roles" in the whole repertory
of French comedies. Of Moliere's drama he recognizes only three such roles
as clearly individualized, those of Agnes, Elmire and Celimene. "The
others, whatever their name--Marianne, Elise, Henriette --are about the
same _ingenue_, or--Dorine, Nicole, Toinon-- about the same _soubrette_."
Marivaux excels in his portrayal of the _ingenue_ and of the coquette, but
perhaps no role is more sympathetically developed than that of the young
widow, now tender and yielding like Araminte of the _Fausses Confidences_,
now vivacious and positive, but no less kindly, like the countess of the
_Legs_.

His soubrettes resemble closely their mistresses, to such a degree that by
exchanging roles they may readily be mistaken for them, as we have seen in
_le Jeu de l'Amour et du Hasard_. Unlike those of Moliere, they are always
refined and graceful, and are none the less witty. Contrary to their more
cautious mistresses, they all, or nearly all, believe in love, and seek to
further the marriage of the former. Lisette of _le Legs_ is an exception.
In short, all of the younger women of Marivaux are the perfection of
grace, beauty, delicacy, wit or artlessness, and are simply irresistible.

It is only the mothers that merit our aversion. With few exceptions,
notably Mme. Argante in _la Mere confidente_, he paints them "laides,
vaines, imperieuses, avares, entichees de prejuges." "Il ne pare pas du
moindre rayon de coquetterie leurs maussades et acariatres personnes. Il a
de la peine a ne pas ceder, quand il s'agit d'elles, a la tentation de la
caricature. On dirait qu'il se venge."[129] The roles of fathers, on the
other hand, are treated with great affection. They are always kind and
indulgent, and exercise their authority as little as possible. Their motto
is that of the good Monsieur Orgon of _le Jeu de l'Amour et du Hasard_:
"_Il faut etre un peu trop bon pour l'etre assez_."

His _amoureux_ are less varied and less attractive than his _amoureuses_,
and, while no less refined and exquisite, are less sincere, more
calculating and self-interested.

His valets, like his soubrettes, are more refined than those of Moliere,
that is to say, are higher in the social scale, and are treated by their
masters with more consideration. The changes, soon to be wrought in the
old regime, are already germinating. While almost rivalling their masters
in wit, they yet occupy a secondary place upon the stage, and rarely dwarf