The Figaro Trilogy: The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, The Guilty Mother: 'The Barber of Seville', 'The Marriage of Figaro', (Oxford World's Classics) by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais

Author:Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais [Beaumarchais, Pierre-Augustin Caron de]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Published: 2003-10-08T20:00:00+00:00

MARCELINE [to the COUNT]. Do not give the word, my Lord! Before you grant his request, you owe us justice. He has obligations to me.

COUNT [aside]. My vengeance has come in person!

FIGARO. Obligations? What kind of obligations? Explain yourself!

MARCELINE. Oh I shall explain myself, you philanderer!

[The COUNTESS sits in a chair and SUZANNE stands behind her

COUNT. What’s this all about, Marceline?

MARCELINE. A promise of marriage.

FIGARO. A receipt I signed, for some money she loaned me. That’s all.

MARCELINE [to the COUNT]. A loan made on condition that he would marry me. You are a great lord and chief justice of the province…

COUNT. Present yourselves before the court and I shall do justice to all parties.

BAZILE [pointing to MARCELINE]. In that case, would your Excellency also allow me to set out the claim I have with respect to Marceline?

COUNT [aside]. Aha, it’s the villain who gave me the note.

FIGARO. Another lunatic from the same stable!

COUNT [angrily, to BAZILE]. Claim! Your claim! You’ve got an infernal cheek standing there talking to me of claims, you great booby!

ANTONIO. By God, got him to a T straight off. Booby is right.

COUNT. Marceline, none of the planned arrangements will go ahead until we have looked into your claims. This will be done in open court, which will sit in the great council chamber. Honest Bazile, trusted and dependable bearer of messages, you will go into town and notify the members of the Bench.

BAZILE. To hear her case?

COUNT. And you will also bring back the yokel who gave you the note.

BAZILE. How would I know him again?

COUNT. Are you refusing?

BAZILE. I’m not here to act as the castle messenger boy.

COUNT. Why are you here?

BAZILE. As a distinguished village organist, I teach the harpsichord to her Ladyship, singing to her maids, and the mandoline to the pages. But my principal function is to entertain your Lordship’s guests with my guitar, as and when it pleases you so to command.

GRIPPE-SOLEIL [steps forward]. I’ll go if you like, your Honourship.

COUNT. What’s your name and what do you do?

GRIPPE-SOLEIL. Grippe-Soleil, your Lordness, that looks after the goats. I was ordered along to help with the firey-works, so I gave the goats the day off. I knows where all them there fancy lawyers’ houses are.

COUNT. You’re keen, I like that. You can go—but you [to BAZILE] will escort this fine upstanding man and play your guitar and sing to entertain him on the way. He’s a guest.

GRIPPE-SOLEIL [delighted]. Me? A guest!

[SUZANNE calms him with a gesture of her hand and reminds him that the COUNTESS is present

BAZILE [astounded]. I am to escort a goatherd and play my…

COUNT. That’s what you’re paid for. Now go, or I’ll have you shown the door permanently.

[He goes out

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