Bataille de dames
Notes
Bataille de Dames, adapted by Charles Reade to the English stage as "The Ladies' Battle," might signify also "a game of checkers," and "a battle of the queens" at cards, to which there is an allusion in the closing speech of the play.
Page 1.
[1]
salon d'été, summer parlor, which of course implies a
mansion of some elegance.
[2]
plan. French playwrights divide the stage into three or four
lateral divisions called plans, and corresponding to similarly
designated side-scenes, or pans coupés, between which
are passages called coulisses; but those speaking from the
coulisses, or addressing persons supposed to be in or
behind them, are said to speak à la cantonade. The rear of
the stage is called fond, and to this actors are said to
remonter while they descendre toward the premier plan,
nearest the footlights. These are all the stage terms used in
this play that present any difficulty.
ACT I. SCENE 1.
[3]
madame. French and German usage requires that a title of
courtesy be prefixed to designations of adult relatives of the
person addressed, as, e.g., madame votre mère, monsieur
votre frère, mademoiselle votre soeur; but Charles, as valet,
should have said, madame la comtesse alone. The reader
should note that from the first his speeches show a
refinement which to Léonie seems a surprising
presumption. The disguised noble is too courteous to act a
menial part successfully.
Page 2.
[4]
The letter begins with allusion to the troubles at Lyons, in
the environs of which the action is placed. This is the chief
city on the Rhône, and was in 1817 the centre of a region
seething with political intrigue against the recently restored
Bourbon monarchy. That summer a rising had been sternly
suppressed, and twenty-eight persons executed by General
Canuel, who was recalled in the autumn (cp. p.14 and
p.12); but there is no accuracy in details. The last lines of
the letter allude to the dissatisfaction of the royalists, who
had passed their youth in exile, with the studious
moderation and cautious prudence of the new king, who
gradually fell under the influence of clerical reactionaries,
while many nobles would have preferred a return to the
gallant fêtes of the ancien régime.
[5]
Ah bien oui! Indeed I would, but nowadays one has no
time, etc.
[6]
née Kermadio, born a Kermadio, and so, as this name
implies to a French ear, a Breton noble, and therefore
almost certainly an extreme royalist, and so least likely to
be suspected of sheltering a Bonapartist conspirator.
[7]
timbrée, post-marked.—pleine Vendée, in the heart of
Vendée, in Poitou, noted for the fierce civil war between the
French Republic and the local royalists (March-December,
1793), and the scene of frequent royalist outbreaks for
many years after.
[8]
maître des requêtes, referendary, a minor officer of the
Council of State.
[9]
avec humeur, out of temper, irritated.
Page 3.
[10]
Talleyrand (1754-1838), a politician whose skill in
unprincipled intrigue made him a power under every form of
government, from the States-General that inaugurated the
First Revolution until his death. Many epigrams like this
testify to his cynicism, which anticipated remarkably the
modern blague, as we find it, for instance, in "Le Gendre de
monsieur Poirier."
ACT I. SCENE 2
[11]
See preceding note and, for historical details, any
biographical dictionary.
[12]
The use of the imperfect subjunctive is far more restricted in
French conversation than our school grammars would
imply. Persons of little education hardly use it at all, and Page 6.
persons of refined culture avoid its ill-sounding forms; while
even such classical authors as Voltaire sometimes
substitute the present for it. Cp. my note to "Le Gendre de
monsieur Poirier," p.29, note 2.
ACT I. SCENE 3.
Page 13.
[13]
se donner de l'importance, put on airs. She affects to
attribute Charles's manner to the democratic tendencies of
the age.
[14]
tout à l'heure, by and by, but also "just now."
[15]
courrier, mail, here.
Page 5.
[16]
coup de tête, piece of rashness.
[17]
Mon dieu. Wherever Dieu carries any suggestion of deity, it
will be printed with a capital. Where, as here, it corresponds
to "Dear me," "Oh dear," and the like, I have thought it more
reverent to print with d.
