22. rien qu’une pincée de cette poudre. Compare the symptoms produced by this poison, which is now available to the princess, with the account of the death of Adrienne (Act V, Scenes II-V.)
[13], 20. Allez toujours: ‘Continue, however.’
[14], 13. mon oncle le cardinal. See note to p. 10, l. 15.
22. quoique je ne partage pas votre enthousiasme. From the beginning of the play, the princess is not favorably inclined toward Adrienne, but prefers her rival, Mlle Du Clos, in spite of the latter’s intimacy with the prince.
25. un engouement!... ‘an infatuation! all the aristocratic circles vie with one another in entertaining Mlle Lecouvreur.’
[15], 16. ses ajustements: ‘her articles of dress.’
20. Monsieur de Bourbon: the duc de Bourbon (1692-1740). He was succeeded as prime minister of France, in 1726, by Cardinal Fleury.
[16], 1. Monsieur d’Argental: a lifelong friend of Mlle Lecouvreur. True to her memory and to their mutual friendship, he composed for her, in 1786, fifty-six years after her death, an epitaph in verse which was inscribed on a marble tablet still preserved at Paris. The first four lines of this are given in the Introduction of the present volume.
5. ce prétendu bon mot: ‘that supposed witticism.’
8. elle sent tellement sa véritable princesse: ‘it is so evident that it was written by a real princess.’