Comedy plays; Hypochondria -- Drama; Molière, 1622-1673 -- Translations into English
MR. FLEU. (_to_ BÉRALDE). What right have you to interfere? How dare you
oppose yourself to the prescription of the doctors, and prevent the
gentleman from taking my clyster? You are a nice fellow to show such
boldness.
BER. Go, Sir, go; it is easy to see that you are not accustomed to
speak face to face with men.
MR. FLEU. You ought not thus to sneer at physic, and make me lose my
precious time. I came here for a good prescription, and I will go and
tell Mr. Purgon that I have been prevented from executing his orders,
and that I have been stopped in the performance of my duty. You’ll
see, you’ll see....
SCENE V.—ARGAN, BÉRALDE.
ARG. Brother, you’ll be the cause that some misfortune will happen
here.
BER. What a misfortune not to take a clyster prescribed by Mr. Purgon!
Once more, brother, is it possible that you can’t be cured of this
doctor disease, and that you will thus bring yourself under their
remedies?
ARG. Ah! brother. You speak like a man who is quite well, but if you
were in my place, you would soon change your way of speaking. It is
easy to speak against medicine when one is in perfect health.
BER. But what disease do you suffer from?
ARG. You will drive me to desperation. I should like you to have my
disease, and then we should see if you would prate as you do. Ah! here
is Mr. Purgon.
SCENE VI.—MR. PURGON, ARGAN, BÉRALDE, TOINETTE.
MR. PUR. I have just heard nice news downstairs! You laugh at my
prescriptions, and refuse to take the remedy which I ordered.
ARG. Sir, it is not....
MR. PUR. What daring boldness, what a strange revolt of a patient
against his doctor!
TOI. It is frightful.
MR. PUR. A clyster which I have had the pleasure of composing myself.
ARG. It was not I....
MR. PUR. Invented and made up according to all the rules of art.
TOI. He was wrong.
MR. PUR. And which was to work a marvellous effect on the intestines.
ARG. My brother....
MR. PUR. To send it back with contempt!
ARG. (_showing_ BÉRALDE). It was he....
MR. PUR. Such conduct is monstrous.
TOI. So it is.
MR. PUR. It is a fearful outrage against medicine.
ARG. (_showing_ BÉRALDE). He is the cause....
MR. PUR. A crime of high-treason against the faculty, and one which
cannot be too severely punished.
TOI. You are quite right.
MR. PUR. I declare to you that I break off all intercourse with you.
ARG. It is my brother....
MR. PUR. That I will have no more connection with you.
TOI. You will do quite right.
MR. PUR. And to end all association with you, here is the deed of gift
which I made to my nephew in favour of the marriage. (_He tears the
document, and throws the pieces about furiously._)
ARG. It is my brother who has done all the mischief.
MR. PUR. To despise my clyster!
ARG. Let it be brought, I will take it directly.
MR. PUR. I would have cured you in a very short time.
TOI. He doesn’t deserve it.
MR. PUR. I was about to cleanse your body, and to clear it of its bad
humours.
ARG. Ah! my brother!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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