123 De tous côtes and de toutes parts (l. 148) = both "on all sides"
and "from all sides."
126 jusques. See App. I, Metre. The "_s_" is due to the tendency of
adverbial words to assume a final "s." Cf. _sans_ from _sine_, _alors_
from _ad illam horam_.
132 déplorable, a fine etymological use of the word; now only used in
the derived meaning "sad" or "wretched."
139 ta douleur retracée = _le recit de ta douleur_. This is a Latin
construction of frequent occurrence in this play. Cf. _post urbem
conditam_ = "after the founding of the city." The past participle
qualifying the noun takes the place of our abstract substantive.
140 n'occupe. _Pas_ is omitted after _si_ whenever the affirmative
idea is predominant. Tr.: "unless."
146 relever. See App. III.
149 tes peuples. Cf. l. 19, and N. to l. 56.
155 This interview is a departure from the Book of Esther, where
Mordecai, in accordance with Eastern custom, can do no more than "walk
before the court of the women's house" (ii. II).
s'ose avancer is an elegant order for _ose s'avancer_. The peculiarity
is that _oser_ is here used as though it were one of the two
auxiliaries _avoir and _être_, which alone must separate the oblique
conjunctives from their governing verb. Cf. ll. 231, 471. We shall
find several other such pseudo-auxiliaries.
156 père, figuratively, of course.
160 enfin must be variously translated. It can have the force of: 1.
"at length;" 2. "too," at the end of an enumeration; 3. "in short;" 4.
"still," or, "after all;" 5. "in the end."
164 c'est fait de . . . = _actum est de_. . . . See also App. V, ii.
D.
166 Devoir means 1. "to owe;" 2. "to have to," "must" expressing either
physical necessity (e.g., "You must be tired") or moral obligation; 3.
"to be [about] to;" e.g., "I am to be queen of the May."
170 race d'Amalécite, in apposition to _Aman_, is infinitely more
contemptuous than the equally metrical _de race amalécite_. Tr. "of
the brood of Amalek." Cf. Book of Esther, iii. 1, where Haman is
stated to be descended from Agag, king of the Amalekites.
171 crèdit:--"personal influence," which Haman has used as a weapon to
strike down his foes.
173 prévenir means: 1. "to forestall," 2. "to give notice" (l. 203),
"to warn," i.e., to forestall the mishap; 3. "to prejudice," i.e., to
forestall impartial judgment, as here.
174 en horreur à. Cf. _odio esse alicui_, and _en proie à (l. 1177).
See App. V, i.
176 pris. Cf. _prendre jour avec quelqu'un_ = "to make an appointment."
182 les restes, very strong when applied to persons.
183 See l. 140, N.
189 Note the agreement of the adverb.--_Le feu de_ = "the fire that
inspired . . ."
194 affecte = "claims." The word is very skillfully chosen. It
conveys, without the slightest disrespect, Esther's sense of the
arbitrary character of this law.
203 _sans [que je puisse] le prévenir_. The queen may not even inform
the king of her desire to speak with him.
208 Que dis-je? = "Nay!"
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