EN LA NAISSANCE. A theme often repeated by Marivaux.
Compare: "Son exemple encourageait quiconque avait du merite sans naissance"
(Voltaire, _Russie_, I, 12). Voltaire founded his comedy, _Nanine_, upon this
line of Marivaux. The Comte d'Olban has fallen in love with Nanine, a girl
brought up by his mother, the Marquise d'Olban, and who occupies the position
of half maid, half companion. She is a peasant's daughter, but the Count
marries her, nevertheless, after he has declaimed a number of speeches full
of very noble and liberal ideas on equality and the worth of real virtue, of
which the following extract is a fair sample:--

Je ne prends point, quoiqu'on en puisse croire,
La vanite pour l'honneur et la gloire,
L'eclat vous plait; vous mettez la grandeur
Dans des blasons: je la veux dans le coeur.
L'homme de bien, modeste avec courage,
Et la beaute spirituelle, sage
Sans bien, sans nom, sans tous ces titres vains,
Sont a mes yeux les premiers des humains.

[253] MADAME. Note that this is the first time Dorante has so addressed
Silvia. That is because it is only now that he has learned her real rank.

[254] ALLONS, SAUTE, MARQUIS! from Regnard's _le Joueur_ (1696), IV, vi.

LE LEGS.

[1] LISETTE. An interesting type. See Introduction, p. lxvii.

[2] LEPINE. One of the three valets of Marivaux which may be considered as
new types. See Introduction, p. lviii.

[3] DE CETTE GRANDE JEUNESSE, 'So very young.'

[4] L'EVENEMENT, 'The result,' 'outcome.'

[5] MOYENNANT, 'Considering.' The modern meaning is 'in consideration
of.'

[6] NOUS SOMMES A CETTE CAMPAGNE. _A_ for _dans_, the modern form.

[7] GASCON FROID. A type striking by reason of its exception to the
general class. _Gascon_ is often synonymous with boaster, liar, and
blusterer. Composure or sobriety is the least of his virtues, and when
found may perhaps give reason for distrust. Compare the character of de
Guiche in Rostand's _Cyrano de Bergerac:_ "Le Gascon souple et froid" (Act
I, Sc. iii). "Rien de plus dangereux qu'un Gascon raisonnable" (Act IV,
Sc. iii).

[8] MONSIEUR DE LEPINE. This title, though often ironically or latteringly
given to Lepine throughout the play, goes far to show the type of
independent valet one has to deal with here.

[9] INCONTINENT, 'Immediately.' From the Latin _in continenti_.

[10] SUR LE MEME TON. Equivalent to _pied_, the modern form.

[11] DE SOUPCONS. There is an ellipsis here: _Pour ce qui