Comedy plays; French drama -- 17th century -- Translations into English
Monsieur Loyal [to Dorine]. Hello, my dear sister. Could you please see
If your master is in?
Dorine. He has company,
And I doubt he'll be able to see you now.
Monsieur Loyal. I have not come here to cause a row.
I don't think that my presence will displease
Him; I come, in fact, to put him at ease.
Dorine. Your name?
Monsieur Loyal. Tell him only that I've come here
For Monsieur Tartuffe, and to give him cheer.
Dorine [to Orgon]. It's a man who has come quite civilly,
On behalf of Monsieur Tartuffe, to see,
He says, to your pleasure.
Cleante [to Orgon]. You'd best find out
Who he is and what he has come here about.
Orgon [to Cleante]. Perhaps he has come here to reconcile us.
How should I act and what should we discuss?
Cleante. Don't let any of your anger appear,
And if he speaks of a deal, make him be clear.
Monsieur Loyal [to Orgon]. Greetings, sir. May God destroy all your foes
And favor you as much as I propose!
Orgon [aside to Cleante]. This civil start meets my approbation
And foreshadows some accommodation.
Monsieur Loyal. At one time I was your father's employee,
And this whole house is very dear to me.
Orgon. I ask your pardon, sir, but to my shame
I'm totally ignorant of your name.
Monsieur Loyal. My name is Loyal. I come from Normandy.
I'm the bailiff here, in spite of envy.
For the last forty years, thanks be to God,
I've done my duty and retained by job.
And I've come to you, with your permission,
To serve this notice of your eviction.
Orgon. What! You're here . . .
Monsieur Loyal. Let's have no irritation.
This is nothing more than notification,
An order to evict both you and yours,
Put your furniture out and lock the doors,
Without pardon or delay to fulfill . . .
Orgon. Me! Leave this place?
Monsieur Loyal. Yes, monsieur, if you will.
This house now belongs, I have ample proof,
To your very good friend, Monsieur Tartuffe.
He is master and lord of all your wealth
By virtue of a deed he showed me himself.
It is in due form and cannot be doubted.
Damis [to Monsieur Loyal]. What impudence! I'm amazed about it.
Monsieur Loyal [to Damis]. You and I, sir, have no business and you'd
Best leave things to this man [pointing to Orgon], who's civil and shrewd,
And knows too well the duties of my office
To wish to oppose himself to justice.
Orgon. But . . .
Monsieur Loyal [to Orgon]. I know that not even a million
Dollars would make you cause a rebellion,
And that you will be an honest citizen
And let me fulfill the orders I'm given.
Damis. You may soon feel upon your black soutane,
Monsieur Bailiff, the heavy weight of this cane.
Monsieur Loyal [to Orgon].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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