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HSA -.':' , BHU1 ONIVfR% 2 U J llOf UNIVERSE JBRARYQc I r*, !. : s py C^ >. r' \\U-UNlVERyx, s "7J THE DRAMATIC WORKS OF MOLIERE. THE DRAMATIC WORKS OF M O L I E R E RENDERED INTO ENGLISH BY HENRI VAN LAUN A NEW EDITION With a Prefatory Memoir, Introductory Notices and Notes ILLUSTRATED WITH NINETEEN ENGRAVINGS ON STEEL FROM PAINTINGS AND DESIGNS BY Horace Vernet, Desenne, Johannot and Hersent COMPLETE IN SIX VOLUMES VOLUME I PHILADELPHIA GEORGE BARRIE, PUBLISHER Stack Annex 5" V, GENERAL INDEX TO THE SIX VOLUMES. VOL. PAGB PREFACE i i PREFATORY MEMOIR i xix AMPHITRYON 4 161 BLUNDERER (THE) i i BORES (THE) 2 43 CITIZEN WHO APES THE NOBLEMAN (THE) . 5 193 COMIC PASTORAL (A) 4 27 COUNTESS OF ESCARBAGNAS (THE) 6 57 DON GARCIA OF NAVARRE; OR, THE JEALOUS PRINCE i 201 DON JUAN; OR, THE FEAST WITH THE STATUE 3 69 FLYING DOCTOR (THE) 6 255 FORCED MARRIAGE (THE) 2 215 GEORGE DANDIN; OR, THE ABASHED HUSBAND 4 221 :GG39iO GENERAL INDEX TO THE SIX VOLUMES. VOL. PAGE IMAGINARY INVALID (THE) 6 145 IMPROMPTU OF VERSAILLES (THE) 2 179 JEALOUSY OF LE BARBOUILLE (THE) 6 235 LEARNED LADIES (THE) 6 83 LOVE IS THE BEST DOCTOR 3 135 LOVE-TIFF (THE) I 73 MAGNIFICENT LOVERS (THE) 5 139 MELICERTE 4 i MISANTHROPE (THE) 3 171 MISER (THE) 5 i MONSIEUR DE POURCEAUGNAC 5 83 PHYSICIAN IN SPITE OF HIMSELF (THE) .... 3 247 PRETENTIOUS YOUNG LADIES (THE) ...... I 133 PRINCESS OF ELIS (THE) 3 i PSYCHE 5 277 ROGUERIES OF SCAPIN (THE) 6 I SCHOOL FOR HUSBANDS (THE) 2 I SCHOOL FOR WIVES CRITICISED (THE) .... 2 145 SCHOOL FOR WIVES (THE) 2 83 SGANARELLE ; OR, THE SELF-DECEIVED HUS- BAND 2 169 SICILIAN (THE); OR, LOVE MAKES THE PAINTER 4 39 TARTUFFE ; OR, THE HYPOCRITE 4 67 TABLE OF CONTENTS. VOLUME ONE. PAGE PREFACE i PREFATORY MEMOIR xix THE BLUNDERER. L'Etourdi, ou les Contre-temps I THE LOVE-TIFF. Le Depit Amoureux 73 THE PRETENTIOUS YOUNG LADIES. Les Predeuses Ridicules 133 SGANARELLE ; OR, THE SELF-DECEIVED HUSBAND. Sganarelle ; ou, le Cocu Imaginaire 169 DON GARCIA OF PRINCE. NAVARRE ; OR, THE JEALOUS Don Garde de Navarre ; ou, le Prince Jaloux .... 201 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. VOLUME ONE. PAGE PORTRAIT OF MOLIFRE Frontispiece BLUNDERER. Act IV., Scene 8. L? Etourdi, ou les Contre-temps 56 LOVE-TIFF. Act IV., Scene 3. Le Depit Amoureux 116 PRETENTIOUS YOUNG LADIES. Scene 12. Les Pr&cieuses Ridicules 1 60 COUNTRY OF TENDERNESS 168 PREFACE. I THINK it will be generally admitted that Moliere is the greatest comic poet France has produced, and that he is equal, if not superior, to any writer of character- comedies on the ancient or modern stage. His plays may be divided into six classes or groups : First, the small dramatic poems or pastorals, such as Psyche, Ics Amants magnifiques, la Princesse d'Elide, Ics FacJieux, Melicerte, la Pastorale comique, and Amphitryon, which- he wrote for court order of Louis XIV. festivals, by ; Second, his farces, written to suit the taste of the less refined, such as Ics Fourbcrics de Scapin, le Bourgeois- la Comtesse Monsieur de gentilhomme , d'Escarbagnas, Pourceaugnac, le Medecin malgre lui, George Dandin, le VAmour le Sicilien, Medecin, Manage force, Sganarellet and les Precieuses Ridicules, and yet, notwithstanding their absurdity, attracting the higher classes by their of characters his witty descriptions grotesque ; Third, comedies r Etourdi, I'Ecole des Maris, lEcole des femmes, /' Avare, Don Garde de Navarre, le Depit amoureux, and le Malade imaginaire, in each of which the principal object seems to have been to bring into prominence one particular vice or folly, with all its those con- necessary consequences ; Fourth, splendidly i 11 PREFACE. ceived plays, Don Juan, Ics Femmes savantes, Tartuffe, and Ic Misanthrope, which pourtray humanity in all its those critical short la aspects ; Fifth, pieces, Critiqiie de IEcole des femmes and rImpromptu de Versailles, in which, with masterly acumen, he defends his own and attacks his adversaries and plays ; Sixth, those early attempts of his comic muse le Medecin volant and/aJalousie duBarbouille, which gave ample promise of what he afterwards became. It is always difficult to state when a playwright has " taken from any other author, for the saying, Je prends mon bien partout ou je le trouve" has covered, and still covers, a multitude of literary sins. More- over, Moliere possessed a power of absorption and assimilation which enabled him so to vivify the ma- terials he borrowed that they became new creations of incomparable value. In this sense, to take an idea or a mere thought from another author can hardly be called an imitation and in his first ; though Moliere, two or three plays, translated several scenes from Italian authors, he has scarcely ever done so in his latter pieces. To mention which of his comedies I