Produced by Charles Franks, Delphine Lettau and the people at DP.
THE SHOPKEEPER TURNED GENTLEMAN. (LE BOURGEOIS GENTILHOMME.)
BY
MOLIÈRE,
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH PROSE.
WITH SHORT INTRODUCTIONS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.
BY
CHARLES HERON WALL.
'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme' was acted before the King for the firsttime at Chambord, on October 14, 1670, and on November 28 at thePalais Royal. After the second representation, Louis XIV. said toMolière, "You have never written anything which amused me more, andyour play is excellent." But it obtained a still greater success inParis, where the bourgeois willingly and good-humouredlylaughed at what they deemed their neighbours' weaknesses. The threefirst acts are the best; Louis XIV. hurried Molière so with the lastthat they degenerated into burlesque.
Molière acted the part of the Bourgeois.
PERSONS REPRESENTED.
MR. JOURDAIN.
CLÉONTE, in love with LUCILE.
DORANTE, a count, in love with DORIMÈNE.
COVIELLE, servant to CLÉONTE.
A MUSIC MASTER, ETC.
A DANCING MASTER, ETC.
A FENCING MASTER.
A PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY.
A MASTER TAILOR.
ASSISTANT TAILORS.
TWO LACKEYS.
MRS. JOURDAIN.
LUCILE, daughter to MR. JOURDAIN.
DORIMÈNE, a marchioness.
NICOLE, maid-servant to MR. JOURDAIN.
The scene is in PARIS, in MR. JOURDAIN'S house.
THE SHOPKEEPER TURNED GENTLEMAN.
ACT I.
The overture is played by a great many instruments; and in themiddle of the stage the PUPIL of the MUSIC MASTER is seated at a tablecomposing a serenade which MR. JOURDAIN has asked for.
SCENE I.—MUSIC MASTER, DANCING MASTER, THREE SINGERS, TWO VIOLINPLAYERS, FOUR DANCERS.
MUS. MAS. (to the MUSICIANS). Come into this room, and resttill he comes.
DAN. MAS. (to the DANCERS). Come also, on this side.
MUS. MAS. (to his PUPIL). Have you finished?
PUP. Yes.
MUS. MAS. Let me see. Very good.
DAN. MAS. Is it anything new?
MUS. MAS. Yes; it is an air for a serenade that I made him composewhile we are waiting for our gentleman to wake up.
DAN. MAS. Will you allow me to see what it is?
MUS. MAS. You shall hear it, as well as the dialogue, when he comes;he won't be long.
DAN. MAS. We both have plenty to do now; have we not?
MUS. MAS. Indeed we have. We have found the very man we both wanted.He brings us in a comfortable little income, with his notions ofgentility and gallantry which he has taken into his head; and it wouldbe well for your dancing and my music if everybody were like him.
DAN. MAS. No; not altogether. I wish, for his sake, that he wouldappreciate better than he does the things we give him.
MUS. MAS. He certainly understands them but little; but he pays well,a