[47] NOTRE FUTURE. Thenotrerefers to Dorante and his father. Silvia is the future bride of the one, and the future daughter-in-law of the other. The expression is not a usual one withnotre.
[48] LE TOUT. In modern usage the article has disappeared.
[49] SUR LE CHAPITRE, 'About.'
[50] INSPIRÉE.Venuehas replaced this verb in some of the later editions, and would certainly be the more natural expression.
[51] LES AVERTIROIT. Modern syntax requires the future after the imperative, instead of the conditional present.
[52] SE TIRERA D'INTRIGUE. Used in the sense ofse tirera d'affaire.
[53] AGACER, 'Tease.'Taquinerwould be the modern word in this sense.Agacerhas now more the meaning of 'irritate.'
[54] C'EST AUTANT DE PRIS QUE LE VALET, 'The valet is as good as caught (captivated).'
[55] L'ÉTOURDIR, 'To make him forget.'
[56] CROCHETEUR, 'Porter.' The name is derived from thecrochet(hook) which they use in lifting or carrying heavy weights. Another and more common meaning of the word is 'picklock,' or 'housebreaker,' fromcrocheter.Crochetmust have givencrochetier. It is probably due to paronymy thatcrocheteurand notcrochetierhas come to be used for 'porter' (Littré).
[57] DANS SON MIROIR. An elliptical form forQuand elle se regarde dans son miroir.
[58] TOUJOURS, 'In the meantime.'
[59] BIEN VENU. Now written in one word as a noun and with the article.
[60] TON COEUR N'A QU'À SE BIEN TENIR, 'Your heart must be on its guard.'
[61] C'EST BIEN DES AFFAIRES, 'What nonsense!'
[62] NE M'EN FAIT POINT ACCROIRE, 'Does not make me overrate myself.' (Littré, "Accroire," 3°.}
[63] SÉRIEUX, 'Formal.'
[64] SUR LE QUI-VIVE, 'Standing on ceremony.'
[65] PLUS COMMODÉMENT, 'With less ceremony.'
[66] TU AS NOM. A Latin construction frequently used even nowadays.
[67] VA DONC POUR LISETTE, 'Lisette be it, then.'
[68] J'EN VEUX AU COEUR DE LISETTE, 'I have designs upon Lisette's heart.' The more common modern meaning of the idiomen vouloir àis, 'to have a grudge against'; but the expression used in the text is also frequent with the meaning here given. Corneille has, "Alidor en voulait à Célie" (la Veuve, I. 181). "Poppée était une infidèle qui n'en voulait qu'au trône" (Othon, I. 194). "Je n'en veux pas, Cléone, au sceptre d'Arménie" (Nicomède, I. 347). And La Fontaine: "Comme il en voulait à l'argent" (les deux Mulets, I. 8). The Academy gives the locution in its Dictionary, with the remark: "signifie aussi familièrement, Avoir quelque prétention sur cette personne, sur cette chose, en avoir quelque désir.Il en veut à cette fille. Il en veut à cette charge."
[69] AILLE SUR MES BRISÉES, 'Be my rival.'Les brisées. Branches broken off by a hunter to recognize the hiding-place of the game, hence 'traces.'Suivre les brisées de quelqu'un, 'To follow someone's example.'Aller sur les brisées de quelqu'un, 'To contest with (or rival) someone' (Littré, "brisées," 1° and 2°).
[70] VOUS PERDREZ VOTRE PROCÈS, 'You will get the worst of it.'
[71] ILS SE DONNENT LA COMÉDIE, 'They are making fun at my expense.'
[72] QUI L'AURA, 'Who wins his love.'
[73] M'EN CONTER. See note 38.
[74] NOUS SOMMES DANS LE STYLE AMICAL. An expression derived from theprécieuses.
[75] OTER MON CHAPEAU. It was still customary to wear the hat in the house, even in the presence of ladies, though the habit was dying out.
[76] JOUE. The edition of 1732, as well as that edited by Duviquet, givesjoue. Some later editions givejure, in the sense of 'blaspheme.'
[77] PLAISANT. See note 37.
[78] ME FASSE MON PROCÈS, 'Destroys my hopes.' Compare note 70.
[79] D'ABORD QUE. Used for the more moderndès que(Littré, 10°).
[80] MALGRÉ QUE J'EN AIE, 'In spite of myself.'Malgré quein this sense is used only with the verbavoir(Littré, 5°).
[81] A TORT AVEC TOI. The modern form isenvers toi.
[82] A PLUS DE TORT. Thedehas since been dropped in locutions of this sort.
[83] JE CROIS QU'IL M'AMUSE, 'I think that he strikes my fancy.'
[84] JE ME RAPPELLE DE. In modern French thedeis omitted.
[85] CONFIDEMMENT.Confidentiellementthe more common form.
[86] NE PRENDRE PAS GARDE. The modern construction of the negative with an infinitive requires both parts of the negative to precede the verb.
[87] EN FAVEUR DE =Dans l'intérêt de.
[88] MON PORTE-MANTEAU. Refers not to the valise, but to thecrocheteurwho carried it. The office ofporte-manteauwas an honourable one at the French court. Twelve officers of the household bore the title and discharged the duties of the office, which consisted in taking care of the king's hat, gloves, stick, and sword, and in handing them to his majesty when called for. One of these officers always accompanied the king when hunting, with a valise containing raiment. See A. Chéruel,Dictionnaire historique des institutions, moeurs et coutumes de la France.
[89] AUTANT VAUT, 'That's the same thing.' 'That's just as good.'
[90] LA BELLE. The use of the article is here indicative of familiarity. Used in this way towards inferiors.
[91] JE VAIS FAIRE DESCENDRE. On the part of a supposed servant, a somewhat free and easy expression.
[92] UN BEAU-PÈRE DE LA VEILLE OU DU LENDEMAIN, 'A man who is as good as my father-in-law.'
[93] AVANT QUE DE.Avant deis more modern.
[94] L'HÔTEL. In the meaning attached to the word in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, that is, 'mansion,' 'residence.' Originally applied specifically to the king's residence, it soon was used of the mansions of the nobility in Paris or other towns. Later, the habit arose among the nobility of renting rooms and apartments within their mansions when the family was not in residence, and gradually the word assumed its present more extended meaning. Buthôtelis still used to denote strictly a residence.
[95] PLAISANT. One must understand here a double meaning, Silvia uses it evidently in the sense of 'amusing,' 'ridiculous' (see note 37), while Harlequin fails to catch the point, and, as his reply shows, takes it in its earlier sense of 'agreeable.' It is scarcely used to-day in this latter sense.
[96] M'EN ÊTRE FIÉ À TOI. Theenhere is difficult to construe. It refers to the whole of the preceding clauses. In modern construction it would be omitted.
[97] DANS LES SUITES. 'After this,' 'henceforth.' Fordans la suite.
[98] DONNERAI DU MÉLANCOLIQUE. The more ordinary form isdonnerai dans le mélancolique.
[99] PLAISANTE, 'Agreeable.' See note 95.
[100] QUE DE CET INSTANT. The modern form would bequ'à l'instant.
[101] SI MAL BÂTI, 'In such a bad state.' Colloquial.
[102] RAGOÛTANT, '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 voilà-t-il pas un amant bien ragoûtant!" (Marianne, 3e partie). "Cependant comme cette personne était fraîche et ragoûtante…" (Le Paysan parvenu, 1re partie). "Et à quel âge est-on meilleure et plus ragoûtante, s'il vous plaît?" (id., 5e partie).
[103] TRINQUER, 'To drink a toast.' From the Germantrinken, Italiantrincare. This verb shows a much more jovial spirit than would the verbboire, and, in this case, is more familiar and inelegant.
[104] SI VOUS NE METTEZ ORDRE. After the conjunctionsà moins que(unless), andsi, in the same sense, the second part of the negation (pas) is omitted. The idiommettre ordre àmeans 'to look after.'
[105] VOTRE PRÉTENDU GENDRE, 'Intended son-in-law.' The wordprétenduis commonly used alone, and then means 'intended.' The usage is derived from the meaning of the verbprétendre à, '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 VOILÀ, 'Just what I feared.'
[108] IL EST DE MAUVAIS GOÛT. Theilrefers 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'ÊTRE, 'It will be no less true.' The idiom may be expressed more logically by the omission of theque(Littré, "laisser," 20°).
[110] D'HOMME D'HONNEUR. An ellipsis for the more complete expression which later editions print,foi d'homme d'honneur.
[111] J'AI MÉNAGÉ SA TÊTE, 'I have spared his mind,' 'I have handled him carefully.'
[112] LE MOMENT. Forl'occasion.
[113] A VUE DE PAYS, 'From the looks of things.'
[114] FAIT. Some later editions printtourné. The idea is the same.
[115] JUSQUE LÀ, 'To such a degree.'
[116] A LA BONNE HEURE, 'As you please.'
[117] AVANT QUE DE. See note 93.
[118] DE VOTRE FAÇON, 'Brought forth by you.' The whole figure is both trivial and bombastic, in perfect accord with the rôle of Harlequin.
[119] ROQUILLE. An ancient wine measure amounting to a quarter of asetier. Asetier, in the current use of the word, was equal to half apinte. Apintewas a little less than alitre(Hatzfeld and Darmesteter). Hence aroquillewould be less than an eighth of alitre. A synonym for any small measure.
[120] COMME UN PERDU, 'Desperately.'
[121] VALETAILLE, 'Whole set of valets,' Composed ofvaletand the pejorative endingaille(Littré).
[122] SERA. The text of 1732 hasfera, 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 earlycomédiens italiens, who indulged to excess inlazzi, 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 rôles 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 inQuarante ans de théâtre, tome II, pp. 271- 275), Larroumet writes as follows upon this subject: "Pour ma part, une longue étude de Marivaux m'a prouvé que lazzis et jeux de scène n'étaient nullement le fait des premiers interprètes qui jouèrent sous la direction de l'auteur, mais bien des troupes de petits théâtres qui, après la disparition de la comédie italienne, en 1782, recueillirent plusieurs pièces de Marivaux et les jouèrent un peu partout, jusqu'à ce que Mlle. Contat les fît entrer, vers 1794 et 1796, au Théâtre de la République."
[124] DÉBARRASSE-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.Livreris here taken in the sense of 'betray.'
[126] LA QUESTION EST VIVE, 'That is a leading question.'
