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TITLE: THE IMPOSTURES OF SCAPIN
AUTHOR: MOLIERE
EBOOK: E06201 (O'Briens Book Cellar)
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

THE IMPOSTURES OF SCAPIN.

(LES FOURBERIES DE SCAPIN.)

BY

MOLIERE

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH PROSE.

_WITH SHORT INTRODUCTIONS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES_

BY

CHARLES HERON WALL

Acted on May 24, 1671, at the Palais Royal, 'Les Fourberies de
Scapin' had great success. It is nothing, however, but a farce, taken
partly from classical, partly from Italian or from French sources.

Moliere acted the part of Scapin.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

ARGANTE, _father to_ OCTAVE _and_ ZERBINETTE.

GERONTE, _father to_ LEANDRE _and_ HYACINTHA.

OCTAVE, _son to_ ARGANTE, _and lover to_ HYACINTHA.

LEANDRE, _son to_ GERONTE, _and lover_ to ZERBINETTE.

ZERBINETTE, _daughter to_ ARGANTE, _believed to be a gypsy
girl_.

HYACINTHA, _daughter to_ GERONTE.

SCAPIN, _servant to_ LEANDRE.

SILVESTRE, _servant to_ OCTAVE.

NERINE, _nurse to_ HYACINTHA.

CARLE.

TWO PORTERS.

_The scene is at_ NAPLES.

THE IMPOSTURES OF SCAPIN.

ACT I.

SCENE I.--OCTAVE, SILVESTRE.

OCT. Ah! what sad news for one in love! What a hard fate to be
reduced to! So, Silvestre, you have just heard at the harbour that my
father is coming back?

SIL. Yes.

OCT. That he returns this very morning?

SIL. This very morning.

OCT. With the intention of marrying me?

SIL. Of marrying you.

OCT. To a daughter of Mr. Geronte?

SIL. Of Mr. Geronte.

OCT. And that this daughter is on her way from Tarentum for that
purpose?

SIL. For that purpose.

OCT. And you have this news from my uncle?

SIL. From your uncle.

OCT. To whom my father has given all these particulars in a letter?

SIL. In a letter.

OCT. And this uncle, you say, knows all about our doings?

SIL. All our doings.

OCT. Oh! speak, I pray you; don't go on in such a way as that, and
force me to wrench everything from you, word by word.

SIL. But what is the use of my speaking? You don't forget one single
detail, but state everything exactly as it is.

OCT. At least advise me, and tell me what I ought to do in this
wretched business.

SIL. I really feel as much perplexed as you, and I myself need the
advice of some one to guide me.

OCT. I am undone by this unforeseen return.

SIL. And I no less.

OCT. When my father hears what has taken place, a storm of reprimands
will burst upon me.

SIL. Reprimands are not very heavy to bear; would to heaven I were
free at that price! But I am very likely to pay dearly for all your
wild doings, and I see a storm of blows ready to burst upon my
shoulders.

OCT. Heavens! how am I to get clear of all the difficulties that
beset my path!

SIL. You should have thought of that before entering upon it.

OCT. Oh, don't come and plague me to death with your unreasonable
lectures.

SIL. You plague me much more by your foolish deeds.

OCT. What am I to do? What steps must I take? To what course of
action have recourse?

SCENE II.--OCTAVE, SCAPIN, SILVESTRE.

SCA. How now, Mr. Octave? What is the matter with you? What is it?
What trouble are you in? You are all upset, I see.

OCT. Ah! my dear Scapin, I am in despair; I am lost; I am the most
unfortunate of mortals.

SCA. How is that?

OCT. Don't you know anything of what has happened to me?

SCA. No.

OCT. My father is just returning with Mr. Geronte, and they want to
marry me.

SCA. Well, what is there so dreadful about that?

OCT. Alas! you don't know what cause I have to be anxious.

SCA. No; but it only depends on you that I should soon know; and I am
a man of consolation, a man who can interest himself in the troubles
of young people.

OCT. Ah! Scapin, if you could find some scheme, invent some plot, to
get me out of the trouble I am in, I should think myself indebted to
you for more than life.

SCA. To tell you the truth, there are few things impossible to me
when I once set about them. Heaven has bestowed on me a fair enough
share of genius for the making up of all those neat strokes of mother
wit, for all those ingenious gallantries to which the ignorant and
vulgar give the name of impostures; and I can boast, without vanity,
that there have been very few men more skilful than I in expedients
and intrigues, and who have acquired a greater reputation in the
noble profession. But, to tell the truth, merit is too ill rewarded
nowadays, and I have given up everything of the kind since the
trouble I had through a certain affair which happened to me.

OCT. How? What affair, Scapin?

SCA. An adventure in which justice and I fell out.

OCT. Justice and you?

SCA. Yes; we had a trifling quarrel.

SIL. You and justice?

SCA. Yes. She used me very badly; and I felt so enraged against the
ingratitude of our age that I determined never to do anything for
anybody. But never mind; tell me about yourself all the same.

OCT. You know, Scapin, that two months ago Mr. Geronte and my father
set out together on a voyage, about a certain business in which they
are both interested.

SCA. Yes, I know that.

OCT. And that both Leandre and I were left by our respective fathers,
I under the management of Silvestre, and Leandre under your
management.

SCA. Yes; I have acquitted myself very well of my charge.

OCT. Some time afterwards Leandre met with a young gipsy girl, with
whom he fell in love.


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