| Citation |
BG.763.008
14 Feb 1763:33 (411)
Messiuers Printers, I suppose there can be no harm in
telling a short story. "The famous Moliere, when he wrote
his Tartuff, a good moral comedy, had no design to satyrize
any great man of that age; yet a certain great man took it
in his head to fancy, and moreover was told by some of his
sycophants, that the author had made him the model for one
of the worst characters in the comedy. Moliere, who knew
himself innocent complained to his patron the Prince of
Conti, that as his play was only designed to expose
hypocricy, and a false pretention to religion, 'twas very
had it should be forbid being acted, when they were suffered
to expulse religion itself every night upon the Italian
stage. To which the Prince wittily answered, 'Tis true,
Moliere, Harlequin ridicules Heaven; but you have done
worse.--You have ridicul'd the first minister.
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