14. Phèdre: tragedy (1677) by Racine.
21. brochures: ‘copies of plays.’
22. à souffler: ‘to prompt.’
[159], 1. “Juste ciel!” etc. These words are spoken, in the play of Racine, by Phèdre, as her conscience accuses her of her passion toward Hippolytus, her stepson, and she fears the wrath of his father, Theseus, king of Athens. The expression, “une honteuse paix” is “une tranquille paix” in Racine, having been intentionally strengthened by Scribe. Phèdre, Act III, Scene III.
In reality this scene occurred, not in the hôtel de Bouillon, but at a public presentation of Phèdre at the Comédie-Française, probably on the tenth of November, 1729. The love of Mlle Lecouvreur and Maurice de Saxe was then at an end and he had abandoned the actress for the duchesse de Bouillon. The attempted poisoning of Mlle Lecouvreur by the duchess had occurred the preceding summer. It was while playing the title rôle in Phèdre that Mlle Lecouvreur directed these scathing words to the duchess, as the latter was seated in her box. The audience is said to have fully understood the bearing of the denunciation and to have frantically applauded.
ACTE V
Scène I
[162], 13. Le spectacle est-il terminé? ‘Is the play over?’
27. ne me voilà-t-il pas bien malade! ‘Wouldn’t that harm me tho!’ (sarcastic).
[163], 23. c’est vindicatif... c’est méchant: ‘they are vindictive... they are mean.’