[18]
de qui tenir, a parent from whom to inherit it.
[19]
See p. 2, note 7.
[20]
manqué chavirer (capsize), for the more usual manqué de
chavirer.
[21]
fête, not "birthday" as with us, but baptismal day, or day of
her patron saint.
[22]
vous ira, will become you.
Page 7.
[23]
vous, on you. A colloquial use.
[24]
à vous toute seule, i.e., without the rejuvenating effect of
my company. For the feminine ending of the adverb toute
see any grammar.
[25]
I have no skill in that. Ingenuously.
[26]
One really cannot be more considerate, pas is emphatic.
Page 8.
[27]
petite marquise! you little aristocrat!
[28]
s'il est gai, isn't he light-hearted? or, how light-hearted he
is!
[29]
Cimarosa (1740-1801), Italian composer, noted for the
graceful charm of his vocal music, especially in light opera.
Page 9.
[30]
bien né, of noble birth, of aristocratic breeding.
[31]
bien de sa personne, pleasing in his appearance.
[32]
bonne compagnie, good breeding, good society.
[33]
me mettent hors de moi, exasperate me.
[34]
nous déconsidère, is humiliating or derogatory to us.
ACT I. SCENE 4.
Page 10.
[35]
Léonie, by thus endeavoring to shield Charles from blame,
betrays the dawning of her love.
[36]
Du tout, Not at all.
Page 11.
[37]
Léonie naïvely mistakes her anger with herself for loving
Charles for anger with Charles. This is a true and charming
bit of feminine psychology.
ACT I. SCENE 5.
[38]
méchant enfant, you naughty boy. Affectionately
reproachful.
Page 12.
[39]
il. She uses the third person singular, as one might in
affectionately reproving a child.
[40]
il s'agit de vos jours, your life is at stake.
[41]
Consulat and Empire, governments of France from 1799
to 1804, and from 1804 to 1814, and for some months in
1815.
[42]
n'en pensent mais, equivalent to n'en peuvent mais, can't
help it, or, have nothing to do with it. This use of mais (Latin
magis) is colloquial.
[43]
en verve, on his mettle.
Page 13.
[44]
crieurs des rues, newsmongers, men corresponding
somewhat to our newsboys.
[45]
soeur. Cp. p.11.
Page 14.
[46]
A la bonne heure! Well done, here, but with very varied
shades of meaning, that must be caught always from the
context.
[47]
The campaign of 1812-1813 is meant. Its chief events were
the burning of Moscow (October, 1812), Napoleon's very
disastrous retreat thence, and the defeat of the French at
Leipzig in October, 1813.
[48]
See p. 2, note 4.
[49]
voiture de place, public cab.
[50]
Lambert. Curiously enough, the three Lamberts known to
the history of this time were all émigrés, and one of them a
Russian general during the invasion of France. The name is
therefore somewhat unfortunately chosen.
Page 15.
[51]
décoration, i.e., the Cross of the Legion of Honor, founded
by Napoleon I., and since always regarded as the highest of
such distinctions in France. The cross is not usually worn,
but in its place a bit of red ribbon in the buttonhole.
[52]
n'y serais plus, i.e., should have been already shot.
ACT I. SCENE 6.
[53]
bien, properly dressed, "all right." Cp. p. 9, note 31.
[54]
cravate, neck-band. Part of her riding-habit.
ACT I. SCENE 7.
Page 16.
[55]
il le croit, he really thinks so, while in fact he would be
frightened.
[56]
Ah! çà, Come now. Often the phrase indicates impatience
or surprise. For instance, p.45.
[57]
Bucéphale, Bucephalus, famous horse of Alexander the
Great.
ACT I. SCENE 9.
Page 17.
[58]
par état, by my profession as maître des requêtes.
[59]
tiens de, take after, or inherit from.
Page 18.
[60]
pointe, like fougueux and enfourcher below, is in this
sense (dawns, rises) rhetorical and poetic.
[61]
emporté, carried the day.
