FIRST YEAR AND FINAL HONOURS.

French.

A.

1. Translate the following passages and show briefly where each occurs in the work from which it is taken :

(a) On se détache, on fait halte pour boire un coup et casser une croûte. Le jour est venu. Un jour froid et blême sur un cirque grandiose de pics, de flèches, dominés par le Mont-Blanc encore à quinze cents mètres. Les guides à part gesticulent et se concertent avec des hochements de tête. Sur le sol tout blanc, lourds et ramassés le dos rond dans leur veste brune, on dirait des marmottes prêtes à remiser pour l'hiver. Bompard et Tartarin inquiets, transis, ont laissé le Suédois manger tout seul et se sont approchés au moment où le guide chef disait d'un air grave: C'est qu'il fume sa pipe. il n'y a pas à dire que non.

(b) Ils restaient tous deux à la barre, attachés et se tenant ferme, vêtus de leurs cirages, qui etaient durs et luisants comme la peau des requins; ils les avaient bien serrés au cou, par des ficelles goudronnées, bien serrés aux poignets et aux chevilles pour ne pas laisser d'eau passer, et tout ruisselait sur eux, qui enflaient le dos quand cela tombait plus dru, en s'arc-boutant bien pour ne pas être renversés. La peau des joues leur cuisait et ils avaient la respiration à toute minute coupée. Après chaque grande masse d'eau tombée ils se regardaient-en souriant à cause de tout ce sel amassé dans leurs barbes.

(c) Des pas dans le sentier!-Quelqu'un venait?-Alors elle se leva, bien droite; d'un tour de main, rajusta sa coiffe, se composa une figure. Les pas se rapprochaient, on allait entrer. Vite elle prit un air d'être là par hasard, ne voulant pas encore, pour rien au monde, ressembler à une femme de naufragé.

(d) Le malheur veille pendant qu'il dort, se dit-elle. Elle prit les plus vertes feuilles de la vigne, arrangea son raisin aussi coquettement que l'aurait dû dresser un vieux chef d'office, et l'apporta triomphalement sur la table. Elle fit main basse, dans la cuisine, sur les poires comptées par son père, et les disposa en pyramide parmi les feuilles. Elle allait, venait, trottait, sautait. Elle aurait bien voulu mettre à sac toute la maison de son père ; mais il avait les clefs de tout.

2. Write in French synopses of the following fables and add critical remarks: Les Animaux malades de la Peste and Les Obsèques de la Lionne.

3. Give in French, naming any fables bearing thereon, La Fontaine's views on: L'Education, L'Hérédité, Le Bonheur, La Flatterie, Le Fatalisme. Give your own

views.

Quote any passage from the Fables or La Mort de César.

1. Explain in French :

B.

Il le prit à bras le corps.-Parez la botte.-Bien lui en prit.—Il dut barboter à même le torrent.-Celui-là ne manque pas de toupet. Je m'y connais.-Le Tarasconnais était à peindre.-A bon entendeur salut.-Le convoi s'ébranle, les chevaux détalent à fond de train.-Il y allait du salut de la ville.-J'en aurai raison.-T. jure qu'il n'y est pour rien.-Il vient comme marée en carême. Va bon train.-Emboisez-moi bien ces gens là.—Quel esprit ne bat la campagne?-Il était en train de faire une trempette. Mais l' Alpiniste chez lui prêtait à toutes les critiques. 2. Turn the following expressions into idiomatic French :

Unless we work hard, we will not succeed.-She imagined she had never lost sight of him.-I made inquiries about the man I was looking for.—That's the story which we knew to be false. He hurled the stone with all his might to let them see how strong he was.-Keep me advised of everything important that passes in your town.-Are you a judge of painting ?--Is that beyond your comprehension ?-There he is passing.-I heard those who ought to know say that it would be hot next summer.—I hope you will find what you need.-I shall go to him the more willingly because I expect to derive some benefit from the meeting. If he comes, and if he can answer me, I shall tell him what I think of it.

C.

1. To which class of Moliere's plays does Les Précieuses belong and why? How far was Molière's satire justified?

2. Remark on action and style in La Mort de César. What innovation in French classical tragedy is there in this work?

3. Write a critique on Pêcheur d' Islande,

4. "L'originálité de Daudet est d'unir étroitement l'observation et la fantaisie,.....d'écrire des romans qui sont en même temps réalistes et romanesques.....". (Lemaître). How far can this judgment be applied to Tartarin sur les Alpes?

D.

1. Show how far French literature was influenced by political events during the 18th and the first half of the 19th century.

2. Write an article on Nature in French literature during the 17th and 18th centuries.

3. Give an account of Realism in French literature during the present century.

4. Write notes on Rabelais, Pierre Larivey, Malherbe, Molière, La Bruyère, Diderot, Taine, George Sand, Pierre Loti, Octave Feuillet.

HONOURS.
French.

NOTE: First year candidates will omit B.

Translate into French:

A.

It was March 31st, 1880 (write in words), and were he to reach the advanced age of some one I know who speaks as authoritatively of, and pretends to be as familiar with, the magnificent town of Babylon as if he had seen it building, poor Marcel will ever remember that date. For upon that very day, Saint Joseph's day, in Paris, less than a thousand yards from the Bourse, at half-past three p.m., our poet was seen leaving a banker's house which he had entered not half an hour before. Though none who knew him could be persuaded to believe the fact until they had seen with their own eyes and touched with their fingers the prize he bore, he had just received a sum of five hundred francs in good ringing current coin of the land.

After he had carefully done up the twenty-five sovereigns into two little rolls, a thought struck him. He changed his mind; he took one out, so as, first of all, the artistic young man said, to make the two rolls of equal size, secondly, he added, with boundless pride, to make his pocket renew its acquaintance with the jingling of hard cash. Principles he had none; nay, he had a few, but these were all bad. The first use he made of this slice of Peru which had just fallen into his pocket, was not to pay his debts, seeing that he had sworn to himself to be economical and to go in for no extras. Besides he had on the subject very definite ideas, and would tell his friends that before he could think of superfluities he had to attend to necessities; therefore he did not pay his creditors, but bought a Turkish pipe he had been coveting a long time.

Translate into French :

B.

The next morning dawned pallidly over a sea of grey mistnot a glimpse of the landscape was visible—nothing but a shadowy vastness of floating vapour that moved slowly, fold upon fold, wave upon wave, as though bent upon blotting out the world. A very faint chill light peered through the narrow arched window of the room where Alwyn lay, still wrapped in that profound repose, so like the last sleep from which some of our modern scientists tell us there can be no awakening.

C.

Subject for French Composition :-Eugénie Grandet.