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EXIipi^IS

I\OBEI\TSiEMipoo

R-H.Blackw

o

DigitizedbytheInternetArcliive

in2007witlifundingfrom

IVIicrosoftCorporation

COMEDIESBYALFRED

DEMUSSET:TRANS-

LATEDANDEDITED,WITH

ANINTRODUCTION,BYS.L.

GWYNN.

LONDON:

WALTERSCOTT,24WARWICKLANE.

NEWYORK:3EAST14thSTREET,

CONTENTS.

FORPULLLISToftheVolumesin

thisseries,seeCatalogueatendof book.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

IBarberine........

Fantasio63

NoTriflingwithLove.....111

ADoormustbeeitherOpenorShut.-175

INTRODUCTION.

AlfreddeMussetwasbornDecemberii,1810,

anddiedMay2,1857.Itwasasapoetthathe desiredtobeknown,andonhispoetryhisfame work,versefillsonlytwo.Hisplays(ofwhich inmetre)filltwomorevolumes;therestismade "ConfessionofaChildoftheAge." whohashadasplendidpast"ButHeinesummed whenhesaidofDeMussetthat"theMuseof viiiINTRODUCTION.

Comedykissedhimonthelips,buttheMuseof

Tragedyontheheart."

Thesecondsonofahighofficialunderthefirst

outofhis"dear'ArabianNights.'

AteighteenhebecameamemberofVictorHugo's

flamingyearshewasdandyandpoetcombined,

Forthedisplayandglitterofsuchalifehe

andwraphimselfinahugeandancientulster,

INTRonUCTION.ix

leavemeinmyragsandmydespair,"Whenhe foritslostillusions.

Nodoubtinallthisthereismuchoftheartist's

loveofsymbolism,withsomethingofthepoet's powertoseethegreatinthelittle,butmuchtoo ofthechild;andallaccountsagreethatitwas asachild,andaspoiledchild,thathisfriends andhiswholecharacterhasthecharmofaway- wardchild.Buteveryspoiledchildwillcryfor themoonsoonerorlater,anditwasDeMusset's fateamongtherest.Themoonhecriedforwas anideallove;andtheidealwithDeMussetmeant simplytheunattainable.Itisachild'sfancy, notthesumofaman'sorderedhopesandaspira- tions - notapole-star,butawill-of-the-wisp.The webofhisnatureisidealismshotwithcynicism - a

»INTRODUCTION.

ineloquentsorrowthatallmoonswerenobetter firsttohisintellect

HisliaisonwithGeorgeSandcommencedinthe

bothaccountsagreeinattributingtohimthe andthewilltowoundatanycostwhichhehas representedinPerdican.Butthecrashofhis ideal,elusorythoughitwas,wasarealsorrow toDeMusset,asachild'ssorrowisrealforthe child.HecamebackfromItalyanalteredman

GeorgeSand'srobustgoodsensesweptawaythe

mostfamousworkinpoetryisdirectlyinspired

INTRODUCTION.xi

bythememoryofthisdisappointmentIn1835, aftertwoyearshadpassedsincethepubHcation ofhislastpoem,DeMussetonenightshut himselfupinhisroom,Hghtedwithallavail-

Thenightthusspentproducedthefamous"Night

pressionofhissorrow,andfeedtheworldonhis poetically" - apredictionwhichhefulfilled(always nolessbrilliantpoementitled"UnSouvenir." success.BeforethejourneytoItaly"Fantasio theRevuedesdetixMondes,theninitsinfancy. "OnnebadinepasavecI'amour"wasthefirst xiiINTRODUCTION. and"AVenetianNight"thewomanistheslighter othersex.

After1840,thatistosayafterthepoethadcom-

dissipationtodebauchery.Upto1850hiswork, essayinsentimentalcomedy.

Hehadlivedthroughtworevolutionsinhis

action - aninactivitywhichisemphasisedbythe prominentpartsplayedbyHugoandLamartine.

INTRODUCTION.xiii

work.

YettheausterityofEnglishopinion(solittle

ofhismind;orapoet,anditisthehistoryofhis evenunmanly.Takehimasathinker,andyoufind

Mussetof1850totheDeMussetof1835.

Nights"withgrownmenandwomenforpuppeta

xivINTRODUCTION. scalein"LesCapricesdeMarianne,"oneofhis

Bohemianandthesighinghero.Inhis"Idyll"he

isAlbertcelebratingpureweddedlove;heis andworthtohisnature.^

Throughoutall,however,heisthesame - whether

love.

