For reference: Excellent biographical study by Marty-Laveaux in his edition of the works; Émile Faguet, le Seizième siècle, 1893 ; Sainte-Beuve, Causeries du lundi, vol. xii.
7. A CASSANDRE. 8. DESCLOSE, opened. 10. A POINT PERDU; ne was not, and still is not always, required in the question; cf. 164, 22. VESPREE = soir; cf. vêpre. 13. LAS, hélas. 20. FLEURONNE= fleurit.
8. CHANSON. 27. AMOUR, Cupid. 1. CHENEVIERE = chanvre. 3. MY-NUD, half naked. 19. FOL LE PELICAN; cf. for another use of this popular notion about the pelican the famous picture in the Nuit de mai of Alfred de Musset, 150, 12 ff. A HÉLÈNE. 26. OYANT, from ouïr. 27. DESJA, déjà. 29. BENISSANT VOSTRE NOM, etc., i.e. congratulating you on being immortalized by the poet's praise.
9. 2. OMBRES MYRTEUX, shadows of the myrtles. ÉLÉGIE. 8. VENDEMOIS, one of the old divisions of France, on the Loire. It was the birth-place of Ronsard. 10. REMORS; has here rather the sense of regret. 13. AGEZ, agés the spelling -ez for -és was usual. 22. CHEF = tête. 23. DE RECHEF = de nouveau. 24. PERRUQUE = chevelure. 26. VERDS, strong, supple.
10. DIEU VOUS GARD. 7. GARD, the form of the present subjunctive regularly descended from the Latin subjunctive in verbs of the first conjugation. The ending e, added later, is due to analogy. 8. VISTES ARONDELLES, vites (rapides) hirondelles. 10. TOURTRES = tourterelles. 12. VERDELETS, verts; such diminutives were quite in favor in the language of the time; cf. rossignolet, nouvelet, fleurettes. 15. BOUTONS JADIS COGNUS, etc., i.e. the hyacinth and the narcissus. 29. AU PRIX DE, in comparison with.
11. A UN AUBESPIN. 6. LAMBRUNCHE, a wild vine. 10. PERTUIS, holes. 12. AVETTES = abeilles. 30. RUER = jeter.
12. ÉLÉGIE CONTRE LES BÛCHERONS DE LA FORÊT DE GASTINE. Cf. the poem by Laprade, p. 192. Gastine is in Haut-Poitou, in the present department of Deux-Sèvres. 14. PERSÉ, percé. 15. MASTIN, mâtin. 21. PANS, used by Ronsard in the plural as if he thought them a kind of being, like Satyrs. 22. FANS, now written faons, but still pronounced as if spelled fans. 24. PREMIER, used adverbially. 26. ESTONNER in the older language expressed a physical shock; to stun. 28. NEUVAINE, composed of nine. TROPE, troupe; the nine muses. Calliope was the muse of epic poetry, and Euterpe the muse of music and lyric poetry.
13. 3. ALTEREZ, BRUSLEZ, ETHEREZ, see note on agez, 9, 13. 8. DORDONEENS, referring to the forest of Dordona, in Epirus, where oracles were rendered from oak trees. According to Greek traditions the first men lived on acorns and raw flesh. 16. ET QU'EN CHANGEANT DE FORME, etc., and that it will change its form and put on a new one.
JOACHIM DU BELLAY.
1525-1560.