[30] QU'EN SERA-T-IL? 'What will be the result?'

[31] SIMPLESSE, Simplicite ingenue. Antiquated, according to Hatzfeld and Darmesteter. The Dictionary of the Academy (1878) admits it with the meaning of ingenuite, accompagnee de douceur et de facilite.

[32] OCCURRENCE, 'The possible case.' Occurrence always signifies an unforeseen circumstance,' 'an emergency.' Compare: "N'oublie jamais que tu as pour le moins la moitie de part a tout ce que je fais dans cette occurrence" (le Paysan parvenu, 1e partie).

[33] QUE LA COMMODITE VOUS TENTE, 'Let the convenient opportunity,' etc., 'Let your own convenience (or advantage) tempt you.'

[34] NE ME VALENT RIEN. The modern form is n'ont aucune valeur pour moi.

[35] REPARTE, 'Reply,' from repartir, used in the sense of repondre, repliquer, riposter. Compare: "Je ne repartis rien a ce discours mais mes yeux recommencerent a se mouiller" (Marianne, 3e partie).

[36] QU'IL ME FAIT BESOIN, 'That I need it.' FAIRE BESOIN = etre necessaire. Common to the writers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Compare: "S'il vous faisait besoin, mon bras est tout a vous" (Moliere, le Depit amoureux, v, 3).

[37] SANDIS. See note 20.

[38] QU'UNE AUTRE. The edition of 1740 prints qu'un autre, but this must be a mistake.

[39] D'OU VIENT. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.

[40] JE VOUS FEROIS UN FORT BON PARTI, 'I would settle a handsome sum on you both.'

[41] DERECHEF, 'Once more.' Compound of de, re, and chef (Lat. caput). Growing obsolete, and replaced in modern French by de nouveau or encore une fois.

[42] JE VOUS Y BROUILLEROIS, 'I would get you into trouble with her.' Aside from the fact that y should be avoided in speaking of persons, the preposition used after the verb brouiller is properly avec and not a, as is understood in the use of y.

[43] ELLE ME FAIT TANT D'AMITIE, 'She inspires me with so much love.'

[44] DECONFORTEZ, for the more modern decouragez.

[45] N'EN TENEZ COMPTE. Tenir compte may be used in the negative without the addition of pas or point. Compare: "Il n'en a tenu compte." (Racine, les Plaideurs, I. i.) The negative is to-day, however, generally completed.

[46] LA GARONNE. A river in the southwestern part of France, rising in the valley of Aran, in the Spanish Pyrenees, then flowing northward and northwest past Toulouse, Agen, and Bordeaux, to its juncture with the Dordogne, with which it merges its waters to form the Gironde. A not uncommon term for the Gascons is Enfants de la Garonne.

[47] GARE, "Take care." From the verb garer. Prenez garde que is the more natural modern expression.

[48] MALEPESTE, 'Confound it.' Compare our exclamation, 'plague on it.' It is an antiquated expression composed of male (feminine) and peste. Obsolete. Admitted by the French, Academy in 1762, but not included in the dictionary of 1878.

[49] JE N'AVOIS GARDE D'Y ETRE, 'I had no idea whom you meant.' The idiom n'avoir garde de means 'to be unable' or 'to be far from' (Littre, "garde." 7 deg.).

[50] JE NE LUI EN VEUX POINT DE MAL, 'I don't wish him any harm.' Pleonastic for je ne lui veux point de mal.

[51] DONT. Better que. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 175.

[52] J'Y AI MIS BON ORDRE. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 104; le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 169.

[53] IL NE S'Y JOUERA PAS, 'He will not try that.' Se jouer a quelque chose, 'To attempt something' (Littre, 31 deg.).

[54] D'OU VIENT.See Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.

[55] VOUS TENIR, 'To confine yourself,' Vous en tenir is the modern form.

[56] VUE. The text of 1740 gives the form vu.

[57] IL SE FAIT LE SCRUPULE, 'He is anxious not to,' Faire scrupule (without the article) is more modern.

[58] VOUS N'Y SONGEZ PAS, 'What are you thinking of?' Cf. note 102, and see les fausses confidences, note 154.

[59] ON NE PEUT PAS MOINS. An ellipsis for on ne peut pas l'aimer moins que je ne le fais.

[60] ARRANGE. Used here in the sense of 'methodical,' 'stiff,' 'prim.'

[61] BON, DES AMIS! VOILA BIEN DE QUOI; VOUS N'EN AUREZ ENCORE DE LONGTEMPS, 'Yes, talk about friends! That's worth while; you won't have any for a long time to come.' The idea of the marquis is that the admirers of the countess will be lovers rather than mere friends.

[62] QUAND JE SEROIS AUTRE CHOSE, 'Even should I be something more.'

[63] JE NE LAISSEROIS PAS QUE D'EN ETRE SURPRISE. See Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 109.

[64] C'EST QUE VOUS NE CONNOISSEZ QU'ELLE. A figure of speech conveying this idea: 'You are very well acquainted with her.'

[65] OUI-DA. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 21.

[66] CE N'EST PAS QU'IL N'Y AIT DU RISQUE, 'After all, there is some danger.' Ce n'est pas que in the sense of apres tout may introduce either the indicative or the subjunctive with ne. The article of the partitive du is retained because of the affirmative character of the phrase.

[67] LA PLUPART. Some later editions print pour la plupart. The idea is the same.

[68] IL N'Y AUROIT QUE FAIRE DE, 'I would have no need to.' Compare le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 141.

[69] PRENEZ. Used in the sense of supposez.

[70] NE LE VOILA-T-IL PAS, 'Just see how (far from the point he is).' See le jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 135.

[71] UNIS, 'Plain,' 'simple.' Compare Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 205.

[72] QU'OUI. See Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 3.

[73] D'OU VIENT ... ME L'AVEZ-VOUS LAISSE IGNORER. This peculiar and somewhat awkward construction is not uncommon to Marivaux. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220. It would now be written que vous me l'avez laisse ignorer, etc.

[74] J'ENTENDS. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 247.

[75] IMAGINATION. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 44.

[76] TOUT A L'HEURE = tout de suite, not a modern use. See les Fausses Confidences, note 152.

[77] J'ENTENDS. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 247.

[78] AVANT QUE DE. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 93.

[79] PASSONS NOTRE CONTRAT, 'Let us sign the marriage settlements to-day.'

[80] ICI, an early use instead of -ci.

[81] HETEROCLITE. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 18.

[82] RAGOUTANT. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 102. The word has seemed too coarse to the actors of to-day, and has been replaced by agreable.

[83] PASSER. See note 79.

[84] TOUT A L'HEURE. See note 76.

[85] JE N'AI QUE FAIRE DE SORTIR, 'I do not need to go out.' Compare le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 140.

[86] CETTE SOTTE! equivalent to quelle sotte. It will be noticed that the French make a very large use of the demonstrative where in English the article would be employed. In such cases as the present the English would be: 'What a ...'

[87] AVEC LE MEDECIN PAR-DESSUS. Doctors have been the butt of jests from time immemorial. Compare: "Nuper erat medicus; nunc est vespillo Diaulus: Quod vespillo facit, fecerat et medicus" (Martial, I, 1, Epigram xlviii).

"En depit des medecins nous vivrons jusqu'a la mort" (Leroux de Lincy. Proverbes, t. 1, serie v).

"De jeune medecin cimetiere bossu" (Leroux de Lincy, Proverbes, t. 1. serie v).

"Dans les discours et dans les choses, ce sont deux sortes de personnes que vos grands medecins. Entendez-les parler, les plus habiles gens du monde; voyez-les faire, les plus ignorants de tous les hommes" (Moliere, le Malade imaginaire. III, 3).

Votre savoir, mon camarade, Est d'un succes plus general; Car s'il n'emporte point le mal, Il emporte au moins le malade." (Beaumarchais, le Barbier de Seville, II, 13).

These reproaches were, it must be owned, fully justified by the practice of almost all doctors, which was marked by ignorance and barbarism.

[88] TRANSPORT AN CERVEAU, 'Delirium.'

[89] SANDIS. See note 20.

[90] LA BELLE CONSEQUENCE, 'What difference does that make?' Used in the sense of la belle raison.

[91] C'EST AUTANT DE RESTE PAR LES CHEMINS, 'I would be as good as left on the highway.' Compare le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 54.

[92] D'AUJOURD'HUI. The modem meaning of this form is 'from to-day,' but it is used here in the sense of 'this day.'

[93] JE VIS SOUFFRANT. Used in the sense of Je suis souffrant.

[94] FOURNIR LA COURSE, 'manage to reach my journey's end.'

