The School for Husbands
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VAL. (_To Sganarelle_). For me, I esteem it my greatest glory and
happiness to receive her, sir, from your hands.
AR. Brother, you must take this matter quietly. Your own conduct is the
cause of this. I can see it is your unhappy lot that no one will pity
you, though they know you have been made a fool of.
LIS. Upon my word, I am glad of this. This reward of his mistrust is a
striking retribution.
LEO. I do not know whether the trick ought to be commended; but I am
quite sure that I, at least, cannot blame it.
ERG. His star condemns him to be a cuckold; it is lucky for him he is
only a retrospective one.
SGAN. (_Recovering from the stupor into which he had been
plunged_). No, I cannot get the better of my astonishment. This
faithlessness perplexes my understanding. I think that Satan in person
could be no worse than such a jade! I could have sworn it was not in
her. Unhappy he who trusts a woman after this! The best of them are
always full of mischief; they were made to damn the whole world. I
renounce the treacherous sex for ever, and give them to the devil with
all my heart!
ERG. Well said.
AR. Let us all go to my house. Come, M. Valère, tomorrow we will try to
appease his wrath.
LIS. (_To the audience_). As for you, if you know any churlish
husbands, by all means send them to school with us.
[Footnote: This is the last time Molière directly addressed the audience
at the end of one of his plays; in _Sganarelle_ he did it for the
first time.]