The Learned Women | Page 8

true that it is dreadfully starched and out of fashion.
CHRY. I can bear this no longer. You will have me speak out, then? I
will raise the mask, and discharge my spleen. Every one calls you mad,
and I am greatly troubled at....
PHI. Ah! what is the meaning of this?
CHRY. (to BÉLISE). I am speaking to you, sister. The least solecism
one makes in speaking irritates you; but you make strange ones in
conduct. Your everlasting books do not satisfy me, and, except a big
Plutarch to put my bands in [Footnote: To keep them flat.], you should
burn all this useless lumber, and leave learning to the doctors of the
town. Take away from the garret that long telescope, which is enough
to frighten people, and a hundred other baubles which are offensive to
the sight. Do not try to discover what is passing in the moon, and think
a little more of what is happening at home, where we see everything
going topsy-turvy. It is not right, and that too for many reasons, that a
woman should study and know so much. To form the minds of her
children to good manners, to make her household go well, to look after
the servants, and regulate all expenses with economy, ought to be her
principal study, and all her philosophy. Our fathers were much more
sensible on this point: with them, a wife always knew enough when the
extent of her genius enabled her to distinguish a doublet from a pair of
breeches. She did not read, but she lived honestly; her family was the
subject of all her learned conversation, and for hooks she had needles,
thread, and a thimble, with which she worked at her daughter's
trousseau. Women, in our days, are far from behaving thus: they must
write and become authors. No science is too deep for them. It is worse
in my house than anywhere else; the deepest secrets are understood,
and everything is known except what should be known. Everyone
knows how go the moon and the polar star, Venus, Saturn, and Mars,
with which I have nothing to do. And in this vain knowledge, which
they go so far to fetch, they know nothing of the soup of which I stand
in need. My servants all wish to be learned, in order to please you; and
all alike occupy themselves with anything but the work they have to do.
Reasoning is the occupation of the whole house, and reasoning

banishes all reason. One burns my roast while reading some story;
another dreams of verses when I call for drink. In short, they all follow
your example, and although I have servants, I am not served. One poor
girl alone was left me, untouched by this villainous fashion; and now,
behold, she is sent away with a huge clatter because she fails to speak
Vaugelas. I tell you, sister, all this offends me, for as I have already
said, it is to you I am speaking. I dislike to see all those Latin-mongers
in my house, and particularly Mr. Trissotin. It is he who has turned
your heads with his verses. All his talk is mere rubbish, and one is for
ever trying to find out what he has said after he has done speaking. For
my part I believe that he is rather cracked.
PHI. What coarseness, O heavens! both in thought and language.
BEL. Can there be a more gross assemblage of corpuscles, [Footnote:
A reference to the corpuscular philosophy] a mind composed of more
vulgar atoms? Is it possible that I can come from the same blood? I hate
myself for being of your race, and out of pure shame I abandon the
spot.

SCENE VIII.--PHILAMINTE, CHRYSALE.
PHI. Have you any other shaft ready?
CHRY. I? No. Don't let us dispute any longer. I've done. Let's speak of
something else. Your eldest daughter shows a dislike to marriage; in
short, she is a philosopher, and I've nothing to say. She is under good
management, and you do well by her. But her younger sister is of a
different disposition, and I think it would be right to give Henriette a
proper husband, who....
PHI. It is what I have been thinking about, and I wish to speak to you
of what I intend to do. This Mr. Trissotin on whose account we are
blamed, and who has not the honour of being esteemed by you; is the
man whom I have chosen to be her husband; and I can judge of his
merit better than you can. All discussion is superfluous here, for I have

duly resolved that it should be so. I will ask you also not to say a word
of it to your daughter before I