[95] JE FEROIS DES CRIS. Ferois for pousserois.

[96] COMMENCOIS D'EN. The modern form is commencois a.

[97] FROISSE, 'Bruised.' Used in the sense of meurtri (Dict. de l'Acad., 1878).

[98] IL N'EN SERA NI PLUS NI MOINS. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 150.

[99] OUI-DA. See Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 21.

[100] De bon jeu, 'Seriously.'

[101] DIANTRE. A euphemism to disguise the word diable, as bleu for Dieu in many exclamations (Littre).

[102] VOUS N'Y PENSEZ PAS, 'What are you thinking of?' Compare note 58, and les Fausses Confidences, note 156.

[103] J'Y SERAI TOUJOURS. For the more modern Je le serai toujours.

[104] AIME. A singular failure to carry out the agreement of the verb in the relative clause with its antecedent. Aimez would be the correct form.

[105] C'EST S'EGORGER, 'It is madness.'

[106] VOS FUREURS, 'Your mad purpose.'

[107] LE. The edition of 1740 prints the article le, but the demonstrative ce would carry out the sense better.

[108] CELA DE PLUS. Accompanied with some gesture of impatience, perhaps a snap of the thumb-nail against the teeth. With us a snap of the fingers would accompany the words.

[109] INSTRUIT. That is to say, 'informed' about the matter in hand.

[110] SI CE N'EST. = Sinon.

[111] LA FAIRE. Le would be more natural, referring to reste, which is masculine. La evidently refers back to somme.

[112] PRETENDS, 'Expect.'

[113] RENDRE RECONCILIES. The simple infinitive reconcilier is more natural French. Marivaux has purposely lent this loosely constructed expression to Lepine. Mme. de Sevigne uses "rendre revoltee."

[114] SANDIS. See note 20.

[115] ENTENDS. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 247.

[116] EN PUISSANCE D'EPOUX. A law term meaning: "Qui ne peut contracter ni disposer de rien sans etre autorisee de son mari" (Dict. de l'Acad., 1878). Used often in the mere sense of 'married,' as here. Compare: "Je ne comprends meme pas qu'elle se soit amourachee d'un homme en puissance de femme" (Augier, les Effrontes, v, 4).

[117] RIT. This use of the verb rire in the sense of plaire is not uncommon.

[118] LA SERVITUDE. An incorrect use of the abstract noun. Lepine, doubtless, means les serviteurs, les domestiques.

[119] LA MEDIOCRITE DE L'ETAT FAIT QUE LES PENSEES SONT MEDIOCRES. Compare: "Ne sais-tu pas que les petits scrupules ne conviennent qu'aux petites gens?" (J.J. Rousseau, la Nouvelle Heloise, IV, 13. The same idea differently applied).

[120] CE QUI EST DE CERTAIN. With est taken in the sense of il y a, the construction is correct. The modern form would be, Ce qui est certain.

[121] SANS DIFFICULTE. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 154.

[122] ARTICLE, 'Matter.'

[123] DISPUTE. The correct modern word is conteste. On dispute sur une chose.

[124] ENTENDS. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 247.

[125] JE N'AI CONNU MES MIGRAINES. Equivalent to Je n'ai eu des migraines.

[126] PROCUREUR, 'Attorney.' "Name given formerly to the public officer called to-day avoue" (Littre). An avoue is an officer whose duty it is to represent the parties before the tribunals, and to draw up the acts of procedure (Littre).

[127] AVOCAT, 'Lawyer' or 'Counsel.'

[128] D'OU VIENT. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.

[129] C'ETOIT BIEN LE MOINS, 'I could do no less.'

[130] PAS TANT DE TORT, ET QUE C'EST... The modern form would be: tellement tort, et est-ce ma faute.

[131] A MOINS QUE JE N'Y SOIS POUR RIEN, 'Unless I have no part in it.'

[132] A TOI A QUI IL EN AURA OBLIGATION. Later editions print A toi qu'il en aura obligation, which is the better form. See page 61, notes 1 and 2.

[133] CONGEDIIEZ. The edition of 1740 prints the form congediez, which would be impossible to-day.

[134] PLAISANTE. See Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 37.

[135] CE N'EST NON PLUS A MOI A QUI VOUS REPONDEZ QU'A QUI NE VOUS PARLA JAMAIS, 'Your answers are no more addressed to me than to some one who never spoke to you.' A very complicated and unwieldy phrase. See Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 175 and note 176.

