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.