of Honour, let no word flip, which comes not from the Heart. PHILINTES. When a Man comes and embraces you with Joy; you should in reafon pay him in the fame Coin, anfwer his Eagerness, as one can, return him Offer for Offer, and Oaths for Oaths. ALCESTES. No, I can't endure that base Method, which the Generality of your People of Mode affect; and I hate nothing fo much, as the Contorfions of all thofe great Protestation-mongers, thofe affable Dealers in frivolous Embraces, thofe obliging Utterers of empty Words, who attack every body with Civilities, and treat with the fame Air the Man of worth and the Blockhead. What good does it do you, for a Man to caress you, swear Amity, Faith, Zeal, Efteem, Tenderness, and make a grand Elogium upon you, when he runs to do the fame to the firft Scoundrel he meets? No, no, there's not a Soul of the leaft good Difpofition, will accept an Efteem fo proftituted, and the moft illuftrious will have but a poor Relish, when one finds one is blended with the whole Universe: Efteem is founded on fome Preference, and to esteem all the World, is to esteem no body. Since you give into these Vices of the Times, I'faith, you are not calculated to be one of my Folks; I refufe the vaft Complaifance of a Heart, which makes no Difference of Merit; I wou'd have People distinguish me, and to cut the matter fhort; a Friend to all Mankind is no Friend for me. PHILINTES. But whilft we are of the World, 'tis neceffary that some outward Civilities, which Custom demands. ALCESTE S. we pay No, I tell ye, we ought to chaftife, without Mercy, B4 that Ce commerce honteux de femblans d'amitié : Je veux que l'on foit homme, & qu'en toute rencontre, PHILINTE. Il est bien des endroits, où la pleine franchise De dire à mille gens tout ce que d'eux on pense? Oui. ALCESTE. PHILINTE. Quoi! vous iriez dire à la vieille Emilie, Qu'à fon âge il fied mal de faire la jolie ? Sans doute.. ALCESTE. PHILINTE. A Dorilas, qu'il eft trop importun: ALCEST E.. Fort bien.. PHILINTE Vous vous moquez. ALCESTE.. Je ne me moque point, Et je vais n'épargner perfonné fur ce point. Ne that fhameful Commerce of Appearances of Friendship: I would have us be Men, and that on all occafions, the bottom of our Hearts fhould discover it self in our Discourses; that it should be that which speaks, and that our Sentiments fhould never be masqu'd under vain Compliments. PHILINTES. There are a good many Occafions, in which an ab-folute Franknefs wou'd be ridiculous, and hardly be endur'd; and fometimes, no Offence to your austere Honour, 'tis right to conceal what we have in our Hearts. Would it be proper or decent, to tell thoufands o' People what we think of 'em? when we have to do with a Man we hate, or who is difagreeable to us, ought we to declare the matter to him, just as it is ? ALCESTE S. Yes. PHILINTES. How! wou'd you go tell the antiquated Emilia, that it ill becomes her, at her Age, to fet up for Beauty? and that the White fhe lays on fo thick, is fhocking to every body? Without doubt. ALCESTES. PHILINTES. Or Dorilas, that he's too impertinent? And that there is not an Ear at Court, which he does not weary, in recounting his Bravery, and the Splendor of his Fa mily? Mighty well. ALCESTES: PHILINTES. You jeft füre. ALCESTES.. I don't jeft; and I fhall fpare no body in this point. My Eyes are too much offended; neither Court, B.5 nor. Ne m'offrent rien qu'objets à m'échauffer la bile: J'entre en une humeur noire, en un chagrin profond, Quand je vois vivre entr'eux, les hommes comme ils font; Je ne trouve par tout, que lâche flaterie, genre humain. Ce chagrin Philofophe est un peu trop fauvage, "Et crois voir en nous deux, fous mêmes foins nourris, "Ces deux freres que peint l'Ecole des Maris, "Dont.... FALCESTE. "Mon Dieu, laiffons-là vos comparaifons fades. PHILINTE. Non, tout de bon, quittez toutes ces incartades, Et qu'un fi grand courroux contre les mœurs du tems, Tant mieux, morbleu, tant mieux, c'eft ce que je de mande, Ce m'eft un fort bon figne, & ma joie en eft grande,. Que je ferois fâché d'être fage à leurs yeux. PHILIN TE. Vous voulez un grand mal à la nature humaine? ALCESTE. Oui, j'ai conçu pour elle une effroyable haine. PHILINTE Tous les pauvres mortels, fans nulle exception, Seront nor City present me with any thing but Objects to provoke my Spleen. It throws me into a melancholy Humour, a profound Shagreen, when I fee Men live together, in the manner they do; I find nothing any where, but base Flattery, but Injuftice, Intereft, Treachery, and Knavery; I can hold no longer, I'm in a Rage, and my Defign is to break abruptly with all Mankind. PHILINTES. This four Philofopher is a little too favage; I laugh at the gloomy Fits I perceive you in; and methinks I fee in us two, who have been brought up together, those two Brothers, which the School for Husbands defcribes, of whom -- ALCESTES. Pray, let's ha' done with your infipid Comparisons. PHILINTES. In good carnest, no, leave you off all these rude Infults. The World won't alter its Ways, for all your Care; and fince Frankness has fuch Charms with you, I shall tell you frankly and plainly, that this Diftemper o' yours is as good as a Comedy, wherever you go: and that fuch a mighty Wrath against the Manners of the Age, makes you ridiculous with a great many People. ALCESTES. So much the better, S'death, fo much the better, that's what I want; 'tis a good Sign for me, and I'm overjoy'd at it; all Men are to fuch a degree odious to me, that I should be forry to be wife in their Eyes. PHILINTES. You wish very ill then to Humane Nature? Yes, I have conceiv'd a horrible Averfion to it. 'Shall all poor Mortals, without any Exception, be in |