Fables, with notes by F. Tarver

Page 281 line 2-Les clefs de meute: The leading hounds; that those on whose staunchness the

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is to say,

huntsman can most depend.

4-Rompit: Called them off.

7-Mon galant: My friend (the fox).

8-Mes chiens, etc.: My hounds do not acknowledge the scent any further than these posts on which hang so many honest fellows (the gallows). 10-Il y viendra: He's sure to come back again. 10-A son dam: To his loss. Damnum. II-Clabaudant: Giving tongue. (Dutch klappen.) 12-Se guindant: Winding his way. (O. German windjan, to wind.)

13-Maître pendu, etc.: Our friend who has hung
himself up thought that matters would go on
the same way as the day when he played them
the same trick before.

15-Le pauvret: The poor chap. Fam.
15-Ce coup: This time.

15-Y laissa ses houseaux: Lost his life. Ses
houseaux is literally his shoes, from Old French
housel, dim. of house. L.L. hosa. (German
hosen.)

30-Votre prince: Charles II.
33-Agréez: Deign to accept.

35-Elle est confuse: She (ie., my muse) is quite

ashamed.

2-A celle qui remplit, etc. : Because all the votaries of Venus flock around her.

5-Mazarin The Duchesse de Mazarin, Hortense Mancini, born at Rome 1646, died at Chelsea 1699, niece of Cardinal Mazarin, married the Duc de la Meillerais in 1661, from whom she was separated. She then came to England, and was one of Charles the Second's "favourites.'

FABLE XXIV.

Cf. Book vi., Fable 12.

7-Les filles du limon: The daughters of mud, i.e.,

the frogs.

This Fable has a political allusion to the dispute between the Dutch (la République aquatique) and Louis XIV., represented by the sun (his device).

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9- Guerre ni pauvreté: The first ni is omitted (ut passim).

II-Elle faisait valoir: She caused to be respected. 18-Enfans de la bonne fortune: The ordinary con

sequence of good fortune.

24-L'œil de la nature : i.e., le soleil. Cf. Book vii., Fable 18, page 145, line 21.

Page 282 line 25-A leur dire: To hear them speak-i.e., in their

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opinion.

29-Ambassades coassantes: Cf. Book ii., Fable 4,

page 24, line 25.

32-Toute la machine ronde: Cf. Book i., Fable 16,
page 15, lines 19, 20.

34-Méchants: Wretched.
4-Se pique: Gets angry.

6-La république aquatique: Cf. Book iv., Fable 2,
page 71, lines 21, 22.

FABLE XXV:

10-Dès: See Book iv., Fable 4, page 64, line 16.
12-Un maître rat: A rat of importance. Cf. Book
iv., Fable 4, page 65, line 7.

13-La rateuse seigneurie: His ratty lordship.
18-Fanfaron: Cf. Book ii., Fable 19, page 39,

line 14.

22-De: Redundant.

25-A l'office: To the pantry.

27-Bombance: Fam. bombance, to eat and drink of

the best. Etym. doubtful.

L.L. bombus, noise.

Diez suggests

33-Raminagrobis: Cf. Book vii., Fable 16, page 143, line 21.

2-Sus: Up! come along! L. sursum.

3-Rates: Inusit. as fem. of rat.

6-Un morceau de fromage: This Fable being an allusion to the war made on the Dutch by Louis XIV., the cheese is appropriate.

7-De risquer le paquet: To risk their lives. 14-Qui n'en démord pas : Who does not let go her hold (of the mouse).

21-Gare encore le matou: Look out for the cat! Matou, a tom-cat. Origin doubtful. M. Littré suggests mite. Cf. chatte-mite (catta-mitis).

FABLE XXVI.

Madame de la Mésangère, daughter of La Fontaine's especial friend and protector, Mme. de la Sablière.

26-Seule: i.., for her own merits. Cf. the following line.

29-Je ne puis que: (Inusit.) I cannot help. Cf. Lat. non possum quin.

1-Ménageant: Husbanding.

13-Une jeune merveille: A young marvel of beauty. 21-N'ayant trait qui ne plût : Having no feature but what was pleasing.

Page 285 line 22-Quelle l'eût-on trouvée, etc,: What would she not have been to those on whom she bestowed

her favours (if so charming to those to whom
she was hardhearted)!

34-Sa nativité: For sa naissance. Obsolete, but
not uncommon in the seventeenth century.
15-Passant, arrête-toi : Siste, viator!

24-Dès ce soir même: Cf. Book iv., Fable 4,
page 64, line 16.

29-N'est plus: Is no more: is dead.
34-Son perfide

Æneas.

FABLE XXVII.

I-L'hospitalier: Hospitaller; one who visits hos-
pitals. The Knights of Malta were so called.
3-Jaloux de leur salut: Desirous of gaining their
salvation.

6-Tous chemins vont à Rome : Proverbial. You
may gain your object by many different ways.
9-Qu'en apanage: Which one always sees as the
necessary accompaniment of lawsuits. Apa-
nage; this word, now only used to signify ter-
ritory assigned to Princes of the Blood for their
maintenance," formerly meant pension ali-
mentaire," from the Old French verb apaner
(panis), to feed.

