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The Original of The Non-Juror

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2020

Dudley H. Miles
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Extract

Colley Cibber declared that for The Non-juror, the most important of his dramas, he employed Molière's Tartuffe as the basis. His declaration has been accepted by later writers. Genest says, “it is taken from Moliere's Tartuffe.” Ward repeats, “Crowne may have helped to suggest to Cibber the composition of The Non-Juror (1717), which however more closely follows Tartuffe.” Van Laun declares: “Cibber has been accused of having stolen the plot, characters, incidents, and most part of the language from Medbourne; but this is untrue. What he has taken from him is the servant Charles (Laurence), who also betrays his master.” The ever-present German dissertation solemnly copies the statement: a certain Wilhelm Schneider concludes: “Medbournes ‘Tartuffe’ kann, zumal er zunächst Übersetzung ist, nach van Launs Artikel nur für wenige Anregungen herangezogen werden.” Joseph Knight in his article on Cibber in the Dictionary of National Biography remarks: “A strong Hanoverian, as was natural from his origin, Cibber saw bis way to adapting the ‘Tartuffe’ of Molière to English politics. ‘Tartuffe’ became accordingly in the ‘Non-juror’ an English catholic priest.” Americans have joined the chorus. A Western man asserts: “The Non-Juror is based directly on Molière's Tartuffe. … Cibber was no doubt familiar with Medbourne's play, but he used Molière as a basis, and owed practically nothing to any play other than the Tartuffe of Molière.” More recently Professor Nettleton speaks of “The Non-Juror (1717), an adaptation of Molière's Tartuffe to English setting,” and quotes with approval the words of Cibber.

Type
Research Article
Information
PMLA , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , 1915 , pp. 195 - 214
Copyright
Copyright © Modern Language Association of America, 1915

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References

1 An Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber, ed. Lowe, London, 1889, ii, p. 186.

2 Some Account of the English Stage from the Restoration in 1660 to 1880, Bath, 1832, ii, p. 615.

3 A History of English Dramatic Literature to the Death of Queen Anne, London, 1899, iii, p. 405, note 4.

4 Dramatic Works of Molière Rendered into English, Edinburgh, 1876, iv, p. 122. His fourth article on “Les Plagiaires de Molière en Angleterre” in le Moliériste, ler mai 1881, pp. 60–1, holds slightly different language: “En 1717, le 6 Décembre, Colley Cibber fit représenter une comédie: The Nonjuror qui est en partie imitée de la pièce de Crowne, en partie de celle de Medbourne, et surtout basée sur celle de Molière. … Cibber, comme Medbourne, a donné aussi au domestique de 1'hypocrite un des rôles principaux.”

5 Das Verhältnis von Colley Cibbers Lustspiel “The Non-Juror” zu Molières “Tartuffe,” Halle, 1903, p. 53.

6 Croissant, Studies in the Work of Colley Cibber (Bulletin of The University of Kansas, Humanistic Studies, i, No. 1), Lawrence, 1912, pp. 23–24.

7 English Drama of the Restoration and Eighteenth Century, Macmillan, New York, 1914, p. 151.

8 Tartuffe: or the French Puritan. A Comedy, Lately Acted at the Theatre Royal. Written in French by Moliere; and rendered into English with much Addition and Advantage, By M. Medbourne, Servant to His Royal Highness. London: Printed by H. L. and R. B. for James Magnus at the Posthouse in Russel-street near the Piazza in Covent Garden. M. DC. LXX.

9 Tartuffe: or, the French Puritan. A Comedy, Acted at the Theatre-Royal. Written in French by Moliere, and Render'd into English, with much Addition and Advantage, By M. Medbourne, Servant to His Royal Highness. London: Printed for Richard Wellington, Bookseller, at the Dolphin and Crowne in St. Paul's Churchyard. 1707.

10 Op. cit., ii, p. 615.

11 Medbourne: Tartuffe, i, v, p. 13.

12 Ibid.

13 Cibber: The Non-Juror. A Comedy. As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal, By His Majesty's Servants. London: Printed for B. Lintot, at the Cross-Keys in Fleetstreet. mdccxviii. P. 12.

14 Op. cit., pp. 12–14.

15 Op. cit., pp. 14–15.

16 Medbourne: Tartuffe, ii, v, p. 26.

17 Cibber: The Non-Juror, pp. 30–32.

18 Medbourne: Tartuffe, ii, v, p. 27.

19 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 32.

20 Op. cit., p. 28.

21 Medbourne: Tartuffe, iv, viii, p. 51.

22 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 32.

23 Medbourne: Tartuffe, v, i, p. 52.

24 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 56.

25 Medbourne: Tartuffe, v, scen, ult., p. 62.

26 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 75.

27 Melbourne: Tartuffe, iv, ii, p. 43.

28 Op. cit., iv, iii, pp. 43–44.

29 Op. cit., v, i, p. 52.

30 Op. cit., v, v, p. 57.

31 Op. cit., v, vi, p. 58.

32 Op. cit., v, scen, ult., pp. 63–62 [64].

33 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 9.

34 Op. cit., p. 14.

35 Op. cit., p. 16.

36 Op. cit., p. 22.

37 Op. cit., p. 55.

38 Ibid.

39 Op. cit., pp. 74–75.

40 Melbourne: Tartuffe, pp. 37–38.

41 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 28.

42 Medbourne: Tartuffe, p. 51.

43 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 70.

44 Line numberings are taken from Œuvres de Molière, ed. Despois-Mesnard, iv, Hachette, Paris, 1878.

45 Le Tartvffe, ov l'Impostevr, comedie. Par I. B. P. de Moliere. Imprimé aux despens de l'Autheur, et se vend a Paris, Chez Iean Ribov, au Palais, vis-à-vis la Porte de l'Eglise de la Sainte Chapelle, à l'Image S. Loüis, m. dc. lxix. Avec privilege dv Roy. In “Réimpression des éditions originales de Molière. Tartuffe. Edition originale. Réimpression textuelle par les soins de Louis Lacour. Paris, Librairie des Bibliophiles, m dccc lxxvi.” iii, iii, pp. 48–49.

46 Medbourne: Tartuffe, iii, iii, p. 29.

47 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 40.

48 Molière: Le Tartvffe, p. 49.

49 Medbourne: Tartuffe, p. 30.

50 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 41.

51 Molière: Le Tartvffe, pp. 49–50.

52 Medbourne: Tartuffe, p. 30.

53 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 41.

54 Molière: Le Tartvffe, p. 50.

55 Medbourne: Tartuffe, p. 30.

56 Cibber, The Non-Juror, p. 42.

57 Molière: Le Tartvffe, p. 52.

58 Medbourne: Tartuffe, p. 31.

59 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 42.

60 Medbourne: Tartuffe, p. 31.

61 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 42.

62 Molière: Le Tartvffe, p. 50.

63 Medbourne: Tartuffe, p. 30.

64 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 42.

65 Molière: Le Tartvffe, p. 58.

66 Medbourne: Tartuffe, pp. 35–36.

67 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 44.

68 Molière: Le Tartvffe, p. 72.

69 Medbourne: Tartuffe, p. 46.

70 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 66.

71 Molière: Le Tartvffe, p. 36.

72 Medbourne: Tartuffe, pp. 21–22.

73 Cibber: The Non-Juror, p. 36.

74 Cibber: The Non-Juror, pp. 11–12.

75 Medbourne: Tartuffe, pp. 27–28.

76 Molière: Le Tartvffe, pp. 44–45.