[127] UN PETIT BRIN. Equivalent toun petit peu.Brinmeans 'spear' (of grass, etc.), and, as in the case ofgoutte(drop) and ofmie(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,être fou à courir les rues, à courir les champs, 'to be stark mad ' (Littré, "courir," 23°).
[129] DÉCOMPTER, 'Deduct.' Still used, though not commonly, forrabattre.
[130] LES MAÎTRES.Onmay be followed by the plural, if taken in a plural sense, although some later editions give the singular,le maître. 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 … À LEUR TÊTE, 'Have their own way.' The idiomfaire à sa têtemeans 'to do as one pleases.'
[132] BEAU JEU. The idiomavoir beau jeuis 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 cérémonies pour parler à madame? On parle bien à 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, isfautes de conduite.
[135] NE VOILÀ-T-IL PAS! An exclamation of surprise. It might here be translated, 'Just listen to that.' It is more correctly expressed byne voilà pas, the barbarism resulting from the consideration ofvoilàas a verb and the introduction of the euphonictand theilof impersonal verbs (Littré, "voilà," 10°),
[136] MA MIE. A curious example of deformation. Originally feminine nouns beginning with a vowel took the femininemabefore them, the vowel ofmabeing elided. Thus,m'amie; but later the word was modified to its present form.
[137] QU'ON NE LES APPELLE.Quein the sense ofsans querequires the negative particlene. It is less frequently used to-day than in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.Sans qu'on les appellemight 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] GÂTÉ 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. Theenhere must refer tocomme 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] À MOI. There is an ellipsis at the end of Silvia's remark, which, completed, would read:Il n'y aurait pas grande perte à 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 À 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'épouser dans la semaine, et il y a près d'un an que vous l'amusez" (Dancourt,Le Chevalier à la Mode, I, 7).
[152] JE T'EN ASSURE. Theenhere 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 forme faire aimer de toi. A reminiscence of the days and modes of thought of theprécieusesand the whole tribe of writers of novels after the manner ofl'Astrée.
[154] SANS DIFFICULTÉ, 'Undoubtedly.'
[155] IL NE MANQUOIT PLUS QUE CETTE FAÇON-LÀ, 'This is the finishing stroke.'
[156] DANS LE RESPECT. The modern form ispar le respect.
[157] POUR DANS. An awkward expression. Thepourmight better have been omitted. Later editions give simplydans.
[158] HUMEUR. 'Temper,'
[159] SI FORT SUR LE QUI-VIVE, 'Take offence so readily.'
[160] DANS QUELLE IDÉE. _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-LÀ. 'Emotion.' Compare: "D'un mouvement jaloux je ne fus pas maîtresse" (Racine.Bajazet. I. 4). "L'âme n'est qu'une suite continuelle d'idées et de sentiments qui se succèdent et se détruisent: les mouvements qui reviennent le plus souvent forment ce qu'on appelle le caractère" (Voltaire,Supplément au siècle de Louis XIV. 2e partie).
[163] QUERELLÉE, 'Taken her to task.'
[164] UN ESPRIT. In ordinary French of the present day theunwould be omitted.
[165] SURPRISE. The feminine form of the participle is admissible afteron.
[166] UN MAUVAIS ESPRIT. Referring to Silvia, although the idea is clear, grammatical consistency is overthrown in the next line when the pronounlais used instead ofle.
[167] DE LA CONSÉQUENCE, 'What may be inferred.'
[168] EST. Some later editions givesoit. 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,' fromadandpostillam(low Latin for 'explanation,' 'note.' Littré).
[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] OÙ. Later editions giveque, 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 adverboù(P. Larousse). One should not, therefore, say:C'està vous à quije parle.C'estdans cette maison oùje suis né.C'estici oùje l'ai trouvé.C'estde toi dontil écrit.Quepreferred 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, Molière, and others. "C'està vous, mon Esprit,à quije veux parler" (Boileau,Satire IX, 1. i). "Mais, madame, puis-je au moins croire que ce soità vous à quije doive la pensée de cet heureux stratagème…" (Molière,L'Amour médecin, III, vi). In this casequewould be better than à qui, and is so printed in most of the later editions.
[177] PÉNÉTRER =Découvrir.
[178] AVANT QUE DE. See note 93.
[179] NEUVE, 'Novel.' Compare: "C'était bien le plan le plus original, le plus beau, le plus neuf!" (Mérimée,la Guzla, avertissement).
[180] IRRÉGULIER, 'Unseemly,' 'impolite.'
[181] JUSQUE LÀ. See note 115.
[182] LUI FEROIT TORT. Here modern usage requires the partitivedu.
[183] SUR L'ARTICLE DE, 'Concerning,' 'in the matter of.'
[184] LUI. Marivaux felt the charm of this artless reply, and repeated it inl'Épreuve(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.' Fromguigner('to ogle,' 'to peep'), and has some connection with the idea of the evil eye (Littré).
[186] CELA N'EST POINT CONTRAIRE À FAIRE FORTUNE.Cela n'empêche pas de faire fortuneis more modern and better French.
[187] IMAGINATION. See note 44.
[188] IL LUI PREND.Ilis redundant, and in some of the later editions is omitted.
[189] ACCOMMODONS-NOUS, 'Let us compromise.' Compare: "Le Ciel défend, de vrai, certains contentements; mais on trouve avec lui des accommodements." (Molière,le Tartuffe).
