No More Learning

SGANARELLE: Who is the fool that does not want his
wife to be dumb? Would to heaven that mine had that
complaint! I would take good care she did not recover
her speech.

GERONTE: Well, monsieur, I beg of you to take all
possible pains to cure her of this illness.

SGANARELLE (_to the patient_): Let me feel your pulse.
This tells me your daughter is dumb.

GERONTE: Yes, monsieur, that is just what her illness
is; you have found it out the very first time.

SGANARELLE: We great doctors, we know things at once.
An ignorant person would have been puzzled, and would
have said to you: "It is this, it is that. " But I
was right the very first time. I tell you your daughter
is dumb.

GERONTE: But I should be very pleased if you could
tell me how this
happened.

SGANARELLE: It is because she has lost her speech.

GERONTE: But, please, what was the cause of the loss
of speech?

SGANARELLE: All our best authorities will tell you that
it is an impediment in the action of her tongue.
GERONTE: But, nevertheless, let us have your opinion on
this impediment in the action of her tongue.

SGANARELLE: I hold that this impediment in the
action of her tongue is caused by certain humours,
which among us learned men are called peccant humours.
For as the vapours formed by the exhalations of the
influences which arise in the region of complaints,
coming--so to speak--to--Do you know Latin?

GERONTE: In no sort of way.

SGANARELLE (_rising in astonishment_): You don't know Latin?

GERONTE: No.

SGANARELLE (_assuming various amusing attitudes_):
_Singulariter, nominativo haec musa_, "the muse," _bonus_,
_bona, bonum, Deus sanctus, estne oratio latenas?
Quare_? "Why? " _Luia substantivo et adjectivum
concordat in generi, numerum, et casus_.

GERONTE: Oh! Why did I not study?

JACQUELINE: What a clever man he is!

SGANARELLE: Thus these vapours of which I speak
passing from the left side, where the liver is, to the right
side where the heart is, it happens that the lungs, which
we call in Latin _armyan_, having communication with the
brain, which in Greek we name _nasmus_, by means of the
_vena cava_, which we call in Hebrew _cubile_, in their way
meet the said vapours, which fill the ventricles of the
omoplata; and as the said vapours--be sure you understand
this argument, I beg you--and as these said vapours have
a certain malignancy--listen carefully to this, I pray you.

GERONTE: Yes.

SGANARELLE: Are gifted with a certain malignancy
which is caused--please pay attention----

GERONTE: I am doing so.