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The “Avare”has certainly faults, whichagreatGermancritic has pointed out *; but these do not interfere withthe admirable spirit of the dialogue, and the humorousdisplay of the miser’s foibles. “ George Dandin ” wasconsidered by hisfriends as a more dangerousexperiment.There were so many George Dandins in the world.One in particular was pointed out to him as being at thesame time an influential person, who, offended by hisplay, might cause its ill success. Moliere took the pru-dent part of offering to read his comedy to him, pre-viously to its being acted. The man felt himself veryhighly honoured : he assembled his friends; the playwas read, and applauded; and in the sequel supportedby this very person when it appeared on the stage. PoorGeorge Dandin ! there is an ingenuousness and direct-ness in him that inspires us with respect, in spite of theridiculous situations in which he is placed: and whileMoliere represents to the life the annoyances to ariseto a bourgeois in allying himself to nobility, he makes thenobles so very contemptible, either by their stupidity orvice, that not by one word in the play can a rank-struckspirit be discerned. As, for instance, which cuts themost ridiculous figure in the following comic dialogue ?The nobles, we think. George Dandin comes with acomplaint to the father and mother of his wife, withregard to her ill-con duct. His father-in-law, M. de Sot-enville (the very name is bien trouve, — sot en ville,)asks —
“ Qu’est-ce, mon gendre ? vous paroissez trouble.
Aussi en ai-je du sujet; et-
Madame de Sotenville.
Mon dieu! notre gendre, que vous avez peu de civilite, de ne pas saluerles gens quand vous les approchez!
Ma foi! ma belle-mere, c’est que j’ai d’autres choses en tete; et_
Madame de Sotenville.
Encore! est-il possible, notre gendre, que vous sachiez si peu votre monde,et qu’il n’r ait pas moyen de vous instruire de la maniere qu’il faut vivreparmi les personnes de quality ?
Comment ?
* Schlegel.