[190] FRIAND, 'Eager.' Primarilyfriandsignified the gift of a delicate taste, and a rare appreciation of dainties. As used by Harlequin it recalls hisragoûtant. Cf. note 132.
[191] HABIT DE CARACTÈRE. 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. "Après son deuil (the author speaks of Lauzun, who had gone into mourning for the Grande Mademoiselle), il ne voulut pas reprendre sa livrée, et s'en fit une de brun presque noir, avec des galons bleus et blancs" (Saint-Simon,Mémoires, 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 termbuffetfor the servants' eating-room, which is the sense in which the word is used here. Compare: "Je suis las d'être bien battu et mal nourri… Je suis las enfin d'avoir de la condescendance pour vos débauches, et de m'enivrer aubuffet, pendant que vous vous enivrez à table" (Regnard,Attendez-moi sous l'orme, Sc. l).
[194] SUCCÈS =Résultat.
[195] EN CONTEZ À. See note 38.
[196] LE LANGAGE BIEN PRÉCIEUX. The use of the expressiondu goût, in the sense of 'a liking,' 'a fancy,' was much morerecherchéin the eighteenth century than now. Hence Mario's feigned surprise at hearing such words from the lips of a supposed valet. Compare: "Goût, en galanterie, simple inclination, amusement passager, mot des gens de cour" (De Caillières, 1690).
[197] A LE BIEN PRENDRE, 'If you look at things rightly.'
[198] PASSEZ, 'Overlook.'
[199] LES, in later editionsmes, which is evidently the better form.
[200] EST BIEN AUSSI, fortout 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'était fait: Regardez la chose comme faite(Dict. of the Academy, 1878).
[204] IMPERTINENCE =Mésalliance.
[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 à dire que toute femme a un amour- propre semblable à celui-là." Translate: 'And it is the commonest (most ordinary) kind.' Foruniin this sense see Littré, 10°. Compare: "Elle aurait cru se dégrader par le soin de son ménage, et elle ne donnait pas dans une piété si vulgaire et siunie" (le Paysan parvenu, 4e partie).
[206] BIEN CONDITIONNÉE, 'In pretty good condition,' 'pretty well turned (upset).' A peculiar use of this past participle. Duviquet translates it, "Une tête qui réunit toutes les conditions nécessaires pour être réputée 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 tête, as the gender of the pronoun shows.
[208] PRENDRAI DE PART, 'Care for.'
[209] QU'IL S'ACCOMMODE, for the more modernqu'il s'arrange.
[210] SI JE LUI DIS, for si jelelui dis. Marivaux often omits the direct object pronoun in similar constructions. Seele Legs, note 25, andles Fausses Confidences, note 127.
[211] LE, see note 207.
[212] J'AI TROP PÂTI D'AVOIR MANQUÉ DE VOTRE PRÉSENCE, ET J'AI CRU QUE VOUSESQUIVIEZ LA MIENNE. An absurd metonymy, perfectly consistent, however, withHarlequin's jargon, and very similar to the fifth example ofMarivaudage,Introduction, p. lxxiv.
[213] IL EN ÉTOIT 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 À LUI, etc. The modern construction of this sentence would be:Avant que je ne la lui demande, souffrez que je vous la demande à vous.
[216] RENDRE MES GRÂCES. In modern usage themesis omitted in this locution.
[217] NENNI, 'No.' An antiquated negative particle, coming fromnon illud, ashoc illudgave oïl > oui (Littré).
[218] IL This secondilrefers toprésent.
[219] NE FAITES POINT DÉPENSE D'EMBARRAS, 'Don't waste your confusion,' 'keep such feelings for a more fitting occasion.'
[220] D'OÙ VIENT ME DITES-VOUS CELA? 'Why do you tell me that?' A strange wording forD'où vient que vous me dites cela? D'où vient,as used by Marivaux, is generally synonymous withpourquoi.
[221] VOILÀ OÙ GÎT LE LIÈVRE, 'That's where the secret lies.' A well-known proverbial expression, worded also, "C'est là que gît le lièvre."
[222] A TIRER, 'To be allowed for.'
[223] GLOIRE, 'Rank,' 'show.'
[224] J'ENTRE EN CONFUSION DE MA MISÈRE, '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'APPRÊTONS POINT À RIRE, 'Let us give them no occasion to laugh at us.'Apprêter à rire, Littré, 8°, 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'ÊTRE. See note 109.
[230] TANT Y A QUE, 'However that may be,' or 'Nevertheless, the truth is that.'
[231] LA VOILÀ BIEN MALADE, 'She is pining with love for me.'
[232] PAR LA VENTREBLEU,Ventrebleu, written alsoventrebieu, is a euphemism forventre (de) Dieu. A familiar interjection; admitted by the Academy, 1878. For thela, compare a similar corruption ofpalsambleu(par le sang [de] Dieu) intopar LA sambleu, andcorbleu(corps [de] Dieu) intopar 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 FAÇON, 'A passion inspired by me.'
[236] SUJET À 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 tofriperie.
