FABLE XV.

ÆSOP, 90. Senex et Mors.

11 Un galant homme. (Cf. xiv. 24.) ‘A fine gentleman' (It. 'galant'uomo'), one with every pleasure at command, in the full enjoyment of life. In this sense of 'galant' we use courtgallant.'

13 Cul-de-jatte implies an abject cripple, who, having no legs, pushes himself along seated (cul,' the seat') in a wooden frame ('jatte,' literally 'a bowl').

Manchot. 'Maimed,' literally in the hand. Diminutive of O. Fr. 'manc,' Lat. 'mancus.' The verb 'manquer' is derived from the same root.

15 i.e. for that is what it comes to.' Quelqu'un. It was Boileau.

Le mot de Mécénas. Attributed to Mæcenas by Seneca in his Epistle, 101

"Debilem facito manu,

Debilem pede, coxa;
Tuber adstrue gibberum,
Lubricos quate dentes;

Vita dum superest, bene est.

Hanc mihi, vel acutâ

Si sedeam cruce, sustine."

FABLE XVI.

ÆSOP, 90. Senex et Mors.

1 Bûche. 'Log of wood.' 'Bûcher,' collective 'funeral pile. Bûcheron.

'Wood-cutter.'

Ramée. Obsolete collective from Lat. '
'ramus.

'Rameaux'

would now be used; but 'ramée,' used by G. Sand, for 'booth' or 'bower of branches.' Cf. 'ramage,' ii. 7.

2 Faix. Lat. 'fascis ;' i.q. 'poids.' Cf. diminutive 'faisceau,' from late Lat. 'fascellus.'

4 Chaumine would now be 'chaumière,' derived from 'chaume,' Lat. 'calamus;' therefore implies thatched cottage.'

5 N'en pouvoir plus; sc. 'faire;' therefore to be utterly exhausted. Cf. 'n'en pouvoir mais' (Lat. 'magis ')='not to be to blame for.' Cf. II. ix. 28; VI. iii. 26.

8 En; sc. 'des hommes.'

round world?'

'Is there a man worse off in the

En la, now 'dans' would be used before definite article. ΙΟ His wife heads the list of his hardships! A touch of autobiography. La Fontaine had no pleasure in domestic life, partly from an unhappy marriage, and partly from his own

He was

selfish inaptitude for all responsibility and trouble. estranged from his wife, and did not know his own son by sight! The so-called 'Bon-homme' preferred to be patronized and provided for by others.

We

II Corvée. Originally 'corvada' in Charlemagne's Capitularies (eighth century); from late Lat. 'corrogata' = 'travail commandé.' It is the historic word under the feudal system for 'soccage,' or the unpaid labour every serf was compelled to perform for his lord. It is now used for any 'drudgery,' and is the word by which French authors render 'fagging' at public schools. have here a picture only too truthful of the miseries of the French peasant, which went on increasing till the great Revolution. Soldiers quartered on them without appeal; taxes levied on them at the good pleasure of the sovereign; debt incurred for every little necessary purchase, and such debt in part wiped out by the performance of hateful corvées' for the creditor. In Erckmann-Chatrian's Histoire d'un Paysan the picture is filled Yet even so men cling to life!

out.

6

12 Achever; i.e. 'venir à chef' (caput). Old phrase for 'venir à bout.'

16 i.e. 'I shan't keep you long.'

=

17 Trépas. Always used of 'death;' unlike its English cognate, trespass 'transgression.' So verb 'trépasser' (Lat. 'transpassare')='passer au delà, quitter la vie,' the same idea as the popular phrase, 'faire le saut.'

18 Bouger. Eng. 'budge;' provençal ‘bolegar'= ‘s'agiter ;’ really frequentative (bullicare') of Lat. 'bullire,' 'bouillir.' 20 Deviser. Variety of diviser' (Lat. 'dividere'). 'Devise,' originally a division of the shield or coat of arms, on which was carved some emblem, called 'corps de la devise,' with an explanatory motto about it, called 'âme de la devise.' Now devise' is used for such motto' or 'device' alone. responding English motto would be, 'Never say die !'