[62]
provoquer, i.e., to a duel such as became almost epidemic
in France in the years that followed Waterloo (1815).
ACT I. SCENE 10.
Page 19.
[63]
J'aime autant, I'd just as lief. Contrast this timidity with the
assumed boldness of the close.
ACT I. SCENE 11.
Page 20.
[64]
en voulais, were angry with. Cp. p.22; p.26; p.57.
Page 21.
[65]
flacon, vinaigrette, bottle of smelling-salts.
[66]
évanouie. This fainting combined with feminine tact the
advantages of consciousness and unconsciousness.
[67]
inquiétude, because she sees already a prospective rival
in her love.
Page 22.
[68]
avec abandon, yielding to her emotion.
[69]
quinze jours, fortnight. Cp. huit jours, "week."
[70]
m'en voulez, are displeased with me, "lay it up against
me." Cp. p.20, note 64.
[71]
toi. Except when used of deity tu, te and toi imply
endearment or condescension, as, e.g., to servants,
children, animals, etc. The change from toi to vous would
therefore imply a coolness between the aunt and niece.
Page 23.
[72]
Va-t'en, Leave me, Let me be alone.
[73]
A la bonne heure, Well, expressing surprise and relief that
the countess has dismissed her with a kiss.
ACT I. SCENE 12.
Page 24.
[74]
servons-nous-en, I'll put it to the proof. Since the French
have no first person singular imperative, they are forced to
use either the plural, as here, or the subjunctive.
ACT I. SCENE 13.
Page 25.
[75]
mon dieu, heavens! He is frightened at his own courage.
When dieu contains no thought of deity, I consider it more
reverent to use d. French usage varies. Cp. p.5, note 17.
Page 26.
[76]
avec joie at the thought that she is still beautiful enough to
be loved by a young man, and so possibly by Henri. De
Grignon naturally misinterprets it.
[77]
dussiez-vous, even though you should. The imperfect
subjunctive, being avoided (See p.3, note 12), has, when
used, a peculiar emphasis.
[78]
Bal champêtre, Rural dancing party, or festival, at which
the masters may mingle with their servants and retainers.
Page 27.
[79]
nous jugera, i.e., judge between us.
[80]
Et moi donc, equivalent to, And think how I must feel.
ACT II. SCENE 1.
[81]
maréchal des logis de dragons, sergeant of dragoons.
Page 28.
[82]
préfet, prefect, governor of a department, appointed by the
central authority. There are now in France 87 departments,
divided into 362 arrondissements and some 36,000
communes.
[83]
parfaite, very courteous or kind.
[84]
bien en cour, a favorite at court.
[85]
fermes, homesteads, tenantries.
Page 29.
[86]
demi-lieue. As now used the lieue is colloquially 4
kilometres, or 2-1/2 miles. The old lieue was of 4,444
metres, or not quite 3 miles, and there is also a lieue marine
of 5,555 metres, or 3 nautical miles. Say: hardly a mile and
a half.
[87]
Si, Of course, or Certainly, here.
Page 30.
[88]
quel bonheur, how fortunate, i.e., for me.
Page 31.
[89]
brigadier, sergeant.—exprès, messenger.
[90]
tiens à, desire to.
Page 32.
[91]
n'assistiez seulement pas, were not even present.
[92]
duo, duet. Italian.
Page 33.
[93]
brava, good. Feminine of the Italian bravo. This
grammatical accuracy shows good breeding.
Page 34.
[94]
cadette, younger. Properly of sisters, but see dictionary.
[95]
original, curious, queer, "peculiar." Distinguish from
originel, "original."
[96]
cantabile (sound the e-final), piece of vocal music. Italian.
Page 35.
[97]
incultes, uncultivated in musical matters.
[98]
gauche, embarrassed, rather than "awkward."
[99]
tenait de, had a sort of.
Page 36.
[100]
arbre fortuné, i.e., the orange-tree.
[101]
ses yeux ... à lui, his eyes—you know whom I mean.
