MASC. Ah, Viscount!
JOD. Ah, Marquis! (_Embracing each other_).
MASC. How glad I am to meet you!
JOD. How happy I am to see you here.
MASC. Embrace me once more, I pray you.
[Footnote: It was then the fashion for young courtiers to embrace each
other repeatedly with exaggerated gestures, uttering all the while loud
exclamations. The Viscount de Jodelet is the caricature of a courtier of
a former reign; he is very old, very pale, dressed in sombre colours,
speaks slowly and through the nose. Geoffrin, the actor, who played this
part, was at least seventy years old.]
MAD. (_To Cathos_). My dearest, we begin to be known; people of fashion
find the way to our house.
MASC. Ladies, allow me to introduce this gentleman to you. Upon my word,
he deserves the honour of your acquaintance.
JOD. It is but just we should come and pay you what we owe; your charms
demand their lordly rights from all sorts of people.
MAD. You carry your civilities to the utmost confines of flattery.
CAT. This day ought to be marked in our diary as a red-letter day.
MAD. (_To Almanser_). Come, boy, must you always be told things over and
over again? Do you not observe there must be an additional chair?
MASC. You must not be astonished to see the Viscount thus; he has but
just recovered from an illness, which, as you perceive, has made him so
pale.
[Footnote: Molière here alludes to the complexion of the actor
Geoffrin.]
JOD. The consequence of continual attendance at court and the fatigues
of war.
MASC. Do you know, ladies, that in the Viscount you behold one of the
heroes of the age. He is a very valiant man.
[Footnote: In the original _un brave à trois poils_, literally, "a brave
man with three hairs." This is an allusion to the moustache and pointed
beard on the chin, then called _royale_. We have seen the fashion
revived in our days by the late emperor of the French, Napoleon III. and
his courtiers; of course, the _royale_ was then called _impériale_.]
JOB. Marquis, you are not inferior to me; we also know what you can do.
MASC. It is true we have seen one another at work when there was need
for it.
JOD. And in places where it was hot.
MASC. (_Looking at Cathos and Madelon_). Ay, but not so hot as here. Ha,
ha, ha!
JOD. We became acquainted in the army; the first time we saw each other
he commanded a regiment of horse aboard the galleys of Malta.
MASC. True, but for all that you were in the service before me; I
remember that I was but a young officer when you commanded two thousand
horse.
JOD. War is a fine thing; but, upon my word, the court does not properly
reward men of merit like us.
MASC. That is the reason I intend to hang up my sword.
CAT. As for me, I have a tremendous liking for gentlemen of the army.
[Footnote: Cathos, who only repeats what her cousin says, and has
observed that Mascarille admires Madelon, is resolved to worship more
particularly the Viscount de Jodelet.]
MAD. I love them, too; but I like bravery seasoned with wit.
MASC. Do you remember, Viscount, our taking that half-moon from the
enemy at the siege of Arras?
[Footnote: Turenne compelled the Prince de Condé and the Spanish army to
raise the siege of Arras in 1654.]
JOD. What do you mean by a half-moon? It was a complete full moon.
MASC. I believe you are right.
JOD. Upon my word, I ought to remember it very well. I was wounded in
the leg by a hand-grenade, of which I still carry the marks. Pray, feel
it, you can perceive what sort of a wound it was.
CAT. (_Putting her hand to the place_). The scar is really large.
MASC. Give me your hand for a moment, and feel this; there, just at the
back of my head. Do you feel it?
MAD. Ay, I feel something.
MASC. A musket shot which I received the last campaign I served in.
JOD. (_Unbuttoning his breast_). Here is a wound which went quite
through me at the attack of Gravelines.
[Footnote: In 1658, the Marshal de la Ferte took this town from the
Spaniards.]
MASC. (_Putting his hand upon the button of his breeches_). I am going
to show you a tremendous wound.
MAD. There is no occasion for it, we believe it without seeing it.
MASC They are honour's marks, that show what a man is made of.
CAT. We have not the least doubt of the valour of you both.
MASC. Viscount, is your coach in waiting?
JOD. Why?
MASC. We shall give these ladies an airing, and offer them a collation.
MAD. We cannot go out to-day.
MASC. Let us send for musicians then, and have a dance.
JOD. Upon my word, that is a happy thought.
MAD. With all our hearts, but we must have some additional company.
MASC. So ho! Champagne, Picard, Bourguignon, Cascaret, Basque, La
Verdure, Lorrain, Provençal, La Violette. I wish the deuce took all
these footmen! I do not think there is a gentleman in France worse
served than I am! These rascals are always out of the way.
[Footnote: These names, with the exception of Cascaret, La Verdure and
La Violette are those of natives of different provinces, and were often
given to footmen, according to the place where they were born.
_Cascaret_ is of Spanish origin, and not seldom used as a name for
servants; _La Verdure_ means, verdure; _La Violette_, violet.]
MAD. Almanzor, tell the servants of my lord marquis to go and fetch the
musicians, and ask some of the gentlemen and ladies hereabouts to come
and people the solitude of our ball. (_Exit Almanzor_).
MASC. Viscount, what do you say of those eyes?
JOD. Why, Marquess, what do you think of them yourself?
MASC. I? I say that our liberty will have much difficulty to get away
from here scot free. At least mine has suffered most violent attacks; my
heart hangs by a single thread.
MAD. How natural is all he says! he gives to things a most agreeable
turn.
CAT. He must really spend a tremendous deal of wit.
MASC. To show you that I am in earnest, I shall make some extempore
verses upon my passion. (_Seems to think_).
CAT. O! I beseech you by all that I hold sacred, let us hear something
made upon us.
JOD. I should be glad to do so too, but the quantity of blood that has
been taken from me lately, has greatly exhausted my poetic vein.
MASC. Deuce take it! I always make the first verse well, but I find the
others more difficult. Upon my word, this is too short a time; but I
will make you some extempore verses at my leisure, which you shall think
the finest in the world.
JOD. He is devilish witty.
MAD. He--his wit is so gallant and well expressed.
MASC. Viscount, tell me, when did you see the Countess last?
JOD. I have not paid her a visit these three weeks.
MASC. Do you know that the duke came to see me this morning; he would
fain have taken me into the country to hunt a stag with him?
MAD. Here come our friends.