Ye Gascons, list! 'Tis war no more, but peace. 'Tis hill and dale, 'tis wood and meadow-land, With red-capped lads beside their gentle herds; 'Tis smiling riverbank and sunny sea. O Gascons, hark! You are in Gascony! (_All have bowed their heads and are dreaming: many brush away a tear._) CARBON (_to Cyrano, aside_). But, instead of giving them courage, you make them weep! CYRANO. I've made them homesick!.... A noble sort of suffering .... nobler than hunger. It is a comfort to see their pain change organs, and pass from their stomachs to their hearts! CARBON. But you will weaken them! CYRANO (_motioning to a drummer to come up_). Never mind! The heroes' blood that is in them will soon arouse them! (_He motions to the drummer, who begins beating his drum._) ALL THE CADETS (_rushing to their arms_). Hey!.... What?.... What is it?.... CYRANO (_smiling, to Carbon_). You see that, at the sound of the drum, dreams, longings, thoughts of home, of love,....all fly away. What comes by the fife goes by the drum.[24] A CADET (_from the rear_). Ha! ha! here is Monsieur de Guiche! ALL THE CADETS (_murmuring_). Hou.... CYRANO (_smiling_). Quite complimentary! A CADET. He is a bore, with his lace collar over his armour. He comes here to exhibit himself! OTHER CADET. As if lace were in keeping with iron! OTHER CADET. Good if one has a boil on his neck! OTHER CADET. Too much of the courtier! OTHER CADET. The nephew of his uncle, the Cardinal. CARBON. And still he's a Gascon! FIRST CADET. Not a true one!....Beware! Because Gascons, you know, must be madcaps. There is nothing more dangerous than a reasonable Gascon. LE BRET. How pale he is! A CADET. He is hungry.... Just as much as we poor devils. But his breastplate gives a lustre to his cramps! CYRANO (_quickly_). We should not appear to suffer more than he does! Here! all of you, take up your cards, your pipes and your dice.... (_They all rapidly begin playing, on benches, drums, or on their cloaks spread out on the ground, meanwhile lighting long pipes._) .... and I ... will read Descartes. (_He walks up and down, reading a small book that he has taken out of his pocket.--Tableau.--Guiche enters; everybody seems busy and satisfied. He is very pale; goes up to Carbon._)