My God! Let's be less troubled about the morals of our time,
And let's forgive human nature a little;
Let's not inspect it so strictly,
And let's look upon its faults with some gentleness.
In society our virtue must know how to adapt to different situations;
A forceful wisdom can make a person do things that are blameworthy;
Perfect reason avoids everything extreme,
And wants us to be wise while still being sober.
The severe virtues that existed in previous ages
do too much harm to the people in ours and to our customs;
They demand too much perfection from mortals;
We must adapt to our times without being obstinate;
And it is a folly second to none,
To make it ones own business to correct the whole world.
I observe, just as you do, a hundred things every day,
that would be better if they went another way;
But whatever I may see at every step,
You will never see me angry as you are;
I gently accept men as they are,
I accustom my soul to bear the things that they do;
And I think that both at court and in the city,
my calm is as philosophical as your rage.
- from The Misanthrope, Act I, Scene I
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And let's forgive human nature a little;
Let's not inspect it so strictly,
And let's look upon its faults with some gentleness.
In society our virtue must know how to adapt to different situations;
A forceful wisdom can make a person do things that are blameworthy;
Perfect reason avoids everything extreme,
And wants us to be wise while still being sober.
The severe virtues that existed in previous ages
do too much harm to the people in ours and to our customs;
They demand too much perfection from mortals;
We must adapt to our times without being obstinate;
And it is a folly second to none,
To make it ones own business to correct the whole world.
I observe, just as you do, a hundred things every day,
that would be better if they went another way;
But whatever I may see at every step,
You will never see me angry as you are;
I gently accept men as they are,
I accustom my soul to bear the things that they do;
And I think that both at court and in the city,
my calm is as philosophical as your rage.
- from The Misanthrope, Act I, Scene I
--------------------------------------------------
Ariste.
My brother, what she said is not so ridiculous:
In a way she is right in what she meant.
Women like to enjoy a little freedom:
Being severe does a poor job of restraining them;
And mistrustfulness, locks and gates,
Do not give virtue to women or to girls:
It is their own honor that has to persuade them to do what is right,
And not the strictness that we show them.
To be sincere, a woman who acts wisely
Only because she is forced is a strange thing.
It is in vain that we try to control her every step,
I find that, rather, we have to win her heart;
And whatever care a person may take to force her,
I would hardly trust someone to be faithful
Who doesn't herself want to be
And who only waits for an opportunity to act as she likes.
Mon frere, son discours ne doit que faire rire;
Elle a quelque raison en ce qu'elle veut dire.
Leur sexe aime à jouir d'un peu de liberté;
On le retient fort mal par tant d'austérité;
Et les foins défiants, les verroux & les grilles
Ne font pas la vertu des femmes ni des filles:
C'est l'honneur qui les doit tenir dans le devoir,
Non la sévérité que nous leur faisons voir.
C'est une étrange chose, à vous parler fans feinte,
Qu'une femme qui n'est sage que par contrainte.
En vain sur tous ses pas nous prétendons régner,
Je trouve que le cœur est ce qu'il faut gagner:
Et je ne tiendrois, moi, quelque soin qu'on se donne,
Mon honneur guere sûre aux mains d'une personne
A qui, dans les desirs qui pourroient l'assaillir,
Il ne manqueroit rien qu'un moyen de faillir.
Sganarelle.
That is all nonsense
Chansons que tout cela.
Ariste.
Let's let it be; but I still maintain
That we should instruct young people with laughter,
Correct their faults with great gentleness,
And never make them afraid of virtue.
Soit; mais je tiens sans cesse
Qu'il nous faut en riant instruire la jeunesse,
Reprendre fes défauts avec grande douceur,
Et du nom de vertu ne lui point faire peur.
- from L'École des Maris, Act I, Scene II
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There is nothing more beautiful, as you said,
Than those pure types of love which only reach toward a persons spirit,
Those unions of hearts, and of tender thoughts,
So well separated from any sensuality;
But this type of love is too subtle for me:
I am a little coarse, as you said;
I love with my whole self, and I confess
That I want a person to love me with all of her self as well.
- from Les Femmes Savantes, Act IV, Scene II
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Madame, do you want to keep people from gossiping?
It would be an unfortunate thing in life
If, to prevent the foolish things others might say,
We gave up the people we care for most;
And even if a person did resolve to give them up,
Do you think that everyone would stop talking?
There is nothing that can hold back gossip.
Let's give no attention to fools who chatter mean things;
Let's try to live in all innocence,
And leave it to other people to say what they will.
- from Tartuffe, Act I, Scene I
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Ah! Valere, everyone says the same thing. All men use similar words; and it is only their actions that make us discover that they are different.
- from L'avare, Act I, Scene I
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Alas, how easy it is to be persuaded by the people we love!
- from L'avare, Act I, Scene I