ItwasDeMussetwhochristenedhimselfthe

"ChildoftheAge";yetinsomerespectsheis politicsheisaLiberal,butbysympathyan author.

INTRODUCTION,X9

findanechointheopeningof"Rolla,"which sorrowssatheavyonDeMusset'ssoul.Yetinhis thatwereintheair,justasdidhisownDupontor possibletobe.

TheRomanticmovementhaddonetwogreatthings

thegripofapurismwhichweededthevocabu- thetonguewithnewterms,hedoesnot,like

GautierorHugo,loadhispageswithunfamiliar

wordsorturnsofphrasegleanedoutofancient writers. xviINTRODUCTION. regardtorhymeastheywereunbendingoverthe formsalongwiththedisusedrichnessofrhyme. ofRonsardandhis"Pleiade,"inoneortwoofhis "ASaintBlaize,^laZuecca")hehasabird-like simplicityandeasethatbringhimnearertothe poetofmoderntimeshasthenoteofsongsopure andfresh.

Itisbythespiritratherthanbytheformofhis

worksthatDeMussetbelongstotheRomantic school.Thecanonsofpoetryestablishedbythe

AndrdCh^nier(whoperishedintheTerror)not

French.

Propriety("theleastofalllawsandthebest

INTRODUCTION.xvii

action.Henceforwardtherewasanewpoetryin theintensityofpassion.Ithasbeensaidhe 853
xviiiINTRODUCTION. ofimitation.

Heimpressesusindeedratherbytheamountthan

bythequalityofhisfeeling.Wegivehimour sympathy,asitwere,inspiteofourselves;he itsoccasion.Hehasonetheme,andonlyone, thoughhepresentsitinallimaginablephases - and stateofmantobeinlove;butastowhatorwhom islikeamaladythatseizesyou - andleavesyou bynochoiceofyourown.Lovecarriesonlyone obligation - sincerity.Itisdisloyaltytofeignlove wherelovehasceasedtoexist;toceaseloving thatheseekstheideal. apoetoracook.ButDeMussetchosetoshuthis

INTRODUCTION.xix

Itwouldbebreakingabutterflyonthewheelto

reasonwithhis"logicoftheheart."Thereisno remains.Youmaydenyhispremises,youmay itisthemanwhopersuades.

XXINTRODUCTION.

mostofthecomediesgaietyispredominant - a "OnnebadinepasavecI'amour."Hehaswitand ahumourreallyShaksperian - likethehumourof "Asyoulikeit,"or"TheTamingofaShrew." mentofthefancy,thesameeaseofflight;but tionfromonetotheotherwhilerelatingthem ingeniouslytotheplot!Andwhatdelicatetact againthat,amidallthiswildbuffooneryofthe horseplayI

INTRODUCTION.xxi

AsforBarberine,sheiscertainlyacousinof

asBarberinesaysofhim,"Thereisnotmuchharm inthisboy."

ThelittlecomedyoftheCountandtheMarquise

asked,"Howdoyoumanageit?Iwritewithno themlaughasyoudo.""Ah,"saidDeMusset,"but

Iwritetoamusemyself"Itwouldbeimpossible

bettertodefinetheartisticspirit bodybutapoet,"saidSainteBeuve,"couldhave writtenthatdaintyprose," - thedespairofatranslator. xxiiINTRODUCTION.

Indepictingthistreasontothecauseofart,De

Musset,thenintheplenitudeofhispowers,not

ofhisownmagnificentcareer.

S.L.GWYNN.

DEMUSSET'SCOMEDIES.

BARBERINE.

COMEDYINTHREEACTS.

(1835.)

DramatisPersoiicB.

BeatrixofAragon{QueenofHun

CountUlric(aBohemiannobleman).

ChevalierUladislas(chevalierofforitine).

POLACCO{apedlar).

Barberine{wifetoUlric).

Kalekairi{ayoungTurkishattendant).

Courtiers,etc.

TheSceneislaidinHungary,

BARBERINE.

ACOMEDYINTHREEACTS.

ACTTHEFIRST.

SceneI.

Rosemberg.TheHost.

castle,amongthemountains^

Ros.What!nolodgingforme!nostableformy

horses! - abarn!amiserablebarn!

Host.Iamextremelysorry,sir.

.Ros.Whoareyouspeakingto,pray?

Host.Pardonme,mygayyounglord.Ifitonlylay

beencrownedandburied.

