[267] Sosia in Greek is generally used as the name of a servant or a slave, and Molière gives that name to a servant in his _Amphitryon_; in Latin a farmer of the public revenue was called _socius_, because he was the associate of other similar farmers. It was not at all uncommon in Louis XIV.ʼs time for footmen to rise to the rank of financiers, and La Bazinière, de Gourville, and de Bourvalais, who were all three very rich, as well as many others, might be quoted as examples of this. Two _fermiers-généraux_, Révol and dʼApougny, became churchwardens. [268] See page 43, note 2. [269] The wives of a good many farmers of the revenue have been named by various commentators and “Keys.” [270] The _huitième denier_ was a tax imposed in 1672 during the war with Holland on all purchasers of estates from the clergy. [271] The “Keys” give several names of financiers, such as Aubert, who at one time was worth more than three millions of francs, and who died in a garret, Guénegaud, and Rémond. The _Chambre de Justice_, a name given to certain committees which were appointed from time to time to inquire into financial malversations and abuses condemned in 1661 the above-named three gentlemen to pay very heavy fines; hence their comparative poverty. [272] “Champagne” stands for Monnerot. (See page 110, note 2.) It was not uncommon to give such names as _Poitevin_, _Lorrain_, _Basque_, _Provençal_, etc., to footmen, after their supposed native provinces. [273] Two still Champagne wines. Sparkling Champagne was not drunk till the eighteenth century. [274] All commentators agree that here the farmer-general George is meant, who bought the Marquisate dʼEntragues and married a daughter of the Marquis de Valençay. [275] The _taille_ was a kingʼs tax levied every year only on the people and the commoners. [276] Who Dorus is has not been found out. [277] The Appian Way, the oldest and best of all the Roman roads, leads from the Porta Cappena at Rome to Capua. [278] The Lictors at Rome, with the _fasces_, always walked before the Consul or the Dictator. [279] Some think that here a certain M. de Langlée, _maréchal des camps et armées du roi_, was meant. Others think it was an uncle of the minister Colbert, a M. Pussort, one of the kingʼs counsel of state; but the first was unmarried and had a very wealthy father, and the second, who was also unmarried, and a miser to boot, owed his influence wholly to his position. [280] The original has _pancartes_, which our author in a note states were _billets dʼenterrement_. [281] _Noble homme_ was a title which citizens of importance took in all legal contracts, whilst men of less influence, tradesmen and artisans, were styled _Honorable homme_, and _Messire_ was only reserved for persons of rank. [282] This youth was M. le Tellier, who became Archbishop of Rheims in 1671, when he was only twenty-nine years old, but who already, before that time, received the revenues of six abbeys. (See also page 47, note 2.)