2 garçon, i. e., l'Eveillé.

doctor.

Ordonnance, since Bartholo is a

3 dans would be more correctly en, but the servants are made to speak incorrectly on purpose.

Page 29. I pour, literally for the purpose of. Translate and

mean.

2 pardi, the peasant form of parbleu, itself a euphemism for par Dieu.

3 faquin, a word of Italian origin, generally used as an offensive epithet for servants.

6 sans bourse délier, a proverbial expression, whence the inversion and omitted possessive.

Page 30. I cela me regarde. Translate: he is after us; literally: that is my business.

2 particulier, a private citizen, a commoner, i. e., not a nobleman. 3 A la bonne heure, Now that is something like! always of approval. Literally [This has come] at the right time, I am glad of it. - Further on, the Lat. concedo has the same force.

4 â dire d'experts, i. e., with the aid of experts at calumny like himself, the gens mentioned below. Here perhaps we might translate with might and main, or right and left.

5 prêts de, very generally used, until the present century, for près de. Properly prêt, ready, takes à.

6 D'abord, etc. This brilliant passage comes in the more naturally as Bazile is a teacher of music.

7 Telle, very frequently used as an indefinite adjective or pronoun. Cf. Monsieur un tel, Mr. So-and-So; also Tel qui rit vendredi, dimanche pleurera, and many other proverbs.

8 en is here more elegant, because less common, than dans.

is a pedant in his way.

je ne sais, below.

Bazile

For the same reason ne sais, uncommon for

Page 31. 1 il va le diable, literally it goes a deuce of a pace.

2 grâce au ciel, skillfully reminds the spectator that Bazile is describing that for which he is devoutly thankful.

3 à qui tient-il? Whom am I waiting for? — Cela tient à... means that is because of, literally: that holds on to, depends upon, is caused by. Cf. Qu'à cela ne tienne (P. 40, l. 1), which means Never mind about that, or That is all right! literally: let it not stick at that.

4 dissonances, discords, another musical metaphor. In the theory of music, every discord must be introduced by, préparé, and resolved into, sauvé, concords, or chords that are satisfying to the ear in themselves.

5 en makes passer figurative. Cf. si vous m'en croyez, if you will be guided by me, where the generalizing force of en results in a weakening of the meaning of the verb.

Page 32.

I serviteur. A formula of leave-taking. 2 état, position. - Consistance, substance.

3. que, idiomatic, = and. Translate: A Bazile's slander none would heed. Note that médire is much weaker than calomnier.

2 je vais parier, etc. As has been pointed out (Introduction § iii), the excellence of this comedy resides in the acuteness with which Bartholo sees through the devices of his enemies, who have all the harder a task to outwit him.

3 en... une seule. The feminine noun understood is not traceable. The same is the case with not a few idioms in French, e. g. l'échapper belle to have a narrow escape, vous me la baillez belle: well, I do like that! (ironical), and familiarly, en voilà une bonne! with much the same meaning.

4 plaisant, almost always humorous. good joke for you to ...

Translate: It would be a

Page 34. 1 After moi, supply je ne vous en ferai point du tout convenir, and after encre, supply le fera.

2 chiffonnant, literally: busying myself with odds and ends of sewing.

3 cahier, the same word as our quire of paper, is used for any small book of sheets of writing paper.

4 After imbécile, supply que je suis !

5 About la petite Figaro we are told nothing more. slight imperfection in the construction of the play.

6 Cet homme, etc. Jealousy is an instinct with the man.

This is a

Page 35.

I double tour given to the key in the lock.

2 Balordo suggestive of balourd

heavy, loutish.

Page 36. I en imposer properly means to impose upon, i. e., to deceive. It is here used carelessly for imposer without en—to inspire awe, or respect.

2 d'abord, more frequently = at first, implying but afterwards, is also very correctly used = at once.

3 vairon, from Lat. varius, wall-eyed.

4 Maroquin, doubtless suggested by the rough grain of Morocco leather.

5 pote, now seldom used except in its diminutive potelé, dimpled. - Jambes circonflexes, bandy legs.

Page 37.

I Délogez is a rude word here: Out with you.

2 maréchal [vétérinaire], farrier.

3 obtenir le pas, take precedence of.

