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10 Ne pas se sentir expresses loss of consciousness and selfcontrol; to be beside oneself' with strong feeling.

18 Qu'on ne l'y prendrait plus='qu'on ne l'attraperait plus ainsi.'

Cf. HORACE, Sat. II. 3.

FABLE III.

PHÆDR. I. 24. Rana rupta, et Bos.

1 Grenouille. O. Fr. 'renouille,' from late Lat. 'ranucula,' originally 'ranuncula' (Cicero uses ranunculus'), diminutive of rana.' This addition of initial g is unexampled.

4 Se travailler='se tourmenter 'se donner beaucoup de travail.' Cf. O. Eng. 'travail.'

8 Nenni. Colloquial for 'non.' In old times men north of the Loire expressed 'yes' and 'no' by 'oui' ('hoc illud') 'nenni' ('non illud'); men south of the Loire by 'oc' (cf. 'Langue d'oc') 'non.' With political unity comes compromise of dialect, illustrated by the modern use of the northern oui,' and southern 'non.' 9 Chétif. From Lat. 'captivus;' Eng. 'caitiff.' Pécore implies 'stupid animal;' word introduced in sixteenth century, from It. 'pecora.' The terms imply utter contempt. 10 Crever. Lat. 'crepare'=sound of bursting. vulgarly' mourir,' especially of animals.

FABLE IV.

PHÆDR. II. 7. Muli duo et Vectores.

I Avoine. Lat. 'avena.'

'Crever,'

2 Gabelle (O. Eng. 'gabel,' 'gavel'), originally = 'impôt,' any excise tax, specially the tax on salt. This 'gabelle' was so universal and galling a burden as to have caused more than once a peasants' insurrection (Jacquerie).

3 Glorieux. Cf. Lat. use of 'gloriosus.'

5 Pride shown by high stepping.

6 Bells on harness are usually called 'grelots.'

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8 En vouloir à 'to bear a grudge against,' or 'have a design upon.' It is a euphemism, implying that you wish more or worse than you care to express.

9 Fisc. Lat. 'fiscus''the emperor's privy purse;' but with the sense rather of 'ærarium,' the national 'treasury.'

FABLE V.

PHÆDR. III. 7. Lupus ad Canem.

I As we say, 'to be but skin and bones.'

3 Dogue English word adopted to express a dog of English breed, therefore mastiff' or 'bull-dog.' Cf. modern introduc

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tion of such words as 'redingote,' 'le sport,' 'le boxe,' 'jockey,' 'bifteck.'

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Se fourvoyer (from Lat. 'foris, via ')='s'égarer.'
Par mégarde-Lat. 'incuriosè.'

5 Amusing variety for the common 'mettre en pièces.'

8 Mâtin. O. Fr. 'mastin;' It. 'mastino;' from late Lat. 'mansatinus canis ;' i.e. manse-dog' or 'house-dog.'

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Être de taille à 'to be of a size to.' Cf. 'être de force à.' II Propos. Lat. 'propositum' anything put forth in words, 'talk,' 'remarks,' 'conversation.' Cf. the phrase, 'à propos,' to introduce a subject connected with what has just been said. 12 Embonpoint. Three words run together (cf. 'débonnaire,' 'saintenitouche')=being 'in good condition.'

13 Il ne tient qu'à moi='it depends on me alone.'

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17 Cancre (Lat. cancer'), 'crab,' implies leanness; therefore ='décharné, malingre.'

Hère misérable,' corruption of Ger. 'Herr.' The more civilised inhabitants of Gaul revenged themselves on their Frankish conquerors by disparaging the few German words forced upon them. Thus, 'Herr,' 'lord,' 'master,' becomes 'hère,' 'poor wretch;' 'meer,' 'the sea,' becomes 'mare,' 'a puddle;' 'land' becomes 'lande,' 'waste land;' 'trinken,' 'to drink,' becomes 'trinquer,' 'to hobnob;' and 'bouquin' is only used for 'a musty volume.'

19 Lipée, or 'lippée.' From O. Fr. 'lippe'='lèvre;' now only in the phrase, faire une grosse lippe': faire la moue; in sense='bouchée,' the termination implying 'fulness.' Cf. 'gorgée,' 'poignée,' and also 'année,' 'journée,' &c. 'Not a morsel free of cost.'

24 The modern rule was not established in La Fontaine's time, that the present participle is indeclinable so long as it retains a verbal force, and is not mere epithet.

