[aller]höchsten Herrschaften, their Majesties, the royal party. Used, always in the pl., to address (97, 13), or designate collectively (35, 26), a party of persons, it=[Damen und] Herren. Here we might render, 'our foreign visitors'—remembering that not only non-Germans, but also Germans from other states (cf. above, l. 10) are called Fremde or Ausländer. 19. Etw. ist nicht jedermanns Sache (cf. Lat. non cujusque est), it is not every one that cares for-that can—whom it suits, &c. Cf. above, l. 16, das ist meine Sache (special emphasis here falling on the word of possession), 'that is my affair.'-und so muß man schon...: cf. 4, 10, n. 25. Wetter! familiarly used as an energetic and consequently not very elegant interjection, but now generally in the form Alle Wetter! (87, 13), or [zum] Donnerwetter! (98, 16). 26. übern, a contraction not common in writing, though often heard in quick and negligent speaking. So unterm, 36, 24. See Aue, § 118, note.-Spectaculum, a spectacle, play, the original form fr. the Lat., now disused, of the word Spectafel, which was formerly applied to a show or noisy play suited to the vulgar taste, but is now commonly used only = 'noise, row, racket;' in this sense it is usually masc.—na (32, 11, n.), also immerhin! Immerhin, originally of time, ' ever on, always,' cf. weithin, to a great distance, künftighin, &c. Used interjectionally, it='never mind,' what of that?' 'well and good.' So: Es ist gefähr lich! Immerhin! So here: 'Hm! well (sc., as I have let it out), no matter.’—Einhorn, &c. : the eagle on the Prussian, and the unicorn and leopards on the British coat of arms. 30. sozusagen gedichtet, cf. 10, 17, n.: so to speak, poetry.' PAGE 35. 4. Mit England, &c. The derivation of Geschichte fr. geschehen, to take place, be done, happen, makes clear the familiar use of it for anything that happens, 'occurrence, affair, business, &c.' (cf. 27, 8), as also its later developed meaning of ‘story,' 'history.' einfädeln, lit., to put the thread (Faden) into or through the eye of the needle, to thread; then fig., to contrive, scheme, plan artfully. Tr., 'That matter with Engl. is quite an old affair, schemed years ago by my wife.' 9. Das konnt' ich mir denken. In three of the 'verbs of mood,' können, müssen, and dürfen, in place of the pluperf. subj. (perf. cond., Aue), the imperf. ind. is sometimes used, and in the above phrase the briefer form is common. The strict difference between the two constructions is made clear by a literal interpretation: Das konnte ich thun, I was (then) able to do it (the context only telling whether I did it or not); Das hätte ich thun können, I could have done it (sc., but did not). 13. England is dat. mir ist Ernst mit etw. (so: es ist mein Ernst, 66, 28), I am in earnest about a thing.—abkarten, to concert secretly, agree upon by collusion. 21. Schäferspiel. So-called 'pastoral' poetry, romances, and dramatised compositions, the latter often extemporised for court festivities, were fashionable in Germany in the 17th century. Pastoral plays again became popular for a time in the fourth decade of last century. 23. dabei bei der Gelegenheit (cf. 67, 6 in 6, 28, n.), so 36, 3. In this use it is generally left unexpressed in Engl. 24. doch (cf. 75, 2, n.)—which he has..., after all,—and nun 'mal (cf. 8, 16, n.)—which he has..., and there is now no helping it,—have similar force, strengthening each other. 28. Schreiben Sie...vor, 'prescribe,' i.e. assign to every one. 30. die Viereck, die Sonnsfeld, familiar for Frau v. V., Frl. v. S. PAGE 36. I. The adj. lauter, pure, unmixed, is used as an indeclinable, like eitel, =‘nothing_but,' 'all:' lauter Unsinn, lauter junge Leute.—Hochdeutsch, High German, i.e. in this narrower application, the language of the educated throughout Germany, as opposed to the dialects. It is however to be observed that though the written Germ. language in the hands of good authors is fairly uniform, the dialects, both as to vocabulary and idiom, and more especially as to pronunciation, have still a much larger place in the spoken language even of educated Germans than is the case in England. For a brief history of the Germ. language, see Whit. 451, 462-8; Aue, Introduction.-nicht etwa (cf. 12, 28, n.) Berlinisch. Gutzkow, in 'Aus der Knabenzeit,' calls the Berlin dialect ten scheußlichsten aller Dialecte. The Berlin 'cockney' pronounces initial g like i (Eng. y), and mixes up the acc. and dat. cases. 3. anbringen, to 'bring or fit on to' the suitable or desired place; here to bring in,' viz. into the projected amateur theatricals." 4. Handelsrücksichten (cf. 7, 19, n.), commercial considerations. 5. da es dóch (12, 28, n.) in die Zeitungen kommt (18, 23, n.), 'as it will get into the newspapers, anyhow,-whether or no.' Note the idiomatic correspondence of Germ. kommen and Engl. 'get,' in this usage; cf. 40, 2. 7. Gestus, now more usually die Geste—the proper Germ. word is die Geberte gesture,' here, pantomimic action. 8. der feine Herr, 'such an elegant gentleman,' cf. 22, 21. It should be noticed that fein, though it might here, as the king is speaking ironically, be rendered 'fine,' never means 'fine' as a term of censure, = showy, overdone with ornament. It denotes fineness' or delicacy as contrasted with coarseness; fig., 'refinement,' good-breeding, &c., cf. 66, 14. Ein feiner Mann is the 'gentleman' of society. 