Scene III, by Corneille.
=98=, 21. =second plan=: ‘rear section of the wings.’
=101=, 19. =qu’il n’avait que la cape et l’épée=: ‘that his sword was his only fortune.’
=102=, 7. =cela me regarde=: ‘they are my affair.’
SCÈNE V
=103=, 10. =avec explosion=: ‘enthusiastically.’
SCÈNE VI
=108=, 21. =Melpomène=: the muse of tragedy.
=109=, 13. =Vous en êtes convenu=: ‘You admitted it.’
SCÈNE VII
=111=, 15. =gagner=: ‘win over.’
15. =faire sauter=: ‘blow up.’
SCÈNE IX
=117=, 2. =Il ne faut pas, nous autres comédiens, nous jouer aux grands seigneurs=: ‘We comedians must not meddle with the affairs of great nobles.’
15. =comment veux-tu ainsi t’y reconnaître=: ‘how do you expect to see what you are doing?’
SCÈNE X
=118=, 20. =Mais, par exemple=: ‘But that is not enough.’
=120=, 19. =Plus que vous, à coup sûr=: ‘A greater person than you, that is certain.’
ACTE IV
=125=, 2. =chez la princesse de Bouillon.= See note to p. 3, l. 2.
SCÈNE I
9. =Godefroy de Bouillon= (1058-1100), duc de Basse-Lorraine, leader of the First Crusade, and first king of Jerusalem.
14. =répétition=: ‘rehearsal.’
16. =Je me derange=: ‘I am becoming irregular.’
18. =Elle y tenait tant!= ‘She insisted so much upon it!’
SCÈNE II
=126=, 4. =Que devenez-vous donc=: ‘What can you be doing?’
15. =des diamants=: ‘for the diamonds.’ See Act II, Scene III.
20. =C’était assez bien tourné=: ‘It was adroitly worded.’
=127=, 1. =tu ne m’as pas fait part=: ‘you have not told me.’
3. =un bon sur la caisse des fermiers généraux=: ‘a check on the treasury of the Farmers-General.’ The Farmers-General were various privileged financiers who farmed or leased the public revenues of France before the Revolution.
=129=, 4. =souscrite à=: ‘endorsed to.’
SCÈNE III
22. =Si, vraiment=: ‘Yes, indeed.’
=130=, 2. =fanatiques=: ‘admirers.’
25. =par-dessous main=: ‘secretly.’
=131=, 21. =a dénoncé ce fait à l’ambassadeur tartare=: ‘announced this fact to the Russian ambassador.’
SCÈNE IV
=133=, 7. =Si=: ‘Yes, I can.’
=134=, 15. =Bien cela!= ‘Well said!’
=135=, 3. “=Comblé de mes bienfaits...=”: adapted from Corneille’s _Cinna_,