maîtres, il falloit la leur arracher. masters, it was-necessary her to-them to-snatch-away. of it, he must therefore wrest it from them.

Ses an

His an

His an

cêtres avoient eu des droits sur l'Ingrie, l'Estonie,
cestors † had had of-the rights over the Ingria, the Esthonia,
cestors
claims upon Ingria, Esthonia,

had

la Livonie: le temps sembloit propice pour faire

the Livonia: the time and Livonia: the time

† seemed propitious for to-make
seemed propitious for

revivre ces droits perdues depuis cent ans,

to-revive

these rights

lost

since hundred years,

1

reclaiming rights which had been virtually lost a century ago,

and completely annulled by

donc une ligue avec le roi de

then

Pologne pour en

a league with the king of Poland, for to

concluded a league with the king of

lever au jeune Charles take-away to-the young Charles to strip the young

Poland,

Douze
Twelve

in order

tous ces
all these

Charles the Twelfth of all those

pays, qui sont entre le Golfe de Finlande, la

countries, which are between the Gulf of
Finland, the
countries, which lie between the Gulf of Finland, the

Mer Baltique, la Pologne, et la Moscovie.
Sea Baltic, the Poland, and the Muscovy.
Baltic Sea,
Poland, and Russia.

Changement prodigieux et subit dans le caractère de Charles prodigious and sudden in the character of Charles Astonishing and sudden change in the character of Charles the

Change

Douze. À l'âge de dix-huit

ans il soutient la guerre Twelve. At the age of eighteen years he sustains the war Twelfth. At the age of eighteen he maintains a war

contre le Danemarck, la Pologne, et la Moscovie; termine

against the Denmark, the Poland, and the Muscovy; terminates against Denmark, Poland, and Russia; terminates la guerre de Danemarck en six semaines; défait quatre

vingt mille Moscovites avec huit mille Suédois, et passe twenty thousand Muscovites with eight thousand Swedes, and passes thousand Russians with eight thousand Swedes, and marches

en Pologne. Description de la Pologne et de son gou

TROIS puissans rois menaçoient ainsi
Three powerful kings thus threatened

Three powerful kings

l'enfance de the childhood of

† threatened thus the childhood of

Charles Douze. Les bruits de ces préparatifs

Charles

Twelve. The noises of these preparations Charles the Twelfth. The rumours of their preparations

consternoient la Suède, et alarmoient le conseil.

† dismayed the Sweden, and † alarmed the council struck Sweden with consternation, and alarmed the council.

Les grands généraux étoient morts; on avoit raison

† were dead; one + had

reason

The great generals
Their great generals were dead; every thing was

de tout craindre sous un jeune roi, qui n'avoit

of all
to-fear
under
to be feared under

a

a

young king, who not + had young king, who had

encore donné de lui que de mauvaises impressions. yet given of him than of impressions. hitherto given only unfavourable impressions of himself.

bad

Il n'assistoit presque jamais dans le conseil que

He not assisted almost
He scarcely ever

pour croiser les jambes

for

to-cross the legs to cross his legs

never

in the council than

went to the council except sur la table; distrait, upon the table; distracted, upon the table; absent and

indifférent, il n'avoit paru prendre part à rien. indifferent, he not t had appeared to-take part to nothing. indifferent, he had appeared to take interest in nothing.

Le conseil délibéra en sa présence sur le danger
The council deliberated in his presence upon the danger
The council deliberated in his presence upon the danger

où l'on étoit: quelques

where the one † was:

some

conseillers proposoient

counsellors of their situation: ..some of the counsellors

† proposed proposed

de détourner la tempête par des négociations; tout of to-turn-away the tempest by of-the negociations; all

to avert the storm by

negociation;

d'un coup le jeune prince se lève avec l'air de of a stroke the young prince himself raises with the air of when the young prince suddenly rose with the grave

gravité et l'assurance d'un homme supérieur, qui a

pris son parti : "Messieurs," dit-il, "j'ai résolu

taken his determination:

taken his resolution:

" Sirs,"

" Sirs,"

said he, "I have resolved said he, " I have resolved

de ne jamais faire une guerre injuste; mais de

of not never to-make

a

never to wage an

war

unjust; but of but

unjust war,

n'en finir une légitime que par la perte de lawful than by the loss of never to conclude a lawful one except by the destruction of

not of-it to-finish a

j'irai I shall-go is taken: I shall advance

mes ennemis. Ma résolution est prise : my enemies. My resolution is taken: my enemies. My resolution

attaquer le premier qui se déclarera; et quand

to-attack the first who himself shall-declare; and when to attack the first who declares himself; and when

je l'aurai vaincu, j'espère faire quelque peur

I him shall-have vanquished, I hope
I have conquered him, I hope

to-make to strike

some some terror

fear

These words astonished the old counsellors: they

regardèrent sans oser répondre.

se

themselves looked-at

without to-dare to-answer.

looked at each other without daring

to answer.

étonnés d'avoir un tel roi, et honteux

astonished of to-have

a

such king, and ashamed of to-hope

surprised at having such a king, and ashamed of being

his orders to prepare for war.

On fut bien plus surpris encore quand

on le vit renoncer tout d'un coup aux amusemens les plus

saw to-renounce all of a stroke to-the amusements the most

him instantaneously renounce the most innocent amuse

innocens de la jeunesse. innocent of the youth. ments of youth.

Du moment qu'il se

From-the moment that he himself
From the moment that he

prépara à la guerre, il commença une vie toute

prepared to the war, he began

prepared for war,

nouvelle, dont il ne

new,

life,

he commenced

a

life all

an entirely new

s'est jamais depuis écarté

from-which he not himself is never
from which he

un seul moment.

a

single moment.

for a single moment.

since put-away never after deviated

Plein de l'idée d'Alexandre, et

Full
of the idea of Alexander, and
Full of the idea of Alexander and

tout de

de César, il se proposa d'imiter of Cæsar, he to-himself proposed of to-imitate Cæsar, he proposed to himself to imitate every thing in

ces deux conquérans, hors leurs

these two

all

of

vices. Il ne connut

conquerors, out-of their vices. He not knew these two conquerors but their vices. He abandoned plus ni magnificence, ni jeux, ni délassemens ;

more neither magnificence, nor sports, nor recreations; all magnificence, or amusement, or recreation;

il réduisit sa table à la frugalité la plus grande.

he reduced his table to the frugality the most great. he reduced his table to the greatest frugality.

Il avoit aimé le faste dans les habits; il ne fut in the clothes; he not was He had been fond of splendour in his dress; from that

Het had loved the show

vêtu depuis que comme un simple soldat.

clad since than as

a

simple soldier. time he wore only the dress of a common soldier.

On l'avoit

One him + had He had been

soupçonné d'avoir eu une passion pour une femme

a

suspected of to-have had
passion for a
suspected of entertaining a passion for

de sa cour; of his court;

a

woman

lady soit que cette intrigue fût vraie let-be that this intrigue might-be true this intrigue really existed

of his court; whether VOL. I.

L