Page 37.
[102]
effacées, drawn back and down so as to set off the
corsage.
[103]
Que trop, Only too charming.
Page 38.
[104]
dépare. Note the play on parer, and compare the English
saying: Beauty when unadorned is most adorned.
[105]
rester court, stop short from embarrassment.
[106]
J'y suis, I have it, i.e., know what I will do.
ACT II. SCENE 4.
Page 39.
[107]
traversent, cross over. A figure in the quadrille.
ACT II. SCENE 6.
Page 40.
[108]
à en être, have a part in it.
[109]
Toujours du roman, You are always a little romantic in
your ideas.
Page 41.
[110]
m'en défendre, help it.
[111]
Qu' ... belle, How beautiful. Though this use of que is very
common, it often puzzles beginners.
[112]
vienne la sentence, let the sentence come. Optative.
[113]
madrigaux, pretty speeches; properly "madrigals," or love-
songs, in the artificial pastoral manner. Originally a form of
musical composition.
Page 42.
[114]
désintéressement, unselfish devotion. This speech is a
good example of what the French call blague,—a sort of
light-hearted mockery of moral ideals. See my note to "Le
Gendre de monsieur Poirier," p. 5, note 7.
Page 43.
[115]
original, queer, "a strange coincidence." Not "original"
(originel), Cp. p. 34, note 95.
ACT II. SCENE 8.
[116]
Que de, How many.—à, i.e., I ought to.—me valoir, gain
for me.
[117]
de plus longue date, for longer, since a longer time.
[118]
à titre d', because you were an, here.
Page 44.
[119]
The countess says that she will place him under such
obligations as to make any adequate return difficult, but she
means to convey to the audience the malicious implication
that she will make it hard (difficile) for him to feel any
gratitude to her at all.
[120]
Sa Majesté, i.e., Louis XVIII. Note the gender.
Page 45.
[121]
c'en est fait, it's all over with that.
[122]
Horace, Horatius, the hero of Corneille's tragedy Horace,
one of three brothers who fought for Rome against the
Alban brothers Curiatii, who were their relatives by
marriage. In speaking to his brother-in-law of the
approaching fight Horace uses the words (Act II., Scene 3):
Albe vous a nommé, je ne vous connais plus,
a verse which is here parodied. For the story of the Horatii,
see any classical dictionary.
[123]
un peu long because its former half has, when pronounced
according to the rules of French prosody, seven syllables,
while an alexandrine hemistich should have but six, as this
will have if bonapartiste is spoken without the final e.
[124]
Corneille (1606-1684) was the first of the great French
classical dramatists, and in the opinion of many the greatest
French tragic poet.
[125]
Ah! çà, By the way. Cp. p. 16, note 56.
Page 46.
[126]
inqualifiable, unspeakable.—sanglante, outrageous. Both
adjectives are too strong to accord with the rest of the
scene.
[127]
Attend to your duties and go.
[128]
The year indicated is 1799, when the Vendéeans had been
excited by English emissaries to a revolt from their
temporary submission to General Hoche in 1795. But this
does not agree with the statement of p. 47.
[129]
procureur, prosecuting officer, who combined the functions
of the modern procureur and the juge d'instruction,—
functions that have nothing corresponding to them in
English justice or in American procedure.
Page 47.
[130]
à ma barbe, "under my nose," "before my very eyes."
[131]
Moreau (1763-1813), "the greatest general of the French
republic after Napoleon and Hoche," after winning the great
victory of Hohenlinden, December, 1800, intrigued against
Napoleon, and was forced to leave France in 1804. He
continued his scheming while in exile, and in 1813, while
serving in the Russian army, he was mortally wounded at
the Battle of Dresden. But before leaving France he, or
more probably his ambitious wife, had gathered all the
elements of discontent with the self-seeking of Napoleon
into a cabal called the club Moreau, of which these fugitive
compagnons may be supposed to be members, for the
club was relentlessly suppressed by Napoleon.