4 C'est-il, familiar for est-ce.

5 manipuleur, contemptuous for manipulateur. Bartholo implies that the farrier works only with his hands, while doctors such as himself work with their brains.

Page 38. I d'esprit, frequently used as an adjective. Cf. N. 3, PAGE 18. de notoriété, another adjectival use of a substantive with de.

2 vous me lâchez, you are letting off, firing, at me.-Epigrammes, a humorous description of Bartholo's epithets. · L'Amour, my Cupid.

Page 39. I m'estropier, i. e. estropier mon nom.

Page 40. I Before veux the subject is omitted, on account of the obvious je n'en ai jamais vu understood before it. The subject is never repeated before a second verb introduced by ni.

2 bataille ! is rather a repetition of the sort of war-cry the Count has just uttered than an ordinary substantive, as is proved by the omission of the article.

Page 41.

Une femme, etc. The Count ingeniously pretends to have seen the letter drop from Rosine's pocket.

2 mon cœur, cf. l'Amour above, P. 38, 1. 11.

3 allez toujours, idiomatic with the sense of: never you mind; literally, go on [without minding this].

Page 42. 1 m'amour, for ma amour, an old-fashioned term of endearment, dating back to before the Renaissance, when the word amour was always feminine, as it is still in the plural and even in the singular, poetically. Note that the feminines ma, ta, sa, were formerly used before a vowel, contrarily to the present usage. Hence such forms as m'amie, further altered to ma mie, an expression occurring repeatedly in Molière.

Page 43. I vous donnez-vous les airs de, assume the right to. - Toucher à, always to meadle with.

2 lui donnerait-on la préférence de, a very neat phrase: should she be singled out for.

This clever allusion to the

Page 44. I en France, où l'on, etc. national reputation of the French for gallantry was well calculated to please a French audience.

likes.

2 donnons-lui beau jeu â la prendre, let him take it as much as he If a player has beau jeu, a strong position in a game, he can do as he pleases.

3 celui du plus fort. The translation must adapt itself to the English equivalent of the French proverb, La raison (or le droit) du plus fort est toujours la meilleure.

Page 45.

I ton pouls, etc.

Another illustration of Bartholo's

acuteness.

Page 46.

I bonnes façons, kindness, lit. kind ways of doing things (façon, from Lat. facere).

2 injure, insult.

3 cette marque, i. e. that I will not look at it.

4 du pied, should be rather au pied, but the genitive being correctly used when a part of the body is the instrument of an action, such constructions are frequently found, by false analogy, even when the part of the body is not the instrument.

ACT III.

Page 47. I humeur, often the passing mood of temper.

2 céans. Note the affectation of pedantry with which the Count, personating a student who has taken several degrees, uses archaic forms and words.

3 Bachelier, licencié. The degrees conferred by the University of France are: 1. the baccalauréat, or bachelor's degree, which is but the sanction of school studies; 2. the licence, or "license to teach," ," which is the sanction of more advanced work. 3. the doctorat, awarded for personal research.

Page 48. I et que resumes the meaning of Comme with which the sentence begins.

2 d'amitié, an adverbial expression due to the use of de for par with words of emotion, etc. E. g. Enfermée de fureur (below P. 49, 1. 12), pâlir de rage, renverser les meubles de colère, s'évanouir de plaisir. Page 49.

señor.

I seigneur, here only the French form of the Spanish

2 Qui voulez-vous, elliptical for Qui voulez-vous qui soit aux écoutes?

3 Sur les dents, a metaphorical expression taken from a tired horse whose head leans heavily on the bit.

4 Je me suis enferré (from en and fer = 'a sword'), lit. I have run myself through with the sword, as an inexperienced fencer may spit himself on his adversary's, or indeed his own, foil. I have run my neck into this noose out of sheer irritation. The Count refers to his revelation of the fact that Rosine has written to him, and to the necessity under which he is now of handing the letter to Bartholo. He proceeds to consider the various courses left open to him.

5 prévenir = 1. to forestall; 2. to forewarn, or inform; 3. to prejudice, or bias.

6. en refers to obligation in previous line. le maître After maître supply de m'en témoigner.

Page 50. I l'a sacrifiée, surrendered it, and not "sacrificed her,"

as proved by P. 73, 1. 19.