PAGE LINE

.

momon,' jouer le momon. The person accepting the wager was said to 'couvrir le momon' (used metaph. of taking a bet); the phrases perdre le momon,'

donner le momon,' are also found. From an incident in a masquerading party it came to be applied in a general sense to the party itself. Two quotations will serve to illustrate the meaning more fully. 'Le soir, je me masquai avec trois de mes camarades. Après avoir éteint le flambeau, je m'approchai de la table, sur laquelle nous posâmes nos boîtes de dragées et jetâmes les dés. La Du Lys me demanda à qui j'en voulais, et je lui fis signe que c'était à elle ; elle me répliqua: Qu'est ce que je voulais qu'elle mît au jeu et je lui montrai un næud de ruban et un bracelet . . . Nous jouâmes et je gagnai et je lui fis un présent de mes dragées' (Le Roman Comique, II. p. 231). And again Les Rois de France et de Pologne, sous couleur de porter un momon, entrent chez Nantouillet, mettent tout par place, jusques à rompre les coffres, piller la vaisselle,' etc. (D'Aubigné). Etymologically 'momon' is connected with ‘momerie,' and is probably of Teutonic origin-German, mummen;

English, to mum. 81. 3. temps, the season.' 5. fagoté, “Who has made such a guy of you?' 'Fagoter?

= to tie up like a faggot, to dress clumsily and

ridiculously 82. 10. Baladin! Mme. Jourdain does not know the word

'Paladin,' but is familiar with 'baladin' (see 19, 12). The passage may perhaps be translated

in our language Palatine.' *Mme. Jourdain : ‘Ballettin'

Are you of an age to go dancing ballets ?' 19. Hé bien! quoi, Jourdain ? 'Well, what about Jour

dain ?' 24. Qu'est-ce à dire, cela ? “What is the meaning of

that ?' 83. 5. voici ... le reste de notre écu, 'There's the last straw!'

Lit. “There is the remainder, or change, out of our
crown-piece,' i.e. Here is what was wanting to com-
plete our misfortune. Cf. 'Il ne nous faut plus que

cela’ (39, 7).
6. chagrin, 'worry.'

L

6

6

6

SECOND SCENE.

PAGE LINE

83. 12. un fort galant homme, 'He is a very fine fellow.' 14. J'en fais beaucoup de cas, 'I think very highly of

him.' 'Cas,' originally = `event,' 'occurrence,' comes to mean that which suits a person (e.g. C'est votre cas); then 'c'est un grand cas 'it is an important thing.' Hence 'faire cas de beaucoup de cas de' = 'to think highly of.' N.B.—Never 'faire du cas

de ... 15. bonne fortune, “a prosperous suit,' used specially of

success in love. 17. qui n. revient means much the same as 'que n. ne

devons pas laisser perdre.' Cp. 'Il ne revient rien au genre humain de cent batailles données ...

-Voltaire). 21. je veux enfin (emphatic), 'I am determined once for

all.' V. empêcher vos profusions, put a stop to your

lavish expenditure.' • Vous' is dative. The usual construction of 'empêcher’ is with the accusative of the object (cp. 1. 28), but there are many instances of

the former use in the best authors. 24. le vrai secret, 'the real solution.'

29. avant qu'il fût peu, 'before long.' 84. 1. v. en userez. Notice 'user de = 'to employ,'

'make use of ;' 'user' with the accusative = to

wear out.'
4. la figure ... His make-up is marvellous.'

THIRD SCENE.

10. la force des serpents ... See 74, 11.
13. féliciter. It was not till the seventeenth century that

this word meant to congratulate’; till then it only

meant “to make happy.' 17. de prendre part, ‘for the interest you are taking

in .

18. pour v. faire = 'pour que je v. fasse.'

PAGE LINE

84. 21. mouvement, 'impulse.' 27. il sait ... connaitre, “He can still know,' i.e. 'is

not above knowing ... Notice the idiomatic use

of 'savoir.' 85. 4. pour lui donner ' pour qu'elle lui donne la main.'

FOURTH SCENE. 7. l'assurer, i.e. 'assurer votre altesse.' 9. truchement, the interpreter. From the Spanish

'trujaman,' Arabic “tardjemân,' the modern drago. man. Cp. Femmes Sar. I. iv.—Contentez-vous des yeux pour vos seuls truchements.'

FIFTH SCENE. 20. N. ne saurions = ‘n. ne pouvons.' 22. un peu, 'Pray tell him.' Notice the colloquial use of

'un peu. 86. 5. arrose. Subjunctive of wish.