[136] COMME VOTRE AVERSION M'ACCOMMODE, 'How cruelly your aversion treats me.' Accommoder (Littre, 4 deg.), antiquated.

[137] DIFFICILE. The text of 1740 gives different, which would make no sense here. Difficile, moreover, is the general rendering.

[138] DE RESTE, 'Only too well.' Notice the difference in meaning between this expression and du reste or au reste ('moreover').

[139] CE QUE JE PENSE. Some of the later editions give the more complete expression, ce que j'en pense.

[140] AUX. The use of the preposition a after avoir regret is less frequent to-day than that of de.

LES FAUSSES CONFIDENCES

[1] ARAMINTE. A young widow of independent character, in whose mind the prejudice of rank and wealth is not so great as to be insurmountable. One of Marivaux's favourite types.

[2] MONSIEUR REMY. The uncle of Dorante, a man of rough exterior and crusty humour, frank to an extreme, overbearing with his nephew, but ready to take his part, a regular burbero benefico (with which character of Goldoni's comedy, compare).

[3] PROCUREUR. See le Legs, note 126.

[4] MADAME ARGANTE. An imperious, selfish, vain, old woman, of the type Marivaux generally chooses for the mothers in his comedies.

[5] ARLEQUIN. When this play passed to the stage of the Comedie-Francaise, the name of Arlequin, familiar to the Italian comedy, was changed to Lubin, and his dress modified to suit the new role. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 2.

[6] DUBOIS. A "real creation" among the valets of Marivaux. Like Lepine of le Legs, he is quite above the station of the traditional valet, and may well be called Monsieur Dubois. The intrigue of the piece is entirely in his hands, and is carried out with the shrewdness and dexterity of an able man of affairs.

[7] JOAILLIER. One who works in, or sells, joyaux ('jewels'), 'a jeweller.'

[8] DETOURNEZ. Used in the sense of derangez (Littre, 10 deg.).

[9] N'EN FAITES PAS DE FACON. The en nowadays would be considered superfluous, and facon would be put in the plural. The use of en is peculiar in this case, for it refers to the idea partly expressed by Dorante. It stands for Ne faites pas de facons parce que je me derange pour vous.

[10] HONNETE, 'Polite,' 'civil.' Notice the use of the singular, following the rule that after the pronouns nous and vous, when these pronouns designate a single person, even if the verb is plural, the adjective remains singular.

[11] QU'IL. A laquelle would be better than que, in modern French. The construction of the sentence is somewhat awkward, and betrays the lingering influence of the Latin forms, still so evident in many of the best seventeenth century authors, such as Bossuet, whose use of qui and que is very striking. In the eighteenth century the language was acquiring greater freedom, but it is not until the nineteenth that it rids itself of much of the old syntax.

[12] PROCUREUR. See le Legs, note 126.

[13] UNE GRANDE CHARGE DANS LES FINANCES. Marivaux refers to the ferme generale, a syndicate of capitalists that exploited the taxes levied by the government, and collected by the fermiers generaux and their subordinates. The business was an exceedingly lucrative one for the members of the syndicate, who made large fortunes out of the profits of their contract with the State. The comedy of Lesage, Turcaret, turns upon the intrigues and swindles of one of these traitants or partisans, as they were also called. Dancourt, in his Chevalier a la mode, introduces a pretentious widow, Mme. Patin, of whom her maid says: "Mme. Patin, la veuve d'un honnete partisan, qui a gagne deux millions de bien au service du roi!" (Act I, Sc. 1).

[14] PEROU. The gold mines of Peru gave rise to the use of the name as synonymous with wealth. Compare: "Madame Thibaut est un petit Perou pour Monsieur de la Brie." (Dancourt, Femme d'intrigues, I, 2.)

[15] VOUS M'EN DIREZ DES NOUVELLES. See le jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 242.

[16] DIANTRE. See le Legs, note 101.

[17] LA. Dans la tete, with a gesture.

[18] DERANGE. 'Disorderly' or 'irregular' (in his affairs).

[19] SERVITEUR AU COLLATERAL, 'Then the collateral heirs will have to go without.' Serviteur au is here used in the sense of tant pis pour. Serviteur is not infrequently used as a formula of dismissal.

