Produced by David Garcia, David Moynihan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. SGANARELLE; OU, LE COCU IMAGINAIRE COMEDIE EN UN ACTE. * * * * * SGANARELLE: OR THE SELF-DECEIVED HUSBAND. A COMEDY IN ONE ACT. (_THE ORIGINAL IN VERSE_.) 28TH MAY, 1660. INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. Six months after the brilliant success of the _Precieuses Ridicules_, Moliere brought out at the Theatre du Petit-Bourbon a new comedy, called _Sganarelle, ou le Cocu Imaginaire_, which I have translated by _Sganarelle, or the self-deceived Husband_. It has been said that Moliere owed the first idea of this piece to an Italian farce, _Il Ritratto ovvero Arlichino cornuto per opinione_, but, as it has never been printed, it is difficult to decide at the present time whether or not this be true. The primary idea of the play is common to many _commedia dell' arte_, whilst Moliere has also been inspired by such old authors as Noel Du Fail, Rabelais, those of the _Quinze joyes de Mariage_, of the _Cent nouvelles Nouvelles_, and perhaps others. The plot of _Sganarelle_ is ingenious and plausible; every trifle becomes circumstantial evidence, and is received as conclusive proof both by the husband and wife. The dialogue is sprightly throughout, and the anxious desire of Sganarelle to kill his supposed injurer, whilst his cowardice prevents him from executing his valorous design, is extremely ludicrous. The chief aim of our author appears to have been to show how dangerous it is to judge with too much haste, especially in those circumstances where passion may either augment or diminish the view we take of certain objects. This truth, animated by a great deal of humour and wit, drew crowds of spectators for forty nights, though the play was brought out in summer and the marriage of the young king kept the court from Paris. The style is totally different from that employed in the _Precieuses Ridicules_, and is a real and very good specimen of the _style gaulois_ adapted to the age in which Moliere lived. He has often been blamed for not having followed up his success of the _Precieuses Ridicules_ by a comedy in the same style, but Moliere did not want to make fresh enemies. It appears to have been a regular and set purpose with him always to produce something farcical after a creation which provoked either secret or open hostility, or even violent opposition.