46 moliere's strange beasts. [169 1. 



known by the Name of Hurricanes, are a dismal Article. 

 However, we are assur'd they are much less violent than 

 those of America; and, after all, do not last above four and 

 twenty Hours. Besides, these terrible Tempests never happen 

 but 'once a Year, and tliere are infallible ways of providing 

 against them : to which we may add, that for one bad Day there 

 are three hundred and sixty-four wonderfully fair ones. And 

 this Consideration is very comfortable. Wise Men, who have 

 had a little Experience of the World, and travell'd a little, 

 know that no perfect happiness is to be expected in it, neither 

 under the Line nor under the Poles. Every Thing has its 

 Eor and Against, and the best is but the least bad. All 

 that can be done therefore on this Occasion, as well as in 

 others, is to take the Balance and weigh Things before we 

 determine what to do. If some Inconveniencies in our Eden 

 trouble you, says Mr. du Qacsne, Put the Catterpillars, the 

 Flyes and the Sparrows of this Isle, together with one 

 Hurricane a Year, in one Scale, and add Health, Liberty, Safety, 

 Abundance, and Peace. To counterbalance these three sorts 

 of little troublesome Animals, put all those strange Beasts 

 that our famous Molitre calls Harpagons,^ PurgonSj^Macratons, 

 Mascarils,^ Metaphrasts,^ Trissotins,^ Town-Fops, all the Ptace 

 of Misers, Cheats, Coxcombs, and Blockheads, add to that 

 Dragons and Beetles, Cellar-Rats, Barn-Rats, Slavery, 

 Poverty, Alarms, and a thousand Miseries, and see which 

 Scale is the heaviest !" 



I must again declare, 'twas to our great Regret, that we 

 saw our selves leaving this Island behind us, this charming 

 Island, so much desir'd by us. We were so weak and so 

 troubled, that we consented to what we could not help ; and 



1 Harpagon, the miser in L'Avare, by Moliere (1667). 



2 Purgon, the conventional doctor in Le Midade Imaginaire. 



3 Mascarille, the sham marquis in Les Precieuses Ridicules, by Molifere 

 (1659). 



* Metaphrast, a critic, Vanteur qui Vexplique. 



5 Trissotin, a hel esprit in Les Feirmes Savantes^ by Moliere (1672). 



