[13] UNE GRANDE CHARGE DANS LES FINANCES. Marivaux refers to the _ferme generale_, a syndicate of capitalists that exploited the taxes levied by the government, and collected by the _fermiers generaux_ and 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 these _traitants_ or _partisans_, as they were also called. Dancourt, in his _Chevalier a la mode_, introduces a pretentious widow, Mme. Patin, of whom her maid says: "Mme. Patin, la veuve d'un honnete partisan, qui a gagne deux millions de bien au service du roi!" (Act I, Sc. 1). [14] PEROU. The gold mines of Peru gave rise to the use of the name as synonymous with wealth. Compare: "Madame Thibaut est un petit Perou pour Monsieur de la Brie." (Dancourt, _Femme d'intrigues_, I, 2.) [15] VOUS M'EN DIREZ DES NOUVELLES. See _le jeu de l'amour et du hasard_, note 242. [16] DIANTRE. See _le Legs_, note 101. [17] LA. _Dans la tete_, with a gesture. [18] DERANGE. 'Disorderly' or 'irregular' (in his affairs). [19] SERVITEUR AU COLLATERAL, 'Then the collateral heirs will have to go without.' _Serviteur au_ is here used in the sense of _tant pis pour. Serviteur_ is 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 chimere, et m'aimez " (Corneille). "Polissez-le sans cesse et le repolissez" (Boileau, _Art Poetique_, Chant 1). [21] DONT. _Que would preferably be used to-day, so as not to repeat the construction of the antecedent. Compare _le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard_, note 175. [22] QU'IL VOUS REVIENNE, 'That you like him.' [23] MONSIEUR PREVIENT EN SA FAVEUR, 'The gentleman's appearance speaks in his favour.' [24] GRACES. In modern French the singular is preferred. [25] EST-CE A VOUS A QUI IL EN VEUT, 'Is it you whom he has come to see?' See _le 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, and _le Legs_, note 135. [26] COMME S'EN ALLANT, for, _comme en s'en allant. [27] PARTI, 'Position' (Littre, 10 deg.). The idea of 'salary' is conveyed by the word as used here. [28] RENVERRAI TOUT. That is to say, _tout ce qui se presentera_; 'I will dismiss all other applicants.' [29] PARTI. See note 27. [30] REPRESENTE, 'call attention, 'set forth'; a form often used in petitions. [31] PARDI. See _le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard_, note 15. [32] A VOTRE AISE LE RESTE, 'The rest when you like.' [33] D'OU VIENT PREFERER CELUI-CI. See _le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard_, note 220. [34] ARRETE, for the modern French _engage_ ('engaged'). [35] IL ME TARDE, 'I long.' [36] EN PASSE, 'In a position to.'