[240] NOUS L'AVONS DANS NOTRE MANCHE. "Avoir une personne dans sa manche, En disposer à son gré" (Dictionnaire de l'Académie française). 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. Théophile Gautier, in hisVoyage en Italie, speaks of giving to a couple of monks "quelques zwantzigs pour dire des messes à notre intention. Les bons pères prirent l'argent, le glissèrent dans le pli de leur manche."
[241] PÂTE D'HOMME. A familiar expression for 'sort of a man.'
[242] VOUS M'EN DIREZ DES NOUVELLES, 'You will see that I am right.' SeeNouvelle, Littré, 1°. Compare: "(Madame Patin) Tu ne sais ce que tu dis. (Lisette) Vous m'en direz des nouvelles" (Dancourt,le Chevalier à la Mode, I, IX).
[243] VOS PETITES MANIÈRES, 'Your rude manners.' By apposition toles belles manières, the manners of a class above one's own.
[244] NOUS VIVRONS BUT À 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] PRÉVENU, 'Forestalled.'
[246] CE N'EST PAS À MOI À … DEMANDER. See note 7.
[247] ENTENDEZ.Entendreis here used forcomprendre.
[248] EST-CE À VOUS À VOUS PLAINDRE. See note 7. Some later editions printde vous plaindre.
[249] VOUS RENDRE SENSIBLE. See note 153.
[250] VOUS ÊTES SENSIBLE À, 'You share.'
[251] JE N'Y TÂCHERAI POINT. This construction would not now be admissible. The modern form would be,Je ne tâcherai point de le faire.
[252] LE MÉRITE VAUT BIEN LA NAISSANCE. A theme often repeated by Marivaux. Compare: "Son exemple encourageait quiconque avait du mérite 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 vanité pour l'honneur et la gloire,L'éclat vous plaît; vous mettez la grandeurDans des blasons: je la veux dans le coeur.L'homme de bien, modeste avec courage,Et la beauté spirituelle, sageSans bien, sans nom, sans tous ces titres vains,Sont à 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'sle Joueur(1696), IV, vi.
[1] LISETTE. An interesting type. See Introduction, p. lxvii.
[2] LÉPINE. 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'ÉVÉNEMENT, 'The result,' 'outcome.'
[5] MOYENNANT, 'Considering.' The modern meaning is 'in consideration of.'
[6] NOUS SOMMES À CETTE CAMPAGNE.Afordans, the modern form.
[7] GASCON FROID. A type striking by reason of its exception to the general class.Gasconis 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'sCyrano 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 LÉPINE. This title, though often ironically or latteringly given to Lépine throughout the play, goes far to show the type of independent valet one has to deal with here.
[9] INCONTINENT, 'Immediately.' From the Latinin continenti.
[10] SUR LE MÊME TON. Equivalent topied, the modern form.
[11] DE SOUPÇONS. There is an ellipsis here:Pour ce qui est de soupçons. More usually:Quant à avoir des soupçons,j'en ai, etc.
[12] JE DIFFÈRE AVEC VOUS DE PENSÉE. This form would scarcely be used nowadays.Je ne suis pas de votre aviswould be preferred.
[13] D'OÙ VIENT. SeeLe Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.
[14] LE TOUT EST ÉGAL, 'Every condition is alike (in that respect).' This expression would be replaced in modern French bytout état est bon.
[15] MONS, an abbreviation forMonsieur. Used to express contempt.
[16] D'HOMME D'HONNEUR. The complete expression would beFoi d'homme d'honneur. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 110.
[17] JE VOUS EN OFFRE AUTANT. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 173.
[18] C'EST TOUT AU PLUS SI JE CONNOIS ACTUELLEMENT LA VÔTRE, 'It is saying a good deal if I even know yours now.'
[19] DESSUS. Later editions printsur, which would be the modern expression.
[20] SANDIS. A Gascon oath. Forsang (de) Dieu. Cf.morbleu,parbleu,ventrebleu. None of these expletives, any more thanmon Dieushould ever be translated literally—They have wholly lost their original force and meaning.
[21] OUI-DA. SeeLe Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 21.
[22] N'Y VOYEZ-VOUS RIEN. Note the use ofyapplied to a person. Cf. with the use of the third person.
[23] REVENANT, 'Pleasing.'
[24] DISTINGUE.Distinguersometimes means 'to examine with a view to marriage.' Compare: "Est-ce que je l'aimais? Dans le fond je le distinguais, voilà tout; et distinguer un homme, ce n'est pas encore l'aimer" (Marivaux,l'Heureux Stratagème, I, 4).
[25] D'ABONDANCE. This idiom generally means 'offhand,' but it is undoubtedly used here in the sense ofd'abondant, 'moreover,' an expression already antiquated, and usually replaced by the idiomde 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 DÉCLARATIONS, LA COMTESSE LES ÉPOUVANTE. The meaning is perfectly clear, though the construction is not satisfactory according to modern rules.
[28] NE LUI DISE. Forne le lui dise. As has been said, Marivaux not infrequently omits the direct object pronoun in similar constructions. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 210, andles 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 bêtises ou desenfancesdont il n'y a que de bonnes gens qui soient capables" (id. 2e partie). Seeles fausses confidences, note 151.
[30] QU'EN SERA-T-IL? 'What will be the result?'
[31] SIMPLESSE,Simplicité ingénue. Antiquated, according to Hatzfeld and Darmesteter. The Dictionary of the Academy (1878) admits it with the meaning ofingénuité, accompagnée de douceur et de facilité.
