Cuvettes. 'Bowls.' Diminutive of 'cuve,' vat,' O. Eng. 'coop,' whence 'cooper.' In modern Fr. 'cuvette' is 'washhand basin.'

44 'Malmsey,' a sweet wine, to which (according to the story) Edward IV.'s brother, Duke of Clarence, was so partial. There is no anachronism here; for it is a Greek wine grown near Napoli di Malvasina, in the Morea, or ancient Peloponnesus. 45 Slaves that wait at table.'

46 L'attirail' tout ce qui y est attiré, qui y appartient,' 'all the paraphernalia.'

Goinfre 'gourmand.'

51 Joyau. From medieval Lat. 'jocale.' Derivative, 'joaillier.' 54 Labeur. Used of any labour; labour,'. only of husbandry. 'Labeur' and 'honneur' are the only words in -eur, from Lat. -or, that retain the original masculine gender.

58 Everything was valued, and then each sister was to take her choice.

66 The very opposite of what the will meant.'

Contrepied is said, in hunting, of following the trail or scent the wrong way, when hounds run a heel-scent.

67 Défunt. From Lat. 'defunctus,' sc. 'vitâ.'

74 Gré. Cf. I. xiv. 34.

75 Subjunctive depending on negative.

76 Partant. Lat. 'per tantum,' in just the same proportion, ' accordingly.'

79 Biberon (1) a sucking-bottle;' (2) 'a toper.' Formed on the analogy of 'forgeron.'

Bétail. Singular collective, from Lat. 'bestialia.' In plural, 'bestiaux.'

81 Esop, the so-called 'Phrygian slave,' was said to have been born at Cotiæum, in Phrygia. But Samos, Sardis, and Mesembria, in Thrace, also claimed to be his birthplace.

82 Alléguer. Lat. 'allegare, to allege.' 'Alléger,' Lat. 'alleviare (léger,' from Lat. 'levis'), 'to alleviate.' 86 Leur. Dative of possessor.

87 Comptant. As adverb- en argent comptant;' i.e. 'pay

all off at once.'

31 Foudre (Lat. 'fulgur'). Usually feminine (by error from Lat. neuter plural. Cf. 'feuille,' 'voile'), but in poetry often masculine, and always masculine in this figurative sense: 'un foudre de guerre,' a doughty warrior.' Cf. Virgil's Æn. vi. 843

32 Il n'est.

si poltron; i.e. 'Il n'y a personne si poltron.'

FABLE XV.

ÆSOP. 225. Canis, Gallus, et Vulpes; also, Canis et Gallus.

I So être en faction, 'to stand sentry.'

==

2 Matois 'rusé.' Origin uncertain; probably from 'la mate,' the thieves' quarter at Paris. Derivative 'matoiserie.' 8 Postes stages,' for each of which a traveller would use a fresh relay of post-horses.

9 Vaquer à='have leisure for;' and so 'go about, attend to,' business. Cf. philosophiæ vacare,' Cicero.

12 Faites-en les feux; sc. ‘de joie,” ‘bonfires,’=‘réjouissezvous-en.'

14 Amour. Made feminine in poetry to sound more tender! Usually so in the plural.

17 These short lines well express the hesitation of the answer, while the cock is still casting about for a happy thought. Then he runs on glibly enough.

20 Lévriers. From late Lat. 'leporarius.' Lat. 'leporem.'

'Lièvre,' from

Racine uses it. Usually 'être à'

With re

21 Je m'assure. Then common for 'je crois.' 23 Seront... à nous; i.e. 'auprès de nous.' implies, to be in the power,' 'at the service of.' 24 Entre-baiser. "Kiss each other all round.' flexive verbs the prefix 'entre' (cf. Lat. 'inter se') expresses a mutual or reciprocal act. Sometimes 'entre' expresses a partial act, as 'entrevoir,' 'entr'ouvrir.' 'Baiser,' O. Eng., 'to buss.'

25 Traite. Participial substantive; from 'traire,' Lat. 'trahere.' Cf. draught,' from 'draw.' (1) 'Stage,' 'journey.' Cf. 'aller tout d'une traite,' 'to go at one stretch, without stopping.' (2) 'Transport of goods,' specially, 'la traite,' 'the slave-trade.' (3) A bill drawn,' 'draft.'

·

28 Tire ses grègues. Hitches up his breeches,' 'girds up his loins.' 'Grègues'='culottes grecques.'

Gagne au haut. Cf. 'gagner le large'='se sauver.' Literally, of a ship standing out for the open sea.

29 Mal content would now be 'mécontent,' but less expressive. Cf. Lat. 'male' as negative prefix 'male fidus.'