FABLE XVII.

The cor

PHÆDR. II. 2. Anus diligens juvenem, item puella.

2 i.q. commençant à grisonner.' So 'tirer sur sa fin, tirer sur le tombeau,' of a man with one foot in the grave.'

5 i.e. 'de l'argent comptant,' 'ready money,' cash that is 'told down' on the counter.

6 Partant. From Lat. 'per tantum'='by right of that,’‘in consequence.'

7 De quoi='wherewithal.' Here plenty to choose from.' 9 Bien adresser. To aim well,' 'hit the mark,' and therefore to make wise choice,'

IO 'Had most hold on.'

15 Faire fête à implies 'to pay court to.'

16 Têtonner. Old word used by Rabelais, explained in next line. But besides the natural meaning of 'peigner, 'têtonner (like 'peigner') is used humourously for 'to beat about the head.' Cf. also vii. 14.

21 Poils. Lat. 'capillos.' 23 Se douter de. 24 Les belles. cf. III. i. 55. 25 Tondre.

of 'to fleece.'

'pilos.' Here used for 'cheveux ;' Lat.

'To be in doubt about ''to suspect.' 'My fair friends.' Article here as vocative;

Lat. 'tondere,' later 'tondĕre.' Cf. English use

27 Point de nouvelles. Literally, 'no tidings;' i.e. 'I will not hear a word of.'

29 Vécusse. Latin 'vixissem;' subjunctive depending on verb of 'desire.'

30 Chauve. Lat. 'calvus.' 'Tenir,' here neuter, 'to hold out,' 'endure.' 'This is more than even bald head can stand.'

FABLE XVIII.

PHÆDR. I. 26. Vulpes et Ciconia.

ÆSOP, 34.

This

Renard, a proper name of German origin = 'rusé.' name for the fox' in the popular mediæval Satire Le Roman de Renard, entirely supplanted the old French word 'goupil ;' Lat. vulpeculus. [Cf. 'guêpe,' from 'vespa;' 'gaîne,' from 'vagina; cf. I. xxi. 5.]

I Compère, commère,' originally were the co-father and comother appointed by the church for the child's spiritual training, to supplement the natural parents. Now called 'parrain,' 'marraine.' Soon they became familiar and even contemptuous forms of address, like the corresponding English words 'gaffer' (= 'god-father'), 'gammer' and 'gossip' (='god-sib').

Frais (O. Fr. singular frait'). Now only used in plural = 'dépens.' Cf. Eng. verb 'defray.'

2 Cigogne. Lat. 'ciconia.'

3 Régal. Cf. ix. 9.

4 Galant.

Cf. xiv. 24.

Besogne. Variety of besoin,' which in O. Fr. are synonymous. Now 'besoin'='need;' 'besogne'=' task,' 'work.' Cf. similar double use of Lat. 'opus.' Here the phrase='pour tout préparatif.' Cf. familiar pour tout potage.'

5 Brouet = 'bouillon.' Cf. Eng. 'brew,' 'broth.'

Chichement = 'pauvrement;' adjective 'chiche,' 'stingy;' from Lat. 'ciccum' 'something valueless.'

7 Miette. Diminutive of 'mie;' Lat. 'mica.' Cf. verb 'émietter.' 'Ne-miette' = emphatic negative 'rien du tout.' Cf. 'n'y voir goutte,' 'n'y entendre goutte' (Lat. gutta').

6

8 Eut lapi. Pluperfect-definite, instead of ordinary pluperfect 'avait lapé,' to express the rapidity of its disappearance. 10 Prier'inviter.' Still so used.

16 À point; i.e. 'à point nommé ;' stronger than 'à temps.' 'At the exact time,' 'punctually.'

19 Friand; i.q. 'friant,' participle of 'frire,' implies as epithet 'appétissant.

21 Vase. Masculine, from Lat. 'vas' ('vasum,' in Plautus). 'Vase,' feminine='bourbe,' ' silt,' 'mud.'

Col. Lat. 'collum,' now 'cou;' except in sense of 'mountainpass' Lat. 'jugum.'