[32] OCCURRENCE, 'The possible case.'Occurrencealways signifies an unforeseen circumstance,' 'an emergency.' Compare: "N'oublie jamais que tu as pour le moins la moitié de part à tout ce que je fais dans cetteoccurrence" (le Paysan parvenu, 1e partie).
[33] QUE LA COMMODITÉ VOUS TENTE, 'Let the convenient opportunity,' etc., 'Let your own convenience (or advantage) tempt you.'
[34] NE ME VALENT RIEN. The modern form isn'ont aucune valeur pour moi.
[35] REPARTE, 'Reply,' fromrepartir, used in the sense ofrépondre, répliquer, riposter. Compare: "Je nerepartisrien à ce discours mais mes yeux recommencèrent à se mouiller" (Marianne, 3e partie).
[36] QU'IL ME FAIT BESOIN, 'That I need it.' FAIRE BESOIN =être nécessaire. Common to the writers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Compare: "S'il vous faisait besoin, mon bras est tout à vous" (Molière,le Dépit amoureux, v, 3).
[37] SANDIS. See note 20.
[38] QU'UNE AUTRE. The edition of 1740 printsqu'un autre, but this must be a mistake.
[39] D'OÙ VIENT. Seele 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 ofde, re, andchef(Lat.caput). Growing obsolete, and replaced in modern French byde nouveauorencore une fois.
[42] JE VOUS Y BROUILLEROIS, 'I would get you into trouble with her.' Aside from the fact thatyshould be avoided in speaking of persons, the preposition used after the verbbrouilleris properlyavecand notà, as is understood in the use ofy.
[43] ELLE ME FAIT TANT D'AMITIÉ, 'She inspires me with so much love.'
[44] DÉCONFORTEZ, for the more moderndécouragez.
[45] N'EN TENEZ COMPTE.Tenir comptemay be used in the negative without the addition ofpasorpoint. 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 isEnfants de la Garonne.
[47] GARE, "Take care." From the verbgarer.Prenez garde queis the more natural modern expression.
[48] MALEPESTE, 'Confound it.' Compare our exclamation, 'plague on it.' It is an antiquated expression composed ofmale (feminine)andpeste. Obsolete. Admitted by the French, Academy in 1762, but not included in the dictionary of 1878.
[49] JE N'AVOIS GARDE D'Y ÊTRE, 'I had no idea whom you meant.' The idiomn'avoir garde demeans 'to be unable' or 'to be far from' (Littré, "garde." 7°).
[50] JE NE LUI EN VEUX POINT DE MAL, 'I don't wish him any harm.' Pleonastic forje ne lui veux point de mal.
[51] DONT. Betterque. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 175.
[52] J'Y AI MIS BON ORDRE. Seele 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 à quelque chose, 'To attempt something' (Littré, 31°).
[54] D'OÙ VIENT.SeeLe Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.
[55] VOUS TENIR, 'To confine yourself,'Vous en teniris the modern form.
[56] VUE. The text of 1740 gives the formvû.
[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 seeles fausses confidences, note 154.
[59] ON NE PEUT PAS MOINS. An ellipsis foron ne peut pas l'aimer moins que je ne le fais.
[60] ARRANGÉ. Used here in the sense of 'methodical,' 'stiff,' 'prim.'
[61] BON, DES AMIS! VOILÀ 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 ÊTRE SURPRISE. SeeLe 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. Seele 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 quein the sense ofaprès toutmay introduce either the indicative or the subjunctive withne. The article of the partitiveduis retained because of the affirmative character of the phrase.
[67] LA PLUPART. Some later editions printpour la plupart. The idea is the same.
[68] IL N'Y AUROIT QUE FAIRE DE, 'I would have no need to.' Comparele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 141.
[69] PRENEZ. Used in the sense ofsupposez.
[70] NE LE VOILÀ-T-IL PAS, 'Just see how (far from the point he is).' Seele jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 135.
[71] UNIS, 'Plain,' 'simple.' CompareLe Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 205.
[72] QU'OUI. SeeLe Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 3.
[73] D'OÙ VIENT … ME L'AVEZ-VOUS LAISSÉ IGNORER. This peculiar and somewhat awkward construction is not uncommon to Marivaux. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220. It would now be writtenque vous me l'avez laissé ignorer, etc.
[74] J'ENTENDS. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 247.
[75] IMAGINATION. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 44.
[76] TOUT À L'HEURE =tout de suite, not a modern use. Seeles Fausses Confidences, note 152.
[77] J'ENTENDS. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 247.
[78] AVANT QUE DE. Seele 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] HÉTÉROCLITE. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 18.
[82] RAGOÛTANT. Seele 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 byagréable.
[83] PASSER. See note 79.
[84] TOUT À L'HEURE. See note 76.
[85] JE N'AI QUE FAIRE DE SORTIR, 'I do not need to go out.' Comparele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 140.
[86] CETTE SOTTE! equivalent toquelle 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 MÉDECIN 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 dépit des médecins nous vivrons jusqu'à la mort" (Leroux de Lincy.Proverbes, t. 1, série v).
"De jeune médecin cimetière bossu" (Leroux de Lincy,Proverbes, t. 1. série v).
