Racine: Phaedra

300
MOLIERE
the duties of a person who leads a virtuous life, turned the
conversation, madam, upon you. There, your prudishness
and the vehemence of your zeal were by no means
quoted as a good example. That affectation of a grave
demeanor; your everlasting speeches on discretion and
honor; your simpering, and your outcries at the shadow
of any impropriety which an innocent though ambiguous
word may present; the high esteem in which you hold
yourself, and the looks of pity you cast upon others; your
frequent lectures and your sharp censures on things which
are harmless and pure; all this, madam, if I may speak
the plain truth, was blamed by common accord. " What
signify," said they, " that modest mien and that grave
manner, which are belied by all the rest? She is most ex-
act at all her prayers, but she beats her servants ar^ pays
them no wages. She makes the greatest display of fervor
in all places of worship, but she paints and wishes to ap-
pear beautiful. She has all nudities covered in her pictures,
but she delights in the reality." For my part, I undertook
your defence against everyone, and assured them
it was all calumny ; but the general opinion went against
me, and the conclusion was that you would do well to be
less solicitous about other people's actions and take more
pains about your own ; that we should examine ourselves
a great deal before thinking of condemning others; that
we ought to add the weight of an exemplary life to the
corrections we pretend to make in our neighbors ; and
that, after all, it would be better still to leave that care to
those who were ordained by Heaven for it. Madam, I
believe that you also are too sensible not to take in good
part this kindly-meant advice, and not to attribute it to
the earnestness of an affection which makes me anxious
for your welfare.
Arsinoe. Whatever we may be exposed to when we admon-
ish another, I was not prepared, madam, for such a retort
as this ; and I can see, by the bitterness of your speech,
that my sincere advice has hurt your feelings.
Celimene. On the contrary, madam, if the world were wise,
it would bring these mutual counsels into fashion. Sin-
cerity in such a course of action would help to destroy