THEHISTORYOFTHE HARLEQUINADE BYMAURICESAND , VOLUME TWO LONDON:MARTINSEeKER NUMBIlliFIVEJOHNSTREETADELPHI CONTENTS VIII.PANTALOON IX.THECANTATRICE X.TIlEBALLERINA XI.STENTERELLO XII.ISAnELLE XIII.SCAPINO XIV.SCARAMOUCHE XV.COVIELLO XVI.TARTAGLIA XVII.Sm.IECARNIVALMASKS XVIII.CARLOCOZZIANDCAllLOGOLDON! 5 'J",d}-ILC PAGIll 9 53 75 89 121 161 207 231 259 275 281 LISTOFILLUSTRATIONS PANTALOON TIlEDOCTOR STENTERELLO ISADBLLE SCArlNO SCARAUOUCHF. COVIELLO TilEArOTHECARY 48 9G 128 17G 208 240 272 THEHISTORYOFTHE HARLEQUINADE VIII PANTALOON FROMtheGreekcomediesdowntoourownmodemvande villes, fromthe oldsatyr besmeared with grape-juicedo'Wllto Cassandre besmeared with snuff, a t the hands of Aristophanes, Plautus,Terence,Macchiavelli,Beolea,MoliereandGoldoni, the old man ofthe comedy,likethe old manofthe farce,has alwaysboenmoreorlessniggardly,credulous,libertine, dupedandmocked,afHictedwithrheumandcoughs,and, above all,unhappy. Whether he is calledStrepsiadcs,PhilacleoorBlephirus,in thecomediesof Aristophanes;Theuropides, Euclio, Dcmipho, Demrenetus, Stalino or Nicobulus, in those of Plautus;Messer Andronico,Pasquale,Placido,CornelioorTomaso,inthose ofBeoleD;Pantalone,Zanobio,Facanappa,Bernardonc, theDoctor,theBaron,CassandraortheBisccglicse,inthe Commedia dell' Arte;Collofonio, Pandolfo, Diomede, Demetrio, Coccolin,GerontioorBartolo,intheItaliancommedia sostenuta;GaultierGarguille,orJacqueminJadot,inthe French farce;or yet Orgon, Gorgibus, ArpagonorSganarelle, inthepiecesofMoliere-fundamentallyheisalways,under 9 (g.,y f THEHISTORYOFTHEHARLEQUINADE whateverofthesenameswefindhim,thePappusorthe Casuar of the Atellanre. "Pappus"(says:rtf.FerdinandFouque),"whomthe GreekscalledIIu11"7I"or,issometimesamiserly,libidinous, finicking and astute oldman, sometimes amnple oldfellowof good faith;and he is always a dupe, be it of a mistress, a rival, s.son,alackeyorsomeotherintriguer.Hecorrespondsto the Doctor of the Bolognese and the Pantaloon of the Venetians. Acomalineshowsushisbeardedmask....Heisdressed inpurple.TheOscihadanotheroldmancalledCasuar, whonowisediffered fromPappus." IntheMostellariaofPlautusthesonofTheuropides,an oldAthenianmerchant,fallsmadlyinlovewithamusician during the absence ofhisfather;he purchases her and takes hertohisfather'shouse,whereinthecompanyofseveral friendsheabandonshimselftoallmanneroforgies.One day, whenourgay revellers had dr1lllka lagrecque-thatis to say,1llltiltheyeouldnotstand--old Theuropides arrives. Tranio,averitableScapin,theyoungman'sdevotedslave, inventsaruBetokeeptheoldmanfromthehouse.He orderstheprincipaldoortobeclosedand bolted,and then concealing hiIllileUnear at hand he finnlyawaits Theuropides. THEUROPIDES.Whatisthemeaningofthis 1:Myhouse shut up in broad daylight 1(Heknocks.)Hola!Someone 1 Open the door! TRANIO(approachingandpretendingnottorecognisehim). Who is this man who comes so close to the house 1 THEUROPIDES.Nooneanswers,but it seemstome,unless Ihave lost mysenses,that herecomesTranio,myslave. TRANIO.Oh,mylordTheuropides,mygoodmaster,what 10 Digitizet~ yft (1 PANTALOON happiness!Isitpossiblethatitisyou ~Permitmeto saluteyouandtowishyouagoodday.Hasyourhealth always been good in those far lands,my lord ~ THEUROPIDES.Ihavealwaysbeeninthehealthinwhich you Beeme now. TRANIO.You could not be in better. THEUROPIDES.Andyouothers ~Haveyourbrainsbe-come addled in my absence ~ TRANIO.But why,pray,shouldyouaskthat,mylord 1 THEUROPIDES.Why ~Becauseyouallleavethohouse at onceandnoneremainstotakecareofit.Iwasonthe point of kicking down the door. TRANIO.Oh,oh,sir!Didyoureallytouchthe door? THEUROPIDES.And whyshouldInottouch it ~Not only have