[20] VOUS METTEZ. An inverted order quite common in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the second of two imperatives is construed with an object pronoun. Compare: "Quittez cette chimere, et m'aimez " (Corneille). "Polissez-le sans cesse et le repolissez" (Boileau, Art Poetique, Chant 1).

[21] DONT. _Que would preferably be used to-day, so as not to repeat the construction of the antecedent. Compare _le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard_, note 175.

[22] QU'IL VOUS REVIENNE, 'That you like him.'

[23] MONSIEUR PREVIENT EN SA FAVEUR, 'The gentleman's appearance speaks in his favour.'

[24] GRACES. In modern French the singular is preferred.

[25] EST-CE A VOUS A QUI IL EN VEUT, 'Is it you whom he has come to see?' See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 68; le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 175 and note 176; le Legs, note 132, and le Legs, note 135.

[26] COMME S'EN ALLANT, for, _comme en s'en allant.

[27] PARTI, 'Position' (Littre, 10 deg.). The idea of 'salary' is conveyed by the word as used here.

[28] RENVERRAI TOUT. That is to say, tout ce qui se presentera; 'I will dismiss all other applicants.'

[29] PARTI. See note 27.

[30] REPRESENTE, 'call attention, 'set forth'; a form often used in petitions.

[31] PARDI. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 15.

[32] A VOTRE AISE LE RESTE, 'The rest when you like.'

[33] D'OU VIENT PREFERER CELUI-CI. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.

[34] ARRETE, for the modern French engage ('engaged').

[35] IL ME TARDE, 'I long.'

[36] EN PASSE, 'In a position to.'

[37] D'ALLER A TOUT. For the more modern expression d'arriver a tout, 'to attain any height.'

[38] DEFAITE, 'Excuse' or 'pretext' (Littre", 4 deg., also Diet, de l'Acad. 1878).

[39] ELEVATION. Used here with the unusual meaning of 'desire for social eminence.'

[40] ELLE S'ENDORT DANS CET ETAT, 'She is satisfied with her condition.' While already in the seventeenth century the ambition of rich bourgeois to gain admission to the exclusive circles of the nobility had been sufficiently marked to induce Moliere to attack it in his Bourgeois gentilhomme, it was even more noticeable in the eighteenth, and mesalliances between noblemen and women of the middle class became much more frequent.

[41] REFLEXION ROTURIERE. Roture was the expression used to denote the bourgeoisie as distinguished from the nobility.

[42] JE N'Y ENTENDS POINT DE FINESSE, 'I cannot enter into such subtle distinctions on the question of happiness.' She refuses to discuss the possibility of Araminte's preferring happiness to rank. For her, rank means happiness, as would wealth.

[43] IL ME L'A PARU = Cela nil a paru ainsi.

[44] D'OU VIENT. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.

[45] J'Y METTRAI BON ORDRE. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 169.

[46] PLAISANT. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 37.

[47] TIMBRE COMME CENT, 'As crazy as a loon.' It is difficult to preserve the figure in an idiomatic translation. Compare the colloquial English, "You act like sixty."

[48] CERVELLE BRULEE. A peculiar use of cervelle. Brulee is used here by Marivaux in the sense troublee, as in the passage from Mme. de Sevigne: "Mme. de Saint-Geran est toute brulee du depart de son mari."

[49] IL EN EST COMME UN PERDU, 'He is like a man who has lost his reason.' Cf. le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 120.

[50] UN PEU BOUDANT. Nowadays the adverb follows the verb. Here boudant might at first thought be taken for an adjective, but it is a present participle used verbally and consequently invariable.

[51] ON A BIEN AFFAIRE DE, 'I have no use for.' This idiom must not be confounded with avoir affaire a, which means 'to have to deal with.'

[52] ESPRIT RENVERSE, 'A crazy man.'

[53] MALEPESTE. See le Legs, note 48.

[54] AVANT QUE DE. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 93.

[55] IL N'Y AVOIT PLUS PERSONNE AU LOGIS, 'He was quite unconscious.' (Littre, "logis," 1 deg..)

[56] D'EPIER. Later editions print qu'epier, as d'epier would not be admissible in modern French. Que de rever... que d'epier would be the most natural modern form.

[57] PAYOIS BOUTEILLE = Payais a boire.

[58] LA COMEDIE. The Comedie-Francaise, or Theatre-Francais, then, as now, the leading theatre in Paris.

[59] DES QUATRE HEURES. The performance did not begin before five o'clock, in the eighteenth century,

[60] DANS L'HIVER. The modern form is en hiver.

[61] JURANT PAR CI PAR LA, 'Swearing every now and then.'

[62] AUX TUILERIES. The Cours-la-Reine, in the Champs-Elysees, the Tuileries gardens, and the Palais-Royal, with its covered galleries and its garden, were the fashionable resorts of promenaders in the eighteenth century.

[63] CE QU'IL. The ce is superfluous.

[64] PERCER = S'apercevoir.

[65] JE ME REMETS = J'y suis.

[66] OUI-DA. See Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 21.

[67] COMME PASSANT, for comme en passant. Compare les Fausses Confidences, note 26.

[68] C'EST AUTANT DE PRIS. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 54.

[69] QU'EST-IL = Pourquoi est-il?

[70] PARDI. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 15.

[71] IL LES FAIT COMME IL LES A. Untranslatable, save by an equivalent. It is a pun on Dubois' remark: "making eyes at her."

[72] PRENEZ TOUJOURS, 'Take note of them nevertheless."

[73] LE. The text of 1758 prints le; ce would carry out the sense even better. See le Legs, note 38.

[74] APPAREMMENT, 'Evidently.' This adverb may be used with or without the conjunction que to introduce a verb.

[75] D'OU VIENT. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.

[76] UNE GUENON, 'a fool.'

[77] QUI SE FASSE = Qu'il y ait.

[78] LES PETITES-MAISONS. The old Maladrerie de Saint-Germain, which in 1554 became the Hopital Saint-Germain, later known as les Petites-Maisons, on account of the great number of cells into which it was divided. It was used to house infirm old men and women, who received a small weekly dole, lunatics, and patients suffering from loathsome diseases. The name became synonymous with either a mad-house or a hospital for certain diseases: it was changed in 1801 to les Petits-Menages, the insane having then been transferred, the men to Bicetre, the women to La Salpetriere.

[79] BIEN VENANTS, 'Paid regularly.' Marivaux, like the authors of the preceding century, considered bien venants as an adjective, and hence declinable: but livre is feminine, and we should expect here the form bien venantes. The Academy has declared the expression indeclinable. Compare: "Je le voyais avec vingt-huit mille livres de rente bien venantes" (Mme. de Sevigne, Dec. 28, 1689).

[80] APPAREMMENT. See les Fausses Confidences, note 74.

[81] PARDI. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 15.

[82] VOUS N'AVEZ POINT DE GRE A ME SAVOIR. A well-known idiom, better expressed to-day: Vous n'avez point a me savoir gre.

[83] D'AVEC. A shortened form for some such phrase as d'une conversation avec. D'avec is generally to be translated 'from,' 'in contradiction to.'

[84] A QUEL HOMME EN VEUT-IL? 'For what man is he looking?' Compare le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 68.

[85] A VOUS. Aupres de vous would be the modern expression.

[86] LE FAISANT SORTIR. Note the peculiar use of le, which nowadays would be replaced by the noun to which it refers—le garcon.

[87] DONT. Better que. See Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 175.

[88] DESSUS. For la-dessus.

[89] SANS DIFFICULTE. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 154.

[90] DE NE VOUS PAS AIMER. De ne pas vous aimer is the more natural order in modern French.

[91] IL N'A QUE FAIRE DE, 'He has no need to.' Compare le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note, 141.

[92] C'EST UN PORTRAIT DE FEMME. The construction of the sentence is peculiar and incomplete. It requires the introduction, before c'est un portrait, of the words c'est que. In modern French the awkwardness of this form would be obviated. In the second clause que would have to be prefixed to c'est ici.

[93] QUAND. Puisque is also found in incomplete expressions of this kind. The thought might be completed as follows: Mais, quand (or puisque) je vous dis, etc., vous devriez me croire.

[94] ENTENDU, used here in the sense of compris.

[95] HUPPEES, 'Fancy,' 'smartly dressed.' It often means 'smart.' Compare; "Combien en as-tu vu, je dis des plus huppees." (Racine, Les Plaideurs, J, 4); "Bien huppe qui pourra m'attraper sur ce point!" (Moliere, Ecole des femmes, 1, I).

[96] JE N'EN RABATS RIEN, 'I retract nothing.' That is to say, 'I insist that it is the Count.'

