INTRODUCTORY NOTICE.

THEBLUNDERERIS generally believed to have been first acted at Lyons in 1653, whilst Molière 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 calledL’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 ofconcetti, have also not been copied by Molière. The fourth scene of the fourth act ofl’Ètourdi contains some passages taken from theAngelica, 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 fromla 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 theContes et Discours d’Eutrapel, written by Nöel du Fail, Lord of la Hérissaye. Some of the scenes remind us of passages in several ItalianCommedia del’ arte betweenArlecchino andPantaleone 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 Molière 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. Molière 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 inThe 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 hisles Artistes juges et parties (2º Causerie, the Grammarian of Hauteville House, ), states:— “the opinion of Victor Hugo about Molière is very peculiar. According to him, the best written of all the plays of our great comic author is his first work,l’Ètourdi. It possesses a brilliancy and freshness of style which still shine inle Dépit amoureux, but which gradually fade, because Molière, 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 Molière, London, 1732.”The Blunderer is dedicated to the Right Honorable Philip, Earl of Chesterfield, in the following words: —

“MY LORD, — The translation ofL’Ètourdi, 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 aSelect Collection of Molière’s Plays, inFrench andEnglish. 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 anEnglish dress in justice he owed him anEnglish 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 likeMolière, 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 theFrench language may be read, or spoke in England, there will be still very great numbers, even of those who are said to understandFrench, 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 t