de the world-famed coat of
mail--made of the rings given to me by goddesses, empresses, queens,
infantas, princesses, and great ladies of every degree, my illustrious
admirers the world over--which is proof against all weapons, and has so
often saved my life in my maddest deeds of daring."

"All of which signifies," interrupts the valet, who had listened to this
high-blown tirade with ill-concealed impatience, "as far as my feeble
intellect can comprehend such magnificent eloquence, that your most
redoubtable lordship has fallen in love with some young girl hereabouts,
like any ordinary mortal."

"Really, Scapin," says Matamore, with good-humoured condescension, "you
have hit the nail upon the head--you are not so stupid after all, for a
valet. Yes, I have fallen in love, but do not imagine for a moment that
my courage will suffer diminution on that account. It was all very well
for Samson to allow his hair to be cut off, and for Alcides to handle
the distaff at the bidding of his mistress; but Delilah would not have
dared to touch one hair of my head, and Omphale should have pulled off
my boots for me--at the least sign of revolt I would have given her
worse to do: cleaning the skin of the Nemaean lion, for instance, when
I brought it home all fresh and bleeding, just as I had torn it from the
quivering carcass. The thought that has lately occurred to me, that I
have subjugated only half of the human race, is humiliating. Women,
by reason of their weakness, escape me; I cannot treat them as I do my
masculine opponents--cut their throats, run them through the body,
or hew off their arms and legs; I must lay siege to their hearts, and
conquer them in that way. It is true that I have stormed and taken a
greater number of such fair citadels than there are drops of water in
the ocean, or stars in the sky--why, I sleep on a mattress stuffed with
thousands of beautiful curls and tresses of every shade, light and dark,
golden and jet-black, which are among my most treasured trophies.
Juno herself has made overtures to me, but I turned a deaf ear to her
blandishments, finding her charms rather too ripe for my taste; I prefer
the first flush of youthful beauty; it is a pure and innocent maiden
that I would honour with my notice now, but she repulses me--that I
should live to say it!--she dares to repulse me. I cannot permit such
an impertinence on her part, and the fair Isabelle must humbly sue to me
for pardon, and herself bri