consider, or rather which are generally thought, the best, would be difficult, where everything is so emi- nent for in all his characters will be found ; plays which demonstrate his thorough knowledge of human nature, and display his genius. To discover these little peculiarities in which the specific difference of character consists to between what ; distinguish men do from custom or fashion, and what they perform their own natural to through idiosyncracy ; select, PREFACE. Ill unite, and draw these peculiarities to a dramatic point, demands real genius, and that of the highest order. Generally Moliere's satire is directed against hypo- crites, against quacks, against the affectation of learn- ing amongst ladies, and against snobbishness. If I were to enumerate, however, all the characters our author has created, I should arrive at the sum total of all human passions, all human feelings, all human vices, and at every type of the different classes of society. In I'Avare sordid avarice is represented by Harpagon, and want of order and lavish prodigality by his son Cleante ; in le Festin de Pierre the type of shameless vice is Don Juan, Donna Elvira displays resignation amidst love disgracefully betrayed, Ma- thurine primitive and uncultivated coquetry, and Mons. Dimanche the greed of a tradesman who wishes to make money. Tartuffe, in the comedy of that name, represents hypocrisy and downright wicked- ness. M. Jourdain, a tradesman who has made money and who imitates a nobleman, is, in le Bour- geois-gentilhomme, no bad specimen of self-sufficient and whilst in the vanity, folly, ignorance ; Dorantc, same play, is a well-copied example of the fashionable swindler of that period. In le Misanthrope, Alceste pourtrays great susceptibility of tenderness and hon- our, Celimene, wit without any feeling, and Philinte, quiet common sense, amiability, intelligence, instruc- tion, knowledge of the world, and a spirit of refined criticism. This is also displayed by Chrysalde in rEcole des Femmes, by Beralde, in le Malade imaginaire, and by Ariste in VEcole des Marts; whilst Sganerelle IV PREFACE. in the latter play is an example of foolish and coarse in the of that jealousy. George Dandin, comedy name, is a model of weakness of character and irreso- lution. Angelique, an impudent and heartless woman, and her father, Monsieur de Sotenville, the coarse, proud, country squire of that age. Argan, in le Ma- and lade imaginare, represents egotism pusillanimity ; Vadius and Trissotin, in les Femmes savantes, pedantic self-conceit in I 'Ecole des foolishness and ; Agnes, as well as and Femmes, cunning ingenuity ; Aglaure, in Psyche, feminine jealousy. Finally, Nicole, Dorine, Martine, Marotte, Toinetfe, and Lisette personify the homely servant-girls, who, possessing plain, down- right common sense, point out the affectation and ridiculous pretensions of their companions and supe- riors; whilst Claudine, in George Dandin, Nerine, in Mons. de Pourceaugnac, and Frosine, in the Avare, represent the intriguant in petticoats, a female Mas- carille. In how far it is true that many of Moliere's cha- racters were copied from persons well known at the time his plays were represented, there is now no cer- tain means of but I think it un- judging ; extremely likely that he should have brought on the stage and ridiculed persons of the highest rank, as it is said he has done it is that a ; though very probable general likeness existed between the character produced and the person whom it was thought he imitated. In the Introductory Notice to each play of this translation, due attention will be paid to any such inuendos, and to the degree of credence which they deserve. PREFACE. V The style of Moliere is the style suitable for comedy, and therefore extremely difficult, if not impossible, to render into any other language. Perhaps of no writer are so in French conversation many phrases quoted ; not seldom by people who have never read him, and who only, parrot-like, repeat what they have heard. Several of his expressions have become proverbial, or are used as wise saws to be uttered with solemn face and bated breath. Another not less remarkable faculty of Moliere is that the language his personages employ is precisely suited to them. It varies according to their age, character, rank, and profession, whilst the very sen- tence becomes long or short, stilted or tripping, pe- dantic or elastic, finical or natural, coarse or over- refined, according as an old or young man, a marquis or a citizen, a scholar or a dunce, has to speak. It can be said of Moliere, more than of any other author we know, that he always employs the right word in the right place. Hence different commentators have tried to show that he was a kind of Admirable Crich- ton, and that he knew and understood everything.