Itouchedit, but, asItellyou,Ihavealmost brokenit down. TRANIO.Youovenvhelmmewithdismay.Yetagain Iask you,have you touched this house'1 THEUROPIDES.Whatnow ~Doyoutakemeforaliar? AmInottellingyouthatInotonlytouched,butthatI knockedasloudlyas Icould ~ TRANIO.Oh,gods! THEUROPIDES.What'sthematter ~ TRANIO.ByHercules,youarewrong. THEUROPIDES.What areyoutellingme~ TRANIO.It is impossible to tell you all the ill that YOllhave done.It isatrocious,irreparable.Youhavecommitteda frightfulsacrilege. THEUROPIDES.How ~ TRANIO.Oh,sir,withdraw at once,Ibegofyou,andquit thisfatalhouse.Atleastcomeoverhere.But,inreality, now,did you touch the door ~ THEUROPIDES.Of course.Of necessity I must have touched it,sinceIknocked,It isimpossibletodotheonewithout the other. TRANIO.Alack,you are lost, you and yours. THEUROPIDES.Maythegodscauseyoutoperishbyyour 11 tledDY"-:( THEHISTORYOFTHEHARLEQllNADE augury,foryouarealsomine.Butwhateverdoyou mean~ TRAmO.Learn,sir,thatsomesevenmonthsagoweall abandoned that house,and that sincethen no one has set foot within it. THEUROPIDES.Thereason,quickly! TRANIO.Iimploreyou,sir,lookwenaboutyoutosee that no one is listening. THEUROPIDES.ThereisnoODe;youmayspeakwith confidence. TRANIO.Take the trouble to look yet again. THEUROPIDES.Itell you there isnoone.Youmayspeak your secret without fear. TRANIO.Ahorriblecrimemusthavebeencommittedin that house. THEUROPIDES.If youwishmetounderstandyou,speak moreclearly. TRANIO.Imeanthatlongago,inyourhouse,acrimeof theblackestmusthavetakenplace.Wediscovereditbut lately. THEUROPIDES.What crimedoyou mean?Whocanhave beentheauthor?Speak, wretch!Donotleavemelonger in suspense. TRANIO.Theancientproprietorofthe house,he whosold it to you,had stabbed a guest with hisown hand. THEUROPIDES.Andkilledhim? TRANIO.Stillworse.Afterrobbinghim,heburiedhim inthehouseitself.Oneeveningwhenmylordyourson hadsuppedabroad,hewenttobeduponreturninghome. Weothersdidthesame.Suddenly- Iwassleepingpro: foundlyat the time,andIhadevenforgottentoextinguish thelamp - suddenly,then,Ihoordmyyoungmaster cryingout.Irantohimandheassuredmethatthedead man had appeared to him whilst he was sleeping. THEUROPIDES.But that wasadream, sinceheslept. TRANIO.Youareright.Butlisten.~ ~ yyaungmaster related that the ghost had told himthis- -12 Olgitlzedly 11'1;( . osc.ft PANTALOON TUEUROl'IDES.Stillwhilstbewas asleep ~ TRANIO.Thatistrue.Theghostbehavedill.Iam astonishedtothink that aBOulwhich for sixty years had been separo.tcd fromitsbodyshouldnot havethought orchoosing a moment inwhichyoursonwasawaketopay hisvisit.I regrettopointitout,sir,butyouhaveattimesnccytain a.bseuce of mind which does little honow to your judgment. THEUROpmEs.Iam silent. TRANIO.Herethenwordforwordiswhat theoldspectre said:"I amastrangerfrombeyondthe seas,theguestof DiapontiuB.Thisismydwelling,andthishouseisinmy power.arcus wouldhaveDoneofmeinAchcron.)[0dis-missedme brutally because, although my body has been buried, it received nohonours of sepulture.Iwas tricked by my host, whodrewmehitherandmurderedmeformymoney.He barelycoveredmewithearth,nndIremainedhiddeninthis . bouse.Nonebut myself knowswhoIam, andIdemandof you that you quit this house at. once."These were his words, mylord.'l'hehouseisaccursed,givenovertodivineveo-geance.Idarenot speakto youofallthe apparitionstobe seenthere every night.8h I8h!Listen, do you hear 1 TnEuRDPIDES(soored).Whatisit ~Oh,mypoorTranio, Iimplore you,by Hercules,tellmewhat youheard. TRANIO.The doormoved.NeverthelessIamcertainthat no ODepushed it. THEUROPIDES.Iam stricken with fent.There is not a.drop orblo()(lleit inmybody.Who knows but that the deadmay come to drag me living into LeJI 1 TRANJO(aside,hearingtMt'rnenUi nthehouse).Iamlost. Theywillruin my comedyofphantoms and spectresbytheir folly.