10. die (33, 4, n.) dampft schon (4, 10, n.), 'it is fairly reeking.' 13. Na mal herein mit! Well, in with 'em.' This use of mit alone, for damit, or as here for mit with a pers. pron., is only vulgar and provincial.—Epithalamion (pl. ien), epithalamium, a poem or song in honour of a bride and bridegroom. 16. A Polterabend is the evening before a wedding, which in Germany is festively celebrated, often with recitations, musical and dramatical compositions and scenes, &c., got up for the occasion. The name (poltern, to make a noise or rattle) is derived from the very ancient custom of dashing down all kinds of pots and potsherds, with the greatest possible clatter, outside the bride's door. This custom-still kept up, like the throwing of slippers and rice in England-has its origin in the superstitious idea of driving away, by great noise, all quarrelsome and vindictive spirits, that on the morrow the bride might be greeted only by peace and quietness.-der sich vor...: lit., which will not too much need to hide itself from,' i.e. 'which need not be ashamed to show itself beside,—of being compared with, those over there in...' in Dresden, cf. 62, 2, n. 18. Bringen Sie mir jā etwas...an (cf. above, l. 3): ja is here long and strongly accented, having the force, 'be sure you....' 21. Wo der Pfeffer wächst corresponds to the Engl. 'Jericho,' 'the antipodes,' &c., used in wishing a person there. It is here used by the prince to give vent to his feeling of desperation at being involved in such a business, which he wishes ‘far enough.' Sechster Auftritt. 26. Maj. halten zu Gnaden: halten is 3rd pers. pl. pres. subj., optatively or imperatively used, Maj. halten=Halten Sie, so in 37, 12; 51, 15; 88, 3; for the pl. cf. 6, 4, n. Cf. (Einem etw.) zu Gute—or gute-halten, not to take amiss, to excuse. The above is a stereotyped phrase (cf. 52, 8, ་ &c.), By your M.'s favour, (may it) please your M.'—sollte, cf. 10, 14, n. PAGE 37. 3. ohne Legitimation, cf. 12, 8, n.; without having given an account of himself and acquired the right of residence; say, 'without a pass,' cf. 46, 22. It is still a general regulation throughout Germany that every stranger arriving in a place must be announced at the Polizei. Büreau, and be ready to give documentary evidence of his identity (sich legitimiren). 4. ertreustete, obs. form for erdreistete; sich erdreisten = sich erkühnen (fr. dreist, kühn, bold), 'to make bold to, be bold enough to...' II. die...vorausseßen lassen, lit., which allow (one, cf. 16, 19) to presume, assume, infer; 'which seem to indicate a...' 13. Chiffre, here=Namenszug, a signature, generally only with the initials, with any peculiarity of flourish marking the writer. 19. Brille, here with its original meaning (fr. Lat.-Gr. berylius), 'eyeglass.' It is now used only a pair of spectacles, for which the pl. Brillen (Scottice 'glasses') is now obs. Brillen pairs of spectacles. 22. The Fiscals (fr. L. Lat. fiscalis, and this fr. Lat. fiscus, royal or state-treasury) were originally the representatives of the Fiscus, or exchequer, who collected taxes and administered the domains, but they afterwards became also a sort of petty public prosecutors. Under Fr. Wm. the Fiscalate became a very oppressive and odious institution; Mr Carlyle styles the Fiscals the " 'supreme Essence of Bailiffs, Catchpoles, and Grand-Juries all in one."-foll (cf. 8, 12, n.) here gives a command to be transmitted, 'Let the Attorney General...' So 38, 22; 39, 9.—Ich will keine: sc. haben, cf. 71, 29. 29. Genre (now generally neut.; pr. Fr., in pop. pron. corrupted into schanger) is one of those foreign words which Germans who care for the purity of their language are with right still protesting against, as entirely superfluous, many of them also in their form and pronunciation difficult for the Germ. language to assimilate. Cf. attachirt, 5, 17, Cousin, 47, 17, Portefeuille, 65, 2, Neveu, 109, 4, &c. The dramatic writer is of course justified in putting such words into the mouths of his characters; but the abuse of foreign words is still sufficiently rife in German to make a warning to the student not superfluous. For Genre in this passage, contemptuously used, Sorte would be a perfect substitute. In Genremalerei, 'genre painting,' the word has become almost indispensable. · 30. das ist ja wol gar...? why surely that must be...' The force of PAGE 38. 9. das sollen Sie fein, that is meant for you. expresses the will or intent of the author, viz. that this figure 'shall' 15. Völkerrechtswidrig, contrary to international law. 19. ordentlich in its familiar meaning, 'regularly, downright,' Er war ordentlich böse; it has here much the same force as gar in 37, 30. noch has the force (cf. 8, 6, n.), ‘and not only that, but...' 25. follen in (12, 7, n.) die Scharfrichterei: cf. die Bäckerei, Druckerei, the baker's, printer's (shop, &c.); Scharfrichter, executioner. Tr. 'shall go to the executioner's.' follen as in 37, 22, &c., but in the form of a pro- posal asking adoption, cf. 97, 18. 27. Fitibus, m., uninflected, or Gen. -ses, Pl. -fe, a slip of paper or spill for lighting. Origin obscure (Fr. fil de bois? Grimm).—Colleg, the king's famous Tabakscollegium, see Introd.; Act IV. Sc. vI. ; and 87, 15, n. 31. Gerstensaft =Bier; lit. barley-juice, so Reben-, Traubensaft, the juice of the grape, wine.—dafür, for this,' often in place or stead |