connoisseur in cloth, he went all over to choose
them, had them brought to his house, and gave them to his friends
for money.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: I'm delighted to know you, so you can testify to
the fact that my father was a gentleman.

COVIELLE: I'll attest to it before all the world.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: You'll oblige me. What business brings you
here?

COVIELLE: Since knowing your late father, honorable gentleman, as I
told you, I have traveled through all the world.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: Through all the world!

COVIELLE: Yes.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: I imagine it's a long way from here to there.

COVIELLE: Assuredly. I returned from all my long voyages only four
days ago; and because of the interest I take in all that concerns
you, I come to announce to you the best news in the world.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: What?

COVIELLE: You know that the son of the Grand Turk is here?

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: Me? No.

COVIELLE: What! He has a very magnificent retinue; everybody goes
to see it, and he has been received in this country as an important
lord.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: By my faith! I didn't know that.

COVIELLE: The advantage to you in this is that he is in love with
your daughter.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: The son of the Grand Turk?

COVIELLE: Yes. And he wants to be your son-in-law.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: My son-in-law, the son of the Grand Turk?

COVIELLE: The son of the Grand Turk your son-in-law. As I went to
see him, and as I perfectly understand his language, he conversed
with me; and, after some other discourse, he said to me, "Acciam
croc soler ouch alla moustaph gidelum amanahem varahini oussere
carbulath," that is to say, "Haven't you seen a beautiful young
person who is the daughter of Monsieur Jourdain, gentleman of
Paris?"

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: The son of the Grand Turk said that of me?

COVIELLE: Yes. Inasmuch as I told him in reply that I knew you
particularly well and that I had seen your daughter: "Ah!" he said
to me, "marababa sahem;" Which is to say, "Ah, how I am enamored of
her!"

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: "Marababa sahem" means "Ah, how I am enamored of
her"?

COVIELLE: Yes.

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: By my faith, you do well to tell me, since, as
for me, I would never have believed that "marababa sahem" could
have meant to say "Oh, how I am enamored of her!" What an admirable
language Turkish is!

COVIELLE: More admirable than one can believe. Do you know what
Cacaracamouchen means?

MONSIEUR JOURDAIN: