Tartuffe Or the Hypocrite Part 12

(To Damis) Yes, my dear son, say on, and call me traitor, Abandoned scoundrel, thief, and murderer; Heap on me names yet more detestable, And I shall not gainsay you; I've deserved them; I'll bear this ignominy on my knees, To expiate in shame the crimes I've done.

ORGON (to Tartuffe) Ah, brother, 'tis too much!

(To his son) You'll not relent, You blackguard?

DAMIS What! His talk can so deceive you ...

ORGON Silence, you scoundrel!

(To Tartuffe) Brother, rise, I beg you.

(To his son) Infamous villain!

DAMIS Can he ...

ORGON Silence!

DAMIS What ...

ORGON Another word, I'll break your every bone.

TARTUFFE Brother, in G.o.d's name, don't be angry with him!

I'd rather bear myself the bitterest torture Than have him get a scratch on my account.

ORGON (to his son) Ungrateful monster!

TARTUFFE Stop. Upon my knees I beg you pardon him ...

ORGON (throwing himself on his knees too, and embracing Tartuffe) Alas! How can you?

(To his son) Villain! Behold his goodness!

DAMIS So ...

ORGON Be still.

DAMIS What! I ...

ORGON Be still, I say. I know your motives For this attack. You hate him, all of you; Wife, children, servants, all let loose upon him, You have recourse to every shameful trick To drive this G.o.dly man out of my house; The more you strive to rid yourselves of him, The more I'll strive to make him stay with me; I'll have him straightway married to my daughter, Just to confound the pride of all of you.

DAMIS What! Will you force her to accept his hand?

ORGON Yes, and this very evening, to enrage you, Young rascal! Ah! I'll brave you all, and show you That I'm the master, and must be obeyed.

Now, down upon your knees this instant, rogue, And take back what you said, and ask his pardon.

DAMIS Who? I? Ask pardon of that cheating scoundrel ... ?

ORGON Do you resist, you beggar, and insult him?

A cudgel, here! a cudgel!

(To Tartuffe) Don't restrain me.

(To his son) Off with you! Leave my house this instant, sirrah, And never dare set foot in it again.

DAMIS Yes, I will leave your house, but ...

ORGON Leave it quickly.

You reprobate, I disinherit you, And give you, too, my curse into the bargain.

SCENE VII

ORGON, TARTUFFE

ORGON What! So insult a saintly man of G.o.d!

TARTUFFE Heaven, forgive him all the pain he gives me! [4]

[Footnote 4: Some modern editions have adopted the reading, preserved by tradition as that of the earliest stage version: Heaven, forgive him even as I forgive him! Voltaire gives still another reading: Heaven, forgive me even as I forgive him! Whichever was the original version, it appears in none of the early editions, and Moliere probably felt forced to change it on account of its too close resemblance to the Biblical phrase.]

(To Orgon) Could you but know with what distress I see Them try to vilify me to my brother!

ORGON Ah!

TARTUFFE The mere thought of such ingrat.i.tude Makes my soul suffer torture, bitterly ...

My horror at it ... Ah! my heart's so full I cannot speak ... I think I'll die of it.

ORGON (in tears, running to the door through which he drove away his son) Scoundrel! I wish I'd never let you go, But slain you on the spot with my own hand.

(To Tartuffe) Brother, compose yourself, and don't be angry.

TARTUFFE Nay, brother, let us end these painful quarrels.

I see what troublous times I bring upon you, And think 'tis needful that I leave this house.

ORGON What! You can't mean it?

TARTUFFE Yes, they hate me here, And try, I find, to make you doubt my faith.

ORGON What of it? Do you find I listen to them?

TARTUFFE No doubt they won't stop there. These same reports You now reject, may some day win a hearing.

ORGON No, brother, never.

TARTUFFE Ah! my friend, a woman May easily mislead her husband's mind.