7. Je v. l'avais bien dit, 'Didn't I tell you . . .'

SIXTH SCENE.
13. fait. Cp. fagoté, ajusté, bâti, etc.
16. une affaire . . . la plus pleine. Cp. 45, 6.

17. qui se peut. We should expect the subjunctive after

a relative preceded by a superlative. The use of the

indicative implies absence of doubt. 20. touchez-lui dans la main, 'take his hand.' The full

phrase, generally shortened to “touchez-là,' = 'shake

hands.' 27. çà, ' Here !' lit. ‘hither? (Lat. ecce-hac), a somewhat

obsolete word, except in such phrases as 'ah! ça !'

'çà et là. 87. 3. c'est à v. à ... We should expect "c'est à v. de dis

poser,' as the idea meant to be conveyed is one of

* right’or duty. 6. qui = ce qui.

6

SEVENTH SCENE.

PAGE LINE

6

6

6

87. 8. Q'est-ce que c'est que ceci (est)? 'What's this ? '

Lit. 'What is it that it is that this-here (is) ?' This cumbrous expression is a proof that the proverbial lucidity' and precision of the French language admits of exceptions. (See Herbert Spencer, Study

of Sociology, p. 232.) 10. carême-prenant, 'a mummer.' Here of a person. In

34, 14 it is used of the carnival season. 16. sage, 'sensible.' 17 assemblage, “this bevy of folk. Cp. 'attirail,' 34,

19. 25. à son nez, “to her face.' Cp. 33, 15. 88 3. mêlez-v. de vos affaires, ‘Mind your own business.'

5. à rejeter, 'to be rejected.'
9. qui n. fait intéresser-i.e. 'nous intéresser.' Notice

that reflexive verbs lose their reflexive pronoun when
conjugated with 'faire '--probably because the com-
bined verbal expression is treated as if it were one

verb.
16. Sans doute, “Why, certainly.'
23. moi. Notice the pronoun repeated for emphasis-- and

I tell you.'
29. querellez, 'scold.'

36. si elle veut, “if she consents.' 89. 18. abusons, 'we are taking him in.' 26. Ne faites pas semblant de rien, 'Don't show that

you know anything.'. Here there is an apparent double negative; but ‘rien'is really positive, and the phrase is equivalent to 'ne faites pas semblant de quelque chose,' or 'qu'il y ait qq. chose.' (See Génin, Lexique

de la Langue de Molière, p. 290.) 90. 3. c'est que, “let me inform you that ...' 7. accroire (only used in the infinitive with 'faire ') ='to

make a person believe a thing which is untrue,' 'to

hoodwink. Not a corruption of 'à croire.' 8. amuser, 'put her off,' delude her.'

6

PAGE LINE

90. 12. Tandis que ...While he is coming, and while he is

drawing up the marriage - settlements.' Notice the future with a conjunction 'of time where the present

is used in English. 15. C'est fort bien avisé, 'Happy thought !' 21. à Rome, i.e. as being an extraordinary thing, worthy

to be published in the very centre of Christendom. The name of Rome occurs in several proverbial expressions, e.g. "Tout chemin mène à Rome,' • Jamais homme ni cheval n'amenda d'aller à Rome,' 'Qui langue a, A Rome ya.'

6

FIRST ENTRY OF THE BALLET.

91.

23. les livres du ballet. These were librettos' contain

ing the words of the songs, and the explanation of the details of the ballet. Ín the table of expenses connected with the representations of the B.G. at Chambord is the following item :-'A Balard imprimeur, la somme de 1022 livres pour tous les livres qui ont été nécessaires pour toutes les réprésentations

et répétitions du dit ballet .

d'abord, 'immediately,'' at the very outset.' 26. importuns, 'bores.' 1. homme du bel air, 'Man of fashion. The current

term for what has been at different times expressed by blondin,' 'petit - maître, 'incroyable,' petit

crevé,' 'gommeux,' 'boudiné,' etc. 12. grisettes; here = 'jeunes bourgeoises '—a somewhat

contemptuous expression, but not so much so as it has become. “Grisette' origin.

= a cheap gray material of which the dresses of poorer girls were made. 14. Ah! l'homme aux libres. Notice the tendency of

the Gascon dialect to substitute 'b' for 'v'andy'

for 'b,' and to accentuate the mute 'e.' 18. és en les.' The contraction "ès' is only retained

in a few expressions in modern French, e.g. bachelier

ès lettres,' * ès sciences.'
21. cadédis * Tête de Dieu' (Ca

cap = caput). A Gascon oath.

6