B. IF THE ACTION IS STATED WITH REFERENCE EITHER TO ITS BEGINNING, OR
TO ITS END, OR TO BOTH, the PASSÉ DÉFINI is used.

Thus _a. Simple occurrence_, which is the introduction of a new action
now beginning to take place, takes the _passé défini_.

E.g., l. 19: . . . _ajouta-t-il_, . . . = "he [then] added."

l. 26: . . . _qui sauva nos aïeux_ = "which [once before] saved our
forefathers."

l. 494.: _il trembla pour sa vie_ = "he began to tremble for his life."

_b. Continuous duration through a completed period of time_ which may
be expressed or implied, takes the _passé défini_.

E.g., l. 4: . . . _fus de mes premiers ans la compagne assidue_ =
"wast the constant companion of my earliest years."

l. 272: . . . _qui ne furent jamais_ = "who never [in all time] had
existence."

l. 477: . . . _il fut des Juifs_ = "there was once [but is no more] a
race of Jews."

NOTE that the action may be stated as recurring a given or indefinite
number of times, and yet the verb will not be in the imperfect.

E.g., l. 249: _Mon pere mille fois m'a dit_ . . .