[729] The “Spiritual Fight,” a religious work attributed to an Italian Theatine monk, Scupoli, had been already translated into French in 1608; the “Inward Christian,” by Louvigny, was published in 1661, whilst there were two “Holy Years,” one written by Bordier in 1668, and a second published ten years later by a certain clergyman, Loisel.
[730] In the original, il pousse des élans et des soupirs, a reminiscence of Molièreʼs Tartuffe (act i. scene 5), where Orgon, in speaking of the hypocrite, says:
“Il attirait les yeux de lʼassemblée entière
Par lʼardeur dont au ciel il poussait sa prière;
Il faisait des soupirs, de grands élancements,
Et baisait humblement la terre à tous moments.”
[731] The “chapel” and the “anteroom” refer to the chapel and anteroom of the palace of Versailles.
[732] Il a des vapeurs in the original, which, when our author wrote, was somewhat like the “out of sorts” of the present time.
[733] A reference to the declaration Tartuffe makes to Elmire, the wife of Orgon. See Molièreʼs Tartuffe, act iii. scene 3.
[734] An allusion to Josephʼs adventure with Potipharʼs wife.