A Trip to Scarborough; and, The Critic

by Richard Brinsley Sheridan

ALL ITALIANS.
Ah! Signor Dangle!

MRS. DANGLE.
Mr. Dangle, here are two very civil gentlemen trying to make themselves understood, and I don’t know which is the interpreter.

DANGLE.
Eh, bien! [The INTERPRETER and SIGNOR PASTICCIO here speak at the same time.]

INTERPRETER.
Monsieur Dangle, le grand bruit de vos talens pour la critique, et de votre intérêt avec messieurs les directeurs à tous les théâtres—

SIGNOR PASTICCIO RITORNELLO.
Vosignoria siete si famoso par la vostra conoscenza, e vostra interessa colla le direttore da—

DANGLE.
Egad, I think the interpreter is the hardest to be understood of the two!

SNEER.
Why, I thought, Dangle, you had been an admirable linguist!

DANGLE.
So I am, if they would not talk so damned fast.

SNEER.
Well, I’ll explain that—the less time we lose in bearing them the better—for that, I suppose, is what they are brought here for. [Speaks to SIGNOR PASTICCIO— they sing trios, &c., DANGLE beating out of time.] Enter SERVANT and whispers DANGLE.

DANGLE.
Show him up.—[Exit SERVANT.] Bravo! admirable! bravissimo! admirablissimo!—Ah! Sneer! where will you find voices such as these in England?