.. words, and then a ... certain wind, which
by ... certain waves in ... a certain manner, like a sand-bank ... when
... In short, woman is worse than the devil.
[Footnote: This long speech of Gros-Rene ridicules the pedantic
arguments of some of the philosophers of the time of Moliere. It also
attributes to the ancients some sayings of authors of the day; for
example, the comparison, from a Greek author, "that a woman's head is
like a quicksand," is from a contemporary; the saying from Aristotle,
comparing woman to the sea, is from Malherbe. Words very familiar look
more homely when employed with high-flown language, and Gros-Rene's
speech is no bad example of this, whilst at the same time it becomes
more muddled the longer it goes on. There exists also a tradition that
the actor who performs the part of Gros-Rene should in order to show his
confusion, when he says "goes sometimes down the cellar," point to his
head, and when he mentions "up into the garret," point to his feet.]
ERAS. You have argued that very well.
GR.-RE. Pretty well, thanks to Heaven; but I see them coming this way,
sir,--stand firm.
ERAS. Never fear.
GR.-RE. I am very much afraid that her eyes will ensnare you again.
SCENE III.--ERASTE, LUCILE, MARINETTE, GROS-RENE.
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