Produced by Charles Franks, Delphine Lettau and the people at DP. THE SHOPKEEPER TURNED GENTLEMAN. (LE BOURGEOIS GENTILHOMME.) BY MOLIERE, TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH PROSE. _WITH SHORT INTRODUCTIONS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES_. BY CHARLES HERON WALL. 'Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme' was acted before the King for the first time at Chambord, on October 14, 1670, and on November 28 at the Palais Royal. After the second representation, Louis XIV. said to Moliere, "You have never written anything which amused me more, and your play is excellent." But it obtained a still greater success in Paris, where the _bourgeois_ willingly and good-humouredly laughed at what they deemed their neighbours' weaknesses. The three first acts are the best; Louis XIV. hurried Moliere so with the last that they degenerated into burlesque. Moliere acted the part of the Bourgeois. PERSONS REPRESENTED. MR. JOURDAIN. CLEONTE, _in love with_ LUCILE. DORANTE, _a count, in love with_ DORIMENE. COVIELLE, _servant to_ CLEONTE. A MUSIC MASTER, ETC. A DANCING MASTER, ETC. A FENCING MASTER. A PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY. A MASTER TAILOR. ASSISTANT TAILORS. TWO LACKEYS. MRS. JOURDAIN. LUCILE, _daughter to_ MR. JOURDAIN. DORIMENE, _a marchioness_. NICOLE, _maid-servant to_ MR. JOURDAIN. _The scene is in_ PARIS, _in_ MR. JOURDAIN'S _house_. THE SHOPKEEPER TURNED GENTLEMAN. ACT I. _The overture is played by a great many instruments; and in the middle of the stage the PUPIL of the MUSIC MASTER is seated at a table composing a serenade which MR. JOURDAIN has asked for_. SCENE I.--MUSIC MASTER, DANCING MASTER, THREE SINGERS, TWO VIOLIN PLAYERS, FOUR DANCERS. MUS. MAS. (_to the_ MUSICIANS). Come into this room, and rest till he comes. DAN. MAS. (_to the_ DANCERS). Come also, on this side. MUS. MAS. (_to his_ PUPIL). Have you finished? PUP. Yes. MUS. MAS. Let me see. Very good. DAN. MAS. Is it anything new? MUS. MAS. Yes; it is an air for a serenade that I made him compose while we are waiting for our gentleman to wake up. DAN. MAS. Will you allow me to see what it is? MUS. MAS. You shall hear it, as well as the dialogue, when he comes; he won't be long. DAN. MAS. We both have plenty to do now; have we not? MUS. MAS. Indeed we have. We have found the very man we both wanted. He brings us in a comfortable little income, with his notions of gentility and gallantry which he has taken into his head; and it would be well for your dancing and my music if everybody were like him. DAN. MAS. No; not altogether. I wish, for his sake, that he would appreciate better than he does the things we give him. MUS. MAS. He certainly understands them but little; but he pays well, and that is nowadays what our arts require above all things.