[97] PLAISANT, 'Ridiculous.'

[98] COMME DE CELA. With some gesture of contempt. See le Legs, note 108.

[99] LUI. For le. The verb defier governs to-day the accusative and not the dative.

[100] QU'IL. Later editions print qui, which is the correct form. The thought may be expressed more simply by the phrase Je l'avais vu le contempler.

[101] CE QUI EST DE SUR = Ce qu'il y a de sur.

[102] LE SUJET = La raison.

[103] DE BONNE MAIN, 'By a reliable person.' (Littre, "main," 17.)

[104] CONSENS... DE. The verb consentir takes either de or a, before a following infinitive, although in modern French the latter is the more common.

[105] TOUS PROCES. Later editions print tout proces, which is the more natural modern form. The plural, in the sense of 'each' or 'every' is, however, sometimes found without the article. Compare: "L'auteur des dialogues a dit que les belles sont de tous pays, et moi je dis que les sottises sont de tous les siecles " (Fontenelle, Jugement de Pluton).

[106] AVOIR PRISE ... AVEC, 'To have a dispute with.' PRISE, 'Quarrel,' 'dispute' (Littre, 6 deg., also Dict. de l'Acad., 1878).

[107] TOUS. Later editions print tout, which is the modern form. In the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries is was not customary to consider the adverbial tout as necessarily invariable.

[108] MOUVEMENT. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 162.

[109] DONT. _Que is preferable. See _Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard_, note 175.

[110] SAVOIS. A not uncommon use of the imperfect indicative in the sense of the conditional.

[111] JE N'AUROIS QUE FAIRE DE. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 68. Compare le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 141, and le Legs, note 85.

[112] A TOI. The English idiom is 'of you.'

[113] AU MOINS, 'Nevertheless.'

[114] CAPABLE. Most editions print incapable, beginning the sentence with s'il, and punctuating with a comma after incapable. The sense is better carried out with such a rendering.

[115] Des biais = Des moyens detournes.

[116] L'EN DEDIRE = Le dementir.

[117] COMME S'EN ALLANT. See les Fausses Confidences, note 26.

[118] A CE QU'IL EST NE = A sa naissance.

[119] C'EST DE DORANTE, for Il est de Dorante: 'It has been painted by Dorante.'

[120] M'EN FAIRE ACCROIRE, 'To impose upon me.'

[121] AVANT QUE DE. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 93.

[122] This speech of Dorante's and Araminte's answer seem to have inspired Augier and Sandeau in the scene between Bertrand and Helene, in Mlle. de la Seigliere, Act III, sc. 7.

[123] QUE MON AMOUR N'EN AUGMENTE. See Le jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 137.

[124] JE L'AI PEINTE. The peinte refers to and agrees with la in Dorante's preceding speech.

[125] AVANT QUE DE. See Le jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 117.

[126] RUE DU FIGUIER. A very ancient and historic street in Paris, situated not far from the Lycee Charlemagne, and making a triangle with the rue Charlemagne and the rue Fauconnier. Even before the year 1300 it bore this name, from a fine fig-tree which stood at its juncture with the rue Fauconnier, and which was standing as late as 1605. The most important edifice of the street is the Hotel de Sens, built in the sixteenth century by the Archbishop Tristan de Salazar. It was for a time the residence of Marguerite, first wife of Henry IV.

[127] JE LUI RECOMMANDERAI. Later editions print je le lui recommanderai. Attention has already been called to Marivaux's custom of omitting the direct object pronoun in similar constructions. Compare le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 210, and le Legs, note 29.

[128] MOUVEMENTS. See Le jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 162.

[129] LUI. See note 99.

[130] FATIGUE, 'Importune' (Littre, 4 deg.).' Compare: "Ainsi donc mes bontes vous fatiguent peut-etre" (Racine, Berenice, II, 4).

[131] AMUSER. See Le jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 41.

[132] EN FAIT DE DISCRETION, JE MERITERAIS D'ETRE FEMME. Discretion means here 'the ability to keep a secret' (Littre, 5 deg.). Compare;

"Rien ne pese tant qu'un secret: Le porter loin est difficile aux dames; Et je sais meme sur ce fait Bon nombre d'hommes qui sont femmes.' (La Fontaine, Fables, viii, 6.)

