8. =elle sent tellement sa véritable princesse=: ‘it is so evident that it was written by a real princess.’ 13. =Mais le moyen=: ‘But how could I?’ The grace and charm of this letter, attributed to Mlle Lecouvreur, were indeed characteristic. =17=, 2. =restituer l’esprit de son fils=: ‘restore his son to his senses.’ Many letters passed between d’Argental fils and Mlle Lecouvreur. Upon learning that his mother viewed their friendship with displeasure, Adrienne wrote to her (March 22, 1721) a very dignified and kindly letter which is included in the published collection of her letters. 7. =coadjuteur=: ‘bishop coadjutor.’ 22. =les foudres de l’Église... aussi qu’elle ne s’avise pas de mourir=: ‘the denunciation of the church... Therefore, let her take care not to die!’ This refers to the strong opposition of the clergy at that time to members of the theatrical profession. For this reason Molière and later Adrienne herself were refused interment in consecrated ground. =18=, 14. =roi de Pologne=: Augustus II, who succeeded Jean Sobieski in 1697. 14. =comtesse de Koenigsmarck=: Maria Aurora, a woman of great talent and beauty (1670-1728). 20. =Permettez! le bruit en a couru=, etc.: ‘Pardon me, that report has been circulated, but it is not true.’ 22. =Florestan de Belle-Isle.= There seems to be here a reference also to one of Scribe’s contemporaries, Florestan de Bel-Montet, who was of a Bonapartist family. He had tried to secure for Napoleon III, in 1831, the crown of Poland. Napoleon III himself had been given the name of “Florestan” in a novel by Disraeli. 24. =Courlande=: a province of Russia in Europe, south of the Gulf of Riga; population about 673,000. =20=, 3. =Arminius=: (Hermann), leader of the German army which destroyed the Roman legions under Varus in 9 A.D. 17. =Malplaquet=: a town in northern France, scene of the victory of the Duke of Marlborough (John Churchill, 1650-1722) and Prince Eugène over Marshal Villars, Sept. 11, 1709. 17. =le prince Eugène=: Eugène de Savoie, a celebrated general (1663-1736). 18. =Pierre le Grand=: Peter the Great, Czar of Russia from 1682 to 1725. 18. =Stralsund=: in Pomerania, on the Baltic. Charles XII of Sweden was besieged there. SCÈNE III =23=, 7. =Sa Majesté Très Chrétienne=: ‘His Most Christian Majesty,’ Louis XV, king of France. 17. =Menzikoff=: Mentchikof (Alexandre-Danilovitch) (1672-1729), prime minister of Russia under Peter the Great and Catherine I. He took an important part in the victory over Charles XII of Sweden, at Pultava, in 1709. 18. =Mittau=: a city of Courlande in Russia. Louis XVIII of France resided there from 1798 to 1807. =24=, 2. =A la Charles XII=: ‘like Charles XII’ (1682-1718), king of Sweden, a very warlike and adventurous ruler who fought against the Danes, Russians, Poles, and Turks. 3. =Bender=: a city of European Russia, where Charles XII, after his defeat by the Russians at Pultava, was besieged by the Turks. 5. =Cela me va!= ‘That suits me!’