"Dans les discours et dans les choses, ce sont deux sortes de personnes que vos grands médecins. Entendez-les parler, les plus habiles gens du monde; voyez-les faire, les plus ignorants de tous les hommes" (Molière,le Malade imaginaire. III, 3).
Votre savoir, mon camarade,Est d'un succès plus général;Car s'il n'emporte point le mal,Il emporte au moins le malade."(Beaumarchais,le Barbier de Séville, 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 CONSÉQUENCE, 'What difference does that make?' Used in the sense ofla belle raison.
[91] C'EST AUTANT DE RESTÉ PAR LES CHEMINS, 'I would be as good as left on the highway.' Comparele 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 ofJe suis souffrant.
[94] FOURNIR LA COURSE, 'manage to reach my journey's end.'
[95] JE FEROIS DES CRIS.Feroisforpousserois.
[96] COMMENÇOIS D'EN. The modern form iscommençois à.
[97] FROISSÉ, 'Bruised.' Used in the sense ofmeurtri(Dict. de l'Acad., 1878).
[98] IL N'EN SERA NI PLUS NI MOINS. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 150.
[99] OUI-DA. SeeLe Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 21.
[100] De bon jeu, 'Seriously.'
[101] DIANTRE. A euphemism to disguise the worddiable, asbleuforDieuin many exclamations (Littré).
[102] VOUS N'Y PENSEZ PAS, 'What are you thinking of?' Compare note 58, andles Fausses Confidences, note 156.
[103] J'Y SERAI TOUJOURS. For the more modernJe le serai toujours.
[104] AIME. A singular failure to carry out the agreement of the verb in the relative clause with its antecedent.Aimezwould be the correct form.
[105] C'EST S'ÉGORGER, 'It is madness.'
[106] VOS FUREURS, 'Your mad purpose.'
[107] LE. The edition of 1740 prints the articlele, but the demonstrativecewould 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.Lewould be more natural, referring toreste, which is masculine.Laevidently refers back tosomme.
[112] PRÉTENDS, 'Expect.'
[113] RENDRE RÉCONCILIÉS. The simple infinitiveréconcilieris more natural French. Marivaux has purposely lent this loosely constructed expression to Lépine. Mme. de Sévigné uses "rendre révoltée."
[114] SANDIS. See note 20.
[115] ENTENDS. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 247.
[116] EN PUISSANCE D'ÉPOUX. A law term meaning: "Qui ne peut contracter ni disposer de rien sans être autorisée de son mari" (Dict. de l'Acad., 1878). Used often in the mere sense of 'married,' as here. Compare: "Je ne comprends même pas qu'elle se soit amourachée d'un homme en puissance de femme" (Augier,les Effrontés, v, 4).
[117] RIT. This use of the verbrirein the sense ofplaireis not uncommon.
[118] LA SERVITUDE. An incorrect use of the abstract noun. Lépine, doubtless, meansles serviteurs, les domestiques.
[119] LA MÉDIOCRITÉ DE L'ÉTAT FAIT QUE LES PENSÉES SONT MÉDIOCRES. Compare: "Ne sais-tu pas que les petits scrupules ne conviennent qu'aux petites gens?" (J.J. Rousseau,la Nouvelle Héloise, IV, 13. The same idea differently applied).
[120] CE QUI EST DE CERTAIN. Withesttaken in the sense ofil y a, the construction is correct. The modern form would be,Ce qui est certain.
[121] SANS DIFFICULTÉ. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 154.
[122] ARTICLE, 'Matter.'
[123] DISPUTE. The correct modern word isconteste. On dispute sur une chose.
[124] ENTENDS. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 247.
[125] JE N'AI CONNU MES MIGRAINES. Equivalent toJe n'ai eu des migraines.
[126] PROCUREUR, 'Attorney.' "Name given formerly to the public officer called to-dayavoué" (Littré). Anavouéis an officer whose duty it is to represent the parties before the tribunals, and to draw up the acts of procedure (Littré).
[127] AVOCAT, 'Lawyer' or 'Counsel.'
[128] D'OÙ VIENT. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.
[129] C'ÉTOIT 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 À QUI IL EN AURA OBLIGATION. Later editions printA toi qu'il en aura obligation, which is the better form. See page 61, notes 1 and 2.
[133] CONGÉDIIEZ. The edition of 1740 prints the formcongédiez, which would be impossible to-day.
[134] PLAISANTE. SeeLe Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 37.
[135] CE N'EST NON PLUS À MOI À QUI VOUS RÉPONDEZ QU'À 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. SeeLe 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(Littré, 4°), antiquated.
[137] DIFFICILE. The text of 1740 givesdifférent, 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 anddu resteorau 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 prepositionàafteravoir regretis less frequent to-day than that ofde.
[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 regularburbero benefico(with which character of Goldoni's comedy, compare).
[3] PROCUREUR. Seele 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 Comédie-Française, the name ofArlequin, familiar to the Italian comedy, was changed toLubin, and his dress modified to suit the new rôle. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 2.
[6] DUBOIS. A "real creation" among the valets of Marivaux. Like Lépine ofle Legs, he is quite above the station of the traditional valet, and may well be calledMonsieurDubois. 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] DÉTOURNEZ. Used in the sense ofdérangez(Littré, 10°).
