L'AVARE. COMÉDIE PAR MOLIÈRE. WITH ARGUMENTS, IN ENGLISH, AND NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY. FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE STUDENTS. REVISED BY F. E. A. GASC AND THE REV. WILLIAM HOLMES. LONDON: GEORGE BELL & SONS, YORK STREET, 1874. Malone K. 99. PERSONNAGES. HARPAGON, père de Cleante et d'Élise, et amoureux de Mariane. CLÉANTE, fils d'Harpagon, amant de Mariane. ELISE, fille d'Harpagon, amante de Valère. VALÈRE, fils d'Anselme, et amant d'Élise. MARIANE, fille d'Anselme, et aimée d'Harpagon. ANSELME, père de Valère et de Mariane. FROSINE, femme d'intrigue. MAÎTRE SIMON, courtier. MAÎTRE JACQUES, cuisinier et cocher d'Harpagon. DAME CLAUDE, servante d'Harpagon. La scène est à Paris, dans la maison d'Harpagon. L'AVAR E. COMÉDIE EN CINQ ACTES. 1669. ACTE PREMIER. SCENE I. ARGUMENT. Valère, a young Neapolitan, of a distinguished family, from whom he has been separated, since he was seven years old, by a series of civil dissensions, that had embroiled his native country, has had the good fortune to rescue from shipwreck Elise, the daughter of Harpagon, a rich miser. Élise retained a grateful remembrance of this fortunate deliverance, and her gratitude insensibly ripened into love, while Valère was struck with her charms and virtue. The powerful attraction of these qualities had even induced Valère to demean himself so far as to enter into the service of Harpagon, in hopes that some happy circumstance would before long reunite him with his parents, of whom he had heard no tidings for sixteen years. In the meantime the two lovers had sealed their affection by a contract of marriage. On the subject of this clandestine proceeding, Élise gives utterance to her doubts and fears, which Valère succeeds in dispelling by renewed assurances of fidelity and attachment; and he promises to behave towards Harpagon in such a manner as to obtain his confidence and preclude suspicion. VALÈRE, ÉLISE. Valère. Hé quoi! charmante Élise, vous devenez mélancolique, après les obligeantes assurances que vous avez eu la bonté de me donner de votre foi! Je vous vois B |