406 Chaldaea was famous for its astronomers, who had fixed the duration
of the year, were acquainted with the zodiac, and as early as the
middle of the fourth century B.C., already possessed astronomical
records extending over 1,900 years. They were also far-famed
astrologers, and as such were in great demand as late as the last years
of the Roman empire.

415 eut du ciel. Cf. Gray's Elegy: "He gained from heaven, 'twas all
he asked," etc.

419 Striking witness is borne to Haman's high position by the flattery
paid him by Hydaspes.

426 Tout révère, for _tous révèrent_, for metrical reasons. See App.
I, Metre.

430 Traiter de = "to call," always with an unfavorable connotation.

444 fragile, of course, must be translated here "broken."

445 salutaire, here "timely."

449 l'artifice. The definite article is used distributively: = "all
artifice."

452 Racine heightens the contrast between Haman's past and present
fortunes by imagining him to have been bought for a slave, in boyhood,
by a Persian master. This the Bible does not state, although the Rest
of the Book of Esther calls him a Macedonian (xvi, 10), but immediately