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26 'In consideration of which.' Participle absolute; cf. VI. 7. 27 Force beaucoup de.' Cf. Lat. 'vim lapidum,' and Eng. 'a power of,' 'a lot of."

Reliefs' restes;' sc. 'de repas;' 'ce qu'on relève de la table.'

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30 Se forge. Humorously stronger than 's'imagine,' se peint.'

32 Peler='ôter le poil,' 'épiler;' Lat. 'pilare.' Different word from 'peler,' 'to peel.'

34 Mais encor; sc. 'dites-le-moi.' Cf. Dedication, 1. 2. Dont. Genitive (= Lat. ablative) of instrument.

'par lequel' or 'avec lequel' would be preferred.

In prose

41 The particle 'en' (Lat. 'inde') prefixed to verbs of movement gives a starting-point, and so implies a change of place.

Cf. 'en venir, to come away;' therefore, 'to proceed further,' as in 'ils en vinrent aux mains' = 'they proceeded to blows.' 'And still runs wild.'

Et court encor.

What is true of the

race is humourously applied to the individual. Now proverbial for 'not to be caught!

FABLE VI.

PHÆDR. I. 5. Vacca et Capella, Ovis et Leo.

From this Fable comes the proverb of the lion's share.' I Génisse. From Lat. 'junicem.' 'Junix' (contraction of 'juvenix')='juvenca.'

2 Fier. From Lat. 'ferus,' with sense of 'ferox.'

3 Au temps jadis (usually 'jadis' alone) = 'autrefois' ('ja,' 'dis,' from Lat. 'jam,' 'dies.' Cf. 'déjà,' 'jamais').

5 Lacs. Contraction of Lat. 'laqueus;' diminutive 'lacets.' 7 Eux venus. Participle absolute, as common in French as in Latin, and the real explanation of such words as 'excepté,' 'moyennant,' 'vu,' used apparently as prepositions.

Par ses ongles. As men count on their fingers.

9 Depecer; i.e. 'dépiécer. Cf. 'rapiécer,' 'to patch.' 10 Sire. The lion being king of beasts. 'Sire,' 'sieur'= nominative 'senior;' 'seigneur' accusative 'seniorem.'

14 Échoir. O. Fr. 'eschoir;' from Lat. 'ex-cidere ;' used of property falling due' or 'coming in' to a person. Cf. Eng. escheat.' From participle 'échéant' is formed the substantive 'échéance.'

16 Prétendre. Used both as transitive, 'to claim,' and intransitive, prétendre à,' 'to lay claim to.' 'Prétendre,' with prolative infinitive 'to intend,' as 'Que prétendez-vous faire?'

18 The monarch's reasons end in a climax of unreasonableness. It seems strange that La Fontaine adhered to this unnatural association of animals as given in the older fabulists. In the mediæval Roman de Renart it is the wolf and fox who hunt with the lion on a similar occasion.

FABLE VII.

PHÆDR. IV. 10. De Vitiis Hominum; cf. ESOP, 364, Simia et Jupiter.

This Fable brings out well variety of animal characteristics, and though based on classic fables, is in its complete dramatic form original.

Besace. From Lat. 'bisaccia,' used by Petronius='sac à double poche,' like saddle-bags.

2 S'en vienne. Cf. v. 41.

Paraître, to seem;' apparaître, 'to come in sight;' comparaître, to put in a formal appearance,' as before a tribunal.

3 Combosé.

is created.'

His constitution;' ¿e. 'the shape in which he

Redire implies repetition with a view to 'criticising,' 'finding fault.'

6 He shall speak first 'with good reason,' who must obviously be dissatisfied. ́ Cf. proverb, Laid comme un singe."

12 Ebaucher.

sketch.'

To rough-hew.' Cf. ‘une ébauche,' ‘a rough

14 Il s'allait plaindre. Because the verb 'aller' is treated as a future auxiliary; cf. 'il se serait plaint.' But you would now say, 'Il allait se plaindre.'

15 Tant s'en faut. Cf. Lat. 'tantum abest.' 'S'en faillir'= 'to fall short of a given standard,' 'to be deficient.'

16 Gloser sur.

Gr. γλώσσα.

To criticise.' Cf. Lat. 'glossa, glossarium ;'

18 C'était. The impersonal ce for the personal il is more contemptuous.

21 A son appétit=‘to his mind;' literally, 'to his stomach.' Humourous variety for 'à son goût,' ‘à son avis.'

22 Baleine. Lat. balæna.'

23 Ciron. 'Fleshworm,' type of the smallest creature visible to the eye. 24 Colosse.

A generic word by extension from the famous colossus, or gigantic statue of Apollo, at Rhodes; as ‘phare’any 'lighthouse,' by extension from the famous Pharos on the island of that name in the bay of Alexandria.

