ACT IV. SCENES X.-XIII

Page 86. — -i. Se ti sabir, etc. These verses are in the so-called Frank language, a mixture of Romance and Eastern tongues spoken in the commercial régions of Jhe Mediterranean. In Frank the verbshave but one form, the infinitive. The largest element here seems to be

NOTES

Spanish. Molière had used some of these phrases before in Le Sicilien^ Scene VIII. The translation would be: “ If you know, you answer; if you don’t know, be silent ; I am Mufti, you, who are you ? Y ou don’t understand ; be silent.”

2. Dice Turque, etc. Translation : “ Say, Turk, who this is. An Anabaptist ? — No. A follower of Zwingli (Swiss reformer, 1484-1531) ? — No. A Copt (name given to the Egyptian Christians) ? — No. A Hussite (follower of John Huss, 1373-1415)? a Morista? aFronista? (It is not certain what sects may be meant here). — No, no, no. — No, no, no. Is he a pagan ? — No. Lutheran? — No. Puritan? — No. Brahmin (a Buddhist) ? a Moffina } a Zurina (both meaningless probably) ? — No, no, no. — No, no, no. A Mahometan, a Mahometan.? — Yes, by Allah. Yes, by Allah. — How call him ? Howcallhim?”

Pag:e 88. — i. Mahameta p.er Giourdina, etc., “ Mahomet, for Jourdain I pray night and morning ; I wish to make a paladin out of Jourdain. Give a turban, and give a cimeter, with galley and brigantine to defend Palestine.” Some of these lines are repeated, and the first two are again repeated at the end of the stanza.