Ros.Iknowthatwell,sinceIamboundthither.

Host.Graciousheavens!youareforthewars?

4 •BARBERINE.[ActI. withoutmoreado. count,mylord,withhiswife,agreatbeauty.

Ros.Turnthemout.

thatpassthroughhere!

Ros.Well,whatdothesefolkmattertome?Tell

themIamcalledAstolphedeRosemberg. noreason onceIraisemywhip decentfolk. willteachyou

SceneII.

cofnesoutoftheinn.) whatisthematter?

ActI.]BARBERINE.S

fellowofyoursort? cutwithasticktohim ofHungary? {Hostandvaletsretire.) aminhastetogetthere. roadblocked?^

Ros.Certainlythatdoesnotpleaseme.

Thisiswhatrendersusdifficultofapproach.

me.

Chev.Ifthatbeso,Lord

Ros.Rosemberg.

Chev.LordRosemberg,IamcalledtheChevalier

6BARBERINE.[ActI.

bows.)Soifyouareonlypassingthroughhere horses. heartilywelcometoaplaceatourmeal. honoured.

Chev.Praystepinthen,Ibegofyou.Agooddish

prettywomen {EnterUlricandBarberinebyanother dooroftheinn) - itseemstomethatthereisone

Chev.Youhavenotbadtaste,youngman.

Ros.WithoutbeingblindDoyouknowher?

Chev.DoIknowher?Assuredly.Sheisthewifeof

aboutit(Theygointothehouse.)

SceneIII.

l/trtc.Barberine,leaningonhisarm.

Barb,SoImustleaveyouhere.

Ulric.Forashortwhile.Iwillsooncomeback.

Barb.SoImustletyougo,andreturntothatold

chateau,whereitissolonelywaitingforyou.

ActI.]BARBERINE.7

Ulric.Iamgoingtoseeyouruncle,dear.Whyso

sadto-day? notsadyourself? fog,Ineverknowwhattodowithmyself.

Barb.Mydearlord,Ibegafavourofyou.

asifalllivingthingsweregoingtodie. andinthesecondplace,tograntmeafavour.

Ulric.Whatwouldyouhave,mylife?Forgiveme.

Idon'tknowwhatisthematterwithmeto-day.

yourwifewhatitis.

Ulric.Why,goodheavens!Ihavenothingtotell - no

secret,

Barb.IamnotaPortia:Iwillnotgivemyselfso

comethitherifIcallit. 854

8BARBERINE.[ActI.

meanstomakeyourichandhappy,asGodmadeyou neverpayinmylifetimemorethantheypaidtomy tocourt.

Barb.Andindeeditisagoodplan.Theking

neverfailedtoreceiveanoblemanofmeritwith fortune. andIcannotmakeupmymindtoleaveyoualone.

Barb.Why?

Ulric.Youaskmewhy,andyetwhatareyoudoing

that?Asmile.

Barb.YouarejealousI

Barberine,outofsightoutofmind.

ActL]BARBERINE.9

onyourheart.

Vlric.Angelthatyouare.

Barb.Iamangel,butanangelwoman.Thatisto

ourheels.

Ulric.Wellthen?

adviseyoutogothere.IfIcannotfollowyou - well asIgaveyoumyhandamomentagotoaskyouforthe

IswearthatIwillbefaithfultoyou.

Ulric.Hereismine.

Barb.Itisonlyonewholovesthatcanknowhow

iswaitingforus.

10BARBERINE.[ActI.

SceneIV.

TheChevalier.Rosemberg.

onwomeninthepropertone.

Chev.YouhaveanintroductiontotheQueen?

Ros.Yes,Ihopeforagoodreception.

{Tfuysitdown.)

Imetagirlwhohadlostherway.

Ros.Whatwasthenameoftheforest?

Chev.Itwasacertainforestonthebanksofthe

CaspianSea.

Ros.Idon'tknowit,eveninbooks.

Ros.Howyourwordsinterestme!Iamallears.

Ros.Didyoureceiveanywounds?

ActI.]BARBERINE.ii

whoknowstheworld. sinceherinfancytoagiantnamedMoloch.

Ros.Waiter,bringmeaglassofTokay.

yourattention,Ibeg.

Ros.HolyVirgin!mybrainisallonfire.

Chev.Itookaboatandgainedtheopensea.Then,

intohisbed.

Ros.Iguessalready;itiscapital.

12BARBERINE.[ActI.

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