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Jean Racine - Esther
607 enfin, see l. 160, N.
614 This line explains ingenuously enough the reason for the statement in l. 613.
616 il refers to preceding ce.
619 prétends = "mean."
622 fais - "see."
625-628 The apodosis begins with Plus j'assure. . . .
630 en. See App. V, ii. C.
633 sans être attendue = "unsummoned."
635 Je me meurs. Se mourir is either more elevated in style than mourir, or = "to die
slowly."
637 suis-je pas? The omission of ne, the one real negative particle, is only possible as a poetical
license, and is rightly very rare. - Frère, a classical strong form for "friend."
644 encore un coup, = "once more." Coup enters into many idioms. Cf. Le coup de grâce. - Le
coup de l'étrier. - La ville fut prise par un coup de main. - Venez me donner un coup de main. - Il s'est
engagé par coup de tête. - Un coup d'essai, de maître, d'éclat. - Un coup de pied. - Après coup. - Coup sur
coup. - A coup sûr. - C'est un coup monté.
648 d'effroi depends on combien.
649 la foudre, because the king can strike as suddenly and irresistibly as the thunderbolt.
653 étincelle, lit. "sparkles," but here: "flashes."
654 The Parsees, in Asia, worship fire to this day. The king here invokes his gods, the sun and stars.
656 peine is never "physical pain."
661 se pouvoir is only used impersonally, = "to be possible."
676 en. See App. V, ii. C. - Astres ennemis is in accordance with the astrological superstitions of
the time.
678 respectable, in its full etymological sense of "worthy of respect."
681 interêt, see l. 57, N.
686 veut = "bids."
690 entre, here "above."
692 grâce devant vos yeux = "favor in your sight."
693 fûtes, in the past definite, expresses that he may have been favorable to her in the past, in a period of
time that has come to an end, implying "even though he be so no more." See App. II, ii. B. b.
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