[9] N'EN FAITES PAS DE FAÇON. Theennowadays would be considered superfluous, andfaçonwould be put in the plural. The use ofenis peculiar in this case, for it refers to the idea partly expressed by Dorante. It stands forNe faites pas de façons parce que je me dérange pour vous.
[10] HONNÊTE, 'Polite,' 'civil.' Notice the use of the singular, following the rule that after the pronounsnousandvous, when these pronouns designate a single person, even if the verb is plural, the adjective remains singular.
[11] QU'IL. Alaquellewould be better thanque, 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 ofquiandqueis 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. Seele Legs, note 126.
[13] UNE GRANDE CHARGE DANS LES FINANCES. Marivaux refers to theferme générale, a syndicate of capitalists that exploited the taxes levied by the government, and collected by thefermiers générauxand 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 thesetraitantsorpartisans, as they were also called. Dancourt, in hisChevalier à la mode, introduces a pretentious widow, Mme. Patin, of whom her maid says: "Mme. Patin, la veuve d'un honnête partisan, qui a gagné deux millions de bien au service du roi!" (Act I, Sc. 1).
[14] PÉROU. The gold mines of Peru gave rise to the use of the name as synonymous with wealth. Compare: "Madame Thibaut est un petit Pérou pour Monsieur de la Brie." (Dancourt,Femme d'intrigues, I, 2.)
[15] VOUS M'EN DIREZ DES NOUVELLES. Seele jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 242.
[16] DIANTRE. Seele Legs, note 101.
[17] LÀ.Dans la tête, with a gesture.
[18] DÉRANGÉ. 'Disorderly' or 'irregular' (in his affairs).
[19] SERVITEUR AU COLLATÉRAL, 'Then the collateral heirs will have to go without.'Serviteur auis here used in the sense oftant pis pour. Serviteuris 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 chimère, et m'aimez " (Corneille). "Polissez-le sans cesse et le repolissez" (Boileau,Art Poétique, Chant 1).
[21] DONT. _Que would preferably be used to-day, so as not to repeat the construction of the antecedent. Comparele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 175.
[22] QU'IL VOUS REVIENNE, 'That you like him.'
[23] MONSIEUR PRÉVIENT EN SA FAVEUR, 'The gentleman's appearance speaks in his favour.'
[24] GRÂCES. In modern French the singular is preferred.
[25] EST-CE À VOUS À QUI IL EN VEUT, 'Is it you whom he has come to see?' Seele 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, andle Legs, note 135.
[26] COMME S'EN ALLANT, for, _comme en s'en allant.
[27] PARTI, 'Position' (Littré, 10°). The idea of 'salary' is conveyed by the word as used here.
[28] RENVERRAI TOUT. That is to say,tout ce qui se présentera; 'I will dismiss all other applicants.'
[29] PARTI. See note 27.
[30] REPRÉSENTE, 'call attention, 'set forth'; a form often used in petitions.
[31] PARDI. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 15.
[32] A VOTRE AISE LE RESTE, 'The rest when you like.'
[33] D'OÙ VIENT PRÉFÉRER CELUI-CI. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.
[34] ARRÊTÉ, for the modern Frenchengagé('engaged').
[35] IL ME TARDE, 'I long.'
[36] EN PASSE, 'In a position to.'
[37] D'ALLER À TOUT. For the more modern expressiond'arriver à tout, 'to attain any height.'
[38] DÉFAITE, 'Excuse' or 'pretext' (Littré", 4°, also Diet, de l'Acad. 1878).
[39] ÉLÉVATION. Used here with the unusual meaning of 'desire for social eminence.'
[40] ELLE S'ENDORT DANS CET ÉTAT, 'She is satisfied with her condition.' While already in the seventeenth century the ambition of richbourgeoisto gain admission to the exclusive circles of the nobility had been sufficiently marked to induce Molière to attack it in hisBourgeois gentilhomme, it was even more noticeable in the eighteenth, andmésalliancesbetween noblemen and women of the middle class became much more frequent.
[41] RÉFLEXION ROTURIÈRE.Roturewas the expression used to denote thebourgeoisieas 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'OÙ VIENT. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 220.
[45] J'Y METTRAI BON ORDRE. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 169.
[46] PLAISANT. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 37.
[47] TIMBRÉ COMME CENT, 'As crazy as a loon.' It is difficult to preserve the figure in an idiomatic translation. Compare the colloquial English, "You act likesixty."
[48] CERVELLE BRÛLÉE. A peculiar use ofcervelle.Brûléeis used here by Marivaux in the sensetroublée, as in the passage from Mme. de Sévigné: "Mme. de Saint-Géran est toute brûlée du départ 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. Hereboudantmight 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 withavoir affaire à, which means 'to have to deal with.'
[52] ESPRIT RENVERSÉ, 'A crazy man.'
[53] MALEPESTE. Seele Legs, note 48.
[54] AVANT QUE DE. Seele Jeu de l'amour et du hasard, note 93.
[55] IL N'Y AVOIT PLUS PERSONNE AU LOGIS, 'He was quite unconscious.' (Littré, "logis," 1°.)
[56] D'ÉPIER. Later editions printqu'épier, asd'épierwould not be admissible in modern French.Que de rêver… que d'épierwould be the most natural modern form.
[57] PAYOIS BOUTEILLE =Payais à boire.