[132]
98 (quatre-vingt-dix-huit). 1804 (mil huit cent quatre). These
are not the dates indicated, p. 46, or p. 47. 1804 is not
douze ans après (p. 47) either 1798 or 1799. Then, too, '98
was a comparatively quiet year in Vendée. On the other
hand the countess would have been, as she says (p. 46),
then fourteen if she was thirty-three (p. 7) in 1817. Page 48.
[133]
mansarde, attic or garret. Properly a sort of gambrel-roof
introduced into France by the architect Mansard (d. 1666).
[134]
défiance, mistrust.
[135]
Prenez des forces, recruit your strength.
ACT II. SCENE 9.
Page 50.
[136]
Où veut-il en venir, What is he "driving at?"
[137]
surcroît de gages, in addition to your wages.
[138]
Le voici, He's caught, i.e., he has yielded to the temptation
of Montrichard's bribe.
[139]
de l'argent gagné. There is a double entente here.
Montrichard understands "money as good as earned,"
because Henri feels sure of success. Henri means that the
audience shall understand him to say "money already
earned," because he has already shown the outlaw to
Montrichard.
ACT II. SCENE 10.
Page 51.
[140]
Et d'un, There's one.
[141]
personnage muet, man who doesn't count. Technically one
who appears on the stage but does not speak.
[142]
cour prévôtale, provost court, or "court martial," "a criminal
tribunal temporarily established, and judging without
appeal" (Littré).
[143]
bord, party, side, or way of thinking. See also dictionary.
[144]
notre classe. This is a delightful touch. Montrichard, having
been republican and bonapartist, now chooses to regard
himself as one of the original aristocracy.
Page 52.
[145]
signalement, description issued by the police for the
identification of fugitives from justice.
[146]
avait le temps. This bears out the regret of Léonie, p. 2.
[147]
romanesque, romantic. Note that while at the date of this
play, 1851, romanticism was no longer the fashion for men
in Paris, it was still thought attractive in young girls,
especially among the landed aristocracy. See my edition of
"Le Gendre de monsieur Poirier," p. 46, note 3.
Page 54.
[148]
pour acquit de conscience, to ease my conscience.
[149]
placards, cupboards with a suggestion of hiding-chambers,
such as were built in the thick walls and enormous
chimneys (cheminées) of many ancient houses both on the
Continent and in England.
[150]
garçons de ferme, farm-hands.—hommes de peine,
laborers, here perhaps the stable-boys and grooms.
Page 55.
[151]
That is, friends whose lives depend on his life.
Page 56.
[152]
The humor is the same here as p. 50.
[153]
une malheureuse ... courage, a poor, faithless coward.
ACT II. SCENE 15.
Page 58.
[154]
brigadier, sergeant, commanding from four to six
gendarmes or mounted police. See p.31, note 89.
ACT III. SCENE 1.
Page 59.
[155]
trop, quite, here.
Page 61.
[156]
fossés, moat, for this was an ancient ancestral castle.
[157]
Par exemple, However, here.
[158]
donne sur, fronts on, looks out on.
[159]
bouquet de bois, clump of trees, here.
[160]
galonné, trimmed with gold lace.
[161]
Quand je, Didn't I.
ACT III. SCENE 2.
Page 62.
[162]
là, equivalent to preoccupied with.
[163]
châteaux en Espagne, castles in Spain, i.e., air castles,
foolish fancies.
Page 63.
[164]
j'ai failli me jeter, I almost threw myself. Literally, "I just
missed throwing myself."
Page 64.
[165]
les jours, the life. Common in exalted and classical styles.
[166]
Du tout, Not at all.
[167]
guides, reins.
Page 66.
[168]
poussé, i.e., into what a self-contradictory position my
double nature has forced me. Cp. pp. 17, 18.
ACT III. SCENE 3.
[169]
ouvrage, fancy work.
ACT III. SCENE 4.
Page 67.
[170]
donnerez pas le change, put off the scent. A hunting term.