(ToTHEUROPIDES.)Iamtremblingwithfear.Go, mylord,gofromtha.tdoor.Flee,inthenameofHercules, flee, Iimplore you. THEUROPIDES.Trnnio! Tru.NIO(pretendingtomistakehismasterloraphantom). Sir Spectre, do not call me!Ihavedone nothing!Iassure you that it. was not I who kDockod at t he door. 13 THEHISTORYOFTHEHARLEQUINADE THEUROPIDES(trembling).Whatailsyou 1Withwhom ale you talking? TRANIO.How,sir 1Was In truth,Ithoughtthatitwasthedeadmanwhocomplained ofthenoisethatyouhadmade.Buthowdoyou happen tobestillhere?Begone,coveryOUI'head jgo,andonno accountlookbehindyou. THEUROPIDES(fleeing).Great and mightyHercules,protect me against the8e rascally phantoms!(Exit.) Pantaloon and Cassandre are no lesscredulous and poltroon than their ancestor Theuropides the Athenian. AngeloBooieDpresentstwoold menin one of his comedies (writtencirca1530).OneoftheseisMesserDemetrio,a doctor,whoswearsbythelearneddoctorsofantiquity, Hippocrates,&culapiUBandGalen;theother isSerCornelio,laVenetianadvocate,enamoured,ll?twith. standing hia years and his infirmities, constantly spitting Latin a.ndexpressinghimselfpretentiouslywheninthe societyof :MesserDemetrio,butemployingthecommondialectwith acertainPrudentia,whoseofficeshedesireswithBeatrice, the ladywithwhomheisinlove. CORNELIO(alone).NeversinceIfirstdrewbreath andwas cast nakedupon this worldhaveIbeensotruly destituteof ideas,soreduced(asifIhadbeenshutup withouteating ordrinking,inthecaveofsomehorridmonster,orasifI weretakeninsomecolossalspider.web)asIameversince Ihavebeenhere,itaettaUterquotiens.Iseemasone aban-doned in an empty boat and left alone at the tiller on a storm-1 Then8.Ill06ofDemetrioandCorneliocontinuedtobeadoptedin thetheatreforoldmen'sr6ws,particularlyinmomoriaoclcomedies, e:uchU8La Vedova,comedic.facctissimaby NicoloBuonaparte. a ciLizen 16(3. u Digitizedr . PANTALOON sweptsea.ButifHopewillonlyopenmeherwindowa little, Ishall get myself out ofthis embarrassment,and Ishall socontrive,bymeansofmoney,presents,andmynatural gifts,thatIshallwinthefavourofthisbeautifulwoman, worthyofthechiselofSaIlEovino.IwillgofindPrudentia, theworld-chartofgallantry .... But hereshecomes,most opportunely.Gooddaytoyou.Whereareyougoing,my charming Prudentia 1 PRUDENTIA,Youwilldowellnottotroublemeifyour headisfulloffantasticnotions;Ihavenotthetimetobe botheredwiththem.Youarebut athiefgrownfatonthe miseriesofthispoorworld,foryouwouldgivenothing to a beggar. CORNELIO.Prudentia,IdonotwishtoOboast,butifyou kne,YthealmsIgive,youwouldbeastonished.Amongst other things Itreat all the hospitals ofthis country to myoId discardedclothes,andneveradayofLentpassesbutthat Imyself give the poor all myoid liards. PRUDENTIA.Inthisfashionyou,vou'tdepriveyourselfof much,audyoubehaveinthe samewayinyourloveaffairs. Toprocure assistance, you ofIermore than you have got,but, whentheobstacleisovercome,youlooktheotherway,you refusetoknowthosewhohavebefriendedyou,a.ndwefind that wehave served you forthe love of Heaven. CORNELIO.Aidme,Prudentia;youknowthatIam tender inthe stomach and soft inthe lungs.Wait!Ishall giveyou fullproofofmy friendship.If youwillpromiseme yourassistanceIpromise youonmy sideto giveyouapair ofredstockingswhichIhavewornonlyfourtimes,anda quarternofexcellentbeans;thisonconditionthatyou willspeaktothatyounggirl,beautifulasaparrotby Aldo,lwhiteaslinen,lightasarabbit;Ithinkthather nameisBeatrice,andhermother'sSofronia;atleast,so Ihave beentold,forIdonot knowthemotherwise,beinga stranger. 1 AIdo Manuzio,the farnomlVenetia.nprinter oftho fifteenthcentury (