ALCESTE. Tant mieux, morbleu, tant mieux. C'eft Ce m'eft un fort bon figne, & ma joie en eft grande. PHILINTE. Vous voulez un grand mal à la nature ALCESTE, Oui, j'ai conçu pour elle une effroyable haine. PHILINTE. Tous les pauvres mortels, fans nulle exception, Seront enveloppés dans cette averfion? Encore, en est-il bien dans le fiécle ou nous fommes.. ALCESTE. Non, elle est générale, & je hais tous les hommes ; Les uns, parce qu'ils font méchans & mal faifans, De ALCESTES. So much the better, S'death, fo much the better; that's what I want, 'tis a good Sign, and I'm overjoy'd at it; all Men are to fuch a degree odious to me, that I fhould be forry to be wife in their Eyes. PHILINTES, You wish very ill then to Human Na ture? ALCESTES. Yes, I have conceiv'd a horrible Averfion to it. PHILINTES. Shall all poor Mortals, without any Exception, be involv'd in this Averfion? Befides, are there. not fome in our Age ALCESTES. No, 'tis general, and I hate all Men: Some, because they are wicked and mifchievous; and others, for being complaifant to the wicked, and not having that vigorous Hatred for 'em, which Vice ought to give to all virtuous Minds. One fees the unjuft Excefs of this Complaifance to that fheer Villain, with whom I have à Law-fuit; the treacherous Rafcal is plainly feen thro his Mask; he is every where known for what he is; his rolling Eyes and foft Tone impofe only upon Strangers. People know that this wretched Fellow, who richly deserves the Gallows, has push'd himself into the World by dirty Jobbs, and that the fplendid Condition thefe have brought him to, makes Merit repine and Virtue blush; whatever fhameful Titles Perfons every where give him, his wretched Honour fees no body on its fide; call him infamous Knave and curfed Villain, all the World agrees to't, and no body contradicts it. In the mean time his Grimace is every where welcome, they entertain him, fmile upon him, he infinuates himfelf into all Companies: and if there is any Rank to be difputed by canvaffing, you'll fee him carry it over a Man of the greatest Worth, Plague! these are to me mortal Wounds, to fee Men keep any Measures with De voir qu'avec le vice on garde des mesures; Et Et faifons un peu grace à la nature humaine ; Ce flégme, pourra-t-il ne s'échauffer de rien? Ou qu'on tâche à femer de méchans bruits de vous, murmure; Comme vices unis à l'humaine nature; Et mon efprit enfin n'eft pas plus offenfé De voir un homme fourbe, injufte, intereffé, Que Vice; I am strongly mov'd to fly into fome Desert to avoid all approach of Human Creatures. PHILINTES. Lack a-day! Let us give our felves lefs Trouble about the Manners of the Age, and make fome fmall Allowances to Human Nature; let us not examine it with fo great Rigour, but look upon its Defects with fome Indulgence. This World requires a tractable Virtue, one may be blame-worthy by ftrefs of Wisdom, right Reafon avoids every Extremity, and would have us be wife with Sobriety. That great Stifnefs in the Virtues of ancient Times, too much fhocks our Age and common Ufage; it wou'd have Mortals too perfect; we must yield to the Times without Obftinacy, and 'tis an Extremity of Folly to bufy our felves in correcting the World. I obferve, as you do, a thousand things every Day, which might go better, taking another Courfe; but whatever I may discover in every Tranfaction, People don't fee me in a Rage, like you: I take Men with great Calmnefs, juft as they are, I accuftom my felf to bear with what they do; and I think that at Court as well as in the City, my Flegm is as much a Philofopher as your Choler. ALCESEES. But this Flegm, Sir, which reafons fo nicely, this fame Flegm, can nothing ruffle it? Should it happen by chance that a Friend should betray you, that a fubtil Plot were form'd to get your Estate, or that People fhou'd endeavour to spread ill Reports of you, could you fee all this, without putting your self in a Paffion. PHILINTES. Yes, I look upon thefe Defects that you make fuch a Noise about, as Vices link'd with Human Nature; and in fhort my Mind, is no more fhock'd to fee a Man a Knave, Unjuft, Dishonest, Selfish, *than Que de voir des vautours affamés de carnage, Des finges mal faifans, & des loups pleins de rage. ALCESTE. Je me verrai trahir, mettre en piéces, voler, Sans que je fois... Morbleu, je ne veux point parler, Tant ce raifonnement est plein d'impertinence. 1 PHILINTE. Ma foi, vous feriez bien de garder le filence. Contre votre partie éclatez un peu moins, ALCESTE. Je n'en donnerai point, c'eft une chofe dite. PHILINTE. Mais qui voulez-vous donc, qui pour vous follicite ? ALCESTE. Qui je veux? La raifon, mon bon droit, l'équité. PHILINTE. Aucun juge par vous ne fera vifité ? ALCESTE. Non. Eft-ce que ma cause eft injufte, ou douteuse ? PHILINTE. J'en demeure d'accord, mais la brigue eft fâcheufe, Et... ALCESTE. Non. J'ai réfolu de n'en pas faire un pas. J'ai tort, ou j'ai raison. PHILINTE. Ne vous y fiez pas. ALCESTE. Je ne remuerai point. PHILINTE. Votre partie eft forte, Et peut par fa cabale entraîner . . ALCESTE. Il n'importe. PHILINTE. Vous vous tromperez. ALCESTE Soit. J'en veux voir le fuccès. PHILINTE. Mais ... ALCESTE. J'aurai le plaifir de perdre mon procès, ALCESTE. Je verrai dans cette plaiderie, Si les hommes auront affez d'effronterie, Pour me faire injuftice aux yeux de l'univers. |