[171]
m'en garderais bien, i.e., take good care not to, pretending
that his search amuses her because it will certainly fail.
[172]
Ah! çà, Really now. Mockingly.
ACT III. SCENE 5.
Page 69.
[173]
en bourgeois, in citizen's dress. Similarly, en domestique,
p.70.
ACT III, SCENE 6.
Page 70.
[174]
Dieu, etc., Goodness, how afraid I am that I shall be afraid.
Page 71.
[175]
à moi, in my service.
[176]
en réponds, answer for him, i.e., guarantee his innocence.
Page 73.
[177]
grand dieu, great heavens, do you call that wit and tact! Do
you suppose, etc.
Page 74.
[178]
vous payer de, repay you for. Note the difference between
this and vous payer tout, "pay you all."
ACT III. SCENE 7.
[179]
courrier, despatch, here. Cp. p.4.
Page 75.
[180]
passe avant, takes precedence of. The term is from
aristocratic etiquette.
[181]
j'y pense, it just occurs to me.
ACT III. SCENE 9.
Page 78.
[182]
prérogatives, consideration. For instance, one might
choose to be shot rather than guillotined, to look death in
the face with unbandaged eyes, and to give the command
to fire, all matters regarded as questions of honor by
soldiers sentenced to death.
[183]
sans bruit, unostentatiously, but de Grignon takes it
literally. The rest of this scene recalls not unsuccessfully
Molière's sans dot in "l'Avare," Act I., Scene 5.
ACT III. SCENE 10.
Page 80.
[184]
de gaieté de coeur, frivolously or wantonly, here.
ACT III. SCENE 11.
Page 81.
[185]
réellement is meant to hint a pity that foreshadows the
dawn of the love suggested in p. 93.
Page 82.
[186]
tant y a-t-il que, any way this much is certain that.
[187]
j'ai ce qu'il me faut. The phrase has a touch of irony that is
not in de Grignon's character.
ACT III. SCENE 12.
Page 83.
[188]
feu de file, volley fire.
Page 85.
[189]
je le voudrais bien, I wish it had been, it would have been
so comical. This was of course practically a confession.
Page 86.
[190]
vingt-cinq louis. See p. 72.
ACT III. SCENE 13.
Page 87.
[191]
il is masculine; wherever he may be found.
ACT III. SCENE 14.
Page 88.
[192]
je le pense, I really think so. He is surprised at the change
in his character that his magnanimity has produced in him;
a psychological touch as delicate as it is true.
[193]
en sentinelle, play the sentinel.
ACT III. SCENE 15.
Page 89.
[194]
lui en veux, are hurt with him for it. For the ordinary use,
cp. p. 20, and p. 85.
Page 90.
[195]
promesse, alluding to p.74.
[196]
de grâce, for mercy's sake.
Page 91.
[197]
Note that to the very end Léonie does not suspect either
her aunt's love or her self-sacrifice.
[198]
jupes. Fortunately for the possibility of this concealment,
neither the skirts of 1817, nor those of 1851, were like those
of recent years.
ACT III, SCENE 16.
[199]
Amnesty to political offenders was the settled policy of
Louis XVIII. from the first, though he was often thwarted by
his advisers.
Page 92.
[200]
y avons donné, have fallen into it, i.e., the trap.
Page 93.
[201]
vous avez beau dire, it is vain for you to protest.
[202]
chemin faisant, on the way.
[203]
Ne parlons pas de cela. This is as far as she can
becomingly go; and yet so far she must go. We should be
disappointed if de Grignon's devotion were left without hope
of reward, and yet the wound must be healed before the
new love can declare itself.
[204]
les as et les rois, the leading honors at cards. There is a
double play on these words in what follows. First, the
countess gently reproaches Henri for failing in the
traditional loyalty of his family to the restored royal family;
then, secondly, she alludes to the rivalry of herself and
Léonie as a strife of queens (bataille de dames), to whom
Henri is the roi who can make a "marriage" (technical term
at cards) with either he will.