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L'ETOURDI, OU LES CONTRE-TEMPS.

COMEDIE.

THE BLUNDERER: OR, THE COUNTERPLOTS.

A COMEDY IN FIVE ACTS.

(_THE ORIGINAL IN VERSE_.)

1653. (?)




INTRODUCTORY NOTICE.


_The Blunderer_ is generally believed to have been first acted at
Lyons in 1653, whilst Moliere and his troupe were in the provinces. In
the month of November 1658 it was played for the first time in Paris,
where it obtained a great and well-deserved success. It is chiefly based
on an Italian comedy, written by Nicolo Barbieri, known as Beltrame, and
called _L'Inavvertito_, from which the character of Mascarille, the
servant, is taken, but differs in the ending, which is superior in the
Italian play. An imitation of the classical boasting soldier, Captain
Bellorofonte, Martelione, and a great number of _concetti_, have
also not been copied by Moliere. The fourth scene of the fourth act of
_l'Etourdi_ contains some passages taken from the _Angelica_,
a comedy by Fabritio de Fornaris, a Neapolitan, who calls himself on the
title-page of his play "il Capitano Coccodrillo, comico confidente." A
few remarks are borrowed from _la Emilia_, a comedy by Luigi
Grotto, whilst here and there we find a reminiscence from Plautus, and
one scene, possibly suggested by the sixteenth of the _Contes et
Discours d'Eutrapel_, written by Noeel du Fail, Lord of la Herissaye.
Some of the scenes remind us of passages in several Italian _Commedia
del' arte_ between _Arlecchino_ and _Pantaleone_ the
personifications of impudence and ingenuity, as opposed to meekness and
stupidity; they rouse the hilarity of the spectators, who laugh at the
ready invention of the knave as well as at the gullibility of the old
man, Before this comedy appeared the French stage was chiefly filled
with plays full of intrigue, but with scarcely any attempt to delineate
character or manners. In this piece the plot is carried on, partly in
imitation of the Spanish taste, by a servant, Mascarille, who is the
first original personage Moliere has created; he is not a mere imitation
of the valets of the Italian or classical comedy; he has not the
coarseness and base feelings of the servants of his contemporaries, but
he is a lineal descendant of Villon, a free and easy fellow, not over
nice in the choice or execution of his plans, but inventing new ones
after each failure, simply to keep in his hand; not too valiant, except
perhaps when in his cups, rather jovial and chaffy, making fun of
himself and everybody else besides, no respecter of persons or things,
and doomed probably not to die in his bed. Moliere must have encountered
many such a man whilst the wars of the Fronde were raging, during his
perigrinations in the provinces. Even at the present time, a Mascarille
is no impossibility; for, "like master like man." There are also in
_The Blunderer_ too many incidents, which take place successively,
without necessarily arising one from another. Some of the characters are
not distinctly brought out, the style has often been found fault with,
by Voltaire and other competent judges, [Footnote: Victor Hugo appears
to be of another opinion. M. Paul Stapfer, in his _les Artistes juges
et parties_ (2o Causerie, the Grammarian of Hauteville House, p. 55),
states:--"the opinion of Victor Hugo about Moliere is very peculiar.
According to him, the best written of all the plays of our great comic
author is his first work, _l'Etourdi_. It possesses a brilliancy
and freshness of style which still shine in _le Depit amoureux_,
but which gradually fade, because Moliere, yielding unfortunately to
other inspirations than his own, enters more and more upon a new way."]
but these defects are partly covered by a variety and vivacity which are
only fully displayed when heard on the stage.