[133] LE DIABLE N'Y PERD RIEN, is said of a person who restrains his feelings with difficulty, or only temporarily (Littre, "diable." 2 deg.). The whole phrase might here be translated by: 'She cannot conceal the matter, nor will I.'

[134] ENTENDS. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 247.

[135] OUI-DA. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 21.

[136] DEMEURE. The incorrect use of this verb by Harlequin adds to the comic of the piece. For correct French one might substitute se trouve.

[137] LA RUE DU FIGUIER. See note 126.

[138] SAIS. Savoir as used here means 'to know about the street,' 'to know that it exists,' 'to know where it may be found'; connaitre would mean 'to be acquainted with it.'

[139] RENDRA = Remettra.

[140] RENDREZ. Some of the later editions print rendez.

[141] QUE JE N'AIE VU, 'Until I have seen.' The negative particle ne is required in a phrase introduced by que, when this conjunction stands in the place of avant que.

[142] PRESOMPTIONS. 'Presumptions' or 'reasonable suppositions.' Compare: "Ce ne sont pas la des convictions entieres; mais ce sont les presomptions les plus fortes" (Voltaire, Essai sur les moeurs et l'esprit des nations, chap. 166).

[143] DE VOTRE FACON, 'Of your choosing.'

[144] TOUT. Later editions print tout le monde, which is evidently the sense in which this word is used.

[145] ROGUE, 'Arrogant.' In the edition of 1758 the word is printed roque, which has led some editors into the error of correcting to rauque (hoarse).

[146] NOUS N'AVONS QUE FAIRE ENSEMBLE, 'We have no dealings together.'

[147] NON QUE JE SACHE. Non, pas que je sache is the more complete modern expression.

[148] A CAUSE QUE. Parce que is more modern. Littre favors the retention of a cause que, since it is used by good authors, and, in certain cases, is preferable to parce que.

[149] AMPLIFIE, 'Exaggerates.'

[150] HORS D'OEUVRE = Hors de propos. Generally used to-day as a substantive, but in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries often used adverbially as here. Compare: "Dans le Cid, toutes celles (the scenes) de l'infante sont detachees, et paraissent hors d'oeuvre" (Corneille, Horace, Examen).

[151] ENFANCE. For the more modern word enfantillage, although the Dict. de l'Acad., 1878, retains the word in this sense. Compare: "Ils ne font que des enfances" (Mme. de Sevigne, Jan. 26, 1689). "On passait encore les enfances a Mme. la duchesse de Bourgogne par la grace qu'elle y mettait" (St. Simon. 294, 6). "Ce sont des betises ou des enfances dont il n'y a que de bonnes gens qui soient capables" (Marianne, 2e partie.) See le Legs, note 29.

[152] TOUT A L'HEURE. In the sense of tout de suite the expression is to-day obsolete, and is not admitted by the Dict. de l'Acad., 1878. See le Legs, note 76.

[153] A CAUSE QUE. See note 147.

[154] ENTEND. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 247.

[155] APPAREMMENT, 'Manifestly,' 'Of course.' In this sense the word has become obsolete, and is not admitted by the Dict. de l'Acad., 1878.

[156] VOUS N'Y SONGEZ PAS. See le Legs, note 58, le Legs, note 102.

[157] DELIVREE. The edition of 1758 prints delivrees, which will be accounted for by the speaker's including madame Argante in his mind. The singular is, however, preferable.

[158] EUS. The edition of 1758 prints the past participle eu, without making it agree with the preceding object pronoun. See le Legs, note 56.

[159] NOUS DIS. For the position of the object pronoun see note 18.

[160] EUES. The edition of 1738 prints eu. For similar carelessness in Marivaux's use of the past participle compare le Legs, note 56, and note 158.

[161] AFFRONTE, 'Deceived' (Littre, 2 deg., also the Dict. de l'Acad., 1878).

[162] FERMIER, 'Farmer,' 'One holding a farm by lease.'

[163] ENTENDS. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 247.

[164] A CAUSE QUE. See note 147.

[165] OUF! MA GLOIRE M'ACCABLE; ET JE MERITEROIS BIEN D'APPELER CETTE FEMME-LA MA BRU. This expression, seeming too violent to the spectators of to-day, was suppressed by the Comedie-Francaise, March 5, 1881. The play ends with the words of Araminte. See Larroumet, p. 227, note 1.

[166] PARDI. See le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 15.