25 Jupin. Familiar abbreviation of Jupiter. Cf. 'Jove.' 26 D'eux; sc. 'd'eux-mêmes.'

27 Tout ce que nous sommes=Lat. 'quot omnes sumus.' 28 'Lynx-eyed'. . . ‘and blind as moles.' Moles have tiny

eyes.

u.

Taupe. Lat. talpa ;' since I after another vowel softens to Cf. 'aube,' from 'alba;' 'chauve,' from 'calvus.'

31 Fabricateur. For 'créateur,' in keeping with the Fable, and gives us the moral without any irreverent handling of names conventionally sacred.

32 Besaciers; i.e. 'portant besace.' Word coined by La Fontaine.

FABLE VIII.

ÆSOP, 417. Hirundo et Aves.

I Hirondelle. Diminutive of Lat. 5 Devant que='before' (of time), be avant que.' 'Devant' in O. Fr. Cf. derivatives 'devancer,' 'devancier.' 'devant' were used alike.

hirundo.'

now obsolete; it would davant;' i.e. 'd'avant.' Originally 'avant' and

Éclore is the converse of 'clore,' Lat. 'claudere,' = 'to unclose.' It is now used (1) of the hatching of eggs, as 'excludere ova,' in Columella, and (2) of the opening of flowers into bloom. Here it gives the bursting of the storm; in modern Fr. 'éclater.' 6 The swallows' low flight a sure sign of coming storm. 7 Chanvre. 'La chanvre,' now 'le chanvre.' In Lat. both 'cannabis' f. and 'cannabum' n.; Gr. кávvaßos. Lat. bum' becomes 'cann'bum ;' 'chanve,' 'chanvre.' For intercalated r, cf. 'régistre,' from 'regestrum,' 'regestum ;' 'trésor,' from thesaurum;' 'perdrix,' from 'perdicem;' 'rustre,' from 'rusticum.'

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8 Manant (Lat. 'manentem') 'habitant,' and specially 'habitant d'un bourg, ou d'un village;' therefore 'rustic,' 'serf,' one attached to the estate;' now term of reproach, 'ill-bred clown.' Cf. 'maison,' from Lat. 'mansionem;' Eng. 'manse.' 9 Oisillon. Diminutive of 'oiseau,' itself diminutive, Lat. 'aucellus' ('aucella'='avicella,' used by Apicius).

12 Chemine='se promène;' viz., as it sows the seed.' 15 Engin=Lat. ingenium;' used in late Lat. for engine of war;' shortened with us into 'gin.' Cf. O. Fr. 'engeigner,' 'to entrap.' IV. xi. 1.

16 Lacets. Diminutive of 'lac,' which is old accusative ('laqueum') of 'lacs' ('laqueus'). Cf. I. vi. 5.

17 As in English, 'many and many a device.'

20 Gare. Imperative of old verb 'garer' (Ger. 'wehren'). Cf. Eng. 'ware,' as in 'ware-horse,' 'ware-hound.'

24 Trop de quoi; sc. 'manger.'

25 Chenevière-'champ semé de chanvre.'

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26 Blade by blade.' The preposition 'à' (ad) implies contiguousness, as in 'côte-à-côte," 'vis-à-vis.'

Cf.

30 The definite article often has a demonstrative force: A pretty office this you give us !' 32 Eplucher. 'Pluck bare.' O. Fr. 'espelucher.' 'peluche' (derivative of Lat. 'pilum ')='woolly nap,' 'plush.' Now used (1) 'to clean by picking,' 'éplucher de la salade ;' (2) figuratively, 'to pick holes in,' 'sift,' 'éplucher sa conduite.' Canton. Generic word, 'district,' 'neighbourhood;' no technical sense, as now in Switzerland.

33 Crue.

Feminine of 'crû;' past participle of 'croître ;' cf. due,' feminine of 'dû.' The feminine participles of 'croire' and 'croître' cannot be distinguished. Cf. 1. 36.

Pousser is now the usual word to express the 'growth' of plants.

35 Cf. our proverb, “Ill weeds grow apace.

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Tôt. Now always bientôt,' except in phrase 'tôt ou tard.' 38 Blé. O. Fr. 'bled' (as late as Voltaire); corruption of Lat. 'ablatum'='what is gathered from the fields.'

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