13 Jan I would have people be sincere, and that, like men of honour, no word be spoken that comes not from the heart (MOLIERE)
The Misanthrope is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Moliere
ALCESTE : I would have people be sincere, and that, like men of honour, no word be spoken that comes not from the heart. .
PHILINTE : When a man comes and embraces you warmly, you must pay him back in his own coin, respond as best you can to his show of feeling, and return offer for offer, and vow for vow. .
ALCESTE : Not so. I cannot bear so base a method which your fashionable people generally affect; there is nothing I detest so much as the contortions of these great time-and-lip servers, these affable dispensers of meaningless embraces, these obliging utterers of empty words, who view every one in civilities, and treat the man of worth and the fop alike.
What good does it do if a man heaps endearments on you, vows that he is your friend, that he believes in you, is full of zeal for you, esteems and loves you, and lauds you to the skies, when he rushes to do the same to the first rapscallion he meets?
No, no, no heart with the least self-respect cares for esteem so prostituted; he will hardly relish it, even when openly expressed, when he finds that he shares it with the whole universe.
Preference must be based on esteem, and to esteem every one is to esteem no one. Since you abandon yourself to the vices of the times, zounds! you are not the man for me. I decline this over-complaisant kindness, which uses no discrimination. I like to be distinguished; and, to cut the matter short, the friend of all mankind is no friend of mine.
…
I become quite melancholy and deeply grieved to see men behave to each other as they do.
Everywhere I find nothing but base flattery, injustice, selfinterest, deceit, roguery.
I cannot bear it any longer; I am furious; and my intention is to break with all mankind.
MOLIERE
TRANSLATION : Henri Van Laun
nothuman.net
IMAGE : TOMMY INGBERG
krinilive.gr