Embouchure. Instead of 'bouche;' in figurative senses, as 'mouth' of a river, 'mouthpiece' of a wind-instrument. Étroit. Lat. 'strictus;' Eng. 'strait.'

23 Museau. O. Fr. 'musel,' diminutive of 'muse' 'bouche.' Eng. 'muzzle.'

24 A jeun.

Cf. x. 5.

25 This line has passed into a proverb.

26 i.e. with his tail between his legs.'

=

28 Attendre = 'to wait for.' 'S'attendre à' to be prepared for,' 'expect.'

FABLE XIX.

This Fable is based on Rabelais, I. 42.

3 Choir.

Lat. cadere.' Cf. déchoir,' 'échoir.' Through present participle 'chéant' is derived substantive 'chéance.' Through past participle 'chu' is derived substantive 'chute.' 9 i.e. 'courez, arrivez au secours !'

10 Magister Scotch 'domine,' usually contracted 'maître.' II A contre-temps="hors de saison,' 'mal à propos,' 'inopportunely.'

to.'

S'aviser de. 'To bethink oneself of,' 'take it into one's head

12 Tancer. O. Fr. 'tencer;' from late Lat. 'tentiare' 'contendere;' sc. 'verbis.'

Babouin. Monkey.' Cf. Eng. 'baboon;' i.q. 'petit polisson.' 14 Ironical imperative, implying the opposite of what seems to be said. 'After that, do so;' viz., 'at your cost!' 'Who

would care to do so?'

15 Qu'il faille. Subjunctive with que causal, 'in that they must.' Introduced in the sixteenth century; from It.

16 Canaille.

'canaglia.'

18 Note, the lecture must be finished first!

19 Ne pense. This negative, redundant in English, is strictly logical. The thought is: "You have no idea of how many people are here condemned.'

23 Engeance; i.q. 'race,' derivative of 'enger'='se multiplier;' connected with Lat. 'ingignere.' The word mostly implies contempt.

FABLE XX.

PHÆDR. III. 12. Pullus ad Margeritam.

Notice the happy form of this short Fable, which has been thus described: "L'opposition du sens figuré et du sens propre en deux sixains alternatifs."

I Détourna. 'Turned up;' usually 'turned away.' The word here implies that the cock was scratching for another purpose.

=

3 Le beau premier 'the very first.' Cf. Ger. 'der erste beste,' implying that the first you can find is for your purpose also the best. Cf. also 'le beau milieu,' 'the very centre.' 5 'Millet-seed;' Lat. 'milium.'

96

6 C'est mon affaire, also 'c'est mon fait,' implies 'that's the thing for me, what I want.'

II Ducaton. Diminutive of 'ducat''-ducat,' from Italian coin 'ducato,' bearing the Doge's stamp ; cf. our 'sovereign.'

FABLE XXI.

PHÆDR. III. 13. Apes et Fuci, Vespå judice.

Drones are really the males of the hive, who collect no honey and have no stings, and who in autumn are turned out and killed by the working bees.

I Euvre. In ordinary senses feminine by error, from Lat. neuter plural 'opera;' like 'joie,' from Lat. 'gaudia;' 'feuille,' from Lat. 'folia ;' 'voile,' from Lat. 'vela;' 'dette,' from 'debita.' In classic and technical uses œuvre' is masculine, as it should be from Lat. neuter 'opus.' Verb 'œuvrer' quite obsolete; the last trace of it remains in 'désœuvré.'

2 Rayon. Derivative of 'rais;' Lat. 'radium,' (1) 'ray of light,' (2) 'any radiating line;' therefore, 'rayons' may mean 'spokes of wheels,' 'bookshelves,' 'honeycombs.'

==

3 Frelons. Derivative of 'frêle;' Lat. 'fragilis' = 'insecte, animal au corps frêle et délié.' Here 'frelons' are 'drones; the same word is used for 'hornets.'

Réclamer. The prefix ré- is intensive, adding extra meaning; cf. 'réunir,' 'récréer,' 'réhabiliter.' The prefix re is simply