In the third volume of the "Select Comedies of M. de Moliere, London,
1732." _The Blunderer_ is dedicated to the Right Honorable Philip,
Earl of Chesterfield, in the following words:--

"MY LORD,--The translation of _L'Etourdi_, which, in company with
the original, throws itself at your lordship's feet, is a part of a
design form'd by some gentlemen, of exhibiting to the public a _Select
Collection of Moliere's Plays_, in _French_ and _English_.
This author, my lord, was truly a genius, caress'd by the greatest men
of his own time, and honoured with the patronage of princes. When the
translator, therefore, of this piece was to introduce him in an
_English_ dress in justice he owed him an _English_ patron,
and was readily determined to your lordship, whom all the world allows
to be a genius of the first rank. But he is too sensible of the beauties
of his author, and the refined taste your lordship is universally known
to have in polite literature, to plead anything but your candour and
goodness, for your acceptance of this performance. He persuades himself
that your lordship, who best knows how difficult it is to speak like
_Moliere_, even when we have his sentiments to inspire us, will be
readiest to forgive the imperfections of this attempt. He is the rather
encouraged, my lord, to hope for a candid reception from your lordship,
on account of the usefulness of this design, which he flatters himself
will have your approbation. 'Tis to spirit greater numbers of our
countrymen to read this author, who wou'd otherwise not have attempted
it, or, being foil'd in their attempts, wou'd throw him by in despair.
And however generally the _French_ language may be read, or spoke
in England, there will be still very great numbers, even of those who
are said to understand _French_, who, to master this comic writer,
will want the help of a translation; and glad wou'd the publishers of
this work be to guide the feebler steps of some such persons, not only
till they should want no translation, but till some of them should be
able to make a much better than the present. The great advantage of
understanding _Moliere_ your Lordship best knows. What is it, but
almost to understand mankind? He has shown such a compass of knowledge
in human nature, as scarce to leave it in the power of succeeding
writers in comedy to be originals; whence it has, in fact, appear'd,
that they who, since his time, have most excelled in the _Comic_
way, have copied _Moliere_, and therein were sure of copying
nature. In this author, my lord, our youth will find the strongest
sense, the purest moral, and the keenest satyr, accompany'd with the
utmost politeness; so that our countrymen may take a _French_
polish, without danger of commencing <DW2>s and apes, as they sometimes do
by an affectation of the dress and manners of that people; for no man
has better pourtray'd, or in a finer manner expos'd fopperies of all
kinds, than this our author hath, in one or other of his pieces. And
now,'tis not doubted, my lord, but your lordship is under some
apprehensions, and the reader under some expectation, that the
translator should attempt your character, in right of a dedicator, as a
refin'd wit, and consummate statesman. But, my lord, speaking the truth
to a person of your lordship's accomplishments, would have the
appearance of flattery, especially to those who have not the honour of
knowing you; and those who have, conceive greater ideas of you than the
translator will pretend to express. Permit him, then, my lord, to crave
your lordship's acceptance of this piece, which appears to you with a
fair and correct copy of the original; but with a translation which can
be of no manner of consequence to your lordship, only as it may be of
consequence to those who _would_ understand Moliere if they
_could_. Your lordship's countenance to recommend it to such will
infinitely oblige, my lord, your lordship's most devoted, and most
obedient, humble servant, THE TRANSLATOR."

To recommend to Lord Chesterfield an author on account of "the purest
moral," or because "no man has... in a finer manner exposed fopperies
of all kinds," appears to us now a bitter piece of satire; it may
however, be doubted if it seemed so to his contemporaries. [Footnote:
Lord Chesterfield appeared not so black to those who lived in his own
time as he does to us, for Bishop Warburton dedicated to him his
_Necessity and Equity of an Established Religion and a Test-Law
Demonstrated_, and says in his preface: "It is an uncommon happiness
when an honest man can congratulate a patriot on his becoming minister,"
and expresses the hope, that "the temper of the times will suffer your
Lordship to be instrumental in saving your country by a reformation of
the general manners."]

Dryden has imitated _The Blunderer_ in _Sir Martin Mar-all; or
the Feigned Innocence_, first translated by William Cavendish, Duke
of Newcastle, and afterwards adapted for the stage by "glorious John."
It must have been very successful, for it ran no less than thirty-three
nights, and was four times acted at court. It was performed at Lincoln's
Inn Fields by the Duke of York's servants, probably at the desire of