12-Depuis qu'il est des lois : Ever since laws have been invented.

15-Qu'il viendrait à bout: That he would succeed. 20-D'alors: Of those days.

22-Chagrins: Cross; dissatisfied.

25-Aux prix de Compared with.

26-Où: To which.

26-L'appointeur: The referee (legal).

28-Des deux : i.e., of the two parties concernedplaintiff and defendant.

31-Rebutaient : Disgusted.

4-Apprendre à se connaître : yes AUTOY.
10-Agitez celle-ci : Stir up this water here.
II-La vase, etc.: The mud forms a thick cloud,

which counteracts the effects of the (otherwise
clear) crystal; vase, f., mud, a word of Old
German origin; vase, m., a vessel; L.L.

vasum, vas.

18-Ce n'est pas, etc. : I do not mean to say that no occupation should be permitted.

PHILÉMON ET BAUCIS.

This story is an imitation of Ovid's "Metamorphoses," Lib. viii., 611, et seqq.

Page 289 line 3-Msgr. le Duc de Vendôme was great-grandson of Henri IV. and Gabrielle d'Estrées, born in 1654. A general of some celebrity, and who with the Prince de Conti became a great friend and protector of La Fontaine when Madame de la Sablière withdrew from the world.

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4-Ni l'or ni la grandeur: Imitated from Terentius Varro (B.C. 116).

Non fit thesauris non auro pectu' solutum,

It must mean

that "Riches are the eternal abode of allconsuming care."

8-Le fils de Japet: Prometheus.

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7-C'est The reference is obscure.

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16-Approche-t-il, etc., etc. : Is he getting near the goal; is he leaving this (earthly) abode?

21-Dès leur plus doux printemps: Cf. Ovid—

Illa sunt annis juncti juvenilibus, illa

Consenuere casa.

23-Clothon: Clotho is more properly the Fate who holds the spindle, while Lachesis spins the thread.

24-Ils surent: They managed.

26-Eux seuls, etc.

Cf. Ovid

Nec refert dominos illis famulosne requiras:
Tota domus duo sunt.

28-Le gré: The recompense. Cf. Book i., Fable 14,
page 13, line 32, "le gré de sa louange.'

I-Sut, etc. : Was able to prolong itself still further.

4-Engeance: Cf. Book i., Fable 19, page 18,

line 21.

7--Mille logis, etc.: Cf. Ovid

Mille domos adiere, locum requiemque petentes;
Mille domos clausere seræ.

7-Un seul: Pas un seul.

14-Usez: Make use of.

15-L'aide des dieux: By help of the gods we have kept it such as it is.

18-Quand Jupiter, etc. Cf. Voltaire

Leur Jupiter, au tems du lon roi Tulle,
Etait de bois, et fut d'or scu; Luculle.

Page 290 line 21-Encore que: Although our means are smaller than our wishes. Cf. Page 1, line 3. 22-Agréeront: Will be graciously pleased to accept. 23-Quelques restes, etc.: Cf. Ovid

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Inde foco tepidum cinerem dimovit, et ignes
Suscitat hesternos: foliisque et cortice sicco
Nutrit: et ad flammas anima producit anili.
26-L'onde tiède : The water being now warm. (Lat.
abl. absolute.) Tiede is from tepidus. For this
change of the Latin pd into d, cf. hideux from
hispidus; fade, vapidus; maussade, male sapi-
dus; étourdir, extorpidire. Cf. Ovid—

Is (ie., the pot) tepidis impletur aquis, artusque fovendos
Accipit.

28-Et pour tromper: And in order to beguile the
wearisomeness of a long waiting. Cf. Ovid-

Interea medias fallunt sermonibus horas.

31-Verger: L. viridarium.

35-Fut d'ais: Was made of planks not fashioned by the help of the compass (i.e., roughly put together). Ais, L. assis.

2-Qu'en un de ses supports, etc. Cf. Ovid

Mensæ sed erat pes tertius impar ;

Testa parem facit.

4-Autre injure des ans: Another effect of the wear and tear of years.

5-Escabelles: Stools. L. scabellum.

9-Altérés de: Rendered thirsty by.

II-Moins il s'allait vidant: The less empty did it get. Cf. Book i., Fable 10, page 10, line 2Que je me vas désaltérant. Cf. Ovid

Interea, quoties haustum, cratera repleri

Sponte sua, per seque vident succrescere vina. 15-Avec ses noirs sourcils: Cf. Horace, where the same attribute is given to the brow of Jove—

Clari giganteo triumpho

Cuncta supercilio moventis.

20- -Quand nous serions rois : Even if we were kings. 23-Les seuls présents du cœur: A transposition for "the offering of the heart alone."

25-Une perdrix privée : Tame. The most common word is apprivoisée. Ovid has a goose, not a partridge

Unicus anser erat.

28-La volatille: Inusit. for volaille. Cf. Book xii., Fable 12, page 267, line 4.

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