Explore "Tartuffe" by Molière on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
VALERE, ORGON, MADAME PERNELLE, ELMIRE, CLEANTE, MARIANE, DAMIS, / DORINE
VALERE / 'Tis with regret, sir, that I bring bad news; / But urgent danger forces me to do so. / A close and intimate friend of mine, who knows / The interest I take in what concerns you, / Has gone so far, for my sake, as to break / The secrecy that's due to state affairs, / And sent me word but now, that leaves you only / The one expedient of sudden flight. / The villain who so long imposed upon you, / Found means, an hour ago, to see the prince, / And to accuse you (among other things) / By putting in his hands the private strong-box / Of a state-criminal, whose guilty secret, / You, failing in your duty as a subject, / (He says) have kept. I know no more of it / Save that a warrant's drawn against you, sir, / And for the greater